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About St Patrick
St Patrick is the Patron Saint of Ireland. He was a Britain-born Roman Christian born in the fourth century.
At around about the age of 16 he was captured by Irish raiders and taken as a slave to Ireland where he lived and worked in the forest.
Escaping his captors after 6 years, Patrick returned to his family and began his studies to become a priest. After he was ordained a Bishop, Patrick
was sent to Ireland with the Gospel. He later returned as a missionery having received a Papal blessing in 434AD.
St Patrick remained in Ireland for 40 years preaching and converting the Irish people to Christianity. Legend has it that he used a shamrock leaf to
to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity - the Christian belief of 3 divine persons in the one God. You will almost always see depictions of St Patrick
holding a shamrock.
St Patrick died on 17 March, 461AD and is said to be buried at Saul, County Down, alongside St Bridgid and St Columba, although this
has never been proven.
St Patrick's day, 17 March, is a holy day of obligation in Ireland and is widely celebrated amongst the Irish communities throughout the world.
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