Evening journal., 1914-03-17
ST. PATRICK AND HIS DAY.

i where Irshmen foregather honor is being done
TO the memory OF the patron saint Of the Emerald
isle Millions of persons who not Irish also take
cognizance Of the celebration and join in it, either
actively passyely.
Despite that fact we feel safe in saying that not
one IN one hundred OF the ceebrants knows who St.
Patrick was, or what he To test that matter we
asked different of affairs yesterday, "Who
was st. Patrick?" Approximately all they knew about
il that he Irish saint who had driven the
snakes out of Ireland And those seven men are all
readers and thinkers St. Patrick, however had not
been included in their of study and thought.
II is make editorial the celebration Of the
day instructive we'll timely that we devote most
to discussion Of the origin, life and work Of the
saint rather than the current events of the days
celebration.
History tells us that the Scots and Picts, in Of
their ncursions upon the Roman province south Of
severus captured carried OFF many prisoners That
probably the incurson of All A. d. the after
Honorus had refused aid to the Britons The wall OF
Seyerus extended from the Solway TO Tynemouth.
Among those prisoners boy, 10 years old. He
sold slave the opposite coast Of Ireland.
IN the territory the Irish Picts called Dal Arade That
boy subsequently undying fame ST. Patrick, the
patron saint of the Irish
lie was of noble BIRTH being the of the deacon
Capurnius. who a of Pottus, priest Pat
rcks father a decurio. or magistrate, and trad-
ton has IL that the boy was born In Nemthur, which
at the clyde end OF the wall or Antoniusi Wnefe
Dumbarton now is situated Patricks father exercised
his magisterial functions at Nemthur When, how
ever the Romans withdrew their garrsons from Brit
ain is presumed that Calpurnus retired for safety
south of the wall of Severus where he had small
country place near Bannavem Taberniae. It from
that place that Patrick or, he was known then,
succat was carried off by the Picts and Scots and
sold into slavery.
He spent six years in hard slavery. most Of his
time being spent in tending cattle semish Noun
tain. I'm County Antrim. There much of the time not
spent in work devoted to prayer and meditation.
Finally he succeeded in escaping from Ireland 1t
after that that he decided to become priest
and devote his fe to the conversion and spiritual
upbuiding Of the Irish AZ that time he among
the Brtons with his kindred who he asserts in his
confession. received him a Finally, he said
he dreamt that man whose name Victorious came
to him bearing innumorable epstes one of which he
received and read. The beginning of it contained the
words, "I'he voice of the Irish" Whilst repeating
those words he said be imagined that he heard in his
mind the voice of those who near the wood of
Fochlad which close the western They cried:
1--WE pray thee holy youth TO come and henceforward
walk among us" The wood in the neighborhood
Of Kiala Bay.
Dream succeeded dream, and about A. d. 425 when
he not more than 30 years old, he entered his
mission. Probus the author OF the fifth life Of St.
Patrick supports tho view that ST. Patrick began his
Patricks authentic acts that he have sought
among his friends in Britain to be made bishop. He
complains in his Confession that friend TO whom he
! had communicated fault he had committee when
about IS old had urged this fault thirty years
after as reason against his being consecratod 10
higher office. That proves that he was only about 45
years old when he made bishop. If be assumed
that II A. D. All when he carried Off a
slave his conservation a biship in AL the
fifteenth year of his mission to the Irish. That is
date that corresponds with the results of Dr. Todds
specuatons based close analysts OF all available
chronological data. ST. Patricks work resulted in
the conversion of Ireland The of his death is as
uncertain that of most other events featuring his
life
The Annals of the -Four Masters say he died A. ID.
493. With that Ussher agrees Tireshan, in his Ammo
tations, says, however, that Loegaire son of Mall
King Of ireland. lived from two to five years after
| ST. Patrick. In other words that ST. Patrick died
in 400 and that Loegaire died in AL or 474 after
reign of thirty-six years. The Annals OF the Four
Masters record the DEATH in 457, Of Sem Patraicc
Old Patrick, and OF Loegare. in ass. It is asserted
that the Patrick who died in 493 is fiction due to the
fusion of the acts Of two Patrcks. Palladius Patrick
and Sem Patraco doubtless called because he was
Patrick known as priest before the arrival Of the
Roman bishop II Tirechan's statement be correct ST.
Patrick died in 469 after mission Of fortyfour years
priest and bishop. However of the dearth
Of definite records and the confusion caused by the
clesiastca activities three different Paricks It is
impossible TO tell Just when he did die.