The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-03-17
ST. PATRICK'S DAY.

honor5 by all Cath oic soDs Of Erin, and l.
:. their descendants, wherever scattered upo
the face Of the earth. The natal day of Pa
! rick is hallowe1 by the sons OF the Gree
Island for reasons which pertain as well
religion as to patriotism While the Cathc
lies Of all countries sympathize with Irish
men in their reverence for name conspicu
Gus in the calendar of saints, the name c
. Patrick awakcns peculiar and deep elnoi q
, in very true Catholic son Of Ireland. Hi
name has been literally a household word o
Irish homes for more than fourteen hundred
years.
Z OF the precise history Of an era distant
, it is not easy to speak Accounts concur
ia representing Patrick a. native o.
Scotland, and as having first seen light al
Fitzpatrick near the mouth of the Clyde
BY one authority his birth is assigned to the
year 372; by others to different and later
date. band Of Irish marauiers raiding in
Scotland clptured and Kept him in ireland
SIX months, lie escaped and was again cap
| tured and kept in service as a swinehcrl for
seven years, during which he learned the
Irish language. It was during his second
captivity that Christianity revealed Itself to
| the young Scotsman, and it was then that he
| resolved to become priest and missionary to
| the Irish people, with whose beautiful conn
try he had been greatly pleased. Having e..
| capped, it is ga d, by miracle: having
''heard voice as in a dream announcing
that ship was prepared for his escape and
under this influence he went to the coas. an d
effected his deliverance from Irish bondage.
He returned to Scotland devoted himself to
study, became a priest was consecra.ed
bishop, Travelled in Gaul and Italy, sought the
sanction and aid of the Pope, and was sent
by him to Ireland in 1872, accompanied by 81
assistants. He was then, it seems, about SO
years of age.
Patrick had been preceded in 402 by Ciar-
nan and Declan, in ll2 by Aibe aud Emily, in |
APO by Ibar and Invar, and in 49, by Palladus, |
all sent from Rome. But his predecessors
accomplished SO little that their work scarcely
takes from st. Patrick the merit of first intro
ducing the Gospel in Ireland.
He was at first repealed, prosecuted and
driven to sea, but again landing at the mouth
of the Boyne nc proceeded boldly up along its
banks until he came in sight Of Tara, the
seat OF King Leogaire, just then preparing to
light a beacon flame upon his pagan alter,
before which it was forbidden to light any fire
in his Kingdom. But Patrick and his fol
lowers built and lighted beacon fire. on the
heights of Sloane before the Kings beac IN
was lighted. The pagan priests are said then
- have uttered to the King this prophecy:
" This fire which has been kindled in our c
presence before the fl lme was lit up in your /
palace, unless eXtin9uished this very night, i
hall never be eXtinguished more; yea, it will G
riamqh over all the fires Of your ancient b
ties and he who lights it shall scatter your o
,ingdom. r
IN time the King and his household were L
diverted aud twelve thousand persons in .
he Kingdom OF Connaught alone. The 8
ings had changed the p;caas before sung 70 V
aran deities into hymns to the Almig lty
ie baptized kings and mobiles as well as the Il
bscure and humble, and preached the Cos p
el with such jealous and effective eloquence o.
lat conversions were almost miracuously NJ
multiplied. In the course Of the remaining ef
ears of his life he brought within the pale tt
the Church nearly all the Inhabitants of OF
le island, before plunged in paganism. H. th
xed his metropolitan see at Armagh, where DC
was aided by the labors and counsels of
tive priests and missionaries from the Con-
lent -
The admiration and love of the people for o,
cir pious and exalted teacher. prizes: and "a
generator rose almost to worship The '"
ling OF veneraon and affection for the
under Of Christian Ireland has endured I'M w
ated through ages. Popular legend as el'
hes to st. Patrick the Punishment from the hie
herald Gem Of the Sea all the brood Of pes W
ppt and venomo.s creatures bv n,ao,s 90 by
miraculous staff or crosier, which is said ~
have been preserved in Dublin for nine :
ndred years after his death. nc
The legend may at least be taken as typical na
the pestilent immortality and venomous Pm
es which he, by his example and doctrine, 90
~. fro,, .Lo ba,,;. del
), when he taught them to lay away the {
alter of Tara and to receive instead the VIII
ed of Christ. exc
rhe memory of ST. Patrick will always be me
d, amongst 1rishmen, in pious veneraion the
honorable esteem'; token of his exalted Lo1
rt and of their never-ceasing gratitude. roo
lie died more than fourteen hundred years Chs
) but when that tale of centuries is doubled. onl
Fatrick'5 memory will still be kept in Irish $50
rts as bright as the emerald and as green as OF
shamrock. be
"--- pub
among, the arrivals in the city yesterday viii
! John L. Ludelipg. Chief Justice of the ;,