The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1914-02-14
Continued from Page ~

earth's noblest daughters, glory to
our poor, weak humanity and the
pride of womankind, who, casting
aside all worldly ambition, put on the
garb of the lowly religious that she
might the better work for God and her
fellow creatures. She would be the
sister to all alike-rich and poor, edu.
Gated and illiterate-and thus teach
all by word and example how sweet
and noble and efficacious is life when
self has been eliminated and when one
lives for Christ and those for whom
He shed His blood.
The Influence Of st. 5rigid.
How we'll she impressed this lesson
on the woman of her own day is plain
ly seen from the fact that thousands
of young women forsook the world
and consecrated themselves to God in
the religious state. Still more evident
are the effects of Brigid's example on
the daughters of Erin, who, entering
the marriage state, retired to the Sc.
clusion of their homes to work for hus-
band and children; to guide them on
the path that leads to God by making
their homes sanctuaries of religion,
where the first thought of the day was
of God, where every act of the day was
performed in Gods honor and where
the day was closed by united prayer
of thanksgiving, love and supplication
from the entire household.
The spirit of Brigid and Patrick,
which was the spirit of Christ, found
a most congenial soil in the homes of
Ireland during the lifetime of those
great saints. 1t may not be amiss to
state that during Is years of Brigid's
religious life she was the contempo~
rary of st. Patrick. e., from 467 to
1872.
The spirit of St. Brigid and st. Pat
rick, as manifested in the schools they
founded, attracted scholars from many
parts of Europe and caused Irish mis-
sionaries to travel into Iceland, Scan.
dinavia, France, Germany, Switzer-
land and Italy that they might an
nounce the Gospel of Christ to those
who were seated in darkness. This
spirit of Brigid and Patrick has re-
NAMED with the Irish from that day
to this, in spite of the most unheard
of and inconceivable prosecutions
prosecutions that deprived our forefa-
theirs of schools and teachers, their
churches and monasteries, that caused
them to lose their Gaelic tongue and
accept the tongue of their oppressors.
Our forefathers were deprived of their
lands and possessions, driven from be-
meath the roof that had sheltered their
infancy, compelled to suffer hunger
and want, and die of starvation-all
this they suffered rather than give up
the teachings of Christ as impaired to
them by Patrick and Brigid.
Irish Reputation for Chastity.
7 IT'S the spirit of Brigid abiding
with our. Irish women which has
caused them to be known throughout
the world as the most chaste women;
that has enabled them to become
mothers of large families, of power
full men and wellformed women, that
has made Irishmen the most chival-
rous toward their women of any race
on earth. -.
The spirit of Brigid and Patrick
which sent Irish missionaries over the
Continent of Europe from the eighth
to the eleventh century is not dead in
spite of the prosecutions of nearly
four hundred years. Behold what the
sons and daughters of Erin have &C.
complished for Christ in these United
States during the past seventy-five
years: OF the ia bishops and arch
bishops, $4,000 priests, $4,000 sisters
and brothers, 100000 Catholics, the
majority, whether of bishops, priests,
religious or layics, are the sons and
daughters of Erin or descendants from
sons and daughters of Erin.
Irish to Be Found Everywhere.
Some years ago 1 made trip
around the world. did not go in
search of the Irish, but went to very
few places where Irishmen or Irish
women are not to be found, and found
them carrying aloft the standard of
Jesus Christ still enlightening the
world. Just one instance where you
would least expect to find Celt. In
the city of Yokohama, Japan, I found
Sisters Mary, Dunstan and Winifred,
whose names in the world were Anne
and Beatrice Keane of Cork, Ireland,
and Brigid Sweeney of County Glare,
Ireland.
Have we not then great cause to re-
joice this day on which occurs the
feast of Ireland's patroness, st. Brigid,
"The Mary of the Gael"? IT'S right
and just that we should rejoice and
offer thanks to the eternal Father for
bestowing upon us such patroness,
who by her innate ability and intel
lectuality, and above all by her love
and zeal for tho Son ~ Tho viro;n