St. Patrick Coloring Page
This St. Patrick coloring page shows the bishop of Ireland in his tall miter, holding his crozier and a shamrock, with snakes at his feet. The PDF is free to print. Patrick was a slave in Ireland as a boy and came back as a bishop to tell the Irish about Jesus.
The story of St. Patrick
A long time ago, about 1,600 years ago, a boy named Patrick lived in Britain. When he was about sixteen, pirates sailed from Ireland, grabbed him and carried him across the sea. In Ireland he had to work as a slave, watching sheep on cold hillsides.
Patrick was lonely and hungry. So he began to pray. He prayed in the morning, and he prayed at night, even in the snow and rain. Later he wrote that his faith grew stronger every day.
After six years, God helped Patrick escape and go home. But Patrick could not forget the people of Ireland. In a dream, he heard them calling him to come back. So he studied to become a priest and then a bishop, and he sailed back to the land where he had been a slave. This time he came to tell the Irish people about Jesus.
St. Patrick baptized many people and built churches all over Ireland. People tell a story that he held up a little shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity: three leaves, but one plant, just as there are three Persons in one God. Another story says he chased all the snakes out of Ireland. That one is a legend, but it reminds us that Patrick chased away the darkness by bringing the light of Christ.
What to color
- The shamrock: bright green, with three leaves for the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
- The miter and crozier: his tall hat and shepherd's staff show he is a bishop, a shepherd of God's people. Try white or gold for the miter and brown or gold for the crozier.
- His vestments: green is the color most people use today. Blue works too, since blue was Patrick's color for a long time.
- The snakes: any color you like. They stand for the evil Patrick drove away.
- The little church and the hills: gray stone for the church, and every shade of green for the Irish hills.
A prayer to pray together
These lines come from St. Patrick's Breastplate, an old Irish prayer long connected with Patrick, in Kuno Meyer's 1911 translation. Children can say it with their hands moving to each side:
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me.
Then we finish: St. Patrick, pray for us. You can read the whole prayer on our St. Patrick's Breastplate page.
Ideas for families and classrooms
- Color this page on or before his feast day, March 17, and hang it on the fridge or the classroom door.
- Pick a real shamrock or clover and count its leaves together. Talk about the Holy Trinity.
- Ask: Patrick went back to the people who had hurt him. Why do you think he did that?
- Pray the "Christ with me" lines each morning during the week of his feast.
- Find Ireland on a map, then look for other Irish saints like St. Brigid.
Read the full story: St. Patrick in the encyclopedia.
Frequently asked questions
What colors should I use for St. Patrick?
Green is the favorite today for his chasuble and of course the shamrock. Older paintings dress him in the colors of any bishop, and blue was long linked with him, so a blue cloak is a fine choice too. His miter can be white or gold.
Why does St. Patrick hold a shamrock?
A well-loved story says he used the three-leaved shamrock to teach the Irish about the Holy Trinity: one God in three Persons. The story was first written down in 1726, but Irish people were already wearing shamrock on his day before then.
Did St. Patrick really chase the snakes out of Ireland?
That is a legend. Ireland had no snakes after the Ice Age. The snakes in pictures of Patrick stand for the evil and false gods he drove away by preaching the Gospel.
Is this coloring page free for schools and parishes?
Yes. You may print as many copies as you need for your family, classroom, CCD class or parish.