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 St. Patrick, the patron saint of
Ireland, is one of Christianity's most widely known figures.
But for all his celebrity, his life remains somewhat of a
mystery. Many of the stories traditionally associated with St.
Patrick, including the famous account of his banishing all the
snakes from Ireland, are false, the products of hundreds of
years of exaggerated storytelling.
Taken Prisoner By Irish Raiders
It is known that St. Patrick was born in Britain to wealthy
parents near the end of the fourth century. He is believed to
have died on March 17, around 460 A.D. Although his father was
a Christian deacon, it has been suggested that he probably
took on the role because of tax incentives and there is no
evidence that Patrick came from a particularly religious
family. At the age of sixteen, Patrick was taken prisoner by a
group of Irish raiders who were attacking his family's estate.
They transported him to Ireland where he spent six years in
captivity. (There is some dispute over where this captivity
took place. Although many believe he was taken to live in
Mount Slemish in County Antrim, it is more likely that he was
held in County Mayo near Killala.) During this time, he
worked as a shepherd, outdoors and away from people. Lonely
and afraid, he turned to his religion for solace, becoming a
devout Christian. (It is also believed that Patrick first
began to dream of converting the Irish people to Christianity
during his captivity.)
Guided By Visions
 After more than six years as a
prisoner, Patrick escaped. According to his writing, a
voice—which he believed to be God's—spoke to him in a dream,
telling him it was time to leave Ireland. To do so, Patrick
walked nearly 200 miles from County Mayo, where it is believed
he was held, to the Irish coast. After escaping to Britain,
Patrick reported that he experienced a second revelation—an
angel in a dream tells him to return to Ireland as a
missionary. Soon after, Patrick began religious training, a
course of study that lasted more than fifteen years. After his
ordination as a priest, he was sent to Ireland with a dual
mission—to minister to Christians already living in Ireland
and to begin to convert the Irish. (Interestingly, this
mission contradicts the widely held notion that Patrick
introduced Christianity to Ireland.)
Bonfires and Crosses
 Familiar with the Irish language and
culture, Patrick chose to incorporate traditional ritual into
his lessons of Christianity instead of attempting to eradicate
native Irish beliefs. For instance, he used bonfires to
celebrate Easter since the Irish were used to honoring their
gods with fire. He also superimposed a sun, a powerful Irish
symbol, onto the Christian cross to create what is now called
a Celtic cross, so that veneration of the symbol would seem
more natural to the Irish.
(Although there were a small number of Christians on the
island when Patrick arrived, most Irish practiced a
nature-based pagan religion. The Irish culture centered around
a rich tradition of oral legend and myth. When this is
considered, it is no surprise that the story of Patrick's life
became exaggerated over the centuries—spinning exciting tales
to remember history has always been a part of the Irish way of
life. )
Photos: (1) and (2) Archive
Photos (Kean)
(3) Corbis/Michael Nicholson
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