Who was St. Patrick and Why Do We Celebrate His Life?

St. Patrick's Day is known as a day of celebration and festivities, but very few people know the real story of St. Patrick and who he really is. According to tradition, he is the patron saint of the Catholic religion because of the captivity he went through, the time of solitude and his great faith, and finally the number of people who were converted to know God through him. It is a legend that he heard angels and they helped him in his decision. All in all, he is known as the patron saint of luck and blessings to Catholics from that time until the 21st century. Saint Patrick was a real live person born around 400 AD in Roman Britain when the British Isles were still under Roman rule. He was born with the name Maewyn. His name was not changed until he was in the monastery. His father was a soldier in the army and Patrick also lists him as a deacon, civil servant and town councilor who was the son of a Romano-British priest. The family was Christian but not extremely religious, some historians even say that Patrick was an agnostic in his childhood. According to his most famous work, the Confessio, Patrick, along with many others, was captured when his village was attacked and taken to Ireland as a slave. Patrick was under the tutelage of a Druid high priest and his family, and here he learned the original Celtic language, which he later understood and helped those to convert. After 8 years in captivity, he escaped at the age of twenty-two, and legend has it that an angel directed him to spend twelve years in a monastery near Paris, France, where he took the name Patrick. During this time of captivity, Patrick found God and developed the habit of praying throughout the day to strengthen himself and be closer to God. It is recorded in the Confessio that he often prayed up to 100 times a day. One night, while he was in the monastery, he said he heard many voices calling him back to Ireland to help the remaining slaves. He was in his early thirties at the time, so he was answering calls. He became one of the first Christian missionaries in Ireland. He had confidence in the Lord and traveled far and wide, baptizing and confirming with tireless zeal. Patrick was indeed successful in converting Ireland to Christianity. And he even made significant converts even among the royal families. He traveled around Ireland for 20 years, founding monasteries, schools and churches that helped him in his conversions. He died on March 17. You can see that it was originally a Catholic holiday, but today St. Patrick's Day has evolved into more of a secular holiday. Or rather "be Irish Day". Speculation as to why this holiday is so popular could be the arrival of spring, which occurs within a few days. St. Patrick’s Day is known as a day of celebration and festivities, especially in Ireland, but very few people know the true story of St. Patrick and who he really is.