St. Patrick by Imogen

St. Patrick was born in about 385 AD in Roman Britain. His birth name is Maewyn Succat. (He became Patrick or Patricus after he became a priest) When he was sixteen he got kidnapped by Irish raiders and sold as a slave in Ireland. During his six years as a shepherd, he heard voices from God. One of these voices said, ''Soon you will return to your homeland." A short time later he heard another one saying, "Your ship is ready." He made a 200 mile journey to get to the ship. The captain refused to take him, so Patrick prayed to God and the captain changed his mind and let him on. After that, Patrick became a priest, and later a bishop. When he was sixty, he went back to Ireland to teach them about God. In his thirty years there, he founded more than three hundred churches and baptized more than 12 000 people. There is a legend that he used a shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity to the Irish pagans. He died a natural death on March 17, 461. He was ninety or ninety one years old when he died. Now there are lots of legends about St. Patrick. Most of these legends have facts mixed with them. The day St. Patrick's Day is also called the feast of St. Patrick because it is the day he died. The shamrock, like the one he used to explain the Holy Trinity, is also an ancient symbol for the triple goddess Brigit.