What's the History Behind St. Patrick's Day?

2. Kidnapped and Enslaved

When he was 16 years old, Patrick was stolen from his family and brought over to Gaelic Ireland as a slave. Working as a shepherd for six years, Patrick believed that God told him to escape to the coast and make his way home. He did just that and thereafter, dedicated his life to the Church. He went back to Ireland 30 years later as a missionary to convert the pagan Irish to Christianity. It was then that he changed his name to Patricius (Patrick), Latin for "father figure."