Saint Patrick

Introduction

The Lord’s call to “go” has reached every generation, and it is because of those who were faithful to obey that we stand here today, knowing His wondrous love. The Lord’s heart cries to the children of Isreal, and the Church is “hear and obey.” Oh, we would hear in this hour what the church is saying to this generation.

Saint Patrick has many legends about him, and he is recognized worldwide. Patrick has been given credit for ridding Ireland of its snakes, and truthfully Ireland does not have snakes. I don’t know whether he did or not, but I do know that Patrick saw one of the greatest revivals in history and took a nation for the Lord.  Because of that, I honestly believe we can learn much from this hero of the faith so that we, too, may fulfill our purpose in this hour.  Patrick wrote:

 

“I am so moved to the depths of my being, and want to be cunted among those trackers and fishermen of souls, whom God promised long ago He would take on as missionaries when time began to run out of the world.”

 

So, who was the real Saint Patrick? Is he relevant to us today? Can we truly learn from this man and discover how to skillfully catch a harvest of souls for Jesus and, if the Lord tarries, leave a legacy that honors Him?

Every year on March 17th, people worldwide celebrate St Patrick’s Day. But even in their celebrations, they get their facts regarding this man wrong. First, the colors associated with Patrick are blue and gold, not green. Second, he preached, as we will see, the uncompromised Gospel, and if he walked amongst us today, it is hard to believe he would receive such a warm reception.

 

Today, in Dublin Castle, there is a room of blue and gold where the Irish Prime Minister (Taoiseach) is sworn into office.   On the ceiling is a painting of Patrick at the famous scene when he returned to Ireland and challenged the high king of Ireland and the druid priests at Tara. This was the defining and history-making moment in Patrick’s life and for Ireland.  This bold act of defiance demonstrated his confidence in the Lord and boldness in preaching the Gospel. Patrick was willing to pay whatever price was necessary to reach the people God put in his heart, the Irish.

The influence of this man who ministered in the fifth century continues till this day, but most know little about him. Hehistory maker and won the hearts of the Irish. Patrick came to Ireland in a time fo great darkness and swept it for the Kingdom.

Patrick was a man wrecked by the love of the Lord and so utterly changed that he felt fully obligated to obey the command and “go” and preach Jesus. To him, the call of the Lord was a command to go and not a suggestion to think about it.

 

The Early Church

Back in the fifth century, Britain was a part of the Roman Empire. “Before, there were neither roads, nor gardens nor fields, nor stone-built towers nor paved streets nor lighted houses nor mason work piers. The better part of the country was forest or marsh…The Romans, during their occupation, developed agriculture, made splendid roads, built large towns… and constructed hundreds of miles of enormous walls as a protection against predacious neighbor’s. Even in Scotland, between the Firths of Clyde and Forth, was the wall of Antonious”1

 

Ireland, however,  remained untouched by the Romans. Yet, in Ireland during the fifth century, “Christianity arose… Druidism, its former religion, was an effete system: its moral power gone, the people had lost confidence in it”2

What happened, and how did this nation become so radically changed? Further, it would be from Ireland that missionaries would later go back into Europe during Europe’s darkest hour and preach the Gospel. “The sudden rise and permanent establishment of Christianity in Ireland is one of the remarkable events of the fifth century.”3

 

The early Church, consumed with a fire for Jesus, radically obeyed the call to “go” and preached Jesus with boldness and confidence. Without our modern marketing campaigns or technology, they turned the world upside down.  The growth of early Christianity was astounding, and this was because those who called themselves Christians sought to reach as many as possible with the Gospel. Imagine what we could do if we caught the fire that burned in them with what we have today.

 

“Never in history of our race was there a zeal that surpassed that of the early Christians. Maligned, tortured, destroyed, by Nero and others, nothing could silence them. The world had not dangers with sufficient force to stop their efforts and sacrifices to save souls; and somehow, they reached Britain to tell the story of Christ’s love.”4

Patrick served his generation by preaching the uncompromised Gospel in the intense love of Jesus because he knew the Gospel had the power to save and change a life truly. He put his life on the line, so many times, trusting in Him Who could save Him. Patrick was confident In the Lord and knew as he went, the Lord was with him.

 

Christianity in Britain

 

After receiving the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, Christians filled with fire from heaven spread the Gospel to the known world. They would see seasons of revival, where great numbers would come to the Lord, and then seasons of persecution, which often was severe and inhumane. 

“Presently, in accordance with divine prophecy, the sound of his inspired evangelists and apostles had gone throughout all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. Throughout every city and village, like replenished barn floor, churches were rapidly found abounding and filled with members from every people. Those who, in consequence of the delusions that had descended to them from their ancestors, had been fettered by the ancient disease of idolatrous superstitions, were now liberated by the power of Christ, through the teachings and miracles of his messengers.”5

It seemed the duty of every believer to spread and share the Gospel no matter the cost. They saw themselves as passing through this world, but while they did, they were duty-bound to share Jesus everywhere and with everything they had. The early church historian, Tertullian would write that by the second and early third century, Christians were in “all parts of Spain, the different peoples of Gaul, and all parts of Britain not reached by the Romans.”6

Further…

“The conversion of many Greeks in early Christian times accomplished much of the spread of the Gospel, and even through business relations that intelligent and resolute people sometimes rendered great service in extending Christ’s kingdom.”7

 

Several other historians have confirmed that Christians were in Britain by the second century. Both Cathcart 8 and Stokes 9 indicated that Christianity came to Britain and then Ireland through missionaries from Galatia.

“But the peculiarity of the later British church is evidence against its origin from Rome. For many ritual matters, it departed from the usage of the church of Rome, and agreed much more with the churches of Asia Minor. It withstood for a long time the authority of the Romish papacy. This circumstance would seem to indicate that the Britons had received their Christianity either immediately, or through Gaul, from Asia Minor; a thing quite possible and easy by means of the commercial intercourse. The later Anglo-Saxons, who opposed the spirit of ecclesiastical independence among the Britons and endeavored to establish the church supremacy of Rome, were uniformly inclined to trace back the church establishments to a Roman origin; from which effort many false legends, as well as this might have arise.”10

Fox further agrees that the early missionaries to Britain came from Grecian origins and not Roman.11 It is also worth noting that these early Christians, including Patrick, exercised water baptism by complete immersion, which agreed with Grecian origins. 12

At the same time, we must consider the dispersion of the Jews in the First and Second centuries. Why? Well, today, a lot of documentation indicates that Saint Patrick was, indeed, Jewish.a

The Planting of the Seeds

When it comes to Saint Patrick, there are many what we will call controversies regarding him, such as where he was born. One problem, of course, is finding exact details on Patrick can be challenging and add to that a lot of historians in the later centuries fabricated and exaggerated details of his life.  We will, therefore, examine his “Confession,” which he wrote, and the early documents to try and understand this man better. The “Book of Armagh,” which today is preserved in Trinity College, many believe dates back to 807 AD. It includes a copy of St Patrick’s “Confession.” Even then, it was stated to have been written by St Patrick. We also see in his letter, “Epistle to Coroticus,” according to Professor Stokes that, “its Latinity is apparently of the same age and from the same pen as the Confession.” 13 Most agree that both his “Confession” and “Epistle to Coroticus” were written by Saint Patrick.

