The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-03-18
SAINT PATR|CHS FESTIVAL
Bishop Montgomery Speaks OF
Ireland's Patron
HIS LIFE AND HIS WORK
The Conversion OF the Pagans That
Lived in Erin
A Celebration That Calls Up in Every
Irish Heart the Very Best
in Human Nature

At the Cathedral yesterday Bishop
Montgomery spoke upon the festival OF
the day. that of ST. Patrick. He said:
God is great in all his works, but great
est in his saints-they are the most per-
feet work. The heavens and the earth
show forth the glory of God, and the
armament declareth the work of his
hands" But one human soul Is grandcr
than the whole material universe, for
upon it is stamped the image and likeness
of God, and a soul redeemed reflects not
his image only, but the work of redemp-
ton, the full manifestation of both God S
love and power. He that labors then for
the work of the souls salvation is IA CO.
operator with God i'll the most perfect OF
his works.
By the incarnation Christ fitted to him
self real body, and with this body, this
human nature united to the divine nature,
the Saviour redeemed man from fallen
state and made the redeemed this mysti-
cal body. This mystical body is COM
posed of q threshold emborship- the
blessed in heaven, the just in purgatory
and the worthy faithful on earth. Every
human soul should be part OF that mys.
teal body. That work is effected through
the church Of Christ and the means OF
grace leu DN D1nl JOT man >
and salvation. Hence the church is
called the mystical body of Christ. The
sublimest work, then. of the Almighty,
the grandest manifestation both of his
power and his goodness, is in the person
OF saint.
We do not distinguish precisely between
the saints, as greater or less. 1t is, after
all, God that is great in His saints,
whether in the holy innocents who. I'M
conscious, died by the command of The
despot in contempt of Christ, or the
youthful virgin. Martyr st. Agnes of
Rome, or the great Apostle chosen and
sent to testify with their blood to the
truth OF their message, it is always
God great in His works.
Today we celebrate the memory of one
of those great SAINTS of God, the Apostle
OF Ireland, St. Patrick. We know little of
his early life, but carried prisoner from
his native home, at sixteen, he was sold
by pirate, as a slave to q native prince,
whom he served, like another Josph,
until he should become the apostle of the
island. After seven years he escaped
studied in Rome, was ordained a priest,
and conseciated a Bishop, and was sent by
Pope Celestine in the latter part of the
fourth century to convert the people.
That conversion was rapid, complete.
and lasting, and contrary to the usual
history of such matters without a drop of
and pagan, yet it seemed prepared and
waiting for the message that Patrick
brought them and that faith once ac-
cepted, no adverse fortune has been able
to weaken or obscure.
How account for this ready conversion
and tenacity of faith? One of the pro-
foundest minds of this present century
Our view OF the Irish is, that they were
detached from the parent stock before the
patriarchal religion had become to any
great extent corrupt or while they still
retained the religion and traditions of
Noah in great force and comparative pur-
ity. and directed by Providence to the
western isle they still inhabit, where sep
arated in some sort from the rest of the
world, they preserved in comparative pur-
ity and vigor, the primitive religion, the
primitive civilization, institutions, man
ners and customs, as transmitted from
antediluvian times through Noah and his
sons, waiting to receive the Christian faith
at the hands of Patrick, their great
apostle. They were never an uncivilized,
or barbarous or idolatrous people, This
easily explains the facility with which
the Irish people received the faith" And
it explains too, why they have kept it.
This purity of life as people is a fact
well known; No persecution has been
able to crush out their faith though they
have suffered as few people have.
Through it all. lasting for centuries, as
a burning disgrace to its perpetrators, the
Irish people, robbed of everything but
honor, have preserved their purity of life,
their intelligence, their national pride
and self-respect.
There is not another example in history
where persecution of this dire nature has
not degraded the prosecuted.
The secret of this remarkable vitality in
all that is good and noble, is that it was
and is interviewer with their faith.
Wherever the Irishman is true to his
faith, he is true and faithful to every
other duty, he is loyal and loving sub
ject of whatever nation he adopts his own,
for so his religion teaches him. No peo-
pie on earth have a grander record on this
score than have the Irish people. But
when the Irishman or when the Cathol
of any other nationality turns his back
upon the old Catholic faith of his fathers,
be not surprised if he then develops into
your corrupt political boss, or plays any
other dishonorable part. There are those
who would rather see him turn Turk than
remain Catholic, and sometimes he graft
fies their wishes and turns Turk. Today
in celebrating the feast of ST. Patrick we
celebrate that which calls up in every Irish
heart the very best in human nature
tender and devoted religious mem cries
twined about the love of home and family
and fatherland. 1t is for a nations good
to encourage these noble sentiments. The
Englishman has his patron saint and his
national hero, and SO of every other. In
commemorating these cherished recollec-
tons of home and native land, we foster
and develop that which makes the good
citizen and devout Christian. May we to-
day and hencetorth grow in that love and
devotion to the great land we live in whilst
meditating over the history of that from
whence we or our fathers came
The Central Union held an interesting
meeting on Friday last. A series OF
mothers ':meetings has been inaugurated.
The reception given to Mrs. Irvine, on
Tuesday last was enjoyed by all who