Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1919-03-15
ERINS' SAINT
Deeds of Apostle That Won the
Nation From Darkening
Paganism.
Devcut and Simple Minded Man, a
Most Discreet and Ener-
getic Missionary.
Christianity Appealed to People and
They Received the Cos
pei Gladly.
WAS a JUST MAN INDEED.

s.. Patrick says OF himself in his
confession that he was born at
"Bannaven Taberniae," which is
extremely hard to identify. Some,
however, claim that kirkpatrick,
near Glasgow, in Scotland, took its
name from 81. Patrick.
The saint was born about 372;
was captive and a slave Of the
King OF Dalaradia, in Ireland. from
3S8 20 395; went TO Gaul and was
theae ordained priest; was conse-
Grated Bishop and sent to Ireland
as missionary In 432, and died at
Saul, near Strangford Tough,
County Down, Ulster, where many
years before he had founded his
church, March II, 465, the day
nOw sacred to his memory.
Ireland was then occupied by a
great number of petty tribes. most
of whom were evangelical by Pat
rich. So well was the work accom-
pliehed that Ireland was known in
subsequent centuries as the island
OF saints and scholars"
The method employed was that
OF dealing cautiously and gently
with the old paganism of the people.
The ehieftains were first won over
and then through them their clans.
OF Patrick himself much that has
been related is fabulous, but his
photographed confession and his
epistIe to Coroticus. both OF which
are unquestionably genuine, reveal
devout, simple minded man, and
most discreet and energetic mis-
sionary.
In his epistle he states that he
was Of noble birth and that his
father, Calphurnicus, was Roman
decuiro. His mother, Conchessa.
or Coneeis, was the sister OF st.
Martin OF Tours.
The family Of the saint Is af-
hrmed by the earliest authorities to
have belonged to Britain, but
whefher she term refers to Great
bfItal1 of Jfritfafy ,jf Their 81 /, g
ol France is not ascertained.
Some OF the quaint stories told
10 Ireland about st. Patrick would
make the traveller imagine that the
saint visited the island for the bene-
Vt VA WHY HuA0CHp VI ~
mirfh in wet weather. II is not
remarkable that the subject of these
stories for sixteen centuries, at
countless hearths. has been regarded
and is today honored as the greatest
man and the greatest benefactor
that ever trod the Irish soil, and
considering the versatility Of the
Irish character il is not strange that
there remains respecting the saint
a vast cycle of legends-serious.
pathetic and profound.
II could not be otherwise. Such
people could not have forgotten
the heroic figure who led them forth
in the exodus from the bondage of
pagan darkness. In many instan-
ces doubtless has the tale become a
tradition, the foliage of an ever
active popular imagination gath
cred around the central stem of
fact: but the fact remained.
A large tract of Irish history is
dark. but the time of st. Patrick
and the three centuries which sue
yceeded il is clearly. as depicted by
history, time of juy. The chron-
icle is a song of gratitude and Of
hope, as BELTS the story of ma
tons conversion to Christianity.
The higher legends, which, how
ever. do not profess to keep close
20 the original sources, except as
regards their spirit. and the man
ners Of the time are found in some
ancient lives Of St. Patrick, the
most valuable of which is the "Tri-
partite Life" ascribed by Colgan to
the century after the saints death.
The work was lost for many CEN
suries. but two copies of 1t were
rediscovered, one of which has been
recently translated by an eminent
Irish scholar, Mr.. Hennessy.
The miracles. however. recorded
m the "Tripartite Life" are neither
the most marvellous nor the most
interesting portion Of that life.
Whether regarded from the re-
iigious or philosophic point of
view, few things can be more IN
structige than the picture which 1t
3elineates OF human nature IN the
period OF critical transition and the
dawning OF the religion of peace
upon a race barbaric, but far indeed
from savage
That warlike race regarded It
doubtless as a notable cruelty when
The new faith discouraged an
amusement so popular as battle.
But in many respects they were in
sympathy with the faith. That race
vas one of which the affections as
well as the passions retained an UNI
blunted ardor. and when nature is
stronger and less corrupted it must
feel the need of something higher
than itself, its interpreter and its
supplement. II priced the family
ties. like the Germans recorded by
Tacttus, and It could but have been
drawn to Christianity.
It's morals were pure, and II had
rot lost that simplicity to which SO
much of spiritual insight belongs.
Admiration and wonder were among
is chief habits. Il desired a re-
Ngion no smaller than the human
heart itself--a religion capable OF
being not only appreciated and be-