Everyone knows that today is Saint Patrick's Day. We think of the Irish and shamrocks, and wearing green. But, there is a real person we call Saint Patrick, whose real life is in obscurity.
Saint Patrick was born around 390 in Great Britain. His parents may have been followers of Jesus Christ, but we don't have enough information on that. When Patrick was 16, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and brought to the land of Ireland where he learned to shepherd sheep. Some time later, he managed to escape and returned to England. It is not really known when he came to Christ, but when he returned to his home land, he received a vision of God calling him back to Ireland. Perhaps he was able to see the desperate need for the Gospel to be there while he was living in captivity in that land.
Here is a quote from Saint Patrick, himself: “Thus I am a servant in Christ to a foreign nation for the unspeakable glory of life everlasting which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
From what we can tell, from some of his own words, Patrick identified himself as a sinner. He realized his own need for a Savior, and went to Ireland to spread the Gospel to the Irish people. The religion of the day that was in opposition to the Gospel was that of the Druids. It is said that this divine call of the Gospel went forth from Ireland for at least 600 years.
Here is a good web site with information on Saint Patrick: Christian Answers
Here is another source, although a little more vague:
History.com-Saint Patrick
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