The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1902-03-22
one Of rectitude and his departure Is
sincerely mourned Tie funeral was
!, held from st. Johns church, on Satur-
day, and was largely attended.
THE IRISH PRIEST.
The World Owes Him an Eternal Debt of
Gratitude.

AT st. Patrick's Day entertainment
in Memphis, Tenn, Frank NJ Semmes.
of Osceola, Ark, spoke as follows:
"Now, l shall answer, in the meas.
IRE OF my strength, what Ireland has
done for civilization. AS we take up
and unrOll the canvas of time, what Il
varied panorama passes before our
gaze! The light of the seventh CEN
fury is upon us. Europe is in a
strange plight. The unwieldy fabric
of the Roman Empire has fallen.
Naked savages were long looking out
from the forests through hungry eyes
upon her bloated greatness. They
dashed across her frontiers, sweeping,
like broken toys. the proudcst mon1l-
ments of antiquity. Many centuries
of civilization ended in wreckage, and
the armed Barbarian of the North
placed his foot on the fallen majesty
of Rome When the waves spent their
fury, what sad spectacle did not ELL
rope present! The faith in some lands
eXtinguished, in others the Pickering
sembers alone survived. Ireland never
belonged to the Roman Empire; there
fore she was saved from it's corrup-
ton and its ruin. At this period, too
her fervor was most intense. Her
monastic universities were shelterny
youths i'll tens of thousands from
every land. A Cry fer help arose, and
all Christendom instinctively turned
/ its eyes toward Ireland. Girded in
giant strength, her apostolic armies
but waited the trumpet blast. Forth
they marched to fan the fame of n dy-
/, ing faith or to enkindle it anew.
Their conquests over the rude saw
ages. their revival of the faith and the
/ restoration Of the sanctuarics, the ca
thedral domes and monastic schools
that quickly dotted the face of Eu-
rope, are impershable monuments to
their zeal. England and Scotland.
France. Italy and Germany, have en-
balmed the glorious deeds of our apos-
ties; and their canonized names live
enshrined in the martyrology of every
country of Western Europe Germany
llonors one hundred and fifty-six Irish
saints, thirty-siX of whom We're mar
tyrs, who labOred, lived and died there.
FOrty-five Irish saints find place In
the calendar of France. Thirty four
Irish saints are vcnerated in England.
Belgium honors thirty Irish saints;
Italy thirteen; Norway and Iceland.
eight-these last all martyrs. In these
ages of faith Ireland herself, truth
fully called Ursula SanctOrum, gave
during the space of three hundred
years, no less than eight hundred and
fifty saints to the church. The holy.
continent, self-sacrifcing lives of these
pious monks and missionaries were
more eloquent than words in rousing
men to strive for what is best and
noblest in human life. Their example
won mems hearts. The religion In
spring such mode of life must come
from heaven; it must be true; it must
be followed. Such were the practical
conclusions of the barbarian congrega-
tons of Europe and Asia, addressed
by these learned and sanity men.
Estimate. then. if you can, the work
done in the interests of the higher
life and of genuine civilization by
these heroic men and women and their
manifold disciples. I have mentioned
women. Yes, Ireland has done much
for womanhood. The protection and
better education given to women in
these early communities; the venera-
hle and distinguished rank assigned
|,to them, when as superiors of their
respective religious orders, they be-
came in manner dignitaries of the
Church: the introduction Of their
beautiful and sanity portraits clothed
/ with all the insignia of sanctity and
authority into the decoration of places
of worship and books of devotion, did
more for the general elevation of wom
anhood than all the bohsted institu-
lions of chivalry. Still, it is heard
from the superficial, the thoughtless,
the ignorant and the prejudiced, that
Ireland has done nothing for civilian
ton. In asserting this these individ-
uals do no more than bring upon
themselves the contempt of the we'll
informed and truth-loving. They are
ungrnteful and ingratitude is foul
blot In man.
AS we glance over Europe, what
sanity drama passes before our en-
rapturcd vision! We see Aidan preach
ing to the Northumbrians, with King
for his interpreter; Virgilius proving
to the astonished scholars Of Germany
the rotundity Of the Garth and the ex-
istence of the antipodes eight centuries
before Magellan doubled the cape. We
sec st. Gall casting the Helvetian idols
into the deep lake ut Zurich: or Co
/ lumbanus erecting in every land, from
Belgium to Central Italy, right
through the very heart of Germany,
monastic institutions that, in the num-
her of their children and the splendor
Of their conquests, rivaled the count
| less sons of Benedict and their ef-
forts for civilization. Looking toward
France we see Duns Scotus on the
| sStopc IF tho ENropol %hropo Will, n mi