Norwich bulletin., 1917-03-19
SERMON ON LIFE OF ST. PATRICK

eERMoN ON LIFE
 or ST. PATRICK Rev. A. c. Haverty Pays Tribute to lreland's Patron Saint.
 A large congregation attended the 1 Sunday evening Lenten service at St. Patrfcks church when Rev. A. C. Haverty of New Haven delivered a | forceful sermon on the life of St. Pat rick, the foundation of the Catholic
 faith in Ireland and the way the Irish [ people suffered to maintained their I holy faith.
 The musical service was wiegand rendered by Nicholas Spellman. Irish airs were rendered on the organ by Prof. F. L. Farrell.
 Rev. Father Haverty emphasized the fact that he came with joy and enthusiasm to speak on the subject of nity to declare thanks to God and ] Irish parentage of Having raised such a saint as St. Patrick If St. Patrick had not been sacrificing who knows what would be out lot as Irish men and women? And so today and every day we give thanks to Ireland for raising such a man as St. Patrick. It is unfortunate during the time of St; Patrick that all writers were. at ebb, but the main facts concerning St. Patrick are recorded. Of St. Patrick we have the mere outward form, we have the date of his birth and the fact that he was taken away from his par ents at very early age. We have the fact that St. Patrick left Ireland, fur therirg himself by studying and of his appointment as a minister of God, af- ter which he went hack to Ireland and became a shepherd of the Irish peo- pie We also have the fact of his death which occurred among his be-
 loved Irish people.
 The most probable place of his birth
 was in the northern part of France. The Scots, Welsh. British, Italians have all claimed St. Patrick and re-
 gently the Germans have laid claim St. Patrick was of noble birth, hav- ing been born of Christian percentage,
 reared tenderly, but at the age of 1t
 years the northern part of France was
 invaded and St. Patrick was torn away
 from his parents and thrown into
 slavery and placed in the northern
 lived, supported by his strong Chris
 tian faith. St. Patrick made his es-
 cape and returned to his home in
 France, but there was voice calling
 him, the love call of his native land.
 it was call from the mountains of
 Ireland It was the call of the voice
 of the Lord, Lo, this day I set thee
 over the nation that will root and
 build up a nation, rise up and gird
 thy loins and do as I command thee,
 and it was the voice of the Irish peo-
 pie.
 St Patrick. my friends, gave up his
 life to concentrate it to God, and he
 sacrificed his life to the Lord. Ac-
 cordingly St. Patrick prepared himself
 with course of study He went to
 Rome where he was anointed a minis
 ter of God and as the first bishop of
 the Irish people
 History tells that the people of
 Ireland, among whom St. Patrick la
 bored. were people highly cultivated.
 There was in these people a strong
 passion for outdoor and open life and also there was an entratcing Irish lit- trature. The nature of the Irish peo- pie as St. Patrick found them was of a very generous trend They were brave bold, and self-sacrficing They would if necessary die for one another. and they were very effectioEate. There was the natural pure love. the strong band of friendship and all of these characteristics were with the first of the Irish race. They were a proud people, proud of their ancestors, proud of their Ireland and it's approaches. But in the midst of this magnificent existence there was a sound of mel and holy and a note of dissatisfa ction.
 When St. Patrick touched the shore of Ireland fo rthe second time he did not come as a slave. but he came as a willing slave of willing master, Jesus Christ. He was bound with a strong CT but lighter chain. He came with these chains to bind the people of Ire land. He went determined that the people should know the truth and the truth would make the people free. St. Patrick's career in Ireland is similar to the triumphal march of a king and then again like the trails of a Catho- lice priest The people of Ireland well comed him as a friend. They made him one of the leading features of their lives and so today the sons and the daughters of old Erin regard St. Pat rick with love. We come to the ques- ton. What did St. Patrick preach. and what form of Christianity did he ex- terd fer God? It was the Christianity that Abra- It was the Christianity that Jesus 1 Christ taught by His blessed words. | It was the self same Christianity that l we love. It was the whole cycle of truths. It was St. Patrick | who first instilied in the Irish heart | the love. respect and obedience of the | priest of the Catholic church During i his own life the word that he preach | the Irish. people. Finally after 50 | years St Patrick laid down to rest | His own death bed was surrounded | by native Irish saints.
 Ireland was called upon to suffer for | her religion The Irish people have | have continued to suffer. It is true that other nations have suffered 1 religion but those nations gave | up their Catholic faith to suit the | whims of men. Thank God there was one people. one nation. the Irish na- ton that did not Today the faith | in Ireland is as strong as when first !. preached there by St. Patrick. Ireland | was called to give up the Catholic faith | by Henry the VIII. but the Irish peo- pie refused.srepiying that no sword or | bloody soldiery could cut the faith out | Df Ireland. We will steal our priests i away and keep the holy faith in spite | of all Today there is not a lonly | hillside in the land across the sea | where our fathers have not met to | For over 700 years Iseiand | las been fighting fo rits homes and ives and today the reply is. Never will we betray the Lord and our Master, Jesus Christi When our be- owed people in Ireland shall come lgafn to their own and when Ireland .fses up. as a man to the dawn of