Happy St. Patrick's Day from Publisher Brian Harrod of Yonkers Newswire.

 

The Desk Of Yonkers Newswire Publisher Brian Harrod..... HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY: Wishing Yonkers Newswire Editor MaryAnn, Yonkers City Council Man John Rubbo, #Yonkers Golfer Mike And All Of Those Who Celebrate A Rainbow Of Of Happiness And Good Cheer St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is one of Christianity’s most widely known figures. Many of the stories traditionally associated with St. Patrick, including the famous account of his banishing all the snakes from Ireland, are false, the products of hundreds of years of exaggerated storytelling. St. Patrick was born in Britain—not Ireland—to wealthy parents near the end of the fourth century. His is father was a Christian deacon and at the the age of 16, Patrick was taken prisoner by a group of heathen Irish raiders who were attacking his family’s British estate. During this time, he worked as a shepherd, outdoors and away from people. Lonely and afraid, he turned to his religion for solace, becoming a devout Christian. It is also believed that Patrick first began to dream of converting the Irish people to Christianity during his captivity. After more than six years as a prisoner, Patrick escaped. According to his writing, a voice—which he believed to be God’s—spoke to him in a dream, telling him it was time to leave Ireland. To do so, Patrick walked nearly 200 miles from County Mayo, where it is believed he was held, to the Irish coast. After escaping to Britain, Patrick reported that he experienced a second revelation—an angel in a dream tells him to return to Ireland as a missionary. Soon after, Patrick began religious training, a course of study that lasted more than 15 years. After his ordination as a priest, he was sent to Ireland with a dual mission: to minister to Christians already living in Ireland and to begin to convert the Irish. (Interestingly, this mission contradicts the widely held notion that Patrick introduced Christianity to Ireland. Familiar with the Irish language and culture, Patrick chose to incorporate traditional ritual into his lessons of Christianity instead of attempting to eradicate native Irish beliefs. For instance, he used bonfires to celebrate Easter since the Irish were used to honoring their gods with fire. He also superimposed a sun, a powerful Irish symbol, onto the Christian cross to create what is now called a Celtic cross, so that veneration of the symbol would seem more natural to the Irish. Although there were a small number of Christians on the island when Patrick arrived, most Irish practiced a nature-based pagan religion. He may be known as the patron saint of Ireland, but Patrick was never actually canonized by the Catholic Church. After becoming a priest and helping to spread Christianity throughout Ireland, Patrick was likely proclaimed a saint by popular acclaim. https://www.facebook.com/groups/YonkersNewswire/permalink/2919179735006252/