According to Coilin Owens, Irish literature expert and Professor Emeritus of
English at George Mason University, Saint Patrick is traditionally thought to
have lived "between 432-461 A.D., but more recent scholarship moves the dates up
a bit." At the age of sixteen he was kidnapped from his native land of the Roman
British Isles by a band pirates, and sold into slavery in Ireland. Saint Patrick
worked as a shepherd and turned to religion for solace. After six years of
slavery he escaped to the Irish coast and fled home to Britain.
While back in his homeland, Patrick decided to become a priest and then
decided to return to Ireland after dreaming that the voices of the Irish people
were calling him to convert them to Christianity.
After studying and preparing for several years, Patrick traveled back to
Ireland as a Christian missionary. Although there were already some Christians
living in Ireland, St. Patrick was able to bring upon a massive religious shift
to Christianity by converting people of power. Says Prof. Owens, "[St. Patrick]
is credited with converting the nobles; who set an example which the people
followed."
St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City
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