The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1906-03-30

4OPC' AC "do OAOdlucu pIlcSU duU
bishop and received the blessing of the
Pope for his great work. Landing on
the shores Of Ireland he began to
preach, and his Gospel was gladly ac-
cepted. The faith swept through the
island and at the end of 90 years a
land which he found pagan was prac-
tically left Christian. He founded it's
universities and institutions of learn
ing. For centuries ireland held aioft
the torch of learning. Within cen
tury after his death the monaSteries
had so increased that students were
sent there from all parts of Europe.
The original design of these early Irish
schools was the study of Scripture.
men and noted scholars. The
MIDDLE AGES OWE THEIR RCIVIL1ZATION
TO THE MONKS
who swarmed into Europe teaching
and preaching. These monks were
kind to the poor: they were the best
landlords the world has ever known
These Irish missionaries labored all
through Europe. Truly all humanity
ought to be proud of the Irish race, for
they laid the foundations Of our boast
ed civilization. The world owes a
great deal to some of the little nations.
We owe to little Greece our philosophy,
to little Switzerland and Holland au-
tonomy of government, and to little
Ireland for her great missionary and
educational efforts. The speaker then
referred to the invasion of Central
Europe by the cruel people Of the
North, when the civilization of a
thousand years was wiped out and the
very universe trem bled. Cruelty pre-
vailed on all sides. In fact, we con-
template with horror the record of
those days. The schools, so busy, were
closed. The nights of oppression began.
Men forgot to write correctly their
own language. After the Irish were
converted to Christianity their
thoughts went out to other people.
They sent armies Of missionaries
through Europe, each one a soldier of
the cross. AS one writer puts it: "It
seems as If all Ireland got up and went
over into the continent" They
TAUGHT AND LIVED THE REAL, PURE
CHRISTIANITY.
Their purity was a rebuke to the bar
barians of the middle ages; their in
dustry shame to the Incidence of the
men of those times. Their chastity
was a rebuke to the self-indulgence
PAOuuOCu III ouoU 0e0' 4u6l0 Is uO
true culture, my friends, without re-
ligion. No true civilization can exist
without belief in God. These early
monks copied the Scriptures and the
manuscripts they left are the pride of
Europe. Scholars can tell the manu-
scripts which were the work Of the
Irish. But for their noble labors we
would not to-day have the Scriptures
Wherever company of Irish gathered
there they esta blished school. In all
the arts they were adopts. Their mis-
sionaries went to all the islands of the
north. They penetrated as far as
Iceland, sailing in their open boats
They opened schools and taught the
people agriculture, navigation.
WAS THERE EVER A MORE PEACEFUL
RACE OF MEN
than these missionaries? We cannot
Withhold our praise from these great
Celtic men. The Irish missionaries
were the pioneers. They laid the
foundations and others who came after
builded on these foundations. Then
came the awful prosecutions Of the
English people. England prosecuted
the Irish because she hated Ireland's Is
Catholicity. But Ireland stood stead
| fast in that terrible hour of trial. Ire
lduu Was IOUUcu VI ucE lGdIuluk, ucI
| wealth and social position. We should
be glad that the blood of these saints
and scholars mingles in our veins
They regarded their faith as theil
greatest asset. England confiscateC
their property and If they are pool
and unlettered to-day it is because
they valued their faith above materia
things. St Patrick's dying prayer thai
the Irish should be true to the faith
has been answered. A man who II
ashamed that he is an Irishman or the
son of an 1riShman is a coward. W.
should show to the people we are me1
Of sobriety. We ought to show then
that we are just; that we are men O.
high character. Every Catholic ough'
to be a model in the community wher'
he resides. An excellent musical pro
gram was given previous to the lecture
by members of St Roses choir, Mrs J
w. Gordon and Arthur Gallagher as
sisting on the violin.