Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1917-03-22
SAINT PATRICK'S
DAY CELEBRATION

SCuOOI duuIIOItuu very me pro-
gram was given in commemoratioR
of Saint Patrick's Day. The enter
tainment opened with a musical cho.
rus: Come Back to Erin" by the,
Melzl quartet, Mrs. John M. Kelley
and Miss Grace Racket, followed by
the Kerry Dances, by the same
voices; piano solo by Gordon Hill
lizard and Arthur Rundell; song by
Miss Grace Racket; solo, Charles
Melzl; piano solo by the little maid
Of Erin, Miss Loretta Foley; recita-
ton by Mrs. Racket; piano solo by
Misses Lillian and Lucille Foley; pie
ano solo by Miss Genevieve Wincbes-
ter. and group of songs by Mrs. j.
M. Kelley.
The speaker Of the evening. wE~
was introduced by the pastor, Rev.
E. G. O'Reilly, was the Rev. Bernard
Doyle of Mt. Hope. He gave most
pleasing, instructive and patriotic ad.
dress on "Why Ireland's Feast Is
World Wide"
Among some of the interesting
things said by the speaker were tho
following:
Every country has it's national
celebration, as we have our Fourth
of July. Every nation has some day
which it glorifies and hands down to-
it's children as national heritage.
But if someone here in this great
melting pot, America, were to ask
suddenly, What is the Spanish, Gers
man, ETC., national festival?' how
many of us could answer correctly f,
off-hand? Probably not one in ten.
Let the question be asked, What is
Ireland's national day?' and there will
be no mistake in the chorus of re-
plies, Saint Patrick's-the seven
teenth of March, Why is this so?
Why is this festival celebrated in
every land in every cline? The an
swer to this strange phenomenon is
to be found in the spiritual character
Of Ireland's national day. Other coun-
tries celebrate the day they conquer.
ed some foreign foe by force Of arms,
or won renown on bloody battlefelds.
This does not appeal to the highestH
ideals of humanity. But Ireland's ma
tional day does not bring before the
mind vivid scenes of oppression and
blood. 1t commentaries the victory
over the common foe--paganism-b
the keen-edged sword of the Chris
tian faith-the spiritual mysticism ,
that holds the heart. Above and be-
yond this, above and beyond the mu-
sic, the personal patriotism and vic.
tory Of the day, the real spirit of this
national festival is to be found around
our affairs where our people gather
to thank God for the priceless gift
of faith that he sent them by the
apostle, Saint Patrick.
Even in 432 when St. Patrick came
to Ireland, this country had reached
an advanced stage of civilization. The
and independent provinces. They
had their own laws-the world-famed
Brehan laws. In fact, centuries be-
fore an English king sat upon Eng
lish throne, in the days when hand
painted savages were running wild
where Westminster Abbey stands,
while Rome was still worshipping
bronze and marble gods and Jove and
Venus had still the destiny of Greece
in their impotent hands, Ireland was
fashioning laws at Tara whose wis
dom is controlling the civilization of
today. 1t is universally admitted by
every student of history that for 800
years before the introduction of Chris
tianity Ireland was the hottest, most
glorious, most enlightened country in
Christendom, so that it gained for
itself that enviable title which no
other country ever gained. 1t was
known among the nations of the
earth as the Isle of Saints and Schol-
ars In these golden days Ireland
stood with her hand on the steering
gear Of the world, and with her laws
and virtues brought humanity through
the darkest straits in it's progress.
It's schools became the seats of learn
ing and civilization for the rest Of
the world. From the ends Of the
then known world students came to
study in those Irish schools, and car
ried back to every country of Europe
the wondrous tales of Ireland's sane
tity, Of Ireland's glory, of Ireland's
learning and the holiness of the peo-
pie, the devotion of her priesthood.
of the immaculate purity and surpass.
ing beauty of her womanhood.
when, therefore, st. Patrick, bear
ing aloft the crucifix in his hand APP
peared before the king, who was sur