Patrick (373?-463?), the 'Apostle of Ireland', and its second Bishop, has left us two works from his hand, his letter about Coroticus, a pirate who had captured, killed, and enslaved many Irish youth, and his Confession, written in defence of his ministry late in his life. These are the most reliable sources for his life story.
Patrick was born in Britain, the son of Calpornius, a freeman, local administrator and church deacon, and the grandson of a Christian priest. Yet despite this upbringing, Patrick says that he was ignorant of God for much of his childhood and adolescence. When he was not yet 16, he was captured by Irish pirates, enslaved, and forced to look after sheep for 6 years. It was during this time of hardship and humbling that Patrick came to know God. Remembering the Christian teaching he received as a child, he often prayed in the open, asking God for help, and remembering God's many kindnesses.
At about the age 21, Patrick had a dream that he would return to Britain by ship. He ran away, travelled 200 miles, and convinced a group of pagan sailors to take him along with them. Patrick distanced himself from their pagan practises. However, when the group arrived in Britain and were starving, their captain resentfully said to Patrick, 'What have you to say for yourself, Christian? You boast that your God is all powerful. So why can't you pray for us?' Patrick confidently told them, 'Turn trustingly to the Lord who is my God […] because nothing is impossible for him. On this same day, he will send us food sufficient for our journey, because for him there is abundance everywhere.' And suddenly, a herd of pigs blocked their path! Dinner was honey pork roast that night!
Patrick was enslaved by the sailors for two months until he escaped them and returned to his parents as their long lost son. They begged him not to leave them again. But Patrick had another dream at this time, of a man coming from Ireland begging him to return. He heard the words, 'He who gave his own soul for you, he it is who now speaks within your soul'. Taking this as God's call, he prepared himself for his ministry, perhaps by studying in France. Though relatively uneducated, he was consecrated by the English bishops, and sent to Ireland.
Ireland was a pagan country, where people worshipped idols. Though rustic and unschooled, Patrick had an effective ministry, and speaks of many thousands of the Irish coming to faith in Christ and being baptised in the Triune Name. He travelled across the country far and wide. It seems he adopted Paul's practice of as much as possible paying for his own ministry. He was also required to pay tribute to kings and those in authority. Once he was captured and imprisoned for 2 weeks. Nevertheless, over some 30 years, he baptised thousands, ordained priests to teach the people, and confirmed them in the faith. He saw himself as a 'fisher of people', teaching all the nations, and baptising in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19-20).
It was a pretty rough time, and during his Episcopacy, Coroticus and his band, who were supposedly Christian, came to Ireland, captured, pillaged, and raped many of the young Irish people Patrick had discipled, and sold others into slavery or worse. Outraged, Patrick sent a trusted priest to plead with Coroticus to return the survivors and repent. When these pirates laughed in his face, Patrick wrote a circular letter denouncing and condemning Coroticus, warning him of the eternal punishment to come, and warning everyone away from him, unless he returns the survivors, and repents. Patrick clearly desires both the freedom of his beloved people and the restoration of the sinning gangsters as the best outcome.
When Patrick was an old man, the English Bishops sent a delegation to attempt to revoke his episcopacy. This was initiated by Patrick's former best friend. Patrick had done or thought something for one hour while he was 14 years old that troubled him greatly. Patrick divulged this unnamed sin, a lack of self-control possibly in thought, to his best friend before he was made deacon. This same friend said, 'Mark my words, you are going to be made bishop'. For some reason unknown to us, after many years later, and after Patrick's successful ministry, Patrick's friend took this matter to the English bishops. It seems that for political reasons, probably because they were Pelagian, the British bishops wanted to unseat Patrick and discredit his life's work.
Patrick's Confession is really a confession of his faith and defence of his ministry. He believes in the Triune God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, all powerful and ever living. He believes himself a great sinner saved by God's grace. He confesses he has not led a perfect life, but that he is not ashamed before Christ. He is aware of the great judgment coming, where Christ will judge us for every careless word. He calls on the Christians among whom he has ministered to testify to his good name. And his hope is that we shall rise again in the glory of Christ Jesus, our Redeemer, as children of the living God and fellow heirs with Christ. He declares that whatever he has achieved for Christ is the gift of God, not his own achievement. Not a bad way to end, really.