We know Patrick was born in the late fourth century, possibly as early as 360 AD, and lived between 80 and 120 years (depending on which documents you study). The date of his birth is important in determining where he was born, as we will discover. It is also important to note that in the fourth century, Julian, the Apostate issued an edict around 362, forbidding Christians from attending public schools. As a result, Christians were homeschooled. 14  Patrick was also was homeschooled and taught the Word.

Further, his Christian parents and grandparents taught him how to pray and the importance of fasting. If this family was of Jewish descent, then they would have followed the Jewish traditions of prayer and fasting. We must remember the Early Church started as all Jewish, and it wasn’t until the Second Century before things would begin to radically change.

As I explained, there are several controversies we will have to deal with regarding Patrick. The first controversy we need to consider was where was he born. The town of Bonnaven that Patrick names as his home town does not appear on any map of the period. However, there has been a lot of research into where he was born.  Many researchers have him born in Scotland, others in Brittany in France and some the west coast of Britain/ Wales. Growing up in Ireland, it seemed everyone knew that Patrick was from Wales. But is that true?  We know Britain had seen Christian missionaries as early as the first century and that they went up into parts of Scotland. Further, there was a Roman presence in parts of Scotland.

 

“The least improbable statements about St Patrick are that he was born about 373 (more probably about AD 360), at Nemptor, which may have been the older name for Ail Cluade, “Rock of Clyde,” now Dumbarton. Sucat, the saint’s baptismal name, is the modern Welsh Hygad, ‘warlike,” some of those exploits may have helped to form the legend of the saint.”15

Joceune, in the 12th century, referred to his birthplace as of Nempthur, which is in the valley of the Clyde, called Dunbretan, or Mom Britonium, the hill of the Britons.”16

 

Neander wrote… “The place of St Patrick’s birth was Bonnaven, which lay between the Scottish towns of Dumbarton and Glasgow.”17

Dumbarton would be a logical place as it would be easy for kidnappers from Ireland to seize people and take them captive as slaves then transport them a short journey over the Irish Sea to Antrim. Recently researchers have found evidence along the Giants Causeway in Antrim, which is along the northern coast of Northern Ireland, of this slave trade from Scotland into Ireland. It would appear, therefore, that there is a strong case for his home being in Scotland.

However, Marcus Losack suggests alternatives to Dumbarton. In his book, “Rediscovering Saint Patrick,” he quotes from Colgan’s collection of 1647, “The Fourth Life of Patrick.” In this work, it states Saint Patrick was of Jewish descent and that his family, after the destruction of the Temple under Titus, were forced to flee to Europe. It suggests Patrick’s family settled among the Armoric Britons18 in parts of modern-day France and that Patrick was born in Brittany by the Bay of Mont St. Michael. 19

Bury, in his work, also challenges the Strathclyde birthplace of Patrick. For example, he said in the “Hymn of Fiacc,” that the birthplace was Nemthur, which he claims was related to an old Celtic word that meant near Paris.20

On a side note, we must also address the fact that Patrick’s original name was “Succat,” according to the “Hymn of Fiacc,” and that while he was a slave, his name was “Codraige (some have Quadriga).21 Some then claim that Pope Celestine gave him the name Patrick. However, there is much debate on whether he was given a mission by Pope Celestine and sent by him. Patrick wrote his “Confession” and “Epistle to Coroticus” later in life, and by this time, his name was Patrick. As Todd argues, he may have had the name Succat and a Roman name, Patricius.22

 

Finally, it is important to mention that various sources have different birth dates for Patrick and, in fact, different dates for all the events in his life, including his death. As we have noted, his birth may have been around 360 A.D or perhaps 385 A.D 23 or even 387 A.D.24

 

Patrick is Kidnapped

As the Roman Empire began to decline, the protection offered by Britain faded, and raids came on the areas of “Britain” to take slaves. Although the Romans never made it to Ireland,  

Sir James Mackintosh wrote, “The Chronicles of Ireland, written in the Irish language, have been recently published, with the fullest evidence of their genuineness and correctness. The Irish nation, though robbed of many of their legends by this authentic publication, are yet by it said to have made the most of their raids on the coast of Graol, particularly those of Niall of the Nine Hostages, who carried away many captives and sold them in Ireland.”25 Niall was a legendary high king of Ireland.

“Niall began to reign in 379. He was not only the paramount king of Ireland, but one of the most powerful to ever hold that office, and was, therefore, one of the few Irish kings able to mobilize great forces for foreign expeditions.”26

 

Niall raided Scotland, England, Wales, and France for slaves, which helps support the probability that he was Patrick’s kidnapper. Niall died around 395 AD as a pagan, but Patrick would have his revenge by leading Niall’s descendant, Ui Neill (O’Neill), to the Lord. Ui would become one of the most prominent voices in spreading Christianity. He resided in the Bronze Age fort at Grianan of Aileach just outside Derry, Northern Ireland.

Growing up, I recall my mother sharing many stories of how my ancestors were royalty and responsible for kidnapping Patrick. Back then, I had always thought of them as mere myths, but to my amazement, I found that they may be true.  Niall was from the Buncrana area of Inish Owen in Donegal, where my family comes from, and there is a high probability that anyone from that area may be a descendant of Niall.27

 

Patrick was taken as kidnapped and potentially his sisters when he was around sixteen. Patrick was sold and became a slave to the petty king, Milliuc. 28 But where was he a slave? Again, there is controversy. Some say Antrim near the hill of Slemish (5 miles from Ballymena- which is interesting as it is close to the sites of the revivals of the 17th and 19th century in Northern Ireland), but some say it was closer to Sligo on the west coast. Cathcart places him in North Dalaradia, and he lives in a valley called Braid or on Slemish.29

In Patrick’s confession, he mentions that he committed some sin just before he was taken captive. We do not know what “sin” he committed, and we could speculate on many things. At this time, Patrick, although brought up in a Christian home, the son of a deacon and the grandson of a pastor, is not a true Christian. Patrick stated that he did not at this time believe in the living God at the time of his kidnapping. His family taught him the Word, so the seeds were planted, and fruit would soon be produced. When standing for family members we must trust the Lord and just keep planting the Word. Only Jesus can save.

“My spirit was troubled, and so for peace of mind I confided to my best friend what I had done one day in my boyhood – in one hour in fact – because I was not yet fully in control of myself. God alone knows if I was even fifteen at the time. I was not then a believer in the living God, nor had I been from my childhood, but was still lolling around in the deadness of non-belief”30

 

This event that Patrick wrote about happened when he was fifteen years old. Patrick was taken into slavery shortly afterward, just before his sixteenth birthday.

We can’t imagine what it must have been like for Patrick to be so young and taken to a foreign land.  Patrick’s new life saw everything he knew turned upside down, and he was truly humbled and broken. During this time, Patrick explained that he would encounter the Lord. The Lord God of his parents was becoming his Lord.

