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Show h St Patrick's Greatness n Rwr?p-5CT57riN Englishman who had 'PfflraKS toured tho United mkmi States said to an PwJrvv vSf American friend: Rh s?S "J cannot understand Wren ,l- 0,1 th0 22d of fiXfaiMiaH February I supposed thero would bo n grand national demonstration dem-onstration In honor of Goorgo Washington. Wash-ington. But nothing occurred. On tho 17th of March the city I was in was decorated In green llagB nnd Irish emblems em-blems fluttered ovorywhoro, tho hotel menu card wns In green Ink nnd tho ovenlng papor camo out In green. "Bnnds played In tho streets, men paraded, tho city pollco force and military mili-tary turned out, thero wore ballsc banquets ban-quets and public speaking. What I want to know 1b whether St, Patrick or George Washington is tho nation's patron saint." Somo Idea of how powerful a figure. St, Patrick was may bo gained by comparing tho memory of St. Patrick, born 1,535 years ago, with that of Georgo Washington, who has been dead a little more than n century. St. Patrick went Into Ireland when It wns plunged In tho darknoss of paganism. He confronted a hostllo people with a dozen assistants. Ho carried tho now civilization with him. Ho met a fighting raco and subdued It singlo-handed. His first work In" reaching a community com-munity wns to proach tho gospel In tho nntlvo tongue of tho people. This ha did with Paulino fervor and a lire of conviction which fired the heart nnd Imagination of tho people. You can look at tho work of any Irish priest to-day and sco tho duplication of St. Patrick's method. First a talk to the peoplo, then tho building of a church, then the erection of a school, nnd thon tho exhortation to practlco tho Christian virtues, tho succor of the widow and tho orphans, tho weak, tho fallen and tho aged. Patrick established universities which, by tho labor of tho InmntoB, wero self-sustaining, and to' which the youth of England (locked by thousands. Europe, during his llfotlmo, wns In conflagration. Hordes of tho north, Goths and Vandals, ravaged tho south, and tho lamp of learning, extinguished on tho continent, burned brightly In tho cloisters of tho monasteries and universities of Ireland. Patrick translated trans-lated nothing Into Irish. Ho taught tho Irish Latin nnd implanted, full born, tho civilization of Christian Ronio. Ho introduced tho arts and crafts, developed agriculture, taught Industry, application and lovo of work. Institutions Institu-tions of learning, 'churches nnd homes of religious workers, training schools and somlnarlos, wero supported, not by contributions, but by labor of tho inmates. From Idleness to Industry, from fighting to tho nrts of penco, from Druldlcal worship to Christian practlco prac-tlco and ideals, St. Patrick turned tho wholu Island by porsonnl effort nnd oxnmplo, by Incessant oxhaustlng toll. Ho died as ho lived, without tho possession pos-session of a groat. Tho arts and lotlors, sclenco nnd hlbllcnl knowledge which fled from tho continent took rofugo In tho famous schools which mado Durrow and Ar-ragh Ar-ragh tho unlvorsltles of tho west. To tho otornnl honor of Irish hospitality bo it said that thoBo thousands of strangers from ovory country in Europe Eu-rope wero not only welcomed, but supplied sup-plied gratuitously with books, clothes and food. Tho scholarship thus ongendored ro-fumlshod ro-fumlshod Europe when, a contury'a anarchy over, tho Irish missionaries hi, ... i ' - w ' i ' emerged from schools and flashed over tho chnrrcd remains of European civilization civili-zation tho sacred light of learning. So, when xho bearer of tho name Patrick, laborer nnd toller though he be, remembers that his title Is do scended from ono of tho proudest in Rome, patrician, nnd thinks In hit poverty and humility of tho nnclonl glory of his people, whoro Is thoