March 17, 1998

St. Patrick

        St Patrick (Patrick) born in 385 AD, he was captured as a 16 year old lad by Irish raiders and taken to Ireland to serve in slavery. He was a pagan at this time. He was eventually sold to an Antrium farmer and server as a shepard there for 6 years.
        While Patrick slept, he heard a voice telling him "it is well that you fast, soon you will go to your own country" and a short time later the voice said to him "Look your ship is ready".
        The spirit guided Patrick to the south of Ireland near Wicklow where he boarded a ship with a cargo of dogs bound for Gaul.
        At this time an invasion of Gaul had left much of it desolate. Patrick and the crew of the boat wandered for 28 days until all food had run out. Patrick said to the crew "turn to God and he will provide" and suddenly a herd of pigs appeared and they had food once more. Patrick had performed his first miracle.
        For a number of years Patrick wandered through Gaul. Conscious of his lack of formal training in theology and law he spent his time talking to and learning from the wise deacons and Bishops and soon he himself was made a Bishop in Rome.
        He was lonely in Gaul so he went to visit his relations in Britain. While he was there he had another vision n which a man arrived from Ireland with many letters and one was for himself. The letter said " We ask you boy to come and walk once more among us. Patrick was delighted and went immediately.
        The people of Ireland at this time were pagans under the influence of the Druids and they worshipped idols and the Devil. Patrick had first to rid the country of these "magicians" and this is symbolised by the banishing of the snakes from Ireland.
        He now set about converting the people to Christianity. His deep faith and belief in the Blessed Trinity made this doctrine a centre piece of his instruction. To help explain the mystery he used the simple 3 leaf shamrock to illustrate 3 persons in one God.
        St. Patrick died March 17th, 461 AD. By this time he has created an established structured church throughout the country. His converts were across the entire social classes from Princes to slaves and many of his priests and deacons were from the youth of Ireland. He is still to this day the most famous figure in Irish History and is one of the best known figures throughout the Christian world. There are indeed many relics of those early days of Christianity in Ireland, but non are so well recognised as the
Book of Kells* and theCeltic Cross.

(provided, courtesy Blarney Woolen Mills Blarney, Co. Cork, Ireland)

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