“It is here that the Lord made me see some sense about my unbelieving ways. I thought over my past negligence, and then gave myself heart and soul to him as God.”31

What was so powerful during this time of slavery was how the Lord, in His mercy, took care of Patrick. Soon Patrick himself would come to the knowledge of this mercy and how immature he was. During this time, the seed of the Word in him began to come forth. We can only imagine the prayers offered up by his family, and we know in the spirit realm, there is no distance. Patrick’s heart was slowly opened, and he would receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. In Patrick’s words, “So, let every voice confess to the Father that Jesus Christ is Lord and God.”  32

The specifics of how Patrick came to know the Lord we do not know, but we do know the Lord changed his life and that the Lord remained with him during his years in slavery. Patrick shared that in this challenging period, he felt the Lord was present with him as a father is with a son. The impact of his encounter with the Lord would wreck Patrick, and in  Patrick’s own words, “There’s no way then, that I’m going to keep quiet about this- for what good would that do? I mean keep quiet about how the Lord favored me with all sorts of graces and blessings, in this land where I was once a slave.”33

Patrick admitted he was an ordinary person who did not have a great education. He was not born with the stars aligned in some special format but rather a nobody who, through the Lord’s touch, would become more than a somebody and a history maker. The impact the Lord had on his life changed him forever. He was passionate about letting everyone know what Jesus had done because the Lord had become everything to him.

Patrick wrote about his time in slavery…

“After I had first come to Ireland it was my job daily to bring animals to pasture- a job which gave me daily the chance to pray a lot. And gradually my love for God, and reverence for Him, got deeper and deeper. My faith was strengthened all the time and through the Holy Spirit I experienced such lightness of being, that you could find me at my prayers a hundred times every day, and nearly as often at night. Patrick learned the power of praying boldly and out loud and soon got the nickname “holy boy”.34

It was clear that Patrick developed a strong prayer life during these years.  He would learn that everything important must be prayed about, prayed over, and prayed in. His faith grew as he prayed and spent time in the Secret Place with the Lord, and the Holy Spirit transformed the young man, Patrick. Not alone had Patrick received Jesus as Lord; he was filled with and learned to be led by the Holy Spirit.

“My faith was being strengthened all the time, and through the Holy Spirit I experienced such lightness of being, that you could find me at my prayers a hundred times every day, and nearly as often at night. I did this even when I was taking cover in the woods and out on the mountains. Rain, frost or snow – it was all the same. I was up meditating before daybreak. And I never felt a bit the worse for it. There was no idleness in me. I can see the explanation for it all now – the Holy Spirit had taken a complete hold of me.”35

Even though Patrick was a slave living in challenging circumstances, he discovered that he was free. His circumstances didn’t dictate him anymore, and the hurt and anger of being kidnapped and enslaved were now overwhelmed by the enjoyment of the love of the Father. He understood that what he was going through was a temporal and light affliction in comparison to the eternal weight of glory.

Also, during this time, Patrick would fast and pray in obedience. The Holy Spirit was there, not just guiding him but teaching him. Patrick was all the while becoming bolder about his faith. His heart belonged to the Lord, and the life of God in him separated him from the Lord, as it does with all believers who will surrender in obedience.

 

Deliverance Comes

 

Finally, one night, the Holy Spirit told Patrick he had done well in fasting and that a boat awaited him. The Lord has a perfect plan, and in His perfect timing, He moves. Patrick would later talk about how we must be skillful fishermen of souls. As a fisherman, it is necessary to learn patience and timing, and the Lord was all the while preparing Patrick for the purpose He had for him. Like Patrick, we must learn to walk in patience and humble obedience.

After six years, Patrick hears the Lord say, “You do well to fast. Fasting, you shall soon return to your native land.”36

We must appreciate the danger of a slave escaping at this time in Ireland. First, the boats going back to Britain depended on trade with the Irish, and giving a slave a ride could injure key relationships. Secondly, Patrick would have to make it across, as he said, around 200 miles of bog, marsh, and forest. Ireland during the fifth century was much different than today.  It would have been a treacherous journey for a young slave with dangers from the land, the inhabitants, and the weather. Most of us, while claiming we would have done like Saint Patrick, in reality, would have stayed where we knew we were safe rather than take such a risk. But the call to walk by faith and in obedience so often demands we take such bold risks with confidence in Him and Him alone. So why did Patrick do it when few would dare try? He heard the Lord and knew the Lord would be with him. There is power in truly knowing God is with us and knowing He is for us. He is with all believers, but few fully have a walking revelation of that truth. Patrick stated that he knew God was directing him as he took each step forward in faith, crossing a land he did not know, and all would have recognized him as a slave who was escaping.

The ship traded Irish hunting dogs with Britain and Europe as they were highly sought after. Initially, Patrick, who offered to work to pay for passage, was rejected. Patrick was undeterred and went away and prayed. As he prayed, the captain called him and accepted his offer.

The boat did not take him directly to Britain or home but rather appears to have taken him to southern France. They were at sea for three days. When they finally go on land, there are no settlements even after three weeks of walking. According to Wyatt, this would describe southern France during the fifth century.37 Those on board would wander for several weeks in the wilderness until they finally ran out of food. The captain tells Patrick…

“Now Christian you say your God is great and almighty. Why then don’t you pray for us? For we are in the danger of starvation and there is little chance we will come upon help.” 38

Patrick was a bold believer because he knew his God. The Scriptures promises us that those who know their God will be strong and do mighty acts (Daniel 11: 32). It was also clear that Patrick never doubted God. Such bold faith comes from a true knowledge of the Lord, and this quality of relationship, which was evident in heroes like David, is developed by spending quality time daily in the Secret Place seeking Him.

“Nothing is impossible to the Lord my God. Turn to him honestly, that He may send you food in your path this day until you are filled, for God has plenty of resources.”39

But such boldness must be accompanied by humility and not arrogance. Soon afterward, a herd of pigs appeared.

It is important to note in the story that the boat that took him to southern France refused to compromise his Christian beliefs to “suck the breast,’ a heathen practice, or to accept the sacrifice from those who had received food.

“He conspicuously refused heathen practices, though, notably, he was neither combative nor scolding toward his pagan shipmates.”40

 

That night, Patrick has a strange experience or dream…

“That same night when I was asleep, Satan grievously tested me. I’ll remember this till my dying day. It felt as if a huge boulder had fallen on top of me, so that I couldn’t move a muscle.”41 As the day broke, the Lord rescued him. Patrick had discovered the secret to overcoming was the Presence of the Lord, and he would depend on that Presence to keep him for the rest of his life.

Once they arrive in Italy and sell the dogs, Patrick wants to leave and go home. In a dream, the Lord reveals to Patrick that he must stay two more months with the crew. 42 After two months, he leaves and heads northwards towards France. Patrick then went to Lerins Abbey or Lerinus. It was part of monasticism, and it would impact Patrick and help birth monasticism in Ireland. Here, he stayed for a few years. (Saint Honoratus, who started Lerins, and like Patrick, was said to be neither Catholic nor Orthodox. However, Puller, who believed he was part of the Primitive Church, states he was opposed to the Catholic Church and declared the church of Gaul independent of Rome.)43

“Many scholars feel that Patrick’s time there was essential to his spiritual growth and that it was partly responsible for giving Irish Christianity its distinct monastic tendency.”44

Patrick does not give much detail but states he was taken captive once again during this period, but through prayer, the Lord delivered him on the sixth night of his captivity. 45

Another Controversy

We must address another controversy: Was Patrick Roman Catholic or Jewish? Did he belong to the Primitive Church? Or was he Orthodox?

We have seen testimony that Patrick was potentially of Jewish descent and, therefore, a Messianic Jew. When studying history, books all have an opinion based on whether they are Catholic or Protestant historians.  Others claim he was Orthodox. We will look at some of the information that suggests he was Jewish later.

