The Princeton union., 1909-03-25
SAINTS And MARTYRS.
Rev. Father Levings Delivers an Flo.
quent Saint Patrick's Day
Address at rlelrose.
He Covers Four Periods of Catholic
ireland's History and Fully
EIucidates His Subject.

Chduo llSIOTy ana Fully
Elucidates His Subject.
Rev. Father Levings has kindly
furnished the U lion with synopsis
OF the St. Patrick's day speech de-
livered by him at Melrose on March
~, which received brief mention in
our last issue. In its entirety it was
a lengthy oration and hence it's cur
tallment in print was found necessary.
The address was delivered at St.
Patrick's church, which was beauti-
fully decorated with shamrocks, green
carnations, ferns and exotics. A
multitude Of people listened to and ap-
plauded the speaker.
For his subject Father Levings took
The Canonized and Uncanonized
Saints of Ireland" and in part he
said:
To aid us in forming some idea of
the marvellous number of Irish saints
and martyrs we shall consider the four
periods of Catholic Ireland, VIZ, the
800 years Immediately succeeding the
conversion of the nation, the 300 years
OF Danish invasion, the 700 years of
English tyranny and domination, and
the famine of 1916.
The beginning of St. Patrick's
apostolate found 100000 inhabitants
in Ireland: These we're by no means
a barbarous people. They possessed
culture, had a knowledge of the art of
war, were ruled by code of laws, had
q national music and fair govern
ment, They were open to conviction,
and no sooner perceived the reason
ableness of the Christian faith than
they embraced it. The kindling of the
pa seal fire on the hill of Stane and
the illumination of the whole island
with the light of the gospel seemed
cotemporaneous. The result of his
preaching must have surprised even
st. Patrick himself. It was visible
both in the inner and outer life of the
people.
In the freshness of the early morn
we see the solemn procession slowly
-Weissng it's way over the dewy, green
fields! to the house of God. It is fol-
lowed by the sweet-faced acolytes
swinging their silver censors from
which clouds of fragrant incense
ascend to heaven like the prayers OF
the saints. Next the cowled and
cinctured monks, with eyes cast down
as they chant the psalms of the
prophet king. These were followed by
the bishop in cope and inter. The
church reached, the tapers we're lighted
and the holy mass commenced.
"Again the shades of night began
to gather DER the scene. The vesper
bell is ringing. From every private
house the evening prayer goes up to
God. On bended knees they ask for
giveness for the days transgressions,
they repeat the acts Of Faith, Hope
and Charity, and finally they breathe
forth an earnest de profundis for the
dear ones departed. These devout
exercises we're as regular as the rising
and setting of the sun.
But the people of that young
Christian nation were not content with
leading lives of asceticism and holi-
ness themselves. They we're also mis-
sionaries, and hence we find them in
every part of the world spreading the
truth of the gospel ssby word and by
example. St. Columpanus in France,
St. Gaul in Switzerland, St. Kilian in
Franconia. --These are a few of the
heroic apostles of Erin sent forth to
convert the nations.
"When we ponder over the spirit of
holiness which pervaded the lives of
5.OO0,0 900 people through all the 300
years, will no. t..our brain reel in trying
to count the multitude of saints pro-
duced during that lengthy period?
AS the great procession wends it's
way over the luminous silver road
from the shores of Erin across the
Atlantic to the portals of bliss we are
lost in amazement at its numbers, it's
beauty and it's variety. Kings, princes
and chieftains of the clans, knights in
coats Of mail, venerable bards with
their tuneful harps, holy bishops,
priests in their vestments, white-robed
virgins from the cloisters, sturdy sons
of toll fresh from the field, matronly
women with their pure and charming
daughters, are some OF the happy ones
we see in this blissful throng.
But, bark! the great clock of time
is striking. The Danes are bearing
down for the first time. upon. the de-
fenseless shores of Erin. Never was
there braver or more fearless race
OF men than those northern pirates of
the ninth century. They were pagans
l. i RVYN