Irish women were drawn to Christianity by a number of factors. They played a major role in the growth of Christianity in Ireland, just as they played a major role in the social and religious life of pre-Christian Ireland. In order to effectively understand the role of Irish women within the Celtic church, we must understand what drew them into the church. Women converted in greater numbers than men did during this period in the Roman Empire, and it seems that they were drawn to Christianity in Ireland as well. St. Patrick himself focused particularly on the conversion of women http://ccel.wheaton.edu/patrick/confessi... .
There is little information about these early converts to Christianity; however, the extant information does suggest certain conclusions. Women were the focus of many early conversion efforts, particularly wealthy women. The conversion of women led to the conversion of men through marriage, thereby increasing the Christian population. In ancient Ireland, wealthy women had control over their own property and could make gifts to the church, thus providing financial support. Women could also serve as founders of religious institutions, thus supporting the development of monasticism. It is not, therefore, surprising that many early missionaries focused their efforts on the conversion of women.
Celtic Christianity, unlike that of Rome, was somewhat egalitarian. Women served in roles of prestige and power. This alone can serve as testament to the numbers of female converts drawn to the new faith. While Irish society was more egalitarian than Greek or Roman, it was, like most, a male dominated society. The power of women within the Celtic church clearly indicates that they were converting, perhaps in larger numbers than men were.
It is clear that women were among Patrick's converts, and that he held them in high standing. The relatively high status of women in the Celtic church continued. Women founded churches and monastic institutions, and they may have even served as bishops in the church. The lives of several prominent women serve as evidence for the status of women within the church. These lives, such as Cogitosus' Life of St. Bride, (while somewhat fictionalized, provide contemporary evidence of the power and status of women within the church. Women had power not only over other women, but even over men in some circumstances.
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