Norwich bulletin., 1920-03-18

A 6lOWlHS stI1DuL6 10 the memory Ol St. Patrick was paid by Rev. E. De l.. Mcdonnell. s. J., in an address deliv- cred at the special St. Patrick Bay service held Wednesday evening in St. Patrfclss Day service held We'd nesday evening in St. Mary'e church. North Main street. The church was crowded to the doors ana many cf the late arrivals were unable to ind seats.
 The musical programme proved feature Of the service. Many of the old familiar Irish airs were heard. The singing was especially worthy Of note. Henry LaFontaine presided. at I the organ and an orchestra of half 8 dozen pieces assisted fh the pro l gramme.
 The musical part sf the service
 opened with Emerald Isle, Langey, by the organ and orchestra and was | followed by a vocal selection, Come
 Back to Erin. by Edward Connolly,
 assisted by the organ and orchestra. l Killarney was then rendered by Miss | Sadie DriscoH and the choir was heard in The Harp That Once Through Tarra's Hall. The Minstrel
 Boy was excellently rendered by Horace Corning and his selection was | followed by a trio, Miss Sadie Dris-
 coll, Miss Eleanor Donovan and Miss Rose Malone who sang Believe Me, if All Those Endearing Young Charms. l The next number was Hail. Glorious Apostle, which was sung by John I Fontaine and choir and the choir was then heard in Veni Creator, Webber. Father Mcdonnell, in his opening
 words, referred briefly to the fact that
 it was. just 75 years ago Wednesday
 evening that small congregation
 gathered for the first service held in St. Mary's church. Father Mcdonnell
 also took occasion to compliment the
 musicians and singers for the beauti-
 ful music which opened the service
 last evening.
 He took for the text of his St. Pat , .rick's Day address the following:
 This day shall be to you for per : petual remembrance to be celebrated from generation to generation for ar l everlasting memory. Exodus.
 In his address Father M'Donnel said
 :. Every nation has it's heroes, 1t. , warriors, statesmen and scholars 1 whose memory 1t cherishes. who's, deeds it holds up for the adnnira tior and imitation of it's people. and who's praises it sings on special day se
 aside in their honor.
 And for you, the children of Erin
 have you no heroes who fought, n r martyrs who bled, no sases whi ii spoke, no bards who sang, no nobl 2 sires, no day to keep for an everlast II ing memory, no memories to cheris - but the niefnories of poverty. perse 0 cuIon and slavery's yoke?
 e No, not so. You belong to an an s' cient, time -honored race. race whie = built temples before Selomofis S tempt e was begun, whose bards sang befor n Homer was born: whose warrior : were victorious before the Roman |, landed in Gaul. A race which wa 2; civilized before the English natio s, had existence, and whose sons fousf j. to make this country free.
 } And shall we have 10 day to cele : brate? Oh. we have many days. m : brethren, but of all days, this da r. shall be tn you for an cverlastin > memory. The proudest day In u l. calendar of Erin. A day when u r. thoughts and the hearts Of the Iris
 travel back to that dear little gree
 isle beyond the seas. the flower of u
 earth, the gem of the ocean, the is
 of saints and the niobe of nation
 sitting sad and in solitude weepil le for her children that are scatter, at over all the world. It is day s ne apart to eulogize the indonitah as spirit of the 1rish, easily led, b a never driven, too often baffied b as never vanquished by triumpha l NlObSs u 10 d dd lO ICGdlI lHe na courage, their patriotism, their U III, conauerable faith and love of God, b re above all it is day to- recall | ne memory of the man whe has put I V stamp upon the Irish race and ma !. A her the glory of Gods church, : n. k Patrick.
 th St. Patrick died. but he b '+h queathed his spirit to his children, IL" heritage they have guarded and pl served to this day. It Is all that t.s left to them of their ancient glor, s The conversion of Ireland, 5ai brethren, is one of the most remar ", church. St. Patrick found Ireland T ' gan. He left it Christian. Net
 half-hearted faith did he leave it. |
 a warm. ardent devoted faith, a ia A. that has been tested by every diab Tho ical ingenuity of men and devils I ed conversion of Ireland was acco at plished, too, without the shedding 7ed one drop of blood. In all other I lue tions the faith had a baptism sph blood The Irish are the only peo am whose conversion was begun $ nes completed by one man. It cost
 blood no tears no sorrow to it's ap yes tie. NTheir faith came as naturally ys- them as the mother tongue to ved child, 1t became second natl at Churches. convents and monaste, St. were everywhere and every mon Ike. tery was a university from wh l multitudes went forth to teach ; ere convert Europe. In 232 years fl
 432 to 6s4 Ireland was the mother
 75o saints. There are 1881 IT ;.,a saints on the calendar of the chu .e,u .ena and 4177 of Irish birth.
 ritb But St. Patrick not only made lere Irish the most religious nation but The made her also the most learned by ton in the world. And the history en- the Irish monk is one of the IT day glorious pages in the annals of rch land. Their monasteries were for only throughout the whole island ela- there was a network of them cover
 Europe as well. Tn Ireland there N
 1s4 built in the fifth. sixth and S
 enth centuries, besides there were ta~ In Scotland. 13 in England, 3e af France, in Italy. 1s in German, ir st in Norway and many elsewhere, of all 11s in foreign countries. on The sixth and seventh centu sons were the golden age of Ireland were gave to it the name by which 1t t is ever been best known, The Isle 65. Saints and Scholars" So eemple
 was the Irish race converted that
 Columbus. writing to the holy see ter the death of St. Patrick, could ahes "annong us neither Jew nor Schis