The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-03-15
St. Patrick, Apostle Of Ireland

, the hill OF Tara that St Patrick dealt
the finishing blow to paganism- Here
he kindled the pentecostai fires OF Ire
land in bold defiance OF the Arc-Righs
, and their parliament. On espying the
paschal fire that St Patrick had
lighted TO solemnize Easter. Druid
priest, like another Plate. inadvert-
entity made a wonderful prophecy:
Unless that fire be extinguished this
night, it win never be extinguished in
Ireland The IRE was not extinguish-
ed that night and ever nee. famed
by the breath of the Divine Spirit, IL
has burned with undiminIshed bright
ness wherever the pulse OF the Irish
beat.
Few saints In the chureh's calendar
can claim the conquest of nation Of
souls. St Patrick won a nation from
Fpaganism to christianity. And far
more thar that: he put an Ingredient
into the JUNCTION he applied to souls,
that gives his work unique character
in our day: the work OF st. Potrick
.sendureth for ever" Fire-tried in the
crucible of persecution, when other ma
tons quaHed and submitted. the de-
post of the faith brought By Patrick
shone with brighter lustre, emitting
"a sweeter. perfume. as odoriferous
herbs and incense when crushed and
bruised. The secret OF this unfalter
ing fidelity is not wanting. st. Pat
rick established the church on the
firm basis of unity with the chair of
Peter. Having procured a site on a
lofty headland in Armagh ne built
there the primatial see of Ireland-ea
city set upon hill and before his
death secured forever the continuity
of the church by the rule he transmit
ted to posterity: IF there be a diff
cult question in any part of Ireland
that it is not possible to settle there.
send it to Armagh; and If 1t is not
possible to settle it in Armagh, let 1t
be sent to Rome, to the chair of
Peter"
At the advanced age of 120 years
the great apostle had fought the good
fight. he had finished his course, he
had kept the faith" and passed to his
great reward, about the year 493
Since his death Ireland has not
sacrificed one iota or one apex Of the
sacred treasure of the faith. The
divinity that shapes our ends, rough
hew them how we will" has occasioned
the winds of fate to blow the sons
and daughters OF Patrick to the four
points of the compass. and with them
as a second nature, or rather super
nature, the gift of faith
Thus is the work of Patrick Indirect
ly perpetuated and spread over the
earth. 1.-THE green, immortal sham
rock" symbolic of plurality and unity,
is today whitening under the suns of
many foreign cline, whittier good
old Irish mothers-of sorrow-with
tremulous fingers, have penned line
and mailed the shamrock to their
darling sons and daughters Sog-
garths aroon, Bouchals and fair col
leens
And now Ireland's horizon OF ma
terial prosperity is Frightening at the
approach OF self-government. The
ship Of home-rule stands in the offing
of Dublin bay the harbor is open to
receive her; the compass is fair, and
adj is in readiness awaiting the cap
tain's command for full steam
ahead This is the Joy that every
irish heart that throbs anticipates
with feverish emotion-to see the
portals of College Green once more
flung open to the stately phalanx of
Irish parliamentarians, and it is the
prayer that incense-like ascends on
this seventeenth day Of March, to the
glorious saint in heaven whose mem
DRY is emblazoned Immortality on ev-
cry heart that beats in an irish
breast.
i ERIN GO BRAGH.