The Missionary by Rowena Kinread

The Missionary

By Rowena Kinread.

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Patricius, a young man of Britannia, is taken from his home and family when Gaelic pirates attack his village. On his arrival in Ireland, he is sold as a slave to the cruel underking of the Dalriada tribe in the north. Six years later, Patricius manages to escape. His journey takes him through France to Ravenna in Italy. His subsequent plans to return to Britannia are side-tracked when he finds himself accompanying several monks to the island monastery on Lerinus. His devotion to his faith, honed during his captivity, grows as he studies with the monks.Haunted by visions of the Gaels begging him to return to Ireland and share the word of God with them, Patricius gains support from Rome and his friends to return to the land of his captivity. His arrival is bitterly opposed by the druids, who have held power over the Irish kings for many years, and he and his companions must combat the druids to succeed in their God-given mission.

A Word from the Author

The epic story of the life of Patricius, aka: St. Patrick, Patron Saint of Ireland. Set in the Dark Ages, Patricius, a 16-year-old youth of Britannia, is abducted from his home by Gaelic pirates and sold as a slave in Ireland. There he must endure abominable treatment and with time, becomes convinced that his situation is a punishment from God because of a crime he committed in his youth. He turns to God begging forgiveness and escape from his imprisonment. 6 years later a possibility to flee arises. In a dramatic escape, Patricius travels through France to Italy, where his religious calling strengthens. Longing to return to his homeland, Patricius is delayed by accompanying monks to a monastery in Lerinus.
Haunted by visions of the Gauls, urging him to return to Ireland, Patricius returns to the land he was held captive. To succeed in sharing the Word of God, he must battle with the fearsome druids who have held power over the Irish kings for centuries. When arguments and persuasion fail, Patricius feels himself forced to fight the Druids with their own weapons: magic and illusion.

Patricius manages not only to survive but also thrive and accomplish a lot of good deeds during his life. His contribution to the development of education and replacing paganism with more advanced Christianity in Hibernia (now Ireland) and other lands are commendable.

(Rowena Kinread, 2024)