The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1914-07-11

At the conservation Of the Memoir
ial Church of Oliver Plunket in Drog-
heda. ireland, June 20, His Eminence
Cardinal Logue. Archbishop of Ar
magh and Primate of Ireland, presi-
ded. The sermon was delivered by
The Most Reverend John ]. Glennon,
Archbishop of St. Louis, who, refer
ring to the Feast Day with its mar
tyrs IS. Peter and Paul, went on to
discuss the persecution and martyr
dom in ireland as follows:
"But of this vast army of martyrs.
who, during those long years of per-
secution have illustrated the faith
and heroism of Ireland, not one has
yet found place in the accredited
calendar Of the church. This is more
than passing strange, for as we have
seen, it is not the lack of noble living
and heroic dying, not doubt con-
corning the sanctity of their lives, the
worthiness of their motives or the
completeness of their sacrifice. Why
should it be? Some may say the
Irish prosecutions were in part polit-
ical, and that politics must find no
place in the process of canonization,
which is quite true, especially if the
politics of the oppressor were to pre-
vail with a constantly increasing
sway, and the politics of the victim
were crushed out with his life. But
such is not the real reason in the de-
,oved "causes" of Irish martyrs. IL
rather appears to me as If the reason
we're that the causes" can in few IN
stances be adequately presented
few documents "Reminiscences
are lost. With Catholic ireland the
martyrdoms were so complete ena'
thew who would present a chronicle
or preserve a memory. were not leie
tn tell the tale. All we know Is tna'
thew died massacred by English sou.
iers. generally without any process OF
law. and with no kindly witness -
toll the story of how he died. Ana
such suppose they shall remain IN
81, there be an GAIL Saints Day" for
ireland. when. with permission anu
approval of the Holy Church. we may
group together in one mass OF nam
ing red, and commemorate the sac
r,t,ce Of the numberless and un-
named martyrs of Ireland.
There is one such. however, OF
whom the record remains, who, be-
cause of the special sanctities that
his life-the trials ne
rnderwent-the honors he achieved
and the death he died, deserves
special mention, and as we oelieve'
will have a place in Irish hagiology'
This Ia Oliver Plunket, the illustrious
Archbishop of Armagh. the last OF
the Tyburn martyrs. He was born IN
the County of Meath in the year 1929
and died July, 1851. OF gentle birth
and gentler nature, his years were
destined to be stormy and he himself
would be the storm center. Reare'
and trained in his earlier years by
the devoted Abbot of St. Mary's in
Dublin, he felt called to the priest
hood, wherein he knew that every
day would be trial and every act en-
tail, perhaps. a forfeiture Of his life;
yet to have the privilege to serve his
countrymen or die for his faith he
willingly went abroad to seek the
knowledge his native land denied
him. In Rome, whittier he journeyed
through trials such as st. Paul re-
counts among the perils of his apos-
tolate. he found teachers and friends
who, themselves not forgetful Of the
sorrows and martyrdoms of the
Mother Church, knew how to sympa-
thize with the downtrodden of all
lands, and particularly with the con-
slant SORROWS of the prosecuted Irish.
Attaining high degree, there, of pi-
ETY.. and proficient in all knowledge.
a student of great abilities, profess
sor of varied and distinguished
knowledge, he returned to ireland
with the benediction of the Holy See
and the mandate to take the mitre
of st. Patrick and to minister in the
primatial See at Armagh to the scat
tered remnants of a devoted people.
The story Of his struggles is long
and interesting. How, between the
different outbreaks, he was found es-
tablishing schools. collecting andcon
soling the people and confirming the
children. How, from this, his apos-
tolic work, he was driven into the
vastness to live without companion
ship or food or protection. How,
through it all, he sought to establish
the law Of God, and all he could of
the law of man, depressing crime
even when the victims were them
selves criminal, respecting power
even when power meant oppression,
instilling respect for the government
even when that government sought to
encompass his life. How, though