The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-03-22
lRELAND'S SAINTS.
About SITS. Patrick, CoIumb and
Bridget.

Bridget.
From the New York Press.
The question is-Why should Ireland
require three saints? The best answer
is that the shamrock, having three
leaves, must have a saint for each
leaf. No snake will touch the sham
rock. The names of the three saints
are st. Patrick, st. Column and st.
Bridget.
The tradition of ST. Patrick and the
last of the serpents is familiar to
young and old. The interesting part
of it is that the waves of the sea are
made by the writings of this serpent,
and that the noise of the sea is the
voice of the serpent imploring the
saint to release it.
st. Patricks Purgatory was abolish
ed by order of the Pope on March II.
1897. The saint had a cave on an
islet in Tough Derg, through which
was a descent to Purgatory for the be-
hoof of the living who wanted to ex-
plate their evil deeds before death.
| The revenues were considerable. Here
gourmands were tantalized with deli
cious banquets which eluded their
grasp, and at the same time were
| troubled with the collie. CThe banquet
at Delmonico's last night of the
Friendly Sons of st. Patrick was
neither delusion nor a snare).
| No miracle told of in the Bible can
approach in wonder that recorded of
| st. Patrick. HE swan across the
River Shannon with his head in his
mouth"
The tutelar saint of Ireland was a
! bonny Scotchman, begorrah.
Oh, st. Patrick was a gintleman,
Who came of dacent people.
He was born at Fitzpatrick, which
means cell of Patrick. His baptismal
name was 'tSucceath,' meaning 'valor
In war" This was changed by Milcho
to whom he was sold as a slave. into
| Cotharig, which means four families,
or four masters, to whom he had been
sold, then to Magonus 1t was Pope
Celestine who changed his name to
| Patricius when he sent him to convert
the Irish.
The saint is supposed to be buried in
| the yard of Downpatrick Cathedral.
The visitor is shown a spot where some
of the mold has been removed, and
they are told that pilgrims take away
few grains as a charm, under the
belief that the relic will insure good
| health and help to atone for sin.
The saints monument is in the ceme-
| terry Of Downpatrick Cathedral. Visit
.ors, on asking why there is no memo
rial, are informed that both Protest.
ants and Catholics determined to erect
| suitable one, but could not agree
upon the inscription. Whatever the
| Professionals erected in the daytime the
Catholics pulled down at night and
vice versa. Tired of this toll at Pene-
lope, the idea was abandoned, and the
grave was left unmarked by monu-
mental stone.
ST. Columb, or Columbia, was an
Irishman who went as a missionary
to Scotland. It is interesting to note
that Christianity was introduced into
Ireland by a Scotchman and into Scot
land by an Irishman.
st. Patrick's Cathedral in Ireland is
in Dublin, on the spot where the House
of Patrick stood On an islet in Tough
Derg, in Donegal, is st. Patrick's Pur-
gatory. In Leinster is st. Patrick's
Wood. At Cashel is st. Patrick's Rock.
There are scores of st. Patricks Wells,
Cross is a plain red X on white field.
The three tragedies of Ireland are:
The death of the children Of Touran;
the death of the children of Lir, and
the death of the children of Usnach.
st. Bridget or the Bride of Kildare,
is commemorated on Feb. /, but the
1rishmen in the United States seem to
have forgotten that such a woman ever
lived. The only reminders we have of
her are in our kitchens. In lieu of
better name all our cooks are called
bridget" if they happen to be of Irish
persuasion. The saint was a woman
of extraordinary piety, and tradition
attributes to her a mass of most as
tonishing miracles. She was buried at
Kildare, where a perpetual fire was
kept up in her memory until 1920,
when it was abolished by the Bishop of
the diocese.