The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-02-09

saint; he had been class-fellow
of Pope Leo XIII, and he filled the
position of rector of the Irish College
for about forty years.
No, the rector could make no
change. However, if the students
wished, they might wait upon the Car
dinal Project of Propaganda; perhaps
he might find solution for their prob
lem! Down to Propaganda went the
de )utation and laid their case before
the cardinal. But he took a different
view to that of his young visitors.
Tell me, my young friends he
said, do you not know that red is
the color of martyrs, and that very
appropriately it is worn by you, gen.
tlemen, for this very reason? Is not
The color of the martyrs good enough
for your
This settled the question. Ever
since that day the Irish students wear
the red without demur, and they never
ouce cast longing eyes on the green
o. he Poles.
OlTer PIunkettS Letter.
In the year 1866 a young Celtic
nobleman named Oliver Plunkett came
to Rome and entered the Irish College
to study for the priesthood. At the
en1 of eight years he was ordained
priest and set about preparing to leave
Rene aor Ireland But circumstances
rendered this impossible. Spies all
over the continent logged his foot
steps. Accordingly, Father Oliver
Plunkett penned the following letter
to the general of the Society of Jesus
| in free bold hand:
Il, Oliver Plunkett, your most hum
BILE Petitioner, student Of the Irish
College, having completed my philo-
sophical and theological studies, con-
sidering the impossibility of now re-
| turning to Ireland (as your paternity
we'll knows), in accordance with the
rules of the college and the oath
which | have taken, humbly request
of you, very reverend father, that
may be allowed to continue in Rome
and dwell with the fathers of st. Giro
lamo della Carita.
| Il promise, however, and declare
that l will ever be ready to return to
Ireland whatsoever you, reverend ia
Their, or my superiors shall SO com
mand. Rome, June IA, 1864"
| Tic original of this letter is kept
framed in the students oratory in the
college as touching reminder of their
| great martyr, Oliver Plunkett, Primate
of Ireland and Archbishop of Armagh
| But there is another souvenir of in
terest not only to men related to the
race of the O's and the Macs whether
in Australia, Canada, America OF
Europe, but also to all lovers of lib
erty in every country. This is the
heart of Daniel O'Connell, the Irisl
LiberatOr. When O'COnnellS hear
was removed from his body at Genoa
it was embalmed and sent to Rome, tt
which by his dying breath he had will
ed it. Concluding no place more ap
prOpriate than the Church OF st
Agatha, which, is attached to the Irisf
College, the Pope ordered the ur1
containing it to be conveyed there
The heart lies within q magnificen
mural monument near the altar of the
Blessed Sacrament, which O'COnnelfs
friend and admirer, Charles BianConi
erected to hold the precious urn. Thi
monument is made of pure Carrar;
marble, eXquisitely sculPt"red, ant
stands about twenty feet high. TIL
upper part represents the Angel o
Liberty bidding Erin-who sits chain
ed with her Irish harp and wolf-dog
in an attitude Of melancholy
arise, for hope las come. The lowe
part represents C'Connel at the ba
Of the British house of commons re
[using to take tie anti-Catholic dec
laration then imposed upon member
Of parliament. His words, Il at one
reject this declaration; part of it
believe to be untrue, and the rest of
know to be false" are chiseled ur
derneath.
To Irishmen from all parts of tn
world the Church of st. Agatha is
place of pilgrimage by reason of tn
possession of the heart of him VIII
won Catholic emancipation.