Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-03-16
SAINT PATRICK.
How His Natal Day is Celebrated and
How Little is Known of His History.
Three Physical Relics OF the saint in this
Country-Poetry Written in his Honor.
Anecdotes with or without
Foundation.


is probably none other whose natal day
is SO generally known and observed in
this country as is that of St. Patrick
Yet it is also probable that there is none
other of whose personal history we have
less knowledge. Many writers have
even denied that such a man as St.
! Patrick ever existed. They claim that
the origin of such a character was due
| TO the proneness to hero worship pos
| sessed by the masses OF all lands, and
that the virtues and deeds ascribed to St.
Patrick, are either purely imaginary, or
| else those of a number of persons finally
attributed to one and greatly magnitied
| by popular imagination.
| This view is not the correct one. Both
| Evolutionary and written history prove
! oOnoluSively that such a man as
St. Patrick lived and died. There
are almost innumerahle traditions con-
corning his birthplace and early youth,
and he has been variously claimed by
the English, Scotch, Welsh and French
1t will perhaps be a surprise to many
Irishmen to learn that Ireland has never
claimed the honor of having given birth
to st. Patrick.
Though Patrick is generally regarded
as a very plebeian name, it is, in reality,
a most patrician one. 1t is derived from
the Roman appellative, Patricius, which
indicated that the youth who has since
become so famous as St. Patrick, came
OF patrician family. His surname was
Succat or Succath. OF the various
places in England, Scotland, Wales and
France to which has been ascribed the
honor of giving birth to st. Patrick,
BOulOgne, in France, and Dunn
bartou-then Roman province
called Nemthur-in Scotland, seemed to
have the strongest claims, with the pre-.
ponderence of Evolutionary evidence in
favor of the latter.
The date of his birth is ascribed 10
widely different years by different
writer's. Some say that he was born A.
D. 372, while others state that he did not
come into the world until a. ID. 395. AS
to the day Of the month, there is no re-
liable evidence 10 substantiate the claim
of March II, and 1t is wholly a matter Of
conjecture that the great saint was born
upon that day. Perhaps the following
pOetical account of the birth of st. Pat
rick, from the pen of a witty Catholic
clergyman, is as accurate as any other
information we have of him:
''On the eighth day of March it was, some PEG
pie say,
That St. Patrick at midnight he first saw the
day,
While others declare twas the ninth he was
born.
And twas all mistake between midnight and
morn.
For mistakes viii occur in a hurry and shock.
And some blamed the baby, while some blamed
Till with all their cross questions, sure no one
could know
If the child were too fast or the clock were too
slow.
"But both of these factions so positive grew
That each kept birthday, and Pat then had
Till Father Mulcahey, who showed them their
Said, NO one could have two but fine pair Of
Don't always be fighting for eight or for nine;
Don't always be fighting, but sometimes COM !
Eight and nine add together-seventeen is the
mark,
So let that be his birthday Amen said the |
clerk
During Patrick's childhood, while
playing upon the seashore with his two |
sisters one day, he was seized by Irish |
pirates, taken to Ireland and sold to the |
country. Like the prodigal son he was !
sent into the fields to feed swine. While /
thus engaged the religious instruction |
received from his pious mother came fresh |
to his mind and touched his heart. Bow
ing before God he sought and obtained !
pardon for his Sins.
st. Patrick has left q vivid account Of !
his being thus converted. It is contained
in Latin manuscript which he calls his
confession, - and which, with letter
also in Latin-addressed to Coroticus,
q Welsh chieftian, who had seized sew
eral of Pstrick's Irish converts, is the
only literary relic OF him that has been
preserved.
81 was sixteen years DID, he says,
''and knew not the true God; but IN that
strange land the Lord opened my unbe-
lieving eyes, and, although late, called |
my sins to mind, and was converted with
my whole heart TO the Lord my God, who
my low estate, had pity on my
youth and ignorance, and consoled me as
a father consoles his Children Thus
it was that this young swineherd was
born again by the truth and spirit of God
while wandering solitary and alone over
the green pastures of Ireland.
OF the power and genuiueuess of his
religious experience lie writes
as follows: 1.-THE love of God increased
more and more in me, with faith and
the fear Of His name. The spirit urged
me to such degree that poured forth
as many as 100 prayers in one day. And
even during the night, in the forest and
on the mountains, where fed by flock,
the rain, snow and frost, and sufferings
which l endured excited me TO look after
God. The spirit fermented in
my heart
Securing his freedom soon afterward, |
Succat returned to his fathers house,
and Immediately entered upon the work
Of preparing himself for the priesthood.
Pagan Irelend WIS constantly before him
IN all her moral darkness and degrsda-
ton. The love of Christ constrained
him TO return thither that he might pub
ish the Gospel to the people Of that land
where the blessed light OF Christianity |
had first dawned upon his own heart.
Having been admitted TO the priesthood, |
be returned to the Emerald Isle, where |
he preached to the Pagan tribes with !
great and saving effect.
The Irish were then a barberous ma
ton, even the wealthiest classes herded