The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1894-03-23
ST. PATR|CK'S DAY..
Celebrated Everywhere by the Sons
Of Erin on the Seventeenth
of March.
Short Review of His Life, Miracles,
and Virtues rs Handed Down
by Historians.


"
Whatever part Of the world the sons
,,d d~,,uh+or, ~ Er;n NOV bo in tho
18th of March ia always held in memory
dear.
This day is held In festival in honor Of
st. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland.
In giving a short history of st. Patrick a
person meets with many difficulties, for
never was a persons life made so contra
dictory as the historians have made his.
Even the day Of his birth is a disputed
question. As a witty Irish poet says:
on u.u,h :, a souo nsop,s sav
That 81. Patrick, at midnight, first saw toe day.
While others declared twas the 9Th he was boris,
And twas an a mistake "e'"e0u
For mistakes will occur in a hurry and shock.
Some blame the baby and some blame the CLOCK
iii wi,n 4 U u"pu'"s ~
IL the child was too fast or the clock was too
slow.
pot both Of these factio,s 40 ~positiye grew
That each kept q birthday. and Pat then had two,
I'LL Father Mulcatey' who showed them their
Said nMNone conld have two but a fair pair of
twins.
Don't always be hghtlng for eight OF ior nine;
o Ihine.i 10
Eight and nine added together. seventeen is the
mark. .-.,s.-, ..uo,,..;, ,.o
o clark ~ "'
80 now we understand now the lltn
OF March became the birthday in spite
OF all other claimants.
The early years OF the saint were full
OF romantic adventures. In TACT il one
would relate all the legends, traditions.
miracles aud superstitions that have
gathered about his name in the lapse of
centuries, many volumes would scarce
contain the list.
Before he was l6 years old he was cap
tured by pirates and carried away to Ire.
land. There he was sold to a petty
chief and served him as a keeper of pigs
for many weary years. A sad and lonely
life the youth endured, and it is said
that he might have called the angels to
his aid and at any time cut short the
term of bondage, but he would not, and
remained, that he might set an example
of patience. 1t was while he suffered
and waited that the Holy Ghost visited
him and his soul was filled with heaven.
ly grace. Then, when the appointed
time came, he left his swine, and offered
himself as a missionary to the sons of
toll and poverty. He went along quietly
and no one tried to detain him, some say
to France, others say to England, that
he might prepare himself for the priest
hood.
There are but two manuscripts OF st.
Patrick's in existence, both written after
he had studied the Latin language-and
very fair specimens of that tongue. One
is called the Confessions" and it tells
how he had been called of God in a
dream, while watching his herd at night,
and commanded to prepare for the
sacred mission Of converting the people
of Ireland. This document sheds light
upon the sudden departure from hislong
bondage. The remaining manuscript is
a letter to Coroticus, a great man of
Wales, who had annoyed some OF his
converts. 1t is certain that the saint
went back TO Ireland, and gave the rest
of his life for the good of those needy
people.
History records the number OF
churchs founded by this saint to be
between four and five hundred, and he
baptised in person over 1900 converts.
1t would be a hopeless task to attempt
a description Of his mighty deeds. The
whole world knows how he expelled