The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-03-15
A MANX SAINT ALSO.
Why st. Patrick Is Revered in
the Isle of Man.
HE CONVERTED THE MANxMAN.
Bnilt q Church There and Len Many
Relics - The Legend OF the
Giants Grave.

Ireland Is not the only island Of which
st. Patrick is the patron saint. nor the
only one from which he baniSbed snakes
and frogs. The ancient isle OF Man has a
stronger II not prior claim on the mem
DRY of the saint.
AS the story runs. st. Patrick. while but
q bishop. was sent In A. d. 4ti by the pope
on q special mission to Ireland which
had already been the scene of his early
iabors, and TO which he had first OF all
been taken az slave from his Scottish
home near the Solway firth. The saint
was accompanied BY twelve other mis-
sionar.es, one of whom was ST. Gernani-
Gus of Auxerre. in France, who had come
to Britain at the request of the holy faith
er as one of the har5ingers Of the Chris
tan faith to the Celtic tribes, then under
Roman rule.
While crossing the Irish sea, which Ii
noted for its strong tides and sudden tenn
pests. a fierce storm overlook the party,
ard the vessel was cast away. total
wreck, on a little islet then called The
Peel" a short distance from the man
land. near the present town OF Peel. But
not a soul on board persisted. So rcnarka-
BILE was the escape that 1t was regarded as
miraculous the tslet consisting of jagged
rocks and precipitous cliffs where II faces
the sea, and presenting such a scene OF
awful grandeur during ncr'wester as
could neither be described nor Imagined.
So overcome were rhe rude Inhabitants
by the manifestations OF divine power in
the deliverance of the missionaries thai
they gladly welcomed the latter as mes
sergers from heaven, and forthwith ac-
cepted the Christian faith. II r. asered
that the entire population OF the island
cast aside their ancient dru.dical religion
on the selfsame day. Thereupon St. Pa
trick and his band were kept busy for
few months bapt.zing the converts and or
ranizing the church Of the new faith on
a firm basis And from that hour to this
.he history of the Christian church In he
little Kingdom OF Man" has been the
most unique In Christsndom.
The place upon which tbs saint was
sh.pwr.scked has ever since been called 81.
Patrick's isle. and II now occupied with
tho ruins Of Peel castle. There 81. Patrick
erected a Chrss@an church. the walls OF
which are ssill standing. showing the pc
euliar .'herringbone" arrangement OF he
aId-t.rne masonry. Near by the saint and
his ,~olahorers also built the famous round
tower. which stili continues to DEFY the
elements and Is in n good state OF preser-
walton.
Having divided the island into parishes
for the better Instruction or the people.
9. Patrick went on his way 70 Ireland.
leaving ST. Gerranicus behind him as
tbs FIRST bishop OF Man. This great pre-
Ia. marked the commencement Of his
epscopacy in 4. II. 80 by laying the
foundation on 81. Patrick's Isle Of the
cathedral which bears his name. and
which was rebuilt in 1913. exactly 500
wears afterwara. by Bishop Simon This
noble fame Is now In ruins. but steps have
beer taken 10 effectualiy preserve II from
further decay, many portions having been
restored TO keep its walls and its Gothic
arches entire Its eastern gable. the chan
eel end. oversooks Peel harbor. near the
sates a. the castle whose battiements
we're so enlarged in the middle ages as