St. Patrick

Feast Day: March 17

The Church gives the name “apostle” to people who travel far distances to preach God’s good news.  Paul sailed to Greece; Francis Xavier went to India and Japan; Cyril and Methodius traveled to Russia. And Patrick went to Ireland. He showed the pagan people there how Christians put the good news of God’s love into action.

Patrick was probably born in England in about 389 AD. When he was 16, some Irish raiders captured and enslaved him. For six years, he spent hungry days and cold nights on the Irish hills watching over sheep. Finally, he escaped!

In the next 20 years, Patrick studied in France and England and became a priest. But he never forgot the Irish. Their hunger for truth hounded him. So when he became a bishop at age 43, Patrick sailed back to Ireland. He wanted to preach Christianity to the Irish pagans.

For the next 30 years, Patrick traveled up and down and across Ireland. The pagan priests, the druids, there hated him. Why? Because Patrick was converting the followers of the druids into Christians! God worked miracles through Patrick to show these pagan people that courage and humility work wonders.

By the time he died, in about 461 at age 72, Patrick had built monasteries throughout Ireland. From these monasteries, missionaries sailed to Europe. There, they brought good news to other pagans. These people lived in the darkness of ignorance. Patrick’s missionaries brought them the light of learning! Patrick put God’s love into action!

Connecting to Faith First® Legacy Edition

Grade 1, chapter 7

Grade 2, chapter 2

Connecting to Faith First®

Grade 2, chapter 2

Grade 3, chapter 1