Daily globe., 1879-03-20
BISHOP IRELAND.

Q1OOE, lhUnDDA1 i NIL
BISHOP IRELAND.
Hts Eloquent Discourse at Chicago o., St.
Patrtch's Dag.
Bishop Ireland, of this city, preached the
sermon in st. Patrick's church, Chicago the
largest in the city on St. Patrick's day.
The Times publishes full report of the
reverend prelate's discourse, which we ap-
pend:
At $50 the clerical procession entered the
church, by the main porch, and passed up to
the altar through the center aisle. First
came the cross bearers, then fifty or SO
acolytes in festival attire, of purple velvet
caps, lace surplices and green
kid gloves, and we'll trained and
pretty band of boys they looked. Next came
the clergy, by twos, in lace surplices and
cassocks, the deacons of the mass in rich
cloth of gold dalmatics, the celebrant in q
superbly embroidered cloth of gold chasu-
BILE, followed by the Right Rev. Bishop Ire
land, of st. Paul, wearing mantelet of the
Episcopal purple. The latter was conducted
to the bishops throne within the sanctuary,
but did not oHiciate in the mass. The cele-
brant was the Rev. Father G. M. Shaw; dea-
con, Rev. Father Thomas F. Gallagher, and
sub deacon, Rev. Father j. s. O'Neill. The
assistant priest was Rev. Father j. W.
Hickey, president of Cape Giraain college.
After the gospel
BISHOP IRELAND
was conducted to the pulpit and preached
from selection from the 18th Epsalm.
By the rivers of Babylon we sat down and
wept when we remembered Zion.
1t forget thee oh, Jerusalem, let nv right
hand forget her cunning.
IF do not remember thee let my tongue
cleave to the roof of my mouth, if prefer not
Jerusalem above my chief joy.
The right reverend preacher said he knew
that he interpreted the sentiment of many of
his hearers when he placed in their lips the
wall of exiled Israel. Before the rivers of
Babylon they sat down and wept when they
remembered Zion. Was not the key of the
application of this language found in the oc-
casion that had called them together that
morning? Was not that the meaning of the
decorated multitudes, the floating banners
and the crowds that pressed to the affairs?
1t was, for it was St. Patrick's day, and they
remembered Erin, and it was Erin's day. It
was the great festival day of the little West
ern isle that they all loved. They loved her
purple mountains, her silver streams, her
valleys covered with early primroses and
daisies. They loved her castles, her ivied
ruins and her humble cottages alike, her vir-
gins, her martyrs, her wars and her war
riOrs.
Putting the shamrock in their hearts, that
emblem of the gifts of nature and of grace
x,hfoI I'd hol IL.
could say, with the psalmist, eff forget
thee, oh Jerusalem, may my right hand for
get her cunning
Most heartily did the preacher commend
these annual celebrations. st. Patrick's day
deserved all the attention that the Irish race
could bestow upon it. It was day that was
rich we'll spring of good fortune. They
could not enter thoroughly and fully into
the mysteries of the day without being better
men, better citizens and better Christians.
High privileges and responsibilities went to-
gether and when on that day they, with
pride, called themselves Irishmen, they
should remember what Irishmen should be.
They were all of them children of that grand
and historic church for which Ireland had
suffered SO much, N and given SO much. and
should do. The royal prophet had said that
nation was great that had all earthly
things, but happiest was that nation whose
God was the Lord. True happine ss was only
to be found in fidelity to the King of kings.
Happy was the nation whose God was the
Lord. Tyre and Sidon were great and pow
erful, Athens the polished mistress of sol
ence, and Rome had been the imperious and
powerful ruler of the world. yet when the
Lord selected place for the revelation of
the truth he passed by Tyre and Sidon, Ath-
ems and Rome and fixed on humble Zion.
God was the sum of all greatness and the
measure of all goodness, and in proportion
as we assimilated ourselves with Gods good
ness so we became the greater and the no.
bier. The Irish race had noble standard
for their faith, great example among the
nations. They could call forth Erin, and
before the assembled people of the earth
they need not fear the verdict st. Patrick's
day alone, that God had given to them, was
of itself enough.
It was true that Ireland's place in the gal
axy of nations was not q luminous one, as
regarded earthly power, for the 'emerald
star of the western world was set in the
crown of a stranger" It vas true that her
strains were hushed, for her lays were those
of liberty, and she was now in jail.
Before the world Ireland was poor and
downtrodden, but that was what she had
paid for her immortal and priceless faith,
for weighed in the balance of the sanctuary,
Erin was not found wanting.
Up to the third century Ireland had never
bowed to the yoke of the stranger. The
eagles of Rome had glanced across from
Britain at her feet, but they were free.
Under the kindly and paternal rule of her
early kings the people were happy and pros
porous in the bountiful produce that sprung
from her fertile soil. But there was some
thing greater in store for Ireland than such
material wealth. She was to hear the whis-
pers from Bethlehem and the story of Cal
vary. She did hear them from the lips of
one whose words were sweet to every Irish
ear, whose name was dear to every Irish
heart. In the year 432 st. Patrick first
stood on Irish soil. From that time the
true glory of Ireland began, for she was. a
special instrument in the hands of provi-
dence to be witness for the faith. In
olden times the witness of Gods truth
amongst the nations had been Judea, in
modern times that sublime Office was dele
gated to Ireland. st. Patrick in his mission
to II Gland was second Moses. His piety,
wisdom and sweetness conquered all hearts,.
From Tara, the seat of sovereignty, he went
forth from east to west and north to south
over the whole country and converted the
nation. From Tara to Armagh, in which
latter wlace he established his parochial see,
he carried the emblem of the cross, which
ever since, for Ireland, has been the emblem