The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1917-03-15
SAINT PATRICK

Next Saturday, March 18th, the Irish
people in every land and cline will
celebrate the anniversary Of lrelands
patron saint. They will be joined by
millions of other nationalities who
recognize in st. Patrick the greatest
Christian evangelist since the days of
the apostles, an historical character
the result of whose labors was largely
due the saving of Christianity and the
revival of western civilization after
the destruction Of the Roman Empire.
st. Patrick was sent by the head Of
the then Christian world, the Bishop
of Rome, as the Apostle Of Ireland. His
knowledge of the Celtic language and
the Celtic races then in control of Ire
land. Scotland and Britain, together
made him pre-eminently the man 70
carry out the great task set him. He
had previously been a slave in Ireland.
His home was in Brittany, and during
an incursion of the Irish armies into
that country. one of which drove the
Roman army Over the Alps, he was
carried a prisoner into Ireland. After
several years he escaped and spent
thirty years preparing to bring to that
brilliant though pagan people the
truths of Christianity. He landed in
Ireland in the year 432. The Roman
Empire was then the center Of civiliza-
ton as well as that of Christianity.
The Huns, under Attila. were gather
ing from the frontiers Of China to the
western ocean for an attack on that
great empire. The Vandals, Ostro-
goths and other Frankish hordes were
his allies, and in 451 was commenced
the incursions which finally ended in
the destruction Of Roman civilization
as we'll as it's political power, and the
ushering in of the so-called Dark
Ages.
st. Patrick commenced his work in
Ireland under the most favorable aus
pices. He was received kindly by that
idealistic people, and 1t was the only
nation in history that was Christianiz-
ed without bloodshed. In the course
of sixty years he succeeded in bring
ing the entire nation to the standard
of the cross, building over 800
churches and establishing as many
great religious schools. From these
schools in after years vent out an
nually thousands of brilliant scholars
and churchmen who spread themselves
all over Europe to revive learning and
the fallen state of Christianity. They
boldly entered the strongholds of the
victorious northern barbarians, Chris
tianizing them and succeeding, after
ages Of labor, in building a new civil
ization ON the ruins of the old. They
gathered together the unburned gos-
pels and writings of the early Fathers
of the Christian church, and set thous-
ands of writer's to work reproducing
the bible. To these Irish monks, who,
during the long ages of Europe's night,
spent their time in gathering and aug
menting the sacred writings, the
world owes a debt of gratitude. To st.
Patrick, who fred this wonderful peo-
pie with a religious enthusiasm which
knew no pause nor the meaning of
defeat, the world owes a greater debt
Of gratitude.
Ireland from the fifth to the eleventh
centuries was the school of Europe.
Alfred the Great of England spent 26
years in the schools of Ireland, and
carried back with him to his own
Kingdom a polish and training never
known there before. He also intro
duced the trial by jury which was an
old institution in Ireland long before
the birth Of Christ. Many other rulers
of Europe came to Ireland for the
education which they could not get at
home. The service which Ireland rem
dered mankind. from the days Of st.
Patrick to the Norman invasion which
crushed out her free schools. can
never be fully appreciated. This SER
vice saved Christianity and all the
writings upon which % many millions
now base their Christian faith. II re-
vived = civilization that was all but
wiped out, and handed down the
sciences. erudition and polish Of the
Irish schools through the long glorious
ares when ireland was at the zenith
81 her brilliant literary career.
The Irish people attribute to St.
Patrick the beginning Of this career,