The Story of Saint Patrick

Just when you think things are going along well and all is right with the world, life can take an unexpected turn. Such was the case with a teenage boy who lived a long time ago. Patrick, born in modern day Cumbria County in Britain, was a person who had to live with just such a turn. Fortunately, he was born into a Christian family, his father being a deacon and his grandfather a priest. It was good thing because he was going to need this faith.
When Patrick was about sixteen, he was captured and carried off as a slave to Ireland. Patrick worked as a herdsman remaining in captivity for six years. He wrote that his faith grew during this time and that he prayed daily…no doubt the key to his ability to forgive his captors.
Near the end of the six years, he heard a voice telling him that he would soon go home then later the voice said his ship was ready…time to go. Fleeing his master, he traveled to a port two hundred miles away where he found a ship and made his way home. By this time he was in his early twenties. So it seems that life returned to normal except God had other plans.
A few years after returning home, Patrick had a vision in which he saw a man named Victoricus coming from Ireland. The man gave a letter to Patrick which stated “The Voice of the Irish” at which time Patrick heard the voice of the people from whom he had escaped calling him to come back to them. Patrick did return to them with forgiveness and love and as they say, the rest is history. His evangelistic work among NW Ireland left a lasting legacy for which the Irish still honor him today.

information derived from two Wikipedia articles.