The Irish standard., 1919-03-29

anew those scattered threads of an
cient tradition and national culture
that had been severed by the Penal
Laws. The nineteenth century was
for Ireland a century of reconstruc-
ton. Slowly and painfully at first, but
with ever quickening enthusiasm, the
Irish people, like the Jews after the
captivity of Babylon, began to rebuild
the walls the enemy had thrown down.
Today as the traveller journeys through
Ireland the feature that most arrests
his attention is the abundance of her
ruins. At every turn of the road he
sees the ivied gable and the massive
broken wall. Tall, slender towers, in
terspersed with stone crosses, rise
from lonely valleys, by shining
streams, in the dark woods, on storm
swept headlands and on desolate
islands in lake and ocean. These are
the remains of schools once famous
all over Europe, the hives whence is
sued forth those swarms of learned
and holy men who from the sixth to
the ninth century won for Ireland the
title of "The Island of Saints and
Scholars" But rising from these ruins
and drawing strength and inspiration
from the sacred relics resting beneath
them are new schools and new
churches, destined to carry forward
that divine mission of evangelization
which God in special way has en-
trusted to the Irish race. A living
Irish poet has sung the glories of the
past and the vision of the future in
the following beautiful lines:
"Gone is Bangor and it's glory and the
halls of high Clonard;
Clonmacnoise hears Shannon's MUIR
muir, not the rhymes of cowled
bard.
And the sea-mew's wierd whipping
fills the caves of Edna's isle;
And the blackbird pours his fittings
round St. Keven's ruined pile.
But one monument of glory links the
present with the past;
And the royal roll of learning is made
richer by the last
While Maynooth looks to the morning
Erin's sons may boast afar
That the fame of holy Ireland is as
cending like star"
. Maynooth, All Hallows, st. Patrick's
st. Johns, st. Kieran's-these and
many others are the hope of the new
Ireland. Their names shall be as mu-
steal to the ear of generations yet un-
born, and as stirring to the heart, as
the glories we have lost. And who
shall chant the future fame of that
lovely sanctuary now rising on the
shores of picturesque Tough Corrib,
the hope Of China, the nursery of her
latest apostle-st. Columban's For
eign' Mission College?
The story of that College is famil-
lar to you all. You know how years
ago a young Irish priest working
quietly in one of the largest and
wealthiest parishes in Brooklyn re-
cefved the grace of vocation to the
foreign mission field. Meditating
much on these words of the Master,
the harvest is great but the labourers
are few" he resolved to join those
heroic men who have devoted their
lives to the evangelization of China.
Like st. Patrick of old he thought he
heard the voice Of the Chinese chill
dren calling to him from the shores
of the Yellow Sea; Eve beseech thee
oh holy youth to come and walk
amongst U.S." Renouncing the life of
comparative ease of a Brooklyn as
sistant priest he sailed for the Orient
and in due time arrived at the scene
of his future missionary labours.
There he spent six fruitful years; but
his spirit was stirred within him and
his heart was saddened at the sight