The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-03-18
THE SONS OF IRELAND In RICH
sEOND.
WEARING OF THE GREEN.
A GRAND PARADE.
SERMON BY BISHOP GIBBONS.
ADDRESS BY MAYOR KELLEY.
Other Features.

morning, reminded every one who witnessed
these sights Of the fact that the day was the
one set apart for the commemoration Of the
virtues and good works of st. Patrick. the
patron saint Of Ireland. The sky was with
out cioud--an unusual thing for ST..
Patrick's day,-and the enthusiasm which
filed every Irish heart seemed in a measure
10 thrill the breasts of all other citizens who
witnessed the celebration, and who were not
descendants of The Emerald Isle.
THE PROCESSION.
At Q o'clock the various organizations who
were to participate in the celebration assem-
blcd ut their respective places of rendezvous,
and marching thence to Broad street, the
line was formed in the following order, the
right resting at Ninth street:
Detachment of thirty policemen, under
command of Captain John Disney, Of the
Second district.
Ancient Order Of IIibernians-P. Kelly,
president McCann'S First Regiment
Band at their head.
Hiternian Socicty-P. T. Moore, president.
The boys, in charge Of Mr. D. Columbus.
The Catholic Total Abstinence Society,"
James Sherry, Vicc-presldent.
st. Joscph's Society-B. Wittkamp, preSi-
dent.
st. Bencdictl,s Society,". Schwartz, pre>i.
| dent.
st. BoniEacius Society,". Stukcnburg,
president.
The Catholic Beneficial Sociciy-F. J.
| Reilly, prcsidcnt--hc;ldeu by kessnci's
| band.
TIE LINE OF MARCH.
When the procession had been formed in
the order above named the column moved
forward up Broad to Sixth street, down
SiAth tosGrace, down Grace to st. Peters
cathedral. where grand solemn mass was
celebrated by Rev. Father Kane, of Har-
pcr'$ Ferry. assisted by Rev. Father Her
mann Wolfe, of ST. Mary'S (Germmn)
church. as deacon, and Rev. Father Eandc-
wyycr, of the cathedral, as sub-deacon.
BISHOP GlBBoNs's SERMON.
After the reading Of the Gospel Bishop
Gibbons assembled the pulpit, ana taking his
text from st. John, 18th chapter, 10th verse,
delivered an interesting discourse.
The Bishop said: 1t has been the time
honorcd practice of the American people to
lave the Declaration of Independence read
| before them on the Fourth of July in order
| that the spirit Of patriotism might be stirred
| up anew in their breasts. and that they might
| have greater love and reverence for their
| free institutions. which were purchased for
| them by the wisdom and heroiSm Of their
ancestors. So do you meet to-day in the
church OF God to revive in your souls the
| love of religion and of fatherland by cele-
brating the praises of that illustriollS saint
through wh osc labors your ancestors passed
! from idolltry to the worship Of the true
God, from barbariSm to civilization, and from
the state of spiritual bondage to enjoy the
glorious liberty of children OF God.
On this halowcd day, wherever an Irish
| man is found ,-and where Is he not to be
found lie can truly say Of bimscl, in the
language Of the Roman poet, "Quendne re-
qiU IN terriS noStTi non p{end fdJoriS 20
("What land has not experienced the fruit
of our labor>?") Wherever he is, whether
under the burning sun of the tropics or
amid the SHOWS Of the Arctic regions
whether i'm the wilds of Australia or in the
| forests OF America on the shores of the AT.
| lantic or Pacific, OH this day he thinks oil
"auld lang sync"; to his native land he
says with heartfelt emotion:
"Wherc'cr roam, whatever land see, my heart
| still fo,dly turns to thee
Like the children Of Israel, eNiled from
their native home Jerusalem, who sat by the
rivers of Babylon and wept when they re-
membercd Zion. so do you revisit III spirit
to-day the land Of your childhood. the home
of your fathers. You walk and gamhol
through the dasied fields, over the green
hills, and down the valleys Of your native
soil: or, perhaps, you tread with rcverenf
footsteps the venerable graveyard; you stand
| by the cross which marks the spot where lie
| the remains of your father and mother, while
you offer tears Of gratitude to their memory
and prayer for their immortal spirits.
St. Patrick, whose feast we celebrate to-
dav. was born in Gaul, az is more generally
relieved. though Scotland also claims the
honor of having given birth TO our apostle.
| His early life, indeed, like that Of many dis.
| tinmuShed men, is more or less cloudcd in
obScurity. Twice during his early life he
was reduced to scrvitude in Ireland, the
country of his future labors, where he was
| employed in tending flocks of sheep. Having
| escaped q second time from his Pagan mas
| tcrs. he was educated under the supervision
| of his grand-uncle. the ilustrious st. Martin,
| Bishop of Tours, in France. He was after.
wards sent to Italy, where he was conSecrated
| bishop, and was commissioned to go and
preach the Gospel to the Irish by Pope st.
(,eIcstine. who then governed the Universal
Church. His laborS, as every one knows,
were crowned with unprecedented success.
The conversion Of Ireland is marked by
| three characteristics which have scarcely
| parallel in the whole range OF ecclesiastical
history. The conversion of the people was
| sudden, and effected without bloodshed. LII
has been productive of the most abundant
fruit, and the spark of faith once planted IN
the breasts was never extinguishcd. Never
did any apostle more literally fulfil the com.
mands of the Saviour, " l have appointed
YOU that you should go and bring forth frult,
and that your fruit should remain" Like
Caesar, he could say, 81 came, saw, con-
uuered." But more favored than Caesar, the
fruit Of st. Patrick's victory still remains.
There is no one now to reverence C;esar's
name, while millions of st. Patrck's chill
dren ..rise up to-day and call him blessed"
No people were converted with greater
ranidjty than the Irish race. lshali not stop
here TO ask whether their speedy acceptance
of the Gospel is due to the extraordinary zeal
of tbe preacher, or to the susceptible and pill
ant hearts of his hearers. am couVlhced
th,t both causes concurrcd. The seed was
rood. and Tell upon good soil. and yielded
alundaut fruit. st. Patrick succeeded III
lLe early stare of his career in converting
several of tie kings of the different tribes,
and their example exercised, no doubt, a
salutary influence on the people and tendeo
much to facilitate their conversion.
Another remarkable circumstance IN Tue
conversion OF ireland is the fact that IL was
effected without any bloodshed. The apos-
Ties If other nations had to zeal the Gospel WIN
their blood before it bore fruit In the hearts
of the faithful. "The blood of the martyrs
was the seed of Christians" The carry
missionaries Of America and Of China, as
well as the first apostles of continental Ed