The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1904-08-20

nc Cathedral Of St Patrick at Ar
II WAS consccrated yesterday with
tic stately ceremonial and impress
solrmnty prescribed by the ritual
he Catholic church. The occasion
as memorable one for Armagh,
ming though it's annals are with
rnts written indclibly OH the page of
story, for, the performance of this
'rrrd function marked the completion
Il work in the progress of which not
lily the Primatial City, but Catholic
Ireland, from the sea to the center,
was deeply interested, says the Dub
lin Freeman Of July 25.
Fifteen hundred years and more
have passed since st. Patrick, the
Apostle of Ireland, founded his pri-
NATAL see, and built in this ancient
city cathedral within whose walls
he preached the Christian faith to a
pagan people. That faith lived on,
guarded through good and i'll, as u
priceless inheritance, by our people.
But the cathedral which saw the
planting Of that faith and it's growth
into an indestructible and inalienable
possession of the Irish race, vanished
and passed away uhder the blighting
influence Of foreign invasion that
carried In its train vandalism so
ruthlessly universal and indiscrimin-
ating that it spared neither the church
Of God nor the humble home Of the
peasant. For centuries of bitter dis
appointment the ancient see Of St.
Patrick remained shorn of the visible
ecclesiastical greatness which the ex-
istence Of cathedral conferred upon
it's primacy. The region of rapine and
Of wrong which Norman and Eliza
bethan wars inauguratcd throughout
the country for many centuries after
Turgcsius led the pillaging Danes
through all that was fertile and fair
in the land-a regime which the sub
sequent era of penal persecution con-
verted into veritable tragedy threat
cning the extinction of the faith Of
st. Patrick, and the uprooting of Cath
olicity from the hearts Of the people,
left nothing to Armagh of all that its
primatc saint gave to it, save cher
ished memory, carrying the minds of
priests and people back to the days
when God was worshipped amongst
them in temple worthy Of the faith,
and an unfading hope which filled
their bosoms with a yearning to see
that temple restored in a brightly
dawning future The conservation of
the new cathedral was the fitting and
divinely-appointed reward Of a trust
in Providence on the part of the
priests and people Of the archdiocese
Of Armagh and their Catholic fellow
countrymen throughout Ireland, which
rose superior to all disappointments
and vicissitudes, even when that
trust was tried in blood and tears.
| Never in the past history Of Armagh
was such soul-stirring and inspiring
spectacle witnessed as that to which
the event of the cathedral consecra-
ton gave rise. 1t recalled inevitably
the glorious day on which more than
sixty years ago, the first stone of the
sacred edifice was laid during the
primacy Of the Most Rev. DR.. Crolly,
and the equally historic day in August,
1873, when the Most Rev. DR.. McGet-
tigan had the happiness of seeing the
cathedral dedicated.
| Both these were events Of unique
and historic significance for the pri-
NATAL see. They stirred to it's depths
the heart Of Catholic ireland, and ap-
pealed to the general interest Of the
country. With equal truth, it may be
said, that the recent ceremonial,
marking, as it did, the accomplish
ment Of laborious undertaking, and
the crowning Of great ma
tional work, was memorable
even in a greater degree. It
brought to Armagh the biggest as
semblage Of bishops, priests, and peo-
! pie that was ever seen in, Ireland. It
evoked a splendid display Of Catholic
loyalty and enthusiasm; and, specially
! \ . I1s , af4t 4 lisi