Saint Patrick

Saint Patrick was born in late Roman Britain, probably near the western coast, though his exact birthplace is unknown. The son of Calpurnius, a local official and deacon, Patrick later confessed that in his youth he was not fervent in faith. Around the age of sixteen he was seized by Irish raiders and carried to Ireland as a slave. For six hard years he tended animals, and in that loneliness his heart awakened to God in constant prayer. He eventually escaped and returned to his family, but the Lord’s call did not leave him. After becoming a cleric, Patrick went back to the land of his captivity as a missionary. In the fifth century he preached Christ across northern and western Ireland, patiently drawing people from pagan worship to the Gospel. Tradition remembers him as a bishop and as the first bishop of Armagh, honored as the Apostle of Ireland and its primary patron, and also venerated as a patron of Nigeria. His feast day is March 17.