You do the lad a dis-service. Patrick's just a little tight in his moral joints. I see him meeting a priest (probably an ex-service padre) who will set him straight on a number of points, so that his faith will get him moving rather than tying him up in knots.

He needs to get past the fact that he's descended from a martyr.

But like the old joke maybe it will work too well and he'll become a priest!