St Patrick; The Slave Who Became a Saint

.
.
.

According to his own work, "The Confessio of Patrick," he was born to a well-off Roman-Britain family. His exact birthplace and date of birth is unknown. However it's believed he was born around 375AD in Scotland. His parents were Calpurnius and Conchessa. They were Romans living in Britain, in charge of the colonies.

His real name is believed to have been Maewyn Succat. He allegedly took on the name Patrick (Patricius) upon being ordained a priest.

At about age 16, he tells of being kidnapped by Celtic pirates and sold into slavery in Ireland to herd and tend sheep on Slemish mountain, in County Antrim.

During his six-year captivity, he became fluent in the Irish language and turned to God in prayer.

He escaped captivity after having a dream, he believed was sent from God in which he was told to leave Ireland by going to the coast where he would find a ship that would return him to Britain.

He's believed to have found his parents again in Wales before travelling on to France where he became a priest and later a bishop.

Later, Patrick would had another dream in which the people of Ireland were calling to him to "come and walk among them once more."

He began traveling Ireland, teaching Christianity to the polytheistic Irish and building Churches.

Patrick preached and converted all over Ireland for 40 years. The date often cited for when Ireland was converted to Christianity is 432.

There's still debate over when and where he died. It's believed he died on March 17th, 461 AD at Saul, Downpatrick. Which is why Saint Patrick's day is celebrated on March 17th. Some have also suggested that he was also born on March 17th, though that seems unlikely.

It's said that, "After 40 years of living in poverty, teaching, traveling and working tirelessly, Patrick died on March 17, 461 in Saul, where he had built his first church."

Today, St Patrick's Day has morphed into a global celebration of Irish culture that often obscures the history of the man who so aptly represents the Irish passion for transformation, as he was the wealthy son who became a slave, a slave who became a priest and a priest who became a Saint...and the Patron of his adopted country.

In that regard, St Patrick's tale of transformation is the transformational story of mankind itself.