The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1878-03-19
ST. PATRICK.
Something About Ireland's Patron
Saint.


3o0 Ooy 4u0t OSOoAAo
St. Patrick is the apostle and patron
saint of Ireland. The place OF his birth
Ia uncertain. OCurry discovered in the
British museum a manuscript triparti.e
life of the sixth century, which afiirms that
Patrick was born in 372, at Bonsvens Tab
ernie. thought by come to be the modern
BouloRne. Others maintain that he was
born near Fitzpatrick, in Scotland, in 1913.
He died in Down, Ulster, March Il, 1913 or
495. The name OF Patricius was bestowed
on him in Rome. by Pope Celestine, his
original name having been Succath. At
the age of sixteen he was carried captive
to Ireland by band Of marauders, but
after six months escaped to Scotland. Car
ried of a second time, and again escaping,
he resolved to become missionary to the
Irish, was ordained in Scotland, and after
a long preparation was cOnsecrated bishop.
Having previously, according TO some ac-
counts, visited Gaul and perhaps Italy, he
passed over to his chosen field of labor
about 4S2, and preached the gospel with
such extraordinary effect that, although
not absolutely the first to introduce Chris
tianity into that country, he has always
received the credit Of its general CONVEX
SION. He baptised the kings of Dublin and
Munster, and the seven sons of the king of
Connaughi, with the greater part of their
subjects, and before his death had con-
yeried almost the whole island to the faith.
St. Bernard testi6es that he fixed his metro
politan see at Armagh, and it appears that
he appointed several other bishops, with
whom he held council to settle the disci-
pline of the church. He is said in his old
age to have written his Confession" but
it's authenticity il considered doubtful by
many. 1t may be found in Sir James
| Wares edition of the works of St. Patrick
(Syo, London. l65S). The Roman Catholic
church keeps his festival on March L.
| Patrick devoted the lands bestowed on him
to the foundation of churches, Of cloister
| for both sexea, and of numerous mOnastic
schools, which fourished during the next
three centuries. He Was also jealous for
the suppression Of slavery, which was one
of the great incentives to the piratical ex-
petitions 80 frequent in his day.
If the apostle and patron saint Of
Ireland, says recent writer, Was
not the myth which some authorities
assert MIN to be, his birth occurred nearly
or quite fifteen hundred years ago. There
is but one other natural anniversary that
is celebrated as generally and enthusias.
tically AZ his, and that one is the fOunda.
ton Of the Christian faith. The celebra.
ton is indeed mainly confined to those il
whose veins runs the blood of Erin, but
that blood is now scattered 60 far and
vide that the festivities of the seventeenth oI
March may be said to belt the globe. To.
day in every city, town or village where
there are q hundred men and women Oi
Irish origin, there will be some appropri.
ate, or at least ardent and sincere, recogni
ton of the memories and associations which
crown, As with a garland of Immortal
flowers, the name and fame OF st. Patrick
And wherever there is single Irishman OF
Irish woman, that name and fame will b
recalled with joy and pride as things tot
sacred TO be forgotten. In noble mansion
lool ing out upon the bright waters of tn,
Shannon, the Liffey and the Lee; in bar
racks on the plains of India. in huts alon.
the snow-capped peaks Of the Sierr,
Nevada, on wide desert sands and on tn,
wider waste Of ocean, in the burning hea
of the equator and the eternal cold Of tn
pole, under every sky and every Gag, OF
every sea and every shore-Irish hearts 10
day will turn sadly yet fondly toward hin
Who seems to represent all that Irish heart
hold dear.
1t is hardly necessary to say to thos
who have given the matter any thought
that this Offering of grateful reverence
not flowed upon a man who died four
teen centuries ago and Of whom 80 little j
known that even his existence has been sci
. ously doubted lie is eulogized in sc mo-
, and Grafton, his portrait is borne in proce7
sions, he ia baptized in music and in wine
T but after all St. Patrick is only the con
/ We ,ient curtr'n behind which stands tn
: altar Of Ireland. This is called St. Pat
rick's day. 1t is really Ireland's day
r and If the saint had never been born, Iris
; patriotism would have selected some othe
anniversary upon which tolsvish the wc1ltl
; of their affection which nothing can chang
or chill In all history there is nothin
/ like this Irish love Of country. On tn
banks of the Bosphorus and the Tiber tn
Greeks forgot Greece. on the banks Of tn
Seine and the Guadalaquiver Romans for
: got Rome, on the banks of the Susquehann
!. and the Ohio Germans forgot Germany, o.
, the banks OF the Mississippi the Frenchma
forgot France and the Englishman forgo
England; but when and where does a
Irishman forget Ireland? Germans, French
men, and Englishmen never entirely los
; their interest in an affiliation with Father
| land; but their feelings for the ancestral
sod are tame and cold compared with tn
| feelings of Irishmen for the Emerald isle
Yet this wide, passionate affection canno
come from the circumstances tina
surrounded them there. For NOR
than five hundred years Ireland ha
.. been the unhappiest of homes for her chill
. dren. BY thousands and millions the,
foreign lands yet this voluntary exile ha
, only strengthened and frightened the link
of that chain which binds them to tn,
mother whom cruel fate has robbed o
her offspring.
I. II cannot be that such deep and allah
sorbed love As finds expression this day i
destined to accomplish nothing. The pros
poets of Irish nationality are certainly no
encouraging, nor il il easy to determin.
whether that nationality, if gained now O
in the near future, would be blessin,
or the reverse. But We believe that some
time and in some way the yoke which
weighs 60 heavily will he broken, and
Ireland redeemed and revivi6ed take hel
place among the nations of the earth. TIT
grave over which 90 much blood and g,
many tears have been poured in vain. tina
has been consecrated by 20 many wastet
hopes'and 20 many unanswered prayers, can.
not always refuse to give up Its dead. Thu
resurrection may be long delayed, bu
sooner or later it will come, and the sun o.
liberty arise to set no more.
! PROGRAMME.
/ The S. c. b. Society will meet at their hall at 9
| q. m, March l., 1875 and immediately proceed
| to the Garrison House, and escort the societie,
| from abroad TO the Catholic Church, where hiei
| mass will be celebrated At l0:30 m. and q pane
gyrc on Sc. Patrick will be delivered by the Rev
| Father Murphy, of Marshall, Mo-, following which
| Q recess for refreshments will be taken till TIKI
grand parade at two o'clock p. IN
L 1noo s.tII .