Statue of St. Patrick in Aughagower, County Mayo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Hey person. I don’t have anything green on. Can you get me a green bandana or something? I don’t want Scratchy to pinch me.
Hey, wait a minute. Scratchy isn’t wearing anything green either. Maybe I can go pinch him.
Scratchy, come here.
Oh. Scratchy just told me I’m supposed to be telling a Bible story. It is Bible story day, isn’t it? Why are we talking about St. Patrick’s Day?
Because St. Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland? He did?
So you’re going to tell me about St. Patrick today instead?
Okay, but I need my green first.
Yes, I’ll listen.
***
Patrick was born in England to a wealthy family. They lived during the time of the Roman Empire when the empire was Christian.
When Patrick was sixteen, raiders came over from Ireland, kidnapped Patrick, took him to Ireland and sold him into slavery. As a slave he worked as a shepherd and found himself lonely most of the time.
***
Didn’t he have any shepherd dogs to keep him company?
I am listening.
***
While he was alone with the sheep he spent his time praying and his Christian faith increased. Then, after six years he had a dream in which he heard the voice of God telling him it was time to leave Ireland. He escaped and had to walk two hundred miles to get on a ship. The crew abandoned ship in France and wandered lost for 28 days, but eventually Patrick found his way home to England.
***
I should have been there with them. I could have sniffed my way home faster than they did.
Yes, I’m listening.
***
Patrick had a second vision, telling him to go back to the Irish, but first he attended religious school. When Patrick became an ordained priest he headed for Ireland as a missionary. He spent the rest of his life bringing people in Ireland to Christ. St. Patrick died on March 17th 461. That’s why we celebrate March 17, as St. Patrick’s Day.
***
Hey person. I don’t think you finished the story. What part is it where the leprechauns and the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow come in?
bongodogblog 
rumpydog
March 17, 2013 at 11:09 am
Yeah, and what about the snakes? Where do they come in?
Bongo
March 18, 2013 at 1:52 pm
Rumpy, I think St. Patrick chased those snakes to my house. There’s a legend that says he chased all the snakes out of Ireland, but the real reason there are no snakes in Ireland is that the water around Ireland is too cold for snakes to migrate through.
marina kanavaki
March 18, 2013 at 4:22 am
…maybe your person will let YOU finish the story!
PS are you back home Bongo?!!!
Happy ST. Patrick’s! May the luck of the Irish be with you, always!
🙂
Bongo
March 18, 2013 at 1:57 pm
Marina, my person finally picked me up a little while ago. Now I think I’m going to sleep for the next three days.
eripanwkevin
March 18, 2013 at 7:16 am
Wow! Thank you very much for telling us about the story of St Patrick, Bongo!
I didn’t know that why he ended up living in Ireland and St Patrick’s Day is the day he died……are there any traditional things you do on St Patricks Day except wearing green things? Woof? 🙂
Bongo
March 18, 2013 at 2:01 pm
Kevin, my people usually don’t celebrate St. Patrick’s Day much except to wear green. The town we live in has a St. Patrick’s Day parade every year. My people have been in the parade a few times, but they usually don’t go to it unless they’re in it. Hey, I just thought of something cool. Maybe next year I could dress all up in green and be in the parade.
colliesofthemeadow
March 20, 2013 at 5:56 pm
Great story about St. Patrick! We collies know he had collies when he was a shepherd!!! 🙂 hehehe
Bongo
March 20, 2013 at 7:03 pm
Collies, I don’t see how St. Patrick could be a shepherd without collies.
angelswhisper2011
March 21, 2013 at 1:59 am
Hey, Bongo, the green leprechaun lives in our place. Granny got him from an Irish friend.. 😀
Bongo
March 21, 2013 at 12:59 pm
Little Binky, is he leading you to the pot o’ gold?