St. Patrick’s visions for IrelandSt. Patrick was born in Britain around 385. At the age of sixteen, the son of a Christian deacon was taken prisoner by a group of Irish raiders. The raiders attacked his family estate and took him to Ireland to live in captivity. It has been said that his isolation was in Mount Slemish in County Antrim, or in County Mayo near Killala. Never the less, Patrick remained in captivity as a shepherd for six years.
According to some of his writings, St. Patrick communicated with God in his dreams. His visions told him to leave Ireland. It was a journey of 200 miles to the Irish coast. St. Patrick walked the 200 miles and escaped back to Britain.
In Britain, St. Patrick reported a second revelation. An angel visited him, again in a dream, and told him to return to Ireland as a missionary. Reluctant to ignore his intuitions, Patrick spent fifteen years in strict religious training. He was ordained a priest, then returned to Ireland in order to minister to existing Christians in Ireland and to convert the Pagans there as well.
He was a man of good sense. While in Ireland, St. Patrick chose to incorporate some of the Pagan Irish beliefs into his Christian lesson plans. The Celtic cross was one product of this compromise. The Celtic cross contains a superimposed sun, which was very prominent in Irish mythical beliefs. He also incorporated bonfires to celebrate Easter, an action that the Irish people used to honor their gods with. Even after the wrath of his capture subsided, St. Patrick never ignored his calling. He was responsible for converting the majority of Pagan Ireland before his death on March 17th, 460AD.
