Most people have only heard the silly legends about him, but thanks to two surviving letters from his own pen, we do know some historical facts of the life of St. Patrick. He was born in Roman Britain about 389 A.D. His parents were good members of the Celtic Christian Church, but at the age of 16 Patrick had never yet felt the need of Christ's forgiveness. That was when he was captured by Irish raiders and sold as a slave in Ireland, which was then a pagan land full of illiterate, warring tribes. For six years he was forced to herd his master's pigs in the hills. He was often lonely, cold, wet, and hungry. In his misery he learned to know Christ through prayer.  He asked for & received  forgiveness for his sins and, following a dream that was given him, he escaped on a boat bound for France and made his way home again.
  

    His family was overjoyed to have him  back, but Patrick was restless and would not marry & settle down.  In a dream he heard Irish voices pleading with him to, "Come and live among us once more!" In 432 he returned to preach the good news of Christ to the Irish people. His life was constantly in danger from Druid priests and surly chieftains, but his fearless courage in preaching the Word and his love for his enemies won the hearts of many. For 30 years he labored- -establishing monasteries to carry on the work when he moved on--and on March 17, 461 A.D. he died among the people to whom he had given his heart.
  

    By that time most of the Irish had decided to follow Jesus, and Patrick's disciples carried on his work. The Irish gave up their warring and raiding ways.  While the rest of Europe sank into the Dark Ages, Irish monks studied and copied the Bible. They made Ireland into the intellectual center of the Christian West, and they carried the Christian faith and literacy to Scotland and to the German tribes of northern Europe, founding schools and monasteries there. Ireland became the greatest missionary-sending country for the next 500 years! One historian wrote a book about that great work entitled, "How The Irish Saved Civilization." The great American preacher Dwight Moody once said that the world had yet to see what God could do with a man wholly devoted to Him. Maybe, but I just might give my vote to St. Patrick.