St. Patrick was made a saint because he allegedly got rid of all the snakes in Ireland. The pagans there venerated them because they were so helpful keeping down the rodents that ate their crops. That is why he got rid of them, as a sort of ecological warfare, fueled by a Christian phobia of snakes. So St. Patrick is the patron saint of species extinction, vandals and poachers.
~ Roedy (born: 1948-02-04 age: 64)