St Patrick

Saint Patrick was born in Wales, in the year 387. When he was 16, he was captured from a beach by raiders and sold as a slave to an Irish farmer in County Antrim. Patrick had to mind sheep and pigs, on a hill called Sliabh Mis and he wasn’t treated very well. He was often so hungry that he had to eat the animals’ food. Patrick had a very lonely life and spent most of his time praying. However, Saint Patrick had a deep faith in God. All the time he was kept as a slave, he knew he would return to his family. One night, Patrick heard a voice in a dream. It was God. He told Patrick to leave the mountain and to go to the harbour in County Waterford, where there would be a boat waiting for him to bring him home. Patrick trusted the voice so he set off on his journey. Saint Patrick managed to escape Ireland and made it back home to Wales. Once back home, he decided to study as a priest and later became a bishop. He knew that the people of Ireland did not know about God and he wanted to return to Ireland to teach them and spread the word of God. Saint Patrick walked across Ireland teaching people about God. Many people didn’t want to listen but he was gentle and patient. Saint Patrick would talk about the life he knew from his captivity and listen to people’s hardships He wasn’t always welcome but he never gave up. Saint Patrick used the shamrock to explain about the Blessed Trinity - God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Each of the three leaves on the shamrock represented each one.

St Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland and St Patrick’s Day is celebrate every year on 17^th March.