St Patrick ’ s Day is celebrated across the world on 17th March each year: Patrick is famous for bringing Christianity to the famously Catho- lic island of Ireland, and remains one of their patron saints today. But who was the man behind the legend? Which parts are actually true? And how did St Patrick ’ s Day grow to be an international celebration? 1. He was actually born in Britain Whilst St Patrick may be the patron site of Ireland, he was actu- ally born in Britain, in the late 4th century AD. It ’ s believed his birth name was Maewyn Succat, and his family were Christians: his father was a deacon and his grandfather was a priest. By his own account, Patrick was not an active believer in Christianity as a child. 2. He arrived in Ireland as a slave Aged 16, Patrick was seized from his family ’ s home by a group of Irish pirates, who took him to Ireland where the teenage Pat- rick was enslaved for six years. He worked as a shepherd for
some of this period. According to his own writing in the Confession of St Patrick, it was this period in his life where Patrick really discovered his faith, and his belief in God. He spent hours praying and eventually converted fully to Christianity. After six years of captivity, Patrick heard a voice telling him his ship was ready to take him home: he trav- elled 200 miles to the nearest port, and managed to persuade a captain to let him stow away onboard his ship. 48
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