The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-03-17
"sT. PATRick'S DAY IN THE
M0PNiNtU

I
Christ, the Redeemer, and the teach
ings OF Christianity to their island
honest. Patrick. OF blessed memory.
While the birthplace of Patrick is
somewhat clouded by doubt, some au-
thortries claiming that he was of Scot
tish origin, while others contend he
was native of France, it is agreed
that he was brought captive to Ireland
WHEN about 1T years of age by band
of Celtic Adventures, and there sold
into slavery, from which bondage he
escaped and, making his way to
Erance, studied for and was admitted
to the priesthood about 440 A. d.
During Patrick's involuntary resi-
,dence in Ireland while a slave, he
recognized the many good qualities of
the people and is said by some author
tiles to have studied with the intention
of returning to Ireland and converting
| its people to Christianity. After re-
ceiying holy orders he, therefore, APP
piled to and was granted permission by
Pope Celestin to visit that country as
a missionary and, with a few fellow
! Christians, landed in the north Of Ire
land and journeyed southwark toward
the palace of the principal Irish mon
arch Of that period, King Leogare, at
| Tara, where Patricks first great SER
mon was delivered At that time the
Irish Cor Celts) were highly civilized
race, with a code of laws that ante
| dated the birth of Christ by 1000
years, known as Celtic law, and a
wealth of native literature and music.
The Druids had charge of the spiritual
welfare OF the people, and were the
only Druids In Europe who committed
their ideas or teachings to writing,
there existing at the present day over
100 stones (called orgroms) on which
are engraved in the ancient Celtic al
phabet astronomical calculations of
great accuracy which were fashioned
by the men of those days.
II was Easter Sunday morn when
Patrick with his followers came in
sight OF the palace of King Leogare
and, following the custom of the early
Christians, lighted q paschal fire.
Now. it seems that on this particular
day it was the custom to kindle no
fires in Ireland until the fires on Tara
hill were lighted and certain ceremon-
les carried out. SO, when the king saw
the smoke from Patrick's fire, he had
him brought to the palace. where the
court, Druids and people had assem-
bled. In explaining his reason for
lighting the fire. Patrick first told Of
the birth, crucifixion and resurrection
of the Savior, and preached to such
good purpose that the leading Druid,
Dubtarch by name, embraced Chris
tianity, as did most of the persons who
heard the powerful, inspired sermon of
the young foreign priest whom from
that day to this, some 10 centuries
later, has been held in generation. and
always shall be so long as a true son
of Erin survives.
While the king gave Patrick atten-
ton, some of his attendants protested
that the latter's description of the
Trinity was unreasonable, claiming
that there could not be three persons
in the one God Thereupon Patrick
stopped and, picking a shamrock from
the ground, called attention to the fact
that three distinct parts or leaves were
firmly united to common stem, and
thus satisfied the Irish that his posi-
tion was logical. The shamrock has
since been the symbol of the Trinity
by the Irish, and is held in great es-
TEEN for the part it played in the con-
version of the race.
For many years Patrick preached
the gospel throughout the land and
succeeded in converting the people by
thousands, and is said to have been
the most successful missionary that
ever left Rome. He was appointed
first archbishop of Armagh, and died
about 400 A. d. Owing to the dis
fy.r ~ Ia fVxr n
later centuries, when Ireland felt the
full force of the invader and tyrant's
heel, st. Patrick's burial place is an
doubt, both Armagh and Downpatrick
claiming TO be the place of his sepul-
ture.
Shortly after the death OF Patrick,
noted Christian teachers were sent out
from Ireland who had received their
general education and religious train
ing IN monasteries which had been es-
tablished, some OF these institutions
numbering their students by the thou
sands. Prominent among these were
St. Gaul, missionary to Switzerland;
st. Boniface. who re-established the
church in Germany; st. Virginius. and
q host of others who visited countries
of Europe that had beeen overrun by
barbarians, and carried the message
first brought to their forbears by Pat
rick later patron saint of the Emerald
Isle.
Owing to political conditions which
have existed in Ireland for 700 years.
large numbers of her sons and daugh-
tiers have been scattered to every civil
nzed country on the globe, and have
taken root and become identified with
the soil of the country of their adop-
ton. 1t may be said in passing, how
ever, that the descendants of these
Irish exiles have been taught to revere
the memory of their great religious
'benefactor and teacher, and that today
-"St. Patrick's Day in the Mornin'"
will be fittingly celebrated wherever
two Irishmen meet.