Question time: Who was Saint Patrick?
Heute ist der St Patrick’s Day! Doch wer war eigentlich der Heilige, dem dieser Tag gewidmet ist? Unser Redakteurin verrät es Ihnen! Lesen Sie hier einen Auszug aus der Read On über den Namensstifter des Feiertags.
Who was Saint Patrick?
By Siobhan Bruns
1 Saint Patrick lived in the 5th century. He is credited with bringing Christianity to the Irish and probably also brought it to the Picts (Scots) and Anglo-Saxons. But Patrick’s life began in a very different way.
2 Patrick was born into a wealthy family in Britain when parts of Britain belonged to the Roman Empire. When he was 16 years old, Irishmen who had come to raid farms in Britain kidnapped Patrick and took him back with them to Ireland so they could sell him into slavery.
3 For six years, Patrick was forced to work for a man as his shepherd. He was without the nice clothes and good food he was used to, homesick, frightened and lonely. Constant prayer and faith in God gave him hope that one day he would escape.
4 One night, Patrick dreamed that a ship was waiting for him. He decided it was a sign that he should flee. It was not easy to get back home, and he was even recaptured for a short time, but Patrick was finally reunited with his family in Britain. But although he was safe at home in Britain, Patrick felt he needed to return to Ireland – the very place where he had been so unhappy for so many years. He believed he was being called by God to bring Christianity there. (…)
5 So, Patrick studied to become a missionary. (…) Patrick spent his life travelling across Ireland, bringing his faith to thousands throughout the land.
Vocabulary
0–1 Saint Sankt – century Jahrhundert – to credit s.o. with s.th. jdm. etw. zuschreiben – Christianity Christentum – Picts Pikten – Anglo-Saxons Angelsachsen
2 wealthy wohlhabend – to belong to … Teil des … sein – Roman empire Römisches Reich – to raid überfallen und plündern – to sell s.o. into slavery jdn. als Sklaven verkaufen
3 to force zwingen – shepherd Shafhirte – to be used to s.th. an etw. gewöhnt sein – to be homesick Heimweh haben – constant ständig – prayer Beten – faith in God Gottvertrauen (faith Glaube) – hope Hoffnung – to escape entkommen
4 to descide sich entschließen – sign Zeichen – to flee die Flucht ergreifen – to recapture erneut gefangen nehmen – finally zu guter Letzt; endlich – to be reunited with s.o. wider mit jdm. vereint sein – although obwohl – the very gerade der – to believe glauben; der Meinung sein
5 to study studieren – missionary Missionar – to travel across durch ganz … reisen
