The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-03-18
EULOGY ON
ST. PATRICK
Father 0'FarreII DiScourses
on Irish Saint.
RECITES HIS VIRTUES
Some Interesting Things Told
of a Great Man.
HIS VIRTUES

|
would do credit to old Ireland herself.
| Badges of many designs, but all Of the
hue Of the shamrock bedecked the coat
lapels of the men and the waists Of the
women. There were green neckties, green
ribbons. green hatbands, green tin sham
rock designs with a golden harp IN the
| center and the shamrock leaf itself. Few
persons there were that did not reflect
the glory and rejoicing of the day in their
Smiling faces. Indeed, Ireland lacks none
! in friends. If these green embleTns serve
| their original purpose. OF every nation
atty were the wearers of the Freen.
Prominent among these were the Ger
mans, especially the children of these
| residents from the banks of the Rhine.
Many such cases are explained by d fine
/ Irish mother
Those that laid business and house cares
aside to observe the Irish national holiday
gathered at the Pro-Cathedral, to take
part in the services there. Solemn High
Mass was held at 8 o'clock in the morn
! ing. Those who conducted the services
were Rev Patrick Maloney, celenrant;
! Rev. NJ. J. O'Farrell. deacon, Rev. J. A.
KeaIy, sub-deacon and Rev. J. II. Then,
master Of ceremonies. The music was
Battsman's mass, rendered by chorus
! of twenty school girls. who made the
morning air sweetly vibrate with the
notes from their vocal tendrils.
Father O'Farrell, the assistant Of the
cathedral, preached the sermon. depict
! ing the moral lesson OF st. Patrick's life
and only occasionally touching upon the
historical points. Rev. O'Ferrell has but
latel yarrived from the land OF st. Patrick
and with his youthfulness and fine de-
| livery, he pleased his many hearers by
his beautiful word-pictures Of st. Patrick
in his glorious virtue.
He took as his text: "God is wonderful
in his saints"
Patricks Day, the anniversary of the
call Of the Irish nation from paganism
into the fold of Christ; the raising OF that
nation from the dust or unnoliness by St
Patrick Rev O'Farrell dwelt upon his
divine character. He said the Irish did
not worship him as st. Patrick the man,
but as the jewel wrought by the hand Of
God.
Taking an Illustration in material life,
| he said:
THE spiritual as in the physical order,
there are ascending grades Of perfection.
The diamond that glitters in the kings
crown may be beautiful yet traced
through its various stages of existence,
does it not more strikingly exhibit the
IdSDlOntDS manu- OF ~NdlUISf OF Rather lut
power and providence of God? So God is
not so much glorified in the works of
saint, nor in the harmony of nature and
grace that exists in him, nor in the spec
t2cle he precepts to the just man made
perfect but in his passage from virtue
to virtue the perfection of his inner life
and the motives which govern his con-
duct
The true greatness Of the saint. he
! l. Il, ~ =, lint f~, &c
faith his penitence and prayer. The
apostle, by his faith raised Ireland from
its lowness. He prayer 100 times In the
day and 100 times in the night, till he had
carried out the work assigned to him by
Christ.
Continuing, Rev. OFarrell said:
"St. Patrick seems to have been one Of
those specially privileged souls, destined
by providence for a mighty work. for
almost from his boyhood, when he played
with companions in sunny France, faith
was his distinguishing virtue.
Now, even in his tender years, God. !
through the instrUmentality of ST Pat |
rick, worked several miracles. and for |
this we have as good historical authority /
as for most facts of his life. He raised |
the dead to life for once at the prayer of /
the saint, his guardian, who had died sud /
denly, was restored again to life. At
another. he makes the sign of the cross |
over a few blocks of ice and by the power /
of God it is formed into flowers"
Citing the great trials of the years that |
Saint Patrick was being developed into /
the grand character he was, the sneaker 7
referred to the capture and captivity of /
the apostle. How he was captured in the /
wars in Gaul and was sold as a slave. l
It is very pretty story of St Patricks /
visit TO Rome. Here he was blessed by /
Pope Celestine and sent out on his mis- /
sion. On his way back TO Ireland his /
route carried him across the River Loire. I
in France. At the place where the saint 4
crossed the stream. a black thorn shrub /
sprang up in his footprints. And in this /
tree there lies a miracle. Both winter !
and summer it puts forth blossoms. Ii /
has baffied the best scientists. who have
tried to explain the wonder by human
reasons. They have dug for hot springs
and found none So the French. both
Christian and heather. call the black
thorn the miraculous flower of st. Pat
rick
And so" continued Father O'FareH.
like the miraculous flowers OF st. Pat
rick. which bloom alike in the SHOWS OF
winter as in the summer sunshine. is
that faith which has bloomed throughout
the centuries and never brighter than
in the midwinter OF persecution. physical
and moral. Scientists have sought &c ex-
plain on material grounds. those nliracu-
ious flowers so men wonder where comes
this vitality Of the Irish. And the answer
echoed through the centruies is because
il has the faith of st. Patrick, that faith
which is divine. This is why il has sur
vived. This IS why. though outraged.
pluaged. and DETAINED. this little Island
on the fringe Of Europe, with every sod
Of her earth saturated with the blood
of martyrs. UncannOnized. has preserved
the faith. though all the nations have 81
some time become renegade - Christ.
and today my brethren. she Is the bright
est gem in the church crown, the cradle
of earth's present faith ever By her ex-
ample preaching a lesson 10 the Vorld
and IN this age OF mammoR Worship.
In concluding. Father O Farrell said.
To-day. While We honor our national
apostle and come n initiate his Virtues.
Let rs not forget 70 pray az least. Tor
the land OF his love and cur beloved SUI
feriur ireland. lie who helped r. make
her a Catholic nation VIII plead arI1ntly
for her and her children TO-DAY before the
God Of nations in whose heavenly ccurt. (
St Patrick ENJOYS 50 exalted position
that God II il be His holy allL wous5 aid
her in her true social progress. that she
may De true TN death. u the faith and
that her missionaries may s-ubfhe seine
thing OF the spos1lixsic spiriS CT s. Pat
rick. and thaE when ne judges the Irlsh
race he may be able % welcome them
70 the home Of happiness.
.f1aisfail. an Irish drama. was rlrea
last nlEht 81 rhe Pro-CathedraI halL IS
part OF the celebration ~ 81. Patrick
Day. The cast Of Ken characters played
20 q fun hoUse- 81 cve-T5wllg on-. Tor