St Patrick was born very probably in the early years of the fifth century in Britian. He was taken captive at the age of sixteen and brought to Ireland where he worked as a slave. His captivity had a very positive effect on his spiritual life. He escaped back home at the age of twenty-two. It was obvious to him that God was calling him to return to convert the Irish. He studied probably in France, returned to Ireland c. 457-61 and made a tremendous number of converts. He died in 491.