The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-11-27
PATRICK AND BRIDGET.


Every priest having the care
of souls will bear out the state
ment made by the Most Reverend
Archbishop at the dedication Of
the Church of st. Bridget, Min
lneapolis, that only OH very rare
Occasions is the name Of Patrick
bestowed i'll baptism and rarer
still is that OF Bridget given to
a child. And yet there are no
names i'll the catalogue Of God s
saints, apart from that of the
Blessed Virgin herself, more
worthy to be perpetuated especi-
ally among the descendants of the
people to whom St. Patrick and
st. Bridget preached the faith Of
Christ by word and example.
The story Of st. Patrick S life
and Of his heroic and fruitful
missionary labors among the peo-
lple of Ireland, whom he convert
ed to Christianity, is too well
known to need repetition; but the
life OF ST. Bridget, or, as the old
chronicles have it, Brigid, is not
SO familiar to the present genera
ton.
| st. Bridget was born Of noble
parents at Faugher, near Dun
dalk, Ireland, a few years after
iSt. Patrick's arrival as a herald
of the gospel. From earliest
youth she consecrated herself to
God and, after enduring great
trials for the faith, founded the
first Irish nunnery at Kildare.
To it the Irish maidens focked
in surprisingly large numbers
land it became, a centre and
source of religious life and con
Itributed in no small degree to
the spread of that exalted per-
sonal sanctity and intellectual
development which gained for Ire
land the proud title of the elsie
Iof Saints and Scholars. j." We are
told that ST Bridget was SO
Ipure in spirit, 50 holy in every
action, so modest, so gentle, SO
filled with mercy and compassion,
that to the last, year of her life
Isaintly men did not cease to re
gard her as d living image III
soul and body of Mary the Mother
of God (" What greater tribute
| than this can be paid to any
saint!
| So great was the fame Of her
lsanctity and learning that no name
was held i'll higher esteem among
the women Of Ireland, with the
Single exception of that Of Mary
THE Mother Of God. Indeed, St
| Bridget was known and loved as
"the Mary of Ireland. +" There
are few families in her native
land i'll which d daughter does
not bear that honored name.
/ But not so among the descend
ants OF the Irish in America. Fol
them the name of st. Bridge
seems to have lost it's sweet
ness and significance, if we are
to judge by the fact that it i
even less frequently bestowed il
baptism than that Of Patrick
These names are too distinctive
of nationality and religion to b.
given to the children of families
haunted with social aspiration OF
lobsessed with the fear that names
so Irish and so Catholic vii
prove a barrier to commercial o.
professional advancement. Shame
on such unworthy descendants o
the children of st. Patrick and ST
bridget! They prefer Hazel
Gladys, Clarence and Percy tt
the most honored names in Ire
lands history, the names o
Saints who shed lustre on thei
day and generation, who en-
i lthroned the precious jewel o
Catholic faith IN the hearts Of til,
Irish people and who accomplished
almost the impossible in the lin
of missionary endeavor among
people who have since been mos
loyal to the faith implanted b.
Patrick and fostered and spreat
by Bridget.
Let us once more enthrone tn
names of Patrick and Bridget il
their rightful places in Catholi
homes and give youth and maidel
patrons worthy of their stud,
. and imitation In the most impor
tant spheres Of human activity. z