Every March 17, people wear green, drink green, and celebrate a man most of them don’t actually know too much about.
So who was Saint Patrick? And why does he have a global holiday in his name?
Is it about leprechauns, shamrocks, green-dyed beverages, and even pinching people who forgot to wear green? No, not really. Is he the great-great-great-grandfather of the leprechauns? Again, no. Was he, like, super lucky? Definitely not.
The real Saint Patrick wasn’t lucky. He was faithful in the middle of pain.
In reality, Saint Patrick was a 5th-century missionary who brought Christianity to Ireland after being kidnapped and enslaved there as a teenager. After escaping, he later returned to share the message of Jesus with the same people who once enslaved him! The real Saint Patrick wasn’t lucky. He was faithful in the middle of pain. Amazing story, right? Let's dig in to find a bit more about this hero of the Christian faith.
The True Story of Saint Patrick
Saint Patrick’s life story has more twists, turns, heartaches, and adventures than a Hollywood blockbuster. Yet, his life offers inspiration to modern Christians in many ways.
Where Did Saint Patrick Come From?
Ready for a plot twist? Saint Patrick wasn’t Irish.
He was born in Roman Britain in the late 300s, in what was likely a comfortable, middle-class Christian home. His dad was a deacon and His grandfather was a priest.
Then everything violently changed.
When Patrick was about 16, Irish raiders attacked his village, kidnapped him, and carried him across the sea. For six years, he worked as an enslaved shepherd in Ireland, isolated and far from home.
Patrick later wrote that he prayed constantly during this time, sometimes through the night, as his relationship with God slowly came alive. So his story isn't one of a well-meaning foreign missionary imposing beliefs. Instead, his story started as a scared teenager who trusted God in the middle of a terrible crisis.
Patrick had doubts about God. He noted in his biography that, early in his life, he “knew not the true God.” If you struggle with doubts, you’re not alone.
Patrick became a slave to an Irish chief after being captured and sold by raiders as a teenager. During his six years of forced labor, he questioned God through prayer and found some peace. He came to understand that God was always working for good, even if Patrick couldn’t understand why he suffered.
Patrick eventually escaped his captors and found his way back to his family in England. He entered into seminary and, after several years, became a priest.
Why Did Saint Patrick Go Back to Ireland?
Eventually, God called Patrick to return to Ireland, to the land of his worst fears, and to share the Gospel with the Irish people.
But why? From Patrick’s perspective, he was going back to help people know the freedom he had found in Jesus.
He believed the Irish were living without the hope of the gospel, and he returned to share what he saw as rescue from sin, fear, and spiritual separation from God—not to conquer them, but to serve and love them.
Where some may have run the other way, Patrick accepted God’s mission with the kind of forgiveness and love Jesus described in Matthew 5:43-48.
Patrick was uniquely able to tell others about God because of his captivity. He was fluent in the Irish language and understood their customs and culture. Patrick knew that gaining the influence of clan leaders was essential to success. Eventually, he led his former master to faith in Jesus.
Patrick faithfully carried out his ministry in Ireland until his death on March 17 in 462 CE. It’s estimated that Patrick ministered in Ireland for nearly 40 years. During this time, it is said Patrick baptized 120,000 people and helped build 300 churches.
Did Saint Patrick Really Drive Out Snakes?
No, sorry to dissapoint, but Ireland likely never had snakes to begin with. At least, not since the island was cut off from the mainland after the last Ice Age.
The legend showed up centuries after Patrick, as storytellers tried to describe the impact of Patrick’s ministry in a memorable way. Essentially, the “snakes” represented the old spiritual practices he challenged as the message of Jesus spread across the island.
Who Was Saint Patrick?
So who is St. Patrick? A former doubter and slave, a man, tested by the fire of trials and tribulations, a prayer warrior who followed God’s call, and a strategic missionary who changed an entire country for Christ. It certainly is a day worth celebrating!
“Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ in quiet, Christ in danger, Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.”
An excerpt from “The Breastplate,” a prayer by Saint Patrick
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!