The Most Ancient Lives of Saint Patrick/The Life and Acts of St. Patrick/Chapter 92

Of Mannia and the other Islands Converted unto God.

The saint, beholding in Hibernia that the harvest was great, but the laborers few, passed over into Britain to obtain assistance in the field of the Lord. And forasmuch as the pest of the Pelagian heresy and the Arian faithlessness had in many places denied that country, he, by his preaching and working of miracles, recalled the people unto the way of truth. And many are the places therein which even to this day bear witness to his miracles and are imbued with his sanctity. And he brought away with him many learned and religious men, thirty of whom he afterward advanced unto the episcopal office. Returning to Hibernia, he touched at the islands of the sea, one whereof, Eubonia&mdash;that is, Mannia&mdash;at that time subject unto Britain, he by his miracles and by his preaching converted unto Christ. And among his miracles very conspicuous was this: a certain evil-doer named Melinus, like Simon the magician, asserting himself to be a god, and attempting the air with a diabolical flight, at the prayers of the saint fell headlong, and was dashed in pieces, and so perished. And the saint placed as bishop over the new church of this nation a wise and holy man named Germanus, who placed his episcopal seat in a certain promontory unto this day called Saint Patrick's Island, for that the saint had there some time abided. And the other islands being converted unto the faith, he placed over them bishops from among his disciples&mdash;one over some, many over others&mdash;and then he returned to Hibernia; for the saint was accustomed to appoint bishops not only in cities, but even in towns and the more crowded places, lest any who had been baptized should be deprived of episcopal confirmation. And this did he provide that the faithful might always have present unto them one who could minister the episcopal office; while the diocese, being not too extended, needed not to withdraw from them the presence and the care of their pastor. But the dwellers in some of these islands, being aliened from the faith, afterward renounced the law of God which Patrick preached unto them; and therefore unto this day are they deprived of the special gift of God which, through the prayers of Patrick, freed from all venomous animals the islands that persevered in their faith.