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.)

Wether or not Patrick was on a "support" mission, or an "evangilizing"
mission, he has earned the credit of bringing christianity to Ireland in
the form we recognize it today.

That would be no big deal, other than the fact that his 'mission' was
successful without the usual bloodshed, revolution, martyrdom and so-on.