The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1908-03-14
THE IRISH AT HOME AND ABROAD.

Next Tuesday the ~sea-divided Gael the Irish
at home and abroad. will commemorate the intro
duction Of the Christian Faith to Ireland and in
an especial manner, perpetuate the memory Of St.
Patrick the great missionary. who was called by
God to make known the love and mercy of Jesus
Christ to the Irish Celts.
Freeman, in his History of the Norman Con-
quest says the Cet comes of an indestructible
race" The great historian does not undertake to
explain why the race is indestructible. To us
who have studied the history of the Celt and his
Religion. the continued vitality of the race pre-
SCENTS no problem SO long as the Celt obeys the
precepts Of an imperishable Church. stays within
ats fold Just long will he remain indestructibe
When the race breaks with the Catholic Church it
will necessarily have to enter the domain of the hui
man and the perishabe. The Church of God It's
Own Church. has saved the Irish race from alb
sorption by, and incorporation into more nu
merous and in military sense, more powerful
nation The heroism Of the Hbernian Cclt in his
loyalty TO his faith Is either providential or it
forms striking and wonderful exception to the
history of all other people, save the Hebrew alone
1t was Montaambert. the French orator and
historian, who said at a great meeting convened
to welcome him on his return from Ireland: sThe
Catholics of France and indeed Catholics wher-
ever found, matter what may be their nation
ality. owe debt Of gratitude to the Irish peo-
pie And he was right They are wonderful
people; race that than thousand years
ago sent forth Saints and learned teachers of the
Christian faith to evangelize England and Scot
land and the countries now known as France and
Germany
The names Of these Irish Saints these Apos-
tolic Celts live in history and are written in the
titles of many Of the Cathedral Churches Shrines
Of Holy Worship and Sacred Temples still stand
ing in northern and northwestern Europe They
vet remain to bear witness to the zeal and pety
of these Irish missionaries. and are monuments |
OF the faith and eloquence of the Irish Saints who
preached the Gospel to the barbarians of these
lands.
And now, what of the home-history of their own
land! In other countries there have been periods
of persecution of the Catholic Church. followed
10y the final triumph Of Christianity in the lands Of
the converted or reconvered peoples For Ireland
It has remained TO be always prey and victim to
persecution. Robbed, age after age. of material
wealth, of her commerce, her industries. her par
liamentary independence, of primary education
and the permission to pursue the intellectual stud
les Of which the Irish have always been SO fond her
national and religious vitality today is almost di-
vine Amid a poverty, that at times sank to a
starvation that may be termed national. and for
centuries constrained to live in intellectual ieno
rance of everything except the essentials of their
Faith, the existence of the race today in its vir
ty, strength and stalwart manhood is to the non
athoic student of history and ethnoIogy prob
en- which is difficult of solution
And what is amazing. if it be not, indeed prov
dental, the Irish Celts remain today the most WIG
'rous and most aggressive race on the face of the
arth The last fifty years have seen them. in far
anger bodies than ever before, moving north and
outh and growing nightly in numbers. in influ
nee and power On both sides Of the equator and
rom the northern regions of the Dominion Of
canada to the plains, husbands and cities of Aus