St. Patrick

Feast Day: March 17

An apostle leaves home and country, family and friends to preach the good news of God’s love. God uses the apostle to reach out to pagans who believe in many gods. They do not know the beauty and goodness of the one true God. The apostle Patrick brought the great good news of the Christian God to the Irish.

Patrick was born in England in about 389 AD. When he was 16, some Irish sailors kidnapped him. They sailed back to Ireland where Patrick became their slave and worked as a shepherd. Throughout cold nights and hungry days, he dreamed of escape. Finally, after six years, he crept aboard a ship bound for France.

For the next 20 years, Patrick studied in France and England. At age 43, he became a bishop. In a dream, he felt God’s call to return to Ireland. Patrick said “yes!” to God and sailed back to Ireland.

At first, the druids and the kings did not welcome Patrick. (The druids were pagan priests.) But God worked miracles through Patrick. These miracles showed people the power of the Christian God.

For 30 years, Patrick ordained priests and built monasteries in Ireland. By the time he died—in 461 at age 72— he had showed the Irish how to find Christ in one another.