St. Patrick Baptizes Irish Women

This image depicts St. Patrick as he baptizes two Irish women, described as princesses in the illustration's original caption.  In his writings, Patrick praises the courage and strength of Irish women he has met.  His Confession states: 

But it is the women kept in slavery who suffer the most - and who keep their spirits up despite the menacing and terrorizing they must endure. The Lord gives grace to his many handmaids; and though they are forbidden to do so, they follow him with backbone.

Writers, such as Thomas Cahill, claim that Patrick was the first male Christian to speak so highly of women.

Click on the image for a better view.

Credits

Illustration from European Hero Stories, by Eva March Tappan.  Published 1909, by Houghton Mifflin Company - Boston, New York, Chicago.

Image online, courtesy Heritage-History.