It was only after he escaped, probably to Brittany, and ordained, then visited by prophetic dreams, that he returned to Ireland, this time the messenger of the gospel. Patrick understood that the monastic ideal of retreat was perfectly matched with the needs of local royal clans. So monasteries like Arran, off the gull-swept Irish coast, with their beehive cells and encircling stone walls, looked like a stronghold, an encampment for God. But what about the dragon slayers on the mainland? Who converted them?


在逃往布列塔尼（法国西北部一地区）之后被授予神职，紧接着他做了一个先知之梦。他梦到他将作为传教士返回爱尔兰。帕特里克明白，宗教退避的思想与当地部落首领的需求完美契合。因此阿蓝岛式的修道院遍布爱尔兰海岸，并配以蜂窝样的小屋及环绕垒砌的石墙，犹如一个基督教大本营。而大陆之上的屠龙者呢？又是谁改变了他们的信仰？