The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-18
LOYALTY TO THEIR IDEALS
st. Patrick and His Influence on
the Irish People.
The Rev. DIR. Stafford's Sermon on
Patron saint of Erin and Effect Of
His TenchinEs-Why Catholic Prin-
cipIes Have Never Been Abandoned

The memory of St Patrick was honor
ed yesterday morning by an elaborate
service in st. Patrick Church. before a
congregation that oyertaxed the capacity
of the auditorium. high pontificaI
mass was celebrated. coram episcopo.
Monsignor Martinelli being present and
delivering the Papal BenedictIon. Within
and without the church everything was
verdant The grass plot before the build
seemed to be making a premature at
tempt TO show Its spring greenness in the
bright sun, and rival the baskets of
shamrock. and the little manufactured
boGttonnieres that were being sold on the
sidewalk. The interior of the cherch was
simply. but tastefully decorated with
evergreens twined about the pillars and
banks Of palms almost hiding the white
marble altar with their broad leaves.
The music Of the service was especially
excellent. The choir. augmented by
number of fine voices, sang Gounod's
St Cecilia Mass. and rendered it most
satisfactorily. me soloists were Mrs.
Blanche Mattingly Rogers. soprano; Miss
Mamie Grant. alto; Mr.. Melville Hensey
tenor, and Mr.. Harry Goodchild, brsso.
The services Of the mass wer" most
elaborate Rev Father DUlin was cele
brant. Rev. Father Saliier deacon.
and Rev j. T. O'Connell and Rev. Father
Daugherty sub-deacons. William Shrere
was master of ceremonies, ard Rev. d. j.
Stafford delivered the panegyric, in which
he showed how. through the teachings Of
ST. Patrick. the Irish had been able to
remain steadfast in their allegiance to
the Catholic Church and the ideals of
their race.
He said, in part: 1t was the follow
ers of Jesus Christ who came to teach
the pagan world a new thing. In their
breasts they carried a new principle
of life, one which seemed contrary
to all the philosophy and all the
conceptions of the heathens. 1t was
the ability TO die for the abstract thing
that made the Christian martyr the
continual surprise to the savage persecu-
tor. 1t was the ability to die for the
unseen. for the unknown. fer the object of
their faith. that finally gave to the Chris
tians the reverence of the barbarians.
Socrates had brought forward his
philosophy. but IT contained nothing like
the great principle which animated the
life of the Christians and gave them
courage in death. Little St. Cecilia, in all
her childike innocence, steps into the
arena and braves her death by the lions.
Little St Agnes steps into the sand
sirewn court and meets her fate with
courage unknown among the untaught
heather. The pagan hundreds stand
agape and stare at the wonder
IF it is a sublime spectacle to see men
give up all for a principle. for the sake
of the soul then the sight Of just mep
striving for their liberty, is a thing so
extraordinary that in the contemplation
of 1t our hearts must choke the voice in
the throat. | claim that greatness for
ireland. Throughout all her life. Ireland
has battled for her principles. The chal-
lenge was given by tyrant mistress.
Give up your Coz, give up yonr mass.
give up your religion. give up your princi-
pie of life The answer WAS, We will
give up all that is external, we stand
by our principle.
What made possible this noble answer.
1t was the work Of the patron saint. st.
Patrick. He had worked upon a good foun-
dation, IL Is true. The people to whom he
came were pagans. but tneir paganism
was of pure kind. They were Druids,
and We're not without heir ideals. The
religion which St. Patrick offered to them
they accepted readily. AMI without dis
senter. The conquest of this pagan peo-
pie by the gospel of love was made with
out shedding a drop of blood. II was a
wonderful change in that it was so peace
fully done.
81 dlIlCh- LOO fdu n pilnClple- W nat
did he preach? He preached the great
doctrine of the church foundation upon
a stone. He preached the immortal words
OF Our Lord: i have founded my church
upon rock-upon Peter-and kings and
philosophers shall wage war upon it in
vain and the gates of hell shall not pre-
vail against it
The teachings of st. Patrick enabled
the Irish, when they were driven into a
little corner of the island by that most
atrocions OF all barbarities. the penal
code TO retain undiminished the purity
of their religion, and of their morals The
faith which St Patrick gave TO the Irish
they have always cherished. They are
SO much for the uplifting OF the ideal.
They have been faithful to their priuci-
pie. Principle does not die, and right is
uaVpr exffpp,IfSh,d