The state herald., 1916-03-10
BIRTHPLACE OF
IRELAND'S SAINT
Has Been Ascribed to Scotland
Among Other Countries-His
Labors in the Emerald
Isle.

- T. PATRICK. the shamrock and
Ireland are hard to disassociate,
~ whether the one or another
comes first in mind. 1t is a
common story. of course, as to the use
that the saint put the shamrock when
converting some Gaelic chieftains,
how they stood by the roadside, with
the emerald fields OF ireland spread
ing out on either side. and the mis-
sionary stopped. plucked a shamrock
and held It up before the scoffer. as
typifying the Holy Trinity. 1t is also
commonly told that St. Patrick was Of
fered his mission to the isle by the
pope. and that he was Of French or
Genoese extraction.
In a somewhat lengthy biography
an authority recognized as first an.
nounces that after much investigation.
research and travel. he is certain St.
Patrick was native OF Scotland. q bit
Of a city called Fitzpatrick disputing
with another bit of city called Dunn
barton for the honor Of being his birth.
place. The exact year is not debated
upon. though n popular writer on mod.
ern customs AYERS $50 to be correct.
That St. Pntrick's mother was Gaelic
seems to be generally accredited.
Doubt OF his purely Gaelic parentage
II increased by the fact that he is
said TO have been obliged TO acquire
the Gaelic language" says another
authority. His father. he states In his
confessions. was farmer and a dea.
con OF the church. and his grandfa-
thcr was priest. nll clergy being al.
lowed to marry at that time.
The Isle of Man was ono scene OF
tho saints labors. as was also the west.
ern part OF Scotland. so that the Scot.
tish theory OF his native place may
not be simply n theory and no moro.
Yet II was not until he was forty-nve
years old that ho was enabled to es'
cape slavery. which he had been
driven into nt the age OF sixteen. along
with several thousand others. who
were caught and hcrdcd together by
Irish pirates and taken into tho wilds
OF northern Ireland, And II was not
until nearly twenty years after this
abduction that ho was able to return
from the continent. whittier ho had
ned for freedom. That he landed In
France aftor escaping Britain In den.
nitoiy known; except that ho is found
q fow years later down In Rome. little
II known Of how or where ho acquired
tho necessary learning to takc tho
gospel back TO tho north country.
Zeal. perhaps. and simple faith. and
not littii confidence In the inspira,
ton he believed his. served greater
purposes than tho law OF litanics and
tho fnense OF dogma.
In any event. after ho had accompa.
niod SITS. Lupus and Gcrrnanur Into
tho British isles. TO preach against
tho growing Pelagian hercny." and had
retired again TO tho continent. Ger.
manus induced him to 20 into tho pros.
enco u the pontin and ask for rogu.
lar mission % his old home.
cclentine was head OF tho roman
church in that period. and no had
sent only tho deacon. Paiiadius. and
twelve assistants into ireland during
tho reign. 30 hc granted tho request OF
tho reaiot who had been named suc,
cat. but now assumed tho name OF
patrioiua or Patrick. Patrick was given
. group Of attendants and made haste
10 the old familiar iieidH Of his youth,
Having crossed the channel and
come upon the River Dee, be decided
10 go ashore there. near Stamford