The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1913-03-15
Many Beautiful Legends Connected
With his Labors in His
Adopted Country.
Irishmen the World Over MAY Take
Pride in His Name and His
Enduring Work.

men to honor his name. After four
teen centuries the love Of the race
whose country he changed from a
land Of paganism to one Of the most
Catholic countries in the world has
not diminished for the noble patron Of
Ireland. Nor is there reason to be-
lieve that when the gulf Of time has
increased to twice its present width
his deeds will be less extolled than at
the present day.
The facts about the life of st. Pat
rick in the main are we'll known.
There is considerable obscurity about
the dates Of the principle of events in
his eventful life, but not about the
one great central work, his winning
Of Ireland to the true fold.
Like Homer, the birthplace of the
Patron Saint Of Ireland has been
claimed by many nations. According
to the life of st. Patrick written by
Cardinal Moran, the saint was born
in Scotland, at Dumbarton, a town on
the west coast about ten miles north
west Of Glasgow. The: date. of his
birth Cardinal Moran places in ss7 and
his death March II. 4ss., J. B. Bury,
an English Protestant historian, who
has also written, a life of the saint,
places the date Of his birth in the year
3S9 and his death March II, 4e1.
Whatever facts Mr.. Bury may have
for claiming that the saint died. so
much younger than other writer's be-
lieve. he agrees with them in his mar
ration Of the principal events of the
saints journeyings.
At the age of sixteen the youthful
Patrick was taken by band Of free
hooters from the north coast of Ire
land to become slave of an Irish
clheftain Of the name Of Milchu, in
Dalaradia In the what Is now County
Antrim. Here he was put to work
heardtng focks on the slopes of the
slemlsh mountains near the site of
the modern village Of. Ballymena. Ac-
cording to the Saints own words. the
sense Of loneliness and dependence
awakened in him at this period of his
life set him to thinking of the mai
esty and omnipotence of God. In his
Confessions he tells how at this time
he used to arise before dawn and go
forth from his humble bed to pray in
hail or rain or snow. In a single day
his prayers would number as many
as a hundred.
It was while he was living this
lonely life that he heard a voice in
his sleep telling him, Thou dost we'll
to fast; thou shalt soon return to thy
native land" Again he was told by
the same angelic voice, Behold thy
ship is ready" Hardening to it, he
made his escape and secured passage
on ship that took him from the land
Of his servitude. After many wander
tngs, he at length landed in Britain
and after serious thought and many
mdsgfvings, determined to make the
land where he served the lowly life of
slave the future vineyard in which
to labor for the honor and glory of
God.
He went to France to study for the
priesthood. He spent some time in
the monastery Of st. Martin and at
Tours after which he went to Aux
iere where he was ordained by st.
Germaine. About the year 431 or 1872
he was back in Ireland preaching the
Gospel to the people whom he had
learned to love in spite of the posi-
ton he occupied among them when
he was first taken there. Through his
earnestness, his sincerity and the
compelling power of his wonderful
personality, he won king after king