Table of Contents
Who was Saint Patrick enslaved by?
Irish raiders
Patrick was born in Britain of a Romanized family. At age 16 he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and carried into slavery in Ireland. After six years in servitude, he had a dream of his escape and fled his master.
Who is Saint Patrick and what did he do?
Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was born in Britain (not Ireland) near the end of the 4th century. At age 16 he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and sold as a slave to a Celtic priest in Northern Ireland. After toiling for six years as a shepherd, he escaped back to Britain.
How did Saint Patrick get rid of the snakes?
While he was there, he was attacked by a group of snakes. Serpents are a symbol of the devil in the Christian Bible, so Saint Patrick cleansed the Emerald Isle of “evil” by shooing every legless reptile he could find into the ocean.
Why was St.Patrick a victim of slavery?
But they are not the only ones who share a spiritual bond with St. Patrick. St. Patrick, like so many of our exploited brothers and sisters worldwide, was a victim of what we now call human trafficking. And he was one of the first great Christian voices against human trafficking’s brutal cousin, slavery, as he became a slave.
How did St Patrick become the patron saint of Ireland?
Although brought to Ireland against his will, the teenager would go on to become Ireland’s patron saint. St. Patrick may have been a foreigner who arrived in Ireland in the hold of a pagan king’s slave ship, but he would become synonymous with the island itself.
When did St Patrick return to Ireland as a missionary?
He then returned as a missionary in Ireland in 432. In St. Patrick’s telling in the Confessio, he almost died after his escape from slavery. After landing on the continent, the ship’s crew found itself wandering for weeks in a wilderness devoid of food and began to chastise Patrick for his piety.
Where does St.Patrick’s breastplate come from?
Knowing “St. Patrick’s Breastplate” comes from the voice of a slave helps us truly see what its author was truly asking for as he prayed. This St. Patrick’s Day, we ask you to keep the victim of human trafficking in your heart. We ask for the intercession of St. Patrick, as we pray for victims of human trafficking everywhere.