The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-09-21

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footing in other conntries-while they were
getting more powerful-Ireland was able to |
drive them from her very bosom: because they |
a blow at St. Patriok's God and st. Patrick's /
religion. Thus did Almighty God show the |
power Of this people, the wonderful unifying !
PIE PIE Of Divine faith. Mean while, the Danish
invasion produced the most lamentable results |
In e32 they invaded the archiepiscopai city of |
Patrick, they banished the Archbishop. they |
drove away all the students from the school, |
and for ten years they held their footing there |
Sag the Danes were driven from Armagh and
the sacred soil of st. Patrick's city. Another |
invasion followed still more terrible, but this |
time it was not the faith Of the Irish people |
that was assaulted; it was only their national |
existence, and dear to every nation its liberty |
aud national existence ought to be; and strong |
as were the efforts Of lreland's kings and
princes to preserve the treasure of her national |
existence, still in the providence Of God it was |
destined that Ireland should shine ont amongst J
the nations as unconquered and uncopqnerable
Of her faith. Powerful as was the principle of
nationality. Ireland was defeated on that issue.
God took away from them that nationality.
The national love of our people was not based
upon military glory alone-glory was not
theirs. Their interests were bound up in those
of another people The providence of God had
or in wealth. All those things they bad been
deprived of. and sacrificed for Gods provi-
dence, and God had brought them to be the
unconquerable, imperishaole Irish only
upon the question of their faith aud divine
Catholic religion That love for power might
bring desolaton on them. Had they that
love, every power of hell might rise against
| them, but the divine principle OF love for God
was imperishable and iuvfpcibe. The pro-
mates Of Armagh signalized themselves by
their patriotic love for ireland they loved tue
tions made by them. But 800 years ago great
change came over the counsels of the English
nation-a great change came over the thoughts
OF the English people, great change came
over the manners aud morals of the land. Eng
land solemnly aud steadily abjured the Catho-
| lie race, to separate herself from the Church
of God The change that was effected with
| much bloodshed in the sister laud, was also
| sought to be effected in Ireland. Edicts went
forth, and the name of Peter and Peters sue
| cessor, was no longer to be heard on Irish soil.
Through Celestne Ireland received her faith
| -Celestne, who sent them st. Patrick, wss
| tho successor Of Peter, and ST. Patrick was TO
proclaim the Catholic faith in virtue of the
| mission he received from the Pope of Rome.
| 1t was in virtue of power he received from the
Pope of Rome, and before st. Patrick died, he
left to the Irish ce the secret of their reli-
and unity AVID hS sa%s
| If there be any dissentions or quarrels amongst
you bring them to Rome. Do not go to Rome
as servants to o mistress, DO not 60 to Rome as
| to judge, bu5 go to Rome as children go to
their mother" In other words, he put deep
| into the irish mind, deep into the Irish heart
the secret of all religion, of all Catholcity, of
Gil divine prnciple-namely, that the AL
mighty God left behind Him upon earth rep
reseutative in His Vicar, man who spoke in
| the name of Jesus Christ, and the only man
upon the earth, He had provided to speak as
Vicar Of God. and in the name Of God man
| who was supreme in the Church OF God, and
who Witnessed for their faith infallibly; AS
| long rs they were united with Potter in Rome,
| they were united with the Church OF Christ,
and no power on earth in hell could take
their Catholic faith from them. 1t was the
| very principle that had saved Ireland in the
sixteenth century, when she was called upon
to surrender her faith. without one tear of
sorrow, or ono drop of blood, the Irish nation
St. Patriok's lips. But if the Apostle was for
tunate in the people to whom approached, Ire
| and was also fortunate in the Apostle that
Almighty God had sent to her. He brought with
him not merely the JUNCTION of his episcopal
| consecration-not merely the authority of the
| holy Church of God-not only the mission
| from Peters successor in Rome, but he brought
also the manly, loving heart, 80 like the hearts
of the people to whom he preached. he
brought with him unquestionable authority;
yet simplicity of character most childlke
| because most Christian. He brought with him
abounding love for the nation, and for the poo
I pie, and D deep appreciation of all that was
| beautiful in the natural character of tho Irish
race. AT once, aud with divine instinct, Ire
land took her Apostle to her bosom, aud Pat
rick clutched the yonng tree in the embrace of
| his Apostolic love. He remained thirteen years
| IN ireland aS q BIShop preachlnS the Sospel III
| the midland portion of the country and in the
far west towards the Western Ocean. Whom
| the thirteen years of his ministry had expired,
and he had converted Q greater portion OF the
| country and built churches and established
meaus throughout the land of fostering the
truth, Patrick bethought him that the time
had come when he should establish a Prima-
tial See and metropolitan Archbishopric to
rule the whole country. Divine Providence
guided his steps until he came amongst those
| hills, and there, near the ancient palace of the
Kings Of Ulster, st. Patrick, the Apostle,
| founded the church and the city of Armagh
city which grew up around until it became q
very Jerusalem of Ireland-a Sec of all juris-
diction and prirnacy, from whence Bishops
were sent to every part of Ireland, aud priests
were sent out il hundreds of thousands. Now
| it WAS that they could behold instantly how
the Irish race lived By faith. Amongst the
| annals of nations they found that whenever
y people were first converted to Christianity
that it required longer delay of years and of
preliminary labor before that people thus con-
verified could produce from puro holiness o
national priesthood. The priest was man in
whose veins Christian blood must of necessity
be required to flow for generations. a priest
was a man who must be the matured fruit of
a briS pRt