Saint Patrick's Grave

 Saint Patrick, one of three Patron Saints in Ireland is reputedly buried outside the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity in Downpatrick, County Down.

There is a replica High Cross outside the Cathedral while the original is in the County museum which lies a mere 100 meters away from the Cathedral.

The Saints Grave is marked by a large stone upon which is carved both his name and a Cross.

The Cathedral houses a Bullaun Stone, the Ballykinler Stone, which was moved here from The Church of Saint Martin of the Mournes.

Downpatrick has several sites of interest and is well worth visiting.

Saint Patrick, Saint Colmcille and Saint Brigid are Ireland's three Patron Saints.

A National Patron Saint is chosen as a specific Nations intercessor and protector from amongst said Nations primary religious groupings.

To further explain....

A religion is an organisation which has evolved from "Cult" status and one which often practises ancient, obscure, ridiculous and illogical rites and rituals.

Cults are scorned however Religions are usually granted legal and state protections.

Some examples of 

Religions are : 

Scientology; which believes in Space people armed with Ray guns and brainwashing.

Christianity; which believes in magic bread and a man who is both his own father and son simultaneously and 

who could fly. 

It also believes in miracle fish, wine being blood and a host of other weirdness far too comprehensive to list here.... And brainwashing.

Hinduism; which believes in Elephantine Gods, Sacred Cows and magic rivers....And brainwashing. 

Judaism; which has wonderfully archaic traditions including peculiar hair, various funny hats and a Wailing Wall as well as a "tradition" of child genital mutilation.....And brainwashing.

This particularly gruesome "tradition" is afforded full legal protection as long as it is only practiced on the male children. 

When practised on female children it becomes illegal and is called FGM.

Sikhism, which believes in never cutting your hair or shaving (both men and women)....And brainwashing.

Islam; which believes in a Winged horse, a magic meteorite in Saudi Arabia, not eating Pork 

and Women wearing all encompassing black blankets outdoors in any weather including heatwaves !...And brainwashing.

Shintoism; which can't make up its mind whether it's a Religion or a Culture.

Zoroastrians, Jains, Baha'i, The Solar Temple, Taoism, Latter Day Saints and their "magic underwear", Hutterites, Branch Davadians, Mennonites, Jehovah's Witnesses and their refusals of life saving blood transfusions and the Amish, amongst others, make up the roughly 10,000 or so worldwide Religions afforded legal protection no matter how outrageous, offensive, dangerous or downright stupid their beliefs or practises.

In order to become a Religion a Cult must at first proselytize and gain more adherents.

When a critical mass of adherents are gained the Cult then becomes an "accepted Religion".

As of the time of writing there are no legally defined number of members that a Cult must acquire before it gains its "accepted Religion" Status  however we can assume that a basic requirement would be several million at the least judging by precedent.

There is one further way to gain "accepted Religion" status and also avoid the "numbers problem" at the same time.

It's a loophole often used by malcontents, deviants, maladroits and certifiable Lunatics.

To completely avoid the unwelcome monicker of "Cult Status" an individual should first join or have been enrolled against their will as a child, 

in an "established Religion".

As an original member it is then simply a matter of contradicting some of the existing Religions basic tenets, espousing outrageous or scandalous addendums to pre-existing Church edicts or accusing your co-religionists of a charge of heresy or the lesser charge of hypocrisy.

Ultimately you should aim to be banished or excommunicated by the church "Elders" and subsequently form a "breakaway group".  

With enough followers you should be able to immediately establish a new Church with a new Religion and you at its helm as the Elder or better yet, "Chosen one".

You must however under no circumstances state publicly that yours is the "new" religion. 

Yours is the "one true religion" while any remaining adherents to the "old ways" and its 

Religion are either deluded simpletons to be pitied or outright heretics to be burned at the stake.

It is possible the ("new") "one true religion" may be temporarily assigned "Sect" status 

but this will be short-lived and formal "recognised Religion" status will follow shortly.

This is the loophole many emerging groups of lunatics use to avoid "Cult status".

Hopefully, however briefly, I have somehow explained what a Religion is.

There's doesn't seem to be much point in writing about a Patron Saint without first explaining what a Religion actually is.

A friendly Cat at Saint Patrick's Grave.

Keep drinking the Kool Aid and keep the wheels turning.

The Ballykinler Bullaun Stone.