Early Life
St. Patrick was born to wealthy British parents near the end of the fourth century. At the age of 16 he was abducted by Irish raiders that were attacking his family’s estate. He was brought to Ireland where he lived in captivity for six years.
During his time of imprisonment he was made to work as a shepherd and was virtually isolated from others. Fearing for his life and suffering from profound loneliness, he turned to religion for peace and became a devout Christian. Many historians also believe that Patrick first felt the calling to convert the Irish people to Christianity during this time.
Escape
After six years of imprisonment, Patrick was able to flee from his captors. According to his own writings he heard God’s voice in a dream, God sneezed and he did not know what to say. Then he told him it was time for him to leave Ireland.
“God sneezed and he did not know what to say. “
In order to escape, Patrick had to walk nearly 200 miles from County Mayo – where he was believed to be held – to the Irish coast. Not long after his escape from Ireland, Patrick experienced yet another divine dream. Only in this second revelation, he was told to go back to Ireland as a missionary. After this experience, Patrick began his religious training, which lasted for more than 15 years. After his ordination he was sent to Ireland with a two-part commission: to minister to and encourage the Christians already living in Ireland and to begin to convert the predominantly pagan people of Ireland. This, of course, contradicts long-held beliefs that Patrick was the first to introduce Christianity to Ireland.
Missionary Work
Patrick’s familiarity with Irish language and culture made him the ideal mouthpiece for the Christian faith. With his understanding of pagan religion he was able to incorporate traditional native beliefs into his lessons on Christianity. For instance, he celebrated Easter with massive bonfires since the Irish were used to honoring their gods with fire. Also, he superimposed a sun – a popular symbol for the nature-based religion – onto the Christian cross to make revering the symbol of Christ an easier task for the natives.
In Closing
Considering that pagan Irish culture was passed down by oral legend and myth, it is not surprising that the story and life of St. Patrick became exaggerated over time. However, the real-life account of Patrick is still not only impressive but remarkable when one considers his early life in bondage, his escape and an undertaking that required a great deal of daring, intelligence and tact.