The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-18
FEAST OBSERVED
 AT ST. BERNARD

St. Bernard, March 17.-(Special) )-The feast of St. Patrick was solemnly cele- brated here today, the Rev. Director per- hitting recreation from all classes At o'clock a. m., the Rev. P. Benedict sang a solemn high mass; the Rev. P. Athanasius and the Rev. P. Jerome, re- spectively, were the deacon and sub deacon of the mass Mir Bowling was master of ceremonies and Mir Neligan thurifer Mass No. of the Solemnes hymnale in Gregorian chant was sung by the students choir under the direction of MT. Conoley. Solemn Benediction was given after the mass and the services closed with the chanting of the re Deum The Rev. P. Benedict was the preacher for the occasion, He spoke in part as follows
 Going, therefore. teach ye all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Fa- ther, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost (Matt. xviii, 19)
 The Apostles fulfilled the mission of Our Lord, and went to preach the gos- pei of Christ to the Gentle nations; and their successors In the ministry, the bishops and priests of the Holy Catholic church have continued their Apostolate down to the present time. Rarely, how ever, was the preaching of any of the Apostolic men accompanied with success so wonderful and results so lasting as the preaching of St. Patrick, Ireland's s great Apostle, whose feast we ceebrat te today. Since the days of St. Patrick Ire land has kept the deposit of faith intact which he brought to it; 1t persevered in the faith, notwithstanding the many per- secutions, which decimated the ranks of it's people and reuuced them to poverty and indulgence; and which were intended to deprive them e the glorious inherit ance of their forefa thers-their religion That nation is truly happy. even in it's greatest poverty and humiliation which has preserved so priceless a treasure; thus the emerald island in the western sea has reason to thank God for the great benefit of protesting the same re- ligion of it's forefathers in its original purity down to the present day.
 Go ye, therefore, and teach all na- tions, was the mission of Christ to the Apostles. They taught all nations; they founded the kingdom of Christ on earth They did not subjugate men to their teaching by the force of arms like Ma homet; but conquered them by the law ef charity. They brought the light of faith to all those who were wandering 1-l ,.ic Vaney 0. death, who were living under the shadows of organism: they kin dled the flame of Gods love in the hearts of men, and created new mankind. a holy community, united in the world, and zealousy striving for their eternal home beyond the stars The east and the west saw the glories ot God The light of salvation. which had arisen in the east, cast its reflections into the far west, and appeared on the Emerald Isle The blessings of religion were by the Prov idence of God bestowed upon Ireland, and St. Patrick was chosen to be the herald of God, and the channel of His blessings
 An innocent and holy life had pre- pared him for his holy mission. He was eager to work and suffer for the con version of the people. Before his time in Ireland; few rays of the teaching of Christ had penetrated to this island, but they were only the break of dawn pre- dieting the glorious rising of the Son of Grace on Irelands soil, after the coming of St. Patrick. Incredible were the diff ficulties, insurmountable the obstacles, which he encountered. but wonderfully rich was also the harvest, which he reap ed for God. He gained the whole island from north to south, from the east to west, for the Kingdom of Christ he con secrated bishops and ordained priests; he planted the seed of sancity, which brought forth fruit a hundred and a thousand fold; saints innumerable. so that the is- and of St. Patrick gained amongst the nations in the church of Christ the glory of being the island of the Saints And from this island the sancity proceeded to the shores of the continent to na- tions which were still slumbering in the