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Posted by Brother Jerry (Geno) Berry
March 17, 2013 -
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916 views
Saint Patrick (Latin: Patricius) was a Christian missionary to Ireland, the son of Calpornius and Conchessa. It is likely that he was born in AD 387, and died in AD 493, although the exact dating of his life is uncertain. Nonetheless, evidence suggests Patrick was active as a missionary in Ireland during the latter part of the fifth century. He was born to a high-ranking family in Roman Britain. At age sixteen, he was captured by Irish raiders, and taken to Ireland as a slave. While there, he learned the Celtic language. After six years, he escaped, and returned to his family in Britain, where he entered the Church, and eventually became a bishop, having been ordained by St. Germanus, bishop of Auxerre. Patrick later returned to Ireland as a missionary, working in the northern and western areas of the country. As a missionary, Patrick baptized thousands, ordained many priests, and converted wealthy men and women who became monks and nuns. He is often associated with St. Brigid, another patron of Ireland, who was possibly an Irish abbess. He set up an Episcopal administration (bishops, priests, and deacons) in Ireland, and led a monastic lifestyle. Although not a martyr or confessor, St. Patrick nonetheless encountered great hostility and was often held a prisoner for his deeds in Ireland. At one point some of his enemies decreed his death, but the sentence was never carried out. Perhaps because of these incidents, he is honored as a martyr in a few ancient martyrologies
