The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1904-03-19
IRELAND'S GREAT APOSTLE.

There is no one in all history. in
either Church or secular life. whose
memory has been kept green for so
long a time rs st. Patrick's. Accord
ing to tradition this great man died
fourteen hundred and twelve years ago
last Thursday. Wherever there are
lrishmen, and that means every coun-
try in the civilized world. the 18th of
March is celebrated in honor of the
Apostle of Ireland" No other man
has been so long remembered. Many
have been born since the days of st.
Patrick, attained great distinction and
have been remembered for long
periods, but no one Of them has n day
set apart to his memory fourteen cen-
turtles after death. The reason for
the permanency of the place made by
st. Patrick, is to be found in the char
acter of the work which he did. Pat
rick found the Irish people in state
Of paganism. They were Druids,
practiced divination and magic and Of
fered human sacrifice in the dense
forests and caves. In a remarkably
short period of time lie converted the
whole nation to Christianity. The
work that he performed has been per-
manent. Other countries and other
peoples have had great religious teach
ers, but in no country was the work
of converting the people to Christian
ity SO quickly, peaceably and thorough
ly' done. The work so done has ell
dured. st. Patrick was the one great
apostle of the Irish people. Since his
time there never has been need that
the work should be done over again.
Ireland has been the home of other
great religious teachers, men and
women who have carried the gospel
to other lands and other peoples, but
so far as the Irish people are con-
cerned they have remained true to the
teachings of st. Patrick through four
teen centuries of struggle and vicis-
situde. Other peoples We're converted
to the Christian religion in much the
same manner as the Irish. although
not so readily and peaceably, who sue.
cumbed in Inter times to schisms and
heresies. But the children of st. Pat.
rick have remained true to the religion,
which he taught. Their attachment
to their religion has been even more
marked than their answering love OF
country.
Many and widely conflicting &C
counts about the life and birthplace OF
st. Patrick have been handed dowl
from century to century. Various
claims have been made as to his birth
place. He was, according to some
born in Scotland, ut Dumbarton, OF
the Clyde; others say, ut Nantes, ir
France, and various other places are
named as his birthplace. The truth Il
that the place of his birth Is unknown
but the place of his life's labor was
Ireland, and the Irish are the people
who have commemorated his life ant
followed his teaching for fourteen
centuries. No other man during thu
Christian era has built an empire 81
large and enduring. After his dealt
Ireland became the land Of learning
AS a result of Patrick's work, religion,
and secular teachers went forth from
Ireland to carry the gospel and tin
best secular learning Of that day Il
other parts of the known world. Pat
rick and his followers established
churches, monasteries, schools, col
leges and universities and made Ire
land the seat of the highest learning
and culture Of the time. The histor.
of Ireland during the period imme
diately following the death Of st. Pat
rick Is most glorious one. Centurie
afterwards, when ireland came unde
English rule, the followers of st. Pat