Norwich bulletin., 1921-03-19
NORWICH PRIESTS ELoQUENCE y CHARMS SCRANTON AUDIENCE

! NhAh1AS 6OhAN1O r. Rev. William A. Keefe. pastor of St. l Mary's church, this city, was one of the | principal speakers at the annual banquet l of the Irish-American society, held at l Scranton, Pa.,. on Wednesday evening ] March 16, with an. attendance of more I than 500, and which the Scranton Morn l ing Republican describes in these words: 1 Tn brilliancy, in the number of u-sts, l in the. very character ot its programme, l the dinner was one of the biggest in re- l cent lyears,"
 l., The list of speakers was 2 notl5le one, fncluding in addition to Fat1er Keefe, that brilliant orator, former United States I Senator Thomas P. Gore of Oklailoi'a. Prof. M. J. Costello and Attorney T.. Li- lnps Hoban. Commenting upon ;heA Mad l dress delivered by Father keefe 'the
 Scranton Republican has this to say:
 Few after-dinner speeches heard in
 Scranton in years rivalled that If Father William A. Keefe. of Norwich, Conn. . who, responded to the toast, Irish ideals Time and again he reused his aud ence to applause as he told of the patriotiSr-
 of Irishmen and their 1e5cendants. He
 spoke in. part as follows:
 e'::St Patrick's ideals.' said Fathe: ;-I keefe, 'hayn inspired or inhueac9d every
 hero and, all the heroism of Christian
 Irish history. Irish ideals of St. Patricl inspired St. Finian and -Kerwin anC
 Brendon and armies of monks and nun
 Ito build the ancient schools and college 1 lfor71the education of tens of thoISand
 from every country and earn d for th : land of our ancestors the glorious title o Isle of Saints and Scholars Irish ideal
 made Robert Emmett and Lord Edwar
 Fitzgerald and thousands of noble Irish
 men regret that they had but one life t f 1 give. for their country, inspired to elo q quence of Gratten and Curran and Mea y gher and made Daniel O'Connell tn q. emancipator. of seven million of the no l. blest patriots of his time. Every fair e. minded lover of liberty today and dur e ing the centuries to come must write tn l. names of Terence McSwiney and K Bar
 " and Whalen and Doyle and Flood an n the Ryans in letters of gold high ,, isl among the worlds most heroic martyrs ,f patriotic idIaIs.- ..- =, Our countryy the greatest country i y, the world said Father K6efe. can nev, t-1 estimate the value of Irish ideals in tf Y, defense and development of liberty an Irish generosity helped to 1 $ t1ance the campaigns of General Geors
 Washington, with liberal donations fro
 Dominic Lynch, Thomas Fitzsimmons ar Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of New YoI V and Philadelphia
 z. Sons of the Emerald Isle fought vii T, Shields and wore blossoms of blood ( 9O sprigs- of green with Meaghen at Mary ed Heights. They raised the Star SpanEl eu Banner up among the clouds at Looko Xs Mountain. us Future historians will tell that wh
 Marshal Haig. announced almost In d ra; spair that defeat seemed to stare the or lies in, the face and he stood with T It paek against the wall, fighting. his Ia ne battle against Prussian autocracy, Anne
 ican regiments filled with Irish blood a we Irish bravery turned. the tide at Chatea " ThierrS. broke the Hindenburg line, SC H. 1the Germans on the run back across nd erans iron, defeat . nd never stor,,,S r .:. til the Star Spangled Banner waved Q,
 Cobfenz an1 Metz.
 My friends" declared Father Re, ;S In conclusion ,''let us as Americans ts he an inspiration from our reflection on IF ,.I ideals. Irish blood flows in our va nt. and Irish ideals Q re our ideals Put gie wonderfully heroic. spirit of patriotic Ir itc tnartyrs into .our loyalty to America ri peace as well as in war. Put the rl iod and purity of Irish saints and virc Ia into every department of American r ,te l.Nate and public, life. Put the unfiin ,r, ing eonstancy of the Irish defenders :. St. Patrick's ideals into our business 2 aye education and politics Make our co- u- try the mightiest and best in the worlt ,as make, our flag the most. expected in na world"
 et- Earlier in the day Fa.h"r Kcefe V
 the guest of honor at St. Patrick's {
 luneheon given, by the Scranton Xiv,
 fans. which was enjoyed by nearly
 .. members of the club.