St. Patrick - March 17

March 17 is St. Patrick's Day. People who aren't Irish like to be Irish, and the people who are, enjoy the day to the fullest. Many people wear green to signify Ireland. Who is St. Patrick, and why do we celebrate him?
Surprisingly, St. Patrick isn't the man many imagined. He didn't chase snakes out of Ireland, but he still deserves honor and respect. Over 1,500 years ago, a teenager was kidnapped to Ireland and was forced to be a slave for six years. He escaped, but returned to help others. This teenage boy was St. Patrick.
St. Patrick was convinced that he was chosen by God to convert Ireland to Christianity. After he escaped, he returned home to become a priest. He returned to Ireland to convert the Irish. Through his work, Patrick grew an understanding of God. He converted several people to Christianity. Patrick died in Ireland, and he was never forgotten.
Patrick is the only individual that we know about in fifth century in Ireland or England. He was born with the name Patricius somewhere in Britain. As a boy, he wasn't religious and his family had wealth. The chronology of his life is very mysterious. No proof exists of when he was born, ordained a bishop, or even died. However, experts agree that Patrick wrote two important documents. He wrote Patrick's Confession and his Letter to Coroticus. In these writings, we see a deeper insight of who he was.
His writings clearly show his strong bond to God. He prayed often and thought he was doing exactly what God planned for him. Patrick didn't have a very good education due to being in slavery. He self educated the best he could.
St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. He grew very close to the people that lived there. He hated slavery, and he became the first human being to speak against it. Slavery wasn't considered immoral until the end of the 19th century. He was against excluding any type of person. Women liked him because he advocated for women's rights. He had deep sensitivity for women.
He had visions of where his life was headed. The first vision came when he was in Ireland for six years and it told him to go home. The second one came when he was at home and told him to go back and help the people. Shortly after Patrick died, the Irish stopped slave trading and never did it again. Human sacrifice was never done again. War became more confined and limited. Patrick died knowing that he accomplished his dreams. Ireland became a better place due to him.