M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1858-03-25


REV. 2. MMAuAN:
His Lord said to him: Well done,
good and faithful servant; because
thou hast been faithful over few
things, will place thee over many
things; enter thou into the joy Of the
Lord.
In this days gospel are contained
many sublime and divine considera.
tions from which similar reflections
can be piously deduced, but the first
that will naturally on this day enlist
our attention, is the miraculous con-
version Of the Irish nation from being
the seat of Paganism and ldolatry for
ages, to become an Island of Saints.
Gods providence ordained that, in
St. Patrick's tender years, he should
be carried captive into that very land
which he was afterwards to deliver
from the slavery Of Satan. Here he
not only became acquainted with the
language and manners Of the people,
but what was Of infinitely still more
advantage to him, learned to spend his
whole time, night and day, in the exer-
cises Of prayer and penanee, by which
he laid solid foundation for an apos-
tolic life.
To a person unacquainted with Ire.
land or her history, the number ofre
ligious institutions founded by our
forefathers, may seem incredible. The
fact, however, can be easily ascer-
tanned, even had no tradition existed
amongst our people, or had none OF
our records escaped the vandalism ol
the spoiler. Stand on a high hill in
Ireland, and look around you; behold
on all sides OF you those mouldering
ruins---those ivy.clad monuments,
the relics of other days, grand, venera-
bic and eloquent even in their desola-
tion. Those were once the lnonaste-
ries of IreIand--the schools Of Europe
the nurseries of learning and piety
the literary and religious ighthous-
es which were once the glory Of Ire
land and the admiration OF The vest
ern world. Here the child OF genius
was fostered; the poor comtorted; the
counsels and precepts Of Christ incul-
Gated, and the oil and wine ofcharity
and religion poured on the bruised
and broken hearted. Yes, these were
indeed the mellifonts, the fountains OF
honey that humanised ,catholicise6 and
sanctified Ireland-that drew to her
hOSpitable shores the distant stranger,
and that sent swarms Of holy men on
their errsnd Of charity; whose foot
prints are on every land, from the Alps
to Scandinavia, from the Atlantic to
the Carpathians. To specify all the
monaSteries and religious institutions
that were established by st. Patrick,
and by the great and holy men whom
providence raised up to perpetuate st.
Patrick's labors, would be task far
exceeding tie limits of my discourse.
| will subsequently have to refer to
some which were Cedars of Lebanon,
most remarkable for sanctity and
learning. We will see what Europe
then thought of our inonasteries, the
great blessings that flowed from them,
and the irreparable loss religion, So
ciety, aud the poor Of Christ sustained
by their plunder and demolition.
The Monastery of Saul, County
Down, in which St. Patrick breathed
his last and was inferred, was founded
by him. St. Patrick had a peculiar
affection for this monastery. Down.
patrick was tounued by St. Patrick
and endowed by the piety and charity
of our princes. Yet, in 1880, it was
enacted that no Lri8hman should
make his profession in this Abbey
Thus were the Irish debarred from en-
joying the charity of their fore-fath
erS. They were banned and out
lawod by the Catholic English, as vel
as by their reforming successors.
Slane, County Meath, near the
banks ofthe memorable Boyne. The
Monastery OF Slane was situated OF
a lofty hill, which commands q mos
extensive view. The sea along tht
eastern coast, and the counties o
Louth and Meath lie under your feet
perhaps in Ireland no more romantic
or healthy spot could be selected tol
the site OF an Abbey. 1t was on thil
hill st. Patrick kindled the paseha
fire, which was seen at the palace O
Tara, and which was the occasion O
ST. Patrick being summoned before
the Kings, Princes, Chiettaips anc
Druids Of Ireland, to the hill Of Tara,
where he preached christianity tc
them. This grand old monastery is
now a vast ruin the old belfry, with
its Gothic window, which contained
in the time Of the Danes, the best bell
in Ireland. The dismantled walls o.
the college are all now ivy-clad and
desolate. The fonts, broken crosses,
and other "reminiscences proclaim un
mistakably the Catholic faith Of for
mer times. and remind LA of that re-