Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-03-17
Eh1uR5 Rcz
JIM BISHOP:
REPORTER
About Saint Patrick on His Day

Saint Patrick was not an Irishman. Much of the
knowledge about him is not precise but the scholars
believe that the patron of the Emerald Isle born in
England His father Latin and subject of Rome
His Calpurnius and. in the region of Liver
Patrck's real Patricius Magonus Sucatus. He
was born in SS9 and his grandfather was priest.
PatriciuS IA when he carried of by Irish
raiders slave. He served master who had estate
Ballymena in County Antrim The boy a pagan
He believed in nothing. The work in which he engaged
was the tending of sheep.
1t was lonely labor After time Patricus felt that
he could not 1t God The boy learned to in
the best way-not by reciting formal prayers but by
opening his heart MY spirit was stirred up Patrcus
said later, $50 that in single day said as many as
hundred prayers and at night nearly as many. "
Youth Receives Warning
He was an oxstrong boy of 20 when he heard voice
warning him to for brave effort" which would
bring him home He travelled 200 miles to bay he saw
in his dream and boarded ship he had never seen
The ship sailed down the Irish Sea and after three days
beached on strange shore.
The captain the sailors and Patrcus walked for 80
days through sand and forests and in hot sun and chill
Of night The men starved The captain demanded to
permit to die of hunger. The young man prayed
for food In the morning herd Of wild pigs crossed
their path The men stayed two days slaughtering and
cooking and eating
They found wild honey and water. When they
reached town. Patrcus learned that he not home.
He was in France He stayed awhile and worked At the
age Of %, he reached his home in England
More Voices Heard
Here again he heard voices. He certain that
illness and they did not bid him to do bad things They
and they begged him to come back to Ireland
and walk among them in holiness"
He first went to France and studied for the priest
hood. He wanted to be a. missionary in Ireland. The
had sent Paladiu there but this bishop died within
year. That is why when Patricius ready to under
take his labors he not only priest but bishop as
we'll.
Patricius was 43 when he set his foot on the greenes
sod From this point history is confused with legend
1t sound that he began preaching Jesus Chris
and Christian doctrine in Ulster At Tara he pitted hi
faith against the so-caled magic Of the druid priests
and Pacius did SO well that King Laoghaire permitted
him to continue his work evangelist
At every other turn in the road Patricius had to gh
the drds He ducked flying spears and fled fire and over
turned big idol at Crom Cruach in Letrm With simple
shamrock, the bishop converted two daughters Of knt
to Christianity.
Disciples Gathered
He preached up and down the coasts and inland. Like
his Master he gathered disciples and they preached
converted Parcus ola and broken in health but hi
lived to big cathedral at Armagh and small churche:
in many towns and he the decline of the drds too
PatricuS, to his love and his humility, went
to the top of Mount Agl and remained there 40 days
and 40 nights fasting THE birds were trouble to him
and he could not the face of the heavens the earth
the sea-" From the summit he blessed the people OF
Ireland, who his people.
He died in 461 at the age of 70 There is record
that he drove the snakes from the land However, 1t
certain that in 90 Of work Saint Patrick
baptized people than John the Baptist and preached
to many people than his Master did in three years
told this story to my family. They come from the
counties Wexford and Cork from the banks OF the Slaney
and the Lee. They the Murphys and the Bishops
and the McSwiggens They listened in silence and, when
I finished of them said "A good story, that
one" There silence and then said speaking
for the Others And word of it true except that
the good saint from England That's dom le'
Copyright. Syndicate
Wednesday,: cheOsO editor in the Yid days.