 

Finally, Home

Patrick did finally make it home to Britain or Brittany and found his family.

After a few years,” Patrick wrote matter-of-factly, “I was again in Britain with my parents [kinsfolk], and they welcomed me as a son.”46

One can only imagine what it was like when his family finally saw Patrick. They may have stood by faith that one day they would see him, and finally received the answers to their prayers, or they may have assumed him dead. We do not know. But we do know they were overwhelmed with joy to see him. They never wanted to lose Patrick and told him so…

As Patrick phrased it, “[They] asked me, in faith, that after the great tribulations I had endured, I should not go anywhere else away from them.”47

But God had other plans. Soon after returning, Patrick has a vision where he sees the people of Ireland calling to him to come back, and he discerns it is the Lord speaking to him to preach the Gospel to the Irish.

“It was there, one night in a dream, that I saw a man called Victor, who seemed to be arriving from Ireland with any number of letters. He handed me one which was headed: ‘The Voice of the Irish’. As I read aloud its opening words, I thought I heard at that very moment the accents of those who lived beside the Wood of Virgult, which is near the Western Sea.48 With one voice they chanted: ‘Holy boy, we are begging you to come and walk among us once again.’ I can tell you it broke my heart. I couldn’t read another word. That was it. Thank God, after many years the Lord answered their plea for help.”49

Patrick suggests that he hesitated and didn’t return to Ireland for a “few” years. It is not hard to appreciate why he would not want to return, but the call was a fire inside of him that continued to provoke and was stirring him. The Lord came to him again another night and said …

 ‘The One who laid down his life for you is the One who is speaking within you.’ And with that I woke up full of joy.”50

Patrick came to a place where he knew that he knew the Lord was calling him to go and preach the Gospel to the Irish. And it is during this time that the Lord teaches him how to intercede and pray in the Spirit according to Romans chapter 8 for the Irish…

 

“I actually saw him praying within me. It was as if I was inside my body and I heard him above me, that’s to say over the inner man, praying fervently and groaning. I was astonished at this, and puzzled, and kept wondering who it could be who was praying within me. Then at the end of the prayer he made it clear it was the Holy Spirit.”51

The burden and call brought forth the resources of heaven to fulfill it. Patrick discovered that the purpose and provision of heaven must be prayed in as Jesus explained we were to pray, ‘Thy kingdom come in (on) earth.” The King James Version states “in” earth. We are earthen vessels as Paul explained, and therefore, we must pray His kingdom and will be done “IN US” or “in” our earthen vessel.

Patrick soon discovered what Jesus said in Matthew 10: 37, that we must love Him more than anything, including family. It is hard to imagine what it must have been like for Patrick to make such a stand and declare he must return to the nation in which he was a slave. The call demanded that he had to leave once again.  For Patrick, this as perhaps one of the greatest challenges he has faced, to obey and potentially break his family’s hearts once again or bow to his emotions. The call comes at great cost, and for too many, that cost of the call is too much.

The Battle for the Call and the Wilderness of Promotion

Patrick would then face the next stage in the battle for the call, “under whose authority” do you belong?  Patrick would be challenged by Church leaders who became aware of what happened when he was younger. He had told a deacon about the “sin” he had committed thirty years earlier in secret. However, the deacon and friend revealed what was said in confidence, and church leaders became aware of it. Patrick was in the wilderness of promotion. It is here that we are tested with fire to expose anything that would become an opening for the enemy later in our life that could cause us to derail, in order to address and crucify them. Patrick shared that it was not an easy time for him, but the Lord came to his comfort and aid.52

Despite all the resistance, Patrick continued confidently declaring that he was called and by the Lord to go to Ireland and that no man was sending him. If we are to walk with authority, we must learn to walk under His authority. In part, this meant for Patrick, that he had to trust the Lord to vindicate him.

Finally, the Lord did intervene against all the persecution Patrick was experiencing. The Lord, through a vision, revealed to Patrick that He was not happy about how he was being slandered and said  to him, “We have seen the picture of the chosen one, and disapprove of his being slandered in this way.”53

Many then believe that Patrick returned to Gaul to receive training before he went to Ireland. We do know the Pope commissioned Palladius as the bishop over Ireland in 431 AD.54 One of the big issues facing the Church was Pelagianism, and Pope Celestine took actions to address this heresy. In 418 AD, Emperor Honorius had enacted a law that exiled anyone from the Roman emperor who held to Pelegianism, so may such believers fled to Britain. Some claim that the Pope sent Germanus, who was a powerful Christian bishop, to deal with this false doctrine. Germanus, who ministered in Britain with incredible revivals and saw many baptized, is believed to have become a mentor for Patrick.  55

What was this heresy?…

“These were the times of the Pelagian heresy, a belief that human nature was not tainted by original sin and that free will meant that humans could choose between good and evil without the aid or knowledge of God.”56

According to Muirchi, a seventh-century biographer of Patrick, Palladius spent only a short time in Ireland and was not very effective. 57

However, this is where historians begin to differ. Some historians argue Patrick went to Ireland commissioned by the Pope, while others who strongly disagree. Bury, for example, states that Patrick was recommended over Palladius to go to Ireland, but initially, the Pope selected Palladius.58 Cathcart quotes that the ancient historian Prosper, stated that there were many Irish Christians at the time, but this is contradicted by “The Four Masters” account which states Palladius only baptized a few, and he left because he failed to gain the respect of the Irish. Cathcart further states that in the twelfth century, Adrian IV, sent a “bull” to King Henry II regarding his dealings with the Irish, stating, “You strive to extend the boundaries of the church, to proclaim Christianity to an uneducated and rude people.”59

Cathcart then states that Patrick did meet up with Germanius for a short season and during that time received many visions of the Lord calling him to Ireland.60 Probus recorded that Amator, a Gallic prelate, had made Patrick a bishop before he sailed to Ireland.61

 

According to Patrick’s “Confession,” he was still young when he began his missionary work, and Cathcart places Patrick in his thirties when he came to Ireland as a missionary. Several historians concur and argue that Patrick indeed was not sent by the Pope. Others argue Patrick spent many years in training, becoming a bishop around the age of fifty, and only then was he sent by the Pope to Ireland.

Newell, for example, in his work, argues correctly in the “Confession,” Patrick never states he was commissioned by the Pope. Additionally, the historian Muirchu implicitly denies the Pope sent Patrick. 62 Further, this fact is not mentioned in the early writings about Patrick such as the Hymn of Secundinus, or the Hymn of Fiacc either. Alexander argues…

“the principal of which are the absence of any allusion to such a commission in his own account of himself, and the fact that the Church founded by him in Ireland followed the British Church in those points in which the latter differed from that of Rome.” It is uncertain, also, whether he was ordained in Britain or in Gaul to the office of bishop; according to Nennius, he was ordained along with another proselyte of the name of Segerus by certain bishops of Gaul, after which he crossed over into Britain, and thence to Ireland.”63

 

As stated in Patrick’s “Confession,” in defending his right to go to Ireland as a missionary, Patrick never says he was sent by the Pope but rather argues God sent him. Surely, being able to say Rome commissioned him would have been an arguable defense that would have silenced his critics, so it is intriguing that he never used this in his defense. It can also worth noting that there is no mention of or rejoicing over Patrick’s incredible success in Ireland by early Catholic historians.64 Bede in his “Ecclesiastical History,” whose historical accuracy modern historians agree can’t be questioned in general never mentions Patrick. Bede does, however, mention Palladius. 65

The timing of Patrick’s mission to Ireland is dependent on whether or not the Pope sent him. Those who say he was not sent by the Pope, place his return in the late fourth or beginning of the fifth century while those who see him as a bishop of Rome, having arrived around the age of 60, in the late 430’s A.D

 

The Heart of Saint Patrick

 

Patrick, in his “Confession,” reveals his heart and burden for the Irish. He was motivated by the belief that before the Lord Jesus could return, all nations had the hear the Gospel. He believed…

“We are duty-bound then to cast our nets with skill and diligence, so that a teeming multitude might be brought ashore to the Lord, and that there might be clergy everywhere to baptise and give hope to a neglected people who were eager [for the word of God]. This was his emphatic instruction to us in the gospel: ‘Go to all the nations. Baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Teach them to observe everything that I have taught you. I myself will always be with you, right until the end of time.’ He also said that we were to bring this gospel to every person throughout the world, without exception; and that whoever believed and was baptized would be saved, but that whoever refused to believe would be condemned.”66

He believed that the Lord was fulfilling the promise of Joel chapter two regarding the pouring out His Spirit on all flesh and that it was the time of Hosea’s prophecy was being fulfilled where the Lord declared that those who were not His people would become His children.

When Patrick did return to Ireland, he said, “I have been held in check by the Holy Spirit Who has made it clear to me that if I leave my post I will be held responsible for what happens.”67 Patrick was sold out to the Lord and the call of heaven.

Patrick also wrote…

“God, that I am so moved to the depths of my being, and want to be counted among those trackers and fishermen of souls, whom God promised long ago he would take on as missionaries when time began to run out for the world.”68

His time in Ireland as a slave had given Patrick a great advantage when he returned. He knew the language, the people, the customs, and how to reach them. In other words, he spoke “their” language.

Arrival Back In Ireland

Patrick most likely did spent some time in preparation in Gaul, but it is hard to believe he spent 30 years before returning to Ireland, especially as he claimed he was young when he began ministering in Ireland. So, it is here that two roads diverge on belief on his mission. Ultimately, either way, he did make it to Ireland. The bottom line is, as Patrick declared, he was sent by heaven. That call came with authority backed by Heaven and the resources to match. For authority always comes with the call, and we must never exceed the authority of our call.

There are many stories or legends of Patrick regarding his time in Ireland, and they are  found in  the “Vita Tripartita Sancti Patricii.”

 Rogers explains that Patrick came back to Ireland as a slave once again, but as Patrick explained he was now a slave to the Holy Spirit. 69 Patrick “Confession,” concurs as Patrick himself stated…

“But my reason was simply that I might come to Ireland to preach the gospel to its peoples: even though this entailed putting up with abuse from unbelievers, hearing myself sneered at for being a foreigner, undergoing various sorts of persecutions – even being put in shackles, as well as giving up my free-born status so that others might benefit. And if I am found worthy I am prepared to give even my life without hesitation and most gladly for His name.”70

The spiritual climate of Ireland at the time of Patrick’s arrival is summed up in the “Hymn of Fiech,” which said…

“Over the tribes of Ireland lay a gloom— Tribes who worshipped idols; They believed not in the true God, Nor in his proper Trinity.”71

Olden wrote that Irish pagan worship at this time involved the annual May 1st bonfire, “La Bealltaine,” or “the day of Baal’s fire.” They worshipped the sun, rude pillar stones or “dallauns,” and the god of water.72

Patrick arrived back in Ireland, accompanied by several fellow ministers.  He arrived somewhere in the Wicklow area, which is in the southwest of Ireland. Please noted that many modern cities in Ireland like Dublin or Wicklow did not exist at the time of Patrick and are mentioned only to provide a point of reference.

Patrick then made his way north to Northern Ireland, where he was a slave. The majority of Saint Patrick’s missionary work was in Northern Ireland, where he had set up his ministry headquarters. In returning to Ireland, the first giant he would have to overcome was the place of his defeat and to address his former slave owners’ claims over him. Tradition teaches that Patrick came to the place where he was a slave an the his former master on seeing him coming committed suicide. However, the family did receive Patrick and became Chrisitans. In fact, the one son would start a monastery to train other believers.

Patrick then went to the Mount of Slain area just north of Tara (Close to the Dublin area of Ireland). It was the eve of Easter or Passover, so Patrick began making preparations to celebrate it. That night, Patrick lit a large fire, which was seen by the King, who was at Tara. Tara today is Ireland’s most significant archeological site, and it is where the high kings of Ireland reigned. Today everything is underground, and it looks just like a golf course

 

Unlike many missionaries, Patrick did not water down his Gospel to give it a more local pagan flavor. Patrick, like Paul, sought to preach the Gospel in the demonstration of the Holy Spirit and power. The lighting of the fire was a bold act of defiance and declaration that a new authority had come to Ireland. In Ephesians, the Church is to make known to the powers and principalities the manifold wisdom of God, and that was what Patrick did in this bold act. A law had existed banning all other bonfires on that day. The Druid priest or magi demanded Patrick’s fire be extinguished, or  he declared, “else it would ‘get the better of their fires, and bring about the downfall of the kingdom.”73

It was here at Tara that Neil of the Nine Hostages reigned as high king of Ireland until his death, which occurred before Patrick’s return. Patrick’s simple lighting of this bonfire that could be seen at Tara, was a declaration that Jesus the Light of the World had come to Ireland.

 

At the same time, as Patrick was lighting his bonfire, the kings of Ireland had gathered at Tara for a solemn feast. The high king of Laoghaire on seeing the fire consulted his druids, and they said, ‘O king, unless this fire that you see is quenched this very night, it will never be quenched. And all who kindled it will overcome us and seduce all of the people of your realm.” The king ordered nine chariots and had a party, including his head druids, the queen, and himself to go to the Hill of Slane. There the druids challenged Patrick. The king was enraged and ordered his men to capture Patrick. Patrick said, “Let God arise and His enemies be scattered!” Tradition teaches several events that occurred, including an earthquake that caused the soldiers to fall upon each other. Only the king and queen it is claimed survived. 74 They fled back to Tara.

Hill of Tara

The next day, the king continued his feast at Tara. Patrick demonstrated his confidence in the Lord and went to the feast to preach the Gospel. The was essential for Patrick to gain the favor of the local kings if he was to have complete freedom to preach the Gospel in tribal Ireland. It is believed that is here at this event painted on the ceiling of Dublin Castle as a memorial that Patrick is said to have prayed his infamous  “Saint Patrick’s Breastplate.” Again he was challenged by the druids, but  Patrick overcame all of their challenges.

The Gospel must challenge the strongholds. It is a voice of change. Like Elijah, and as Daniel wrote, those who know their God will be strong and do great exploits. The Gospel, which is the power of God unto salvation, must not be watered down or compromised so that we may “fit” in with society.  For it is the message of life. No other religion has the Word of Life that can save. We serve the Living God, and like Patrick, we must know and be confident that He is with us. The bold display of Patrick won over the king though he never became a Christian. He did, however, open the nation to Patrick and provided him protection. 75

Patrick then started three churches and before going to Connaught and there to “Magh Sleacht the Plain of Slaughter),’ where the idol Cromm Cruach was located. This idol was the god of Ireland. It was here that they sacrificed their firstborn, according to Olden. Here they would worship through bodily affliction and hurting. Tradition has it that Patrick struck the idol, and it broke and fell.

