The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1906-05-26
ARCHBISHOP IRELAND
Lecture Of Noted St. Paul Pre-
late in Eternal City.
What Rome Owes to Erin Sub
jsct Of Discourse.


the American College. says the Cath
oiic Standard and Times correspondent
Right Rev. DR.. McG"rick, Bishop OF
Duluth. occupied the chair. Our ac-
count of the Archbishop's lecture,
though not quite verbatim. practically
covers all His Grace said.
II feel delighted" said DR.. Ireland on
rising to speak within the historic
walls of tn" college founded by Luke
Wadding. | look back To the days
" hen t. be Il SUDDEN, of the Irish COL
,,ge was To be Il candidate for martyr
dom: tn the days w:len young mell left
Ireland by stealth and came here t.
Rome for Il clerical education. and re-
tui,.ed home ordained tn work until
called to the MARTYRS crown.
Il see before me students ut another
college which has not the same historic
associations as those surrounding the
Irish institution. Ye, its students are
animated by the same spirit of self
;,bnegation and martyrdom which has
characterized those from Ireland
THE Irish College has many gl"ries.
many of which are due to Rome. In
the name of Ireland ! pay tribute t"
Rome for the hospitality shown to Irish
refugees. She has always been Il kind
friend to the prosecuted stranger. But
while we do this. we must evolve what
ireland has done for Rone-for ii there
is t.rin's debt to Rome. there is ais"
Enme'S debt To Erin.
What is Rome: She is not city
built upon the bank of the Ttber. nor
the capital of Latium. She is the Holy
Catholic Church spread through ma
tinns. Rome formerly ruled by her
lesinns and pro-consuls; now SHE rules
by Christs teachings.
There are some lands which though
of small size. have taken q great part
in the ChristunizinS of the world, but
there is one land above all which may
well claim to be frs, in spreading the
Gospel 1t is a little island. so small in
comparison. with its name. and the
icult for one unacuuainted with ii to
form an idea of its littleness. And yet
what work Ireland has done for ChriSt's
empire! Take away the result of
!abors wrought by Irisi,men and you
leave Il void-an immense vacuum-in
the Catholic Church.
1.-The people of Erin were endowed
by Providence with Il spirit of poetry
Of enthusiasm and desire to see the
world. Patrick came and finding their
souls well-prepared ground for his
teaching, implanted the faith so deeply
in them that to root it out now from
the Irish character you must tear up
every fibre of it's nature. Impelled by
their enthusiastic natures, regiments of
priests and monks left Erin. wandering
over England. Scotland and the CONT
nent: and the result is that almost
every country of Europe has an IRISH
man as Il patron saint. Ireland herself
was one vast network of churches,
schools and inconsistencies. to which
scholars eagerly tlocked from all parts.
Amt when they could not come to her
she went o them. as the libraries of
the European cities attest by their
treasures of old Irish manuscripts.
Thus far at least Rome is deeply
Indebted to Ireland
but it was not until the sixteenth
century. when the Catholic Church
grew weak in several countries that
t.rins work really began. If she had
then lost the faith. OH how much
should now be wanting to Rone's
empire! But Ireland kept the old
faith. She remained faithful by a
miracle. due to the simple providence
of Cod AS we must admit after exam
ming the terrible trials and persecu-
ti"nS she had to overcome. And then
the dispersion of the nation conf
nenced 1t began by the disbanding
OF the Irish regiments over Europe.
America. Australia. They brought with
them strong. living faith, which they
propagated and made respected.
Yet Rome's debt to Erin was des-
tined to increase tenfOld when Irish
emigration really commenced. The
history of Irish emigrants flying from
their foes is terrible. Harassed by
woes and perils. poor in worldly goods,
but rich in the sign of the cross. they
never falIared. And wherever they
went. either in America, Australia,
Tasmania. New Zealand. they built
churches and called for priests.
AT the Vatican Council" pursued
the Archbishop, Il heard Cardinal
Manning say: All the fathers of this
council are children of ST. Peter But
leaving out st. Peter, there is no other
saint in heaven who can claim so many
children as can st. Patrick"
His Grace. after referring to the
part taken by the Irish race in build
ing up the Catholic Church in 4Austral-
ia, New Zealand and the Indies. went
on to speak of the Church and the Hi
bernian element in America. He did
not claim the Irish had done every
thing for Catholicitx. n, A,,orico r,h.t