From "Church History in Plain Language" by Bruce L. Shelley:
The Irish were Celtic people, and their conversion is traced to Patrick early in the fifth century. From his brief autobiography we learn that when the Roman legions were withdrawn for the defense of the Continent, the Irish, then called Scots, began swooping down on the English coast, sailing up the rivers, raiding the settlements, and carrying off plunder and slaves. Among the captives was Patrick. So Ireland's patron saint was not Irish! He had been reared a Christian. His father was a deacon, but Patrick's religion sat lightly until, as a swineherd, he prayed ardently for his freedom. His conversion dates from this captivity. "The Lord opened to me the sense of my unbelief," he says, then. After six years he managed to escape and found his way to the coast where a ship carrying cargo of hounds was about to set sail to France or Scotland. We don't know which. Stories about his trips to France may be sheer fancy, but we do know that he was eager to see his family and after many hardships reached home once again.
He would have gladly remained in England had he not had a dream one night in which the babies of Ireland pleaded with him to come back to their country and tell them about Christ. Patrick decided to return, but first he had to learn more about Christianity. At length he was sent out, some say with the approval of the pope, to be a missionary to the people among whom he had once been a slave.
At this point the account ends, and from then on we have only legends.
Thank you Kerri, Kimmi, Carla and Carole! I took shot of this yesterday but took again today and was so excited to catch the dew! Have a great St. Patrick's Day all!
eh, what about the snakes? legend, too? i was seven and read about st. patrick and st. patrick's day at someone's house who had the british encyclopaedia. since then i'd have something green on march 17 even if it was just the ribbon on my ponytail. only my mother knew what it was all about, being a devout catholic. so i was happy when i came to canada and found that they celebrate st. patrick's day with a parade no less!
@olivetreeann - it came to mind now, it was called encyclopaedia britannica. something i wished we had when we were kids, but my parents were too poor to even afford the morning newspaper. we had a relative who always had the updated versions but nobody read them even with 8 kids in the house. the parents were happy whenever we visit because then the books were taken off the shelf for us the read. fun times my brother and i had.
@summerfield We had a set of them in the home I grew up in. I used them many times for school reports. We also had the World Book Encyclopedia which I used more often because it was easier to understand and had more pictures! My Dad still has the Encyclopedia Britannica and after reading this article the other day, I wonder if it will be a collector's item or not. Anyway, my father was very proud to have them for us. They probably played a great part in inspiring me to learn. http://money.cnn.com/2012/03/13/technology/encyclopedia-britannica-books/index.htm
@olivetreeann - i just read the article and i'm almost in tears towards the end. i'd say keep them, your grandchildren will appreciate them later on. if they want an update, they can go online. i've been looking for an old set; saw one two years ago at a yard sale, and i'm still kicking myself for not having paid the $20 asking price. my book reports and assignments in school were always different because i'd use the school library's EB's. in high school i used to spend so much time in the library just immersing myself in them. the librarian still remembered me when we had a reunion some years back.
now i'm a tad depressed, i shall go eat another cake.
Happy St. Patrick's Day Ann!! Love the Photo and the History!! i just found out last year that i am Half Irish...long story!! My Great Grandparents came to N.Y. from Ireland!!! * on my Father's side...
great history.. and great photo.. I love this succulent for the colour of the tips.. puplish.. which goues great with the light silvery green.. lovely details..
@summerfield Awwww! @digitalrn Thank you Rick! @filsie65 Thank you Phil- I just took the picture, God did the rest! (o: @dmariewms Thanks Marie- I'd taken one yesterday, same shot, but it didn't have the dew on it. I took a couple more this morning and discovered the droplets while uploading. This was so much better than what I took yesterday. @ellimae Thanks Ellen- my husband also has a "drop" of Irish blood from his father's mother's side. I love family history stuff! @inertie Thank you Inertia. This plant has a few names- we call it Hen and Chicks; some call it Cat and Kittens. I forget what its official name is! @sarasdadandmom Thanks Terry! @woot Thanks Davide. I had taken a similar shot yesterday, but it was in the evening and there was no dew. Discovered those after uploading a shot I took today to compare and see which was better. @peterdegraaff Thank you Peter!
Thanks to all! I'm glad you enjoyed reading about Patrick. He is rather inspiring to me. I don't know if I'd have the courage to return to a people who'd enslaved me.
@beachradish Thank you Beachradish! I find that my camera definitely has a sweet spot for this kind of shot. If I get it, the results are stunning. If not, it's back to the drawing board!
Thank you Kerri, Kimmi, Carla and Carole! I took shot of this yesterday but took again today and was so excited to catch the dew! Have a great St. Patrick's Day all!
love the clarity of this shot. very nice.
@summerfield Thank you Vikki. Ah yes, the snakes; sadly a legend, but one that's fun to tell.
http://money.cnn.com/2012/03/13/technology/encyclopedia-britannica-books/index.htm
now i'm a tad depressed, i shall go eat another cake.
@digitalrn Thank you Rick!
@filsie65 Thank you Phil- I just took the picture, God did the rest! (o:
@dmariewms Thanks Marie- I'd taken one yesterday, same shot, but it didn't have the dew on it. I took a couple more this morning and discovered the droplets while uploading. This was so much better than what I took yesterday.
@ellimae Thanks Ellen- my husband also has a "drop" of Irish blood from his father's mother's side. I love family history stuff!
@inertie Thank you Inertia. This plant has a few names- we call it Hen and Chicks; some call it Cat and Kittens. I forget what its official name is!
@sarasdadandmom Thanks Terry!
@woot Thanks Davide. I had taken a similar shot yesterday, but it was in the evening and there was no dew. Discovered those after uploading a shot I took today to compare and see which was better.
@peterdegraaff Thank you Peter!
Thanks to all! I'm glad you enjoyed reading about Patrick. He is rather inspiring to me. I don't know if I'd have the courage to return to a people who'd enslaved me.
@la_photographic Thank you Laura!