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.)
 The
Origins of St Patrick's Day
Family
Celebrations for St. Patrick's Day
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