It’s a grim beginning to a story that would shape Ireland’s national holiday. But while captive in Ireland, working as a shepherd, Patrick found God, who instructed him to escape to the Irish coast, where a ship would be waiting to ferry him home. What happened next is unclear — he either went straight back to Britain or took a detour through France.

What we do know is that he became a Catholic priest and eventually returned to Ireland, where he spent much of the rest of his life proselytizing to pagan Irishmen. Because he was one of the first missionaries sent to the country, he spent much time in its western and northern reaches. Deeply associated with the Catholic Church structure there, he ordained priests, divided the country into dioceses, and founded several monasteries. You may wonder why the shamrock is so deeply associated with this holiday. It’s because in his missionary work, St. Patrick supposedly used the clover to explain the holy trinity.

The mark he left on the country grew in legend over centuries, and now he is considered one of the country’s foremost saints. The Irish people remember him each March 17, the day it is said he died. It’s unclear whether St. Patrick’s body is buried in Ireland, as legend has it. But while he was still alive, the man often said he was willing to die in Ireland so that his mission might prove successful.

2016-17 Grand Prize Winner

Lakkana Meepara. 13 years old, Thailand

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