The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1883-03-15
BELLEVUE, La,
THURSDAY ,":::::::::::::"::::MARCH Is, 1883.
ST. Patrick.

Emerald Isle, as well as their de-
scendants, will do homage to the
great Apostle of Ireland, who went
forth placing the deposit of faith in
the minds of men, though we was
fully prepared to see it rejected by
many, mutilated by many and de.
MED by many.
st. Faces hymn or poem on the
life of st. Patrick appears to be the
earlist biography of the Saint. 1t
Is one of the most venerable monu-
ments of Christian antiquity, and
the oldest extant one of Celtic
hagiology, and is preserved at Trim
ity College, Dublin. This biographer
states that st. Patrick was born at
Nemthur, and after weighing the
large amount ofconfictIng evidence
on this point, there is probability
that st. Patrick was born in Scot
land. His family were noble and
wealthy, and his mother Conchessa
was the sister of the great st. Mar
tin. At his baptism he received the
name of Succat, which name is Eng
lish, and signifies the "god of war"
or ''strong in war; an appropriate
appellation for one who was to fight
against the demons of idolatry and
to win the victory for whole ma
ton. He obtained the name of
Patrick from Pope Celestine. He
has given rs himself an account of
his captivity and subsequent trials.
Organized expeditions for the pur-
pose of procuring slaves from for.
eign countries were then frequently
planned and effectively carried out
by the Irish princes. In one of
these expeditions st. Patrick and
his two sisters were captured and
sold as slaves. The pains of his
servitude were dreadful. The nights
were passed in the woods or on the
mountains. In the summer he was
exposed to burning heat, in the
winter to bitter cold. Yet this servi-
tude was to him but the preparation
for eternal freedom. Like st. Vim.
cent de Paul he served his cruel
masters faithfully for the love of the
Great Master. He spent six years
of his life in servitude, until he had
q vision in which he was command
ed to fly from his master. He inn
mediately left and traversed the
whole of Ireland before he reached
a port of embarkation and where a
ship took him to Gaul. There he
prepared himself for his apostolic
mission TO Ireland, by prayer, dis
eipline and study. The secular pow
er was proelaiming the triumph of
heresy but the spiritual power, with
the assistance of the young Patrick,
was establishing those institutions
which have ever been the best SAFE
guard against it. After visiting
Italy, he returned to Scotland, where
he was ordained, and finally conse-
Grated Bishop. He then passed over
to his chosen field of labor about
432, and preached the gospel with
such extraordinary effect, that al
though not absolutely the first to in
duce Christianity into that country,
he has always received the credit of
its conversion. He baptized the
Kings of Dublin and Munster and
the seven sons of the King of Con
naught, with the greater part of
their subjects, and before his death
had converted nearly the whole is
land to the faith. He fixed his
metropolitan sea at Armagh, and |
several other bishops
On the 18th day of March, 494, he
died in Down, Ulster, and the Ro-
man Church has ever since kept his |
festival on that day.
E1s-1-zH-
The members of the Louisiana
State Medical Society" will meet in
CL~nx-,A~,n~4 ~ NTToln1zla-- AL xAIz