The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-03-18
Cross Discusses
 Life of St. Patrick
Governor Appears Before Bridgeport Society and Traces
 Career of Patron Saint

Governor Cross delivered an ad- dress on St Patrick before the Friendly Sons of St Patrick at the Stratfeld hotel, Bridgeport last night. The most significant thing in the address was the fact that unlike many others who talk on the same subject, his excellency admitted at the outset that he was not familiar with the life work of the patron saint of Ireland. and that his prin- cipal knowledge of the great preach- CT was that he had driven the snakes out of that country. He also showed that even the authors he had studied were not too familiar with the writ ten records as they have come down to the people. because while the governor stated that St Patrick left no written documents, yet the fact remains that the full story of his life may be easily gleaned from what is known as 'The Confessions of St Patrick, in which complete story of his whole career Is recounted. But on the whole, the governor did well and In making the admission that he had "only general notion. of the man who was the subject of his dis course, and that in going to the meeting he was actuated by a desire to learn more about the life and ca- reer of St Patrick, he made 1t plain to his audience that the subject had not entered into his studies during his long years as a college professor.
 The governor said in part. "One of the considerations that prompted me to accept your invitation is that 1t gave me an opportunity to learn more about the life and career of St Patrick. I confess that I have had only general notion that many of us do have-that he was the patron saint of Ireland, that he was sup- posed at some time or other to have driven out the snakes from that in- teresting little island, and that every year on March 17th, wherever there are English speaking people on the face of the globe, Irishmen meet and honor the good St Patrick.
 "Elbert Hubbard said that the only way to learn is to teach. I have found this to be quite true, and so l learned in getting ready to say something to you. have learned that, while the main facts of St Pat rick's life are we'll vouched for, the details are shrouded in mystery and almost all that has been written about him are myths and legends.
 We all know when Columbus dis covered America-1492. This is a uoeC any SCHooi uOy HaS no uliHculty in remembering. We'll, it was more than thousand years before this date, the year 463 to bo exact, that St Patrick died. The date of his death was March 17th, and it is the date of his death and not the date of his birth and that is being celebrat- ed. He is supposed to have died March 17th 463.
 "The day of his birth, even the ex- act year, is uncertain. Indeed, his bioyraphers are not agreed as to the place of his birth. The most useful and instructive of all the publica- tions of the 18th century concerning the apostle of Ireland was written by Whitley Stokes, an English scholar.
 This author says St Patrick was born in 373. Father Barry and other authorities say 378. You can take your choice, but either date is near enough for evidence shows absolute ly that his birth was about then.
 He was born in Britain, then part of the Roman empire, probably in tho colonial town of Deva, now Chester. He was the son of Calpur- nius and Concessa. His father was a Briton and was a Roman citizen and was decurion or member of the municipal council of a Roman town.
 '.St Patrick was given two names as was t4e custom for Britons of his class who were freemen of the Roman empire.
 sIIe had the Roman name of Pa- tricius and the Brfton name of Sucat. In thus being double-named he was like the Apostle Paul, who bore 8 Roman as we'll as a Jewish name from his youth up. 1
 He was educated in the Christian faith and learned the scriptures. freebooters landed on the coast near Patrick's home and he was carried into captivity in Ireland-'to the ul- innate places of the earth as he himself said.
 Here for six years he was slave, doing the bidding of his lord, herd ing his droves of pigs, and tending his fiocks and cattle. While he thus ate the bitter bread of bondage, a profound spiritual change came over him. He had never given much thought to his religion, but now that he was thrall amid straEaers,- The Lord he says, opened the sense of my unbelief.' The ardor of religious emotion, the love and fear of God,' So fully consumed his soul that in single day or night he would offer hundred Lrayers.
 .'He finally made his escape; reached the coast of Ireland just as ship was about to sail. He ob- tained passage and set sail from the shores of Ireland in the rough conn pany of its crew.
 Where they landed is not known, but 1t is interesting to note one of the stories that has come down to us. They journeyed through some land for days. Their food ran short and at last starvation threatened them; many of their dogs were ex- hausted and left to die by the way-1 side. Finally the shipmaster said to Patrick-'Now. oh Christian, thou sayeth thy God is great and al- mighty Why then dost thou not pray for us? For we are in danger