The Irish standard., 1913-10-11
Conditions in Pagan Ireland Given by Fr.
Fitzgerald Contrasted with Intro
duction of Christianity
The Catholic Messenger and the State His
torian Make Campaign to Promote
Study of Irish History

prior to the time to which am to
speak. the fifth century of our era. He
showed you how, in a most admirable
manner, God was preparing the way
for the coming of the great apostle of
the Irish race, st. Patrick. uncon-
quered by Roman arms, the Irish,
while sleeping in the dark night of
paganism. yet held to certain teach
ings that helped them to welcome the
dawning of the day of perfect light,
belief In one God. in the immortality
of the soul and in reward and punish
ment in an after lie were safe beacon
lights leading them on to the haven of
truth. 4.as
The high sense. of personal and
civic honor and Justice, as displayed in
their private lives and incorporated
Into their governing codes formed O..
natural national charaeter. upon yyhich
more easily the divine life and spirit
of Christ could be engrafted.
1T would be onerous to suppose that
the heaven born blessings of Chris
tianity were totally unknown and un-
enjoyed in Ireland before the fifth
century. While it Is true that the en-
tire nation did not come under the
beneficent sway of Christ and His
Church until that period, yet there
were Christians found among the Irish
from the very earliest Christian days,
verifying the saying of Tertullian,
That there were localities in the far
off British Isles inaccessible to the
Roman arms where Christ found will
ing Subjects ......
while we have ample historical evil
dences Of Christianity in Ireland even
in the early ages Of the Church, at
least in individual cases, and while the
number of 'Christ's true followers had
considerably augmented by tho begin
ming Of the fifth century yet the great
body of the people were at that period
pagans. .49
"1n 431 we find Pope Celestine con-
secrating Roman deacon, by name
Palladius, and with band Of jealous
missionaries sending him to the Scots
Chat is the Irish) to be their first
bishop s55M.
after effecting landing and labor
ing for short while in Wicklow, such
opposition arose that st. Palladius and
his band were forced to seek refuge
in the land of the Picts, where the holy
bishop soon afterwards died. Celes-
tine, nothing daunted, looked for an
other who might take up the glorious
work Of evangelizing the Irish nation
and winning it to Christ. The. new
apostle chosen by the Vicar Of Christ
was st. Patrick. He was selected to
be Gods true light bearer to the Irish
people. Through his blessed apostolic
zeal, Pagan Ireland under Gods merci-
full grace, soon became Christian Irs-
land ever to remain. It would carry
us back far afield to even attempt to
consider tho details of the marvellous
work wrought under God in a few
short years by st. Patrick. .ss.
There are characters in the worlds
history that have so impressed them
selves upon their time as to elicit the
admiration of all the people and Of all
times. Such is st. Patrick, yet whence
came his power Of conquest? He had;
been lowly slave on the very hill
tops Of Erin. He gathered not about
him the strength Of multitudes.s he;
commanded no invading army. HsS
was simply Gods anointed, sent Nv
the successor Of the humble fisherman
Of Galilee bearing the uplifted cross of
! Christ and surrounded by q few loWlys
clerics. Boldly he kindled ON one of
] the hil,tops the Eastsr ~ q honeE sa