Patrick’s first missionary trip lasted for ten years. His second missionary trip became permanent. He traveled throughout Ireland, showing the people the folly of their superstitions and challenging their false gods. Patrick would always start by going to the local kings to gain their favor. Doing this, then allowed him to move freely within that king’s territory.

Growing up near to the fort of Ui Neill, ‘Granain of Aileach,’ I recall there was a plaque that stated the site where Saint Patrick baptized Ui Neill. Even beyond Granain of Aileach, as you travel throughout Ireland, Patrick’s impact can be seen in either sites connected to him or memorials to things he did. Everywhere Patrick’Patrick went in Ireland, he challenged their superstitions and brought down their pagan high places. He was willing to put his life on the line that the people might hear the truth. Patrick wrote in his “Confession”…

“I believe most certainly that if this should happen to me, I have gained my soul with my body; for without any doubt we shall rise one day in the brightness of the sun, that is, in the glory of Christ Jesus our Redeemer, the son of the living God, “jointheirs with Christ,” and to be conformed to his image, since of him, and through him, and to him, we shall reign. For that sun which we see, rises daily at God’s will for our sakes; but it shall not rule forever, nor shall its splendor continue, and woe to its unhappy worshippers, for punishment awaits them. But we believe in and adore the true sun, Christ, who never shall perish, nor shall he who does his will, but shall abide forever, as Christ also shall abide forever, whose reign with God the Father Omnipotent, and with the Holy Ghost, was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be. Amen.”76

 

The Ministry of Patrick

Patrick established a monastery at Armagh, Northern Ireland, which became his headquarters. He started monasteries throughout Ireland, which Olden explains differ from our modern conception of monasteries. In his words…

“The difference between the two was very great, as will immediately be seen by the consideration of the following points:—

  1. The early monks were generally laymen, while the monks of modern days are generally in orders for the purpose of saying masses.
  2. They were bound by no vows, not even celibacy, for many monks were married.
  3. Nor poverty, for many of them retained their property.
  4. They wore no tonsure, which was considered a heathen practice, nor did they wear any dress distinct from that of other people.
  5. Above all things, they were diligent in the study of the Holy Scriptures. The monasteries established in Ireland were rather institutions for educating clergy and others than what is now understood by the term, and they appear to have been nearly the same as our colleges, in which the professors are generally unmarried.”77

Patrick’s ministry was one of demonstration of the Holy Spirit and power, and according to tradition he performed many miracles including

  • He feed fourteen thousand men with only five cows
  • Revived dozens from the dead
  • And it is claimed he banished the snakes after a 40 day fast

Patrick held campaigns throughout Ireland with some fo them seeing thousands converted to Christianity. Patrick changed the nation of Ireland by preaching the Gospel with power. He challenged the druids and proved he served a God of power.

Patrick was a true spiritual father in that he raised spiritual sons and daughters. He poured into these disciples what he had so that they would then step up to the plate and serve the Lord in their generation. As a spiritual parent, his job was to teach and train the child so that they would fulfill their divine purpose. As he wrote, “And here I am, still preaching the same message, so that your faith might be strengthened. I hope you will go on to even better things. That will be recognition enough for me, for the child who advances on the path to wisdom brings honor to the parent. 78

Patrick sought to preach a consistent message, the Gospel. It didn’t change with circumstances or to appeal to what was politically correct. One can only wonder if Patrick walked in this hour how many would celebrate Saint Patrick’s day, or would they hold him in great disdain?

Patrick preached that all had to be “born again,”79, through believing and confessing Jesus as Lord. 81 Patrick sought to follow the example of those who went before him and to preach a simple Gospel that made manifest the wondrous love of the Father.

 

His Confession

There are five manuscript copies of the “Confession,” including the one copy found in the Book of Armagh, which is believed to date to the seventh century. There is also a copy in the Cotton Library thought to date to the tenth century. Then there are two copies in the Cathedral Library of Salisbury and finally a copy in the French monastery of St. Vedastus.

The Scriptures quoted in the “Confession” are from the Septuagint, which was common before the Jerome Edition. Patrick wrote his “Confession,” along with his letter to Croticus in his later years. Today most scholars accept the “Confession,” to be written by Saint Patrick.

Most scholars also accept that Patrick lived to be an older man and place his death being somewhere between the ages of eighty and one hundred and twenty.

Patrick was a hero of the faith and a member of the great cloud of witnesses of Hebrews twelve. Olden declares that Patrick an apostle and prophet according to the example of the Biblical apostles and prophets and not the traditional Roman Catholic Saint.80

Patrick’s message can is summarized in the following words of Patrick…

“There is no other God nor ever was nor will be after him except God the Father, without beginning; From whom is all beginning; Who upholds all things as we have said: And his Son Jesus Christ whom together with the Father we testify to have always existed; Who before the beginning of the world was spiritually present with the Father; Begotten in an unspeakable manner before all beginning; By whom were made all things visible and invisible; Who was made man, and having overcome death was received into heaven to the Father: And he hath given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and God: In whom we believe, and we await his coming who ere long shall judge the quick and dead: Who will render to every one according to his deeds, and has poured out abundantly on us the gift of the Holy Spirit, even the earnest of immortality, who makes those that believe and obey, to be the sons of God the Father, and join-theirs with Christ; Whom we confess and adore—one God in the Trinity of the sacred name.”81

Patrick’s life was the story of the power of the Gospel to change a man’s life radically. It also demonstrates the power and importance of sowing the Word into our children. For Patrick, it was all about souls for Jesus. His preaching saw many come to the Lord and in one example…

“And in that day twelve thousand were baptized in the well of Oen-Adarc,” and among them “the seven sons of Amalgaid, with the king himself.”82

If we were to take that twelve thousand in the fifth century and correlate what it would be today, it would be a massive crowd. Patrick showed great wisdom in dealing with the clans and tribes and winning over the kings or gaining their permission first before preaching to the people. He had with him helpers from Gaul and Britain. According to Cathcart and the Tripartite Life, Patrick “brought all the Ulsternmen by the net of the gospel to the harbor of life.”83

 

St Patrick’s Breastplate or Deers Cry

Here is a copy of the prayer Patrick prayed at Tara…

I bind myself to-day to God’s power to pilot me, God’s might to uphold me, God’s wisdom to guide me, God’s eye to look before me, God’s ear to hear me,

God’s word to speak for me, God’s hand to guard me, God’s way to be before me, God’s shield to protect me, God’s host to secure me,

Against snares of demons, Against seductions of vices, Against [the lusts] of nature, Against every one who wishes ill to me, Ear or near, Alone and in a multitude.

I summon to-day all these powers around me Against every cruel, merciless power which may come Against my body and my soul, Against incantations of false prophets, Against black laws of heathenism, Against false laws of heretics, Against craft of idolatry, Against spells of women and smiths and wizards, Against every knowledge that hath defiled man’s body and soul.

Christ to protect me to-day against every poison, Against burning, against drowning, against death-wound, So that I may have a multitude of rewards.

 Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ below me, Christ above me, Christ at my right, Christ at my left, Christ in breadth, Christ in length, Christ in height, Christ in the heart of every one that thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of every one that speaks to me, Christ in the eye of every one that sees me, Christ in the ear of every one that hears me,

 I bind myself to-day to a strong power, an invocation of the Trinity I believe a threeness with confession of a oneness, A Trinity in unity, In [the] Creator of the universe.84

 

Patrick the Apostle of Ireland

As you look at Patrick, you see a man of great spiritual authority, who experienced some of the greatest revivals in church history and won over a nation for Jesus, yet he remained humble throughout. Patrick had learned the importance of fixing his eyes on Jesus and that he was in and of himself. Like Paul, Patrick boasted in the cross and his weaknesses.  Patrick understood the task beyond him and he was dependent on the Lord Who was with him to do it. He stated…

“I can accomplish nothing unless my Lord himself should give it to me.” “It was not my grace, but God who overcame me that I should come to the Hibernian nations to preach the gospel.” “Therefore I am much indebted to God who gave me such great grace that many were born again of God.”85

 

Patrick started around seven hundred churches. 86 Throughout, he kept his eye on the prize of simply pleasing the One Who had saved him. What he wrote in his “Confession,” truly reveals his heart…

“It was God provided that if I were worthy, I should during my life, faithfully labour with fear and reverence and without murmuring, for the good of the nation to which the love of Christ transferred and gave me, in fine, that I should serve them with humility and truth.”87

Patrick carried the call and authority of an apostle. He remained faithful to the call and never sought to exceed his authority. He had much to be proud of and brag about, but he remained humble. He always remained aware of his lack of education and the things which could have and should have disqualified him. Yet, his confidence was not in his education but in the fact that the Lord was with him.

Patrick wanted to see the Lord’s return and believed that Ireland was the ends of the earth or the limit of man’s habitation. He, therefore, felt it was his obligation to in obedience go and preach the Gospel. Patrick never lost sight of the Great Commission and refused to see it as a suggestion but rather a divine mandate.

 

Letter to Coroticus

In his letter to Coroticus, we see the pastoral heart of Patrick for the believers in Ireland. Coroticus was a Christian warlord who, in the fifth century, raided Ireland and attacked and killed many believers. Patrick was broken for his people and took a bold stand against Coroticus, calling him to task for what he had done.

Patrick’s Legacy

According to De Vinney, who quoted Ussher, “We may fearlessly assert that, in the days of St. Patrick, and for centuries afterward, the Irish Church was, at least, among the purest churches in Christendom. The life and teachings of this great missionary of the fifth century ought to be better known. “88

North stated…

“Patrick also performed many miracles in those days. Amongst other things, he fed fourteen thousand men with only five cows, and revived dozens of people from death, even people who had been buried for many years. He also famously banished all snakes from Ireland, chasing them into the sea after a 40 day long fast.”89

Whether or not Patrick banished snakes from Ireland is hard to know. The truth is Ireland does not have snakes, which is peculiar.  Of course, when we think about Patrick, we associate with him the shamrock. Patrick used the shamrock as a powerful illustration of the Trinity.90

His death

There is a lot of debate on when Patrick died. Tradition places his death on March 17th, which is why it became Saint Patrick’s day. In terms of the year of his death, some have placed it in 493 A.D., making Patrick 105 years old.  Other accounts have Patrick living between 80- 120 years, which was extraordinary at that time. Patrick died in Saul, County Down in Northern Ireland, and his grave is in Downpatrick. In Downpatrick, there is a large stone on the site where Patrick is buried.

 

Shout it from the Rooftops

Patrick was a man of prayer and consumed with going and fulfilling the divine command. If we look at the revival near Antrim, the “Six Mile River Revivals” in the seventeenth century and especially the 1859 revival that started in Kells, a town founded by Patrick, the Lord continues to answer Patrick’s prayers. The seeds he sowed changed not just his generation, but his disciples continued to raise new disciples so that in the Dark Ages, Irish believers would go and take Christianity back into Europe.

Patrick was not a politically correct person, but a voice of righteousness. He dared to challenge the strongholds of the enemy. Patrick never ran from the battle but always pressed forward.

Patrick discovered a real Jesus with real answers Who could be known in a personal way today. Jesus was greater than any impossibilities he faced, and Jesus never failed him. Patrick had an amazing love for Jesus, and Jesus was always eager to demonstrate His love of and for Patrick.  The same love the Father had for Patrick He has for you, and if you receive Him, like Patrick, you too could become a history maker.

 

References:

  1. “In the Times of St. Patrick. Dublin Book Depot. 1907. Boston Public Library. Page 5
  2. Daniel De Vinne, Patrick. History of the Irish Primitive Church: Together with the Life of St. Patrick and His Confession. Francis Hart and Company, New York. 1870. xiii
  3. Daniel De Vinne, Patrick. History of the Irish Primitive Church: Together with the Life of St. Patrick and His Confession. Francis Hart and Company, New York. 1870. Xiii
  4. Cathcart, William, D.D. The Ancient British and Irish Churches Including the Life and Labors of St. Patrick. Charles H. Banes, Philadelphia. 1894 Loc 356
  5. Cathcart 486
  6. Judseos, Cap VII., Part IV., Page 303. Lipsise, 1841
  7. Cathcart loc 356
  8. Cathcart loc 368
  9. Stokes, George T. Ireland and the Celtic Church: A History of Ireland from St. Patrick to the English Conquest in 1172. Hodder and Stoughton, London. 1892. Page 2, 3
  10. General History of the Christian Church. Vol I, PP 85, 86. Boston
  11. Foxe, John. Acts and Monuments. Vol I. Pages 306, 307. London, 1847
  12. Cathcart loc 889-903
  13. Stokes loc 580
  14. Cathcart loc 720 and Sozomen’s Eccles. Hist. Lib. V, cap 18
  15. Cathcart loc 1144
  16. Ibid
  17. Ibid
  18. Losack, Marcus. Rediscovering Saint Patrick. Columba Press. Dublin, 2013. Loc 2032
  19. Bury, J. B. The Life of Patrick and His Place in History. The Macmillion Co. London, 1905. Page 323
  20. Todd, James Henthorn. St. Patrick, Apostle to Ireland; a Memoir of his Life and Mission, with an introduction dissertation on some early usages of the Church in Ireland, and its historical position from the establishment of the English colony present to the present day. Dublin. Hodges, Smith & Co. 1864. Page 363
  21. Todd page 364
  22. Losack loc 156
  23. Daniel De Vinne, Loc 210
  24. Daniel De Vinne, loc 210
  25. https://floridairishheritagecenter.wordpress.com/2011/08/19/are-you-a-descendant-of-irish-king-niall-of-the-nine-hostages/
  26. https://floridairishheritagecenter.wordpress.com/2011/08/19/are-you-a-descendant-of-irish-king-niall-of-the-nine-hostages/
  27. Cathcart loc 1144
  28. Cathcart loc 1172
  29. McCormack, Jim. Saint Patrick: The Real Story: As Told in His Own Words . The Columba Press. Kindle Edition Loc 179
  30. McCormick, loc 36
  31. McCormick loc 45
  32. McCormick loc 22
  33. McCormick loc 111
  34. McCormick loc 111
  35. McCormick loc 111
  36. McCormick loc 111
  37. North, Wyatt. The Life and Prayers of Saint Patrick. Wyatt North Publishing, 2013. Loc 217
  38. McCormick loc 133
  39. McCormick loc 133
  40. Rogers, Jonathan. Christian Encounters: Saint Patrick. Thomas Nelson, Dallas. 2010. Page 37
  41. McCormick loc 133
  42. North, Wyatt. The Life and Prayers of Saint Patrick. Wyatt North Publishing, 2013. Loc 226
  43. Wyatt loc 234
  44. Puller, F. W. The Primitive Saints and the See of Rome. Longmans, Green and Co. London, 1912. Page 198
  45. McCormick loc 157
  46. Rogers, Jonathan. Saint Patrick (Christian Encounters Series) (p. 45). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
  47. Rogers, Jonathan. Saint Patrick (Christian Encounters Series) (pp. 45-46). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
  48. McCormick loc 157
  49. McCormick loc 157
  50. McCormick loc 157
  51. McCormick loc 185
  52. McCormick loc 185
  53. Lynch-Baldwin, Kelle Anne. The Rediscovery of Early Irish Christianity and Its Wisdom for Religious Education Today. eScholarship@BC, Boston College University Libraries. 2009. Page 37
  54. Cathcart loc 875 and Prosper. “Epitoma Chronicon in Monumenta Germaniae Historica : Chronica Minora : Saec. Iv. V. Vi. Vii.” (Place Published: Weidmann, 1892), http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn=urn:nbn:de:bvb:12-bsb00000798-7 (accessed October 30, 2007). sa 429. Constantius of Lyons, biographer of Germanus, describes the circumstances of the dispatch of Germanus to Britain, “About this time a deputation from Britain came to tell the bishops of Gaul that the heresy of Pelagius had taken hold of the people over a great part of the country and help ought to be brought to the Catholic faith as soon as possible. A large number of bishops gathered in synod to consider the matter and all turned for help to the two who in everybody’s judgment were the leading lights of religion, namely Germanus and Lupus, apostolic priests who through their merits were citizens of heaven, though their bodies were on earth. And because the task seemed laborious, these heroes of piety were all the more ready to undertake it; and the stimulus of their faith brought the business of the synod to a speedy end.” Constantius de Lyons, Vie De Saint Germain D’auxerre, ed. René Borius, trans. René Borius, vol. 112, Sources Chrétiennes (Paris: Éditions du Cerf, 1965), Ch 12.
  55. Wyatt loc 242
  56. “Notulae of Tirechán from the Book of Armagh 807 Ce,” in St. Patrick’s World, ed. Liam De Paor (Dublin: Four Courts Press, 1996; reprint, ), 203.
  57. Bury, loc 775
  58. Cathcart loc 1236
  59. Cathcart loc 1275
  60. Cathcart loc 1313
  61. Newell, Ebenezer Josiah. St. Patrick: his life and teachings. London Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. London, 1890. Loc 661
  62. Alexander, William Lindsay, 1808-1884. The ancient British church; being an inquiry into the history of Christianity in Britain, previous to the establishment of the heptarchy (Kindle Locations 1822-1825). London, Religious Tract Society. Loc 1822
  63. Cathcart loc 1438
  64. Cathcart loc 1456
  65. McCormick loc 265
  66. McCormick 292
  67. McCormick loc 455
  68. Rogers page 61
  69. McCormick loc 238
  70. Saint Patrick. The Confession of Saint Patrick (Illustrated) (pp. 6-7). Aeterna Press. Kindle Edition.
  71. Saint Patrick, Introduction by Olden
  72. Saint Patrick page14
  73. Wyatt loc 317
  74. Wyatt loc 349
  75. Saint Patrick. The Confession of Saint Patrick (Illustrated) (p. 40). Aeterna Press. Kindle Edition.
  76. Saint Patrick. The Confession of Saint Patrick (Illustrated) (p. 22). Aeterna Press. Kindle Edition.
  77. McCormick loc 319
  78. McCormick loc 252
  79. McCormick loc 53
  80. Saint Patrick page 23
  81. Saint Patrick. The Confession of Saint Patrick (Illustrated) (pp. 26-27). Aeterna Press. Kindle Edition.
  82. Cathcart loc 14436
  83. Cathcart 1829
  84. Cathcart loc 1902
  85. Cathcart 1999
  86. Cathcart 2027
  87. Saint Patrick page 27
  88. De Vinney loc 608
  89. North loc 412
  90. Freeman loc 127

 

Newell, Ebenezer Josiah. St. Patrick: his life and teachings. London Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. London, 1890.

Daniel De Vinne, Patrick. History of the Irish Primitive Church: Together with the Life of St. Patrick and His Confession. Francis Hart and Company, New York. 1870.

Cathcart, Willia, D.D. The Ancient British and Irish Churches Including the Life and Labors of St. Patrick. Charles H. Banes, Philadelphia. 1894

Bury, J. B. The Life of Patrick and His Place in History. The Macmillion Co. London, 1905

Todd, James Henthorn. St. Patrick, Apostle to Ireland; a Memoir of his Life and Mission, with an introduction dissertation on some early usages of the Church in Ireland, and its historical position from the establishment of the English colony present to the present day. Dublin. Hodges, Smith & Co. 1864.

 

North, Wyatt. The Life and Prayers of Saint Patrick. Wyatt North Publishing, 2013.

Rogers, Jonathan. Christian Encounters: Saint Patrick. Thomas Nelson, Dallas. 2010

https://floridairishheritagecenter.wordpress.com/2011/08/19/are-you-a-descendant-of-irish-king-niall-of-the-nine-hostages/

Alexander, W. L. DD, FSAS. The Ancient British Church. Library of the Theological Seminary, Princeton NJ. 1889.

Saint Patrick. The Confession of Saint Patrick. Aeterna Press. Dublin. 2014

 

Puller, F. W. The Primitive Saints and the See of Rome. Longmans, Green and Co. London, 1912. Page 198

 

Saint Patrick Jewish

 

https://www.oneforisrael.org/bible-teachings/messianic-perspective-bible-teachings/was-st-patrick-a-messianic-jew/

 

  1. Book of Leinster, p.353 of facsimile, as cited by Whitley Stokes, Tripartite Life of St Patrick, 2 Vols, (HMSO, Dublin, 1987) p.357, and a similar version of the quote found in Stokes, Life of St Patrick from the Book of Lismore (Llanerch, 1995) p.150: “The learned declare that he [Patrick] was of the Jews by origin. When vengeance was inflicted on them by Titus and Vespian, Jews were scattered throughout the world. Patrick’s original kindred came to Brittany and developed their heritage.”
    The Old Irish word translated as Brittany is ‘Bretnu’, which is why some believe he was from Britain.
  2. Marcus Losack, Saint Patrick and the Bloodline of the Grail, the Untold Story of St Patrick’s Royal Family (Nicholson & Bass, 2011) p.95
  3. ibid p.125
  4. Fourth Life (Vida Quarta:I). Bieler, FLL, p.51
  5. Losack (2011) p.121-125 “The authors of Colgan’s second and third ‘lives’ of St Patrick engaged in selective editing which suggests that there was an attempt to distance Patrick from controversial claims that related both to his origins in France and his Jewish ancestry.”
  6. Stokes, Lebar Bredd Homily on St Patrick, in Trip Life, p.433
  7. Losack (2011) p.124

 

 

Photos

  1. Where Saint Patrick was born