St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was not Irish. He was born Maewyn Succat in Scotland or Wales between 373 and 385 A.D. He later took the Latin name Patricus - Patrick is the English version - when he became a priest. At the age of 16, he was captured by Irish raiders and brought to Ireland and became a slave for a sheep farmer. During this time, he began to have religious visions and become a. Christian. Six years later, he escaped and studied in a monastery in France, became a priest, then later a bishop. He returned to Ireland to convert pagans to Christianity and did this for more than 30 years, traveling throughout the country and establishing monasteries. He died in Ireland on March 17, 461 A.D.
