Saint Patrick Dies: Faith Takes Root in Ireland

Patrick died on March 17, 461, at Saul, County Down, where he had built his first church after returning to Ireland as a missionary bishop. He had arrived around 432, sent by Pope Celestine to convert the pagan Irish. Born in Roman Britain, Patrick had been kidnapped by Irish raiders at age sixteen and spent six years as a slave herding sheep in County Antrim before escaping. He returned decades later, armed with fluency in the Irish language and an understanding of the culture that allowed him to convert tribal kings and establish churches across the island. Patrick's own writings, the Confession and the Letter to Coroticus, are the earliest surviving documents written in Ireland. The St. Patrick's Day celebration evolved over centuries: it began as a religious feast day in Ireland, became a parade of Irish immigrant pride in New York City as early as 1762, and was transformed into a global tourism event when the Irish government launched its international campaign in 1995.