The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1911-03-18
Noble, Unswerving Devotion Marked
Entire Career of Ireland's
Patron Saint.
Many Beautiful Stories Are Told
That Illustrate His Almost
Divine Humility.
At First a Slave in Ireland He Later
Excelled the Nations Great
est King.
{Written for the Irish Standard.

(Written for the Irish Standard.>
1t is a strange commentary on the
uncertainties of historical records that
the. lives Of many of the men who
have been most instrumental in de-
termining the course of history are
known only in fragmentary form.
This is true of Homer and Shakes
peare and, in degree, of the great
Saint of the Irish race. Scotland, Eng
land, Wales and France all claim the
honor of having been the birthplace
OF St. Patrick. While the point is still
controverted, the opinion most COM
monty held is that Boulonge-s e-sur-mer,
France, was the birthplace of Ireland's
patron Saint. ...
st. Patrick was born of a patrician
family about the year 372. His moth
er, Conchessa, was a sister of st. Mar
tin of Tours At the age of sixteen
he, together with number of other
youths, was taken captive by an Irish
king and brought to Ireland. He be-
came the slave of nobleman named
Milcho, who lived in what is now
= County Antrim. Six years were spent
in servitude in the valley of the Braid
and the places where the servant
saint spent weary hours in toll can be
identified today. What an inspiration
it must be for the peasant poor in
those places to feel that they are tread.
ing on the ground sanctified by their
beloved apostle.
During the years of his servitude
the Saint mastered the Irish language.
One night after six years of slavery,
he was addressed by a voice saying,
"Thou fasteth we'll, thou shalt soon
go to thy country" A little later the
same mysterious voice told him that
a ship was waiting for him and the
Saint, obeying the warning, made his
escape from captivity and soon found
himself on the Continent. He studied
four years at Tours and spent some
time at many other famous places of
learning. On one occasion he heard
many voices from the Irish forests en-
treating him to return and dwell
among the people there who We're so
badly in need of his ministrations. He
went to Rome and received his COM
mission and the blessing of Pope Ce-
lestine, and in the year 432 he began
his mission in the fair green isle
which he was destined to win, as no
saint had ever won, a nation to the
fold.
On returning to Ireland St. Patrick
went to the home of his former mas
ter, Milcho; but Milcho in his pride
would not receive as guest the man
who had been his servant. But the
Saint was not to be daunted by his
failure to convert this noble. At Tara
the noblemen assembled about Easter
time and thither st. Patrick went to
celebrate his first Easter in Ireland.
The first night st. Patrick spent with
a wealthy man named Seschuen. who
with his entire household was received
into the church. A son of Seschuen
later became Archbishop of Armagh.
It was the custom among the princes
to celebrate the feast in honor Of the
return of the sun to power at Tara.
Custom prescribed that all fires be ex-
tinguished several days previous to
the festival proper in order that they
all might be relighted from the sacred
fire in the temple on Tara hill. But
to the great amazement of the princes
they saw a light burning in the plain
below when all fires should be quench-
ed. It was St. Patrick's Paschal fire.
The princes fastened thither to pass
Judgment on the violator Of the sacred
custom. The Saint was ordered to
declare his mission in Ireland. On
Easter Sunday he preached before the
king and mobiles. It was on this occa-
sion that he stopped and plucked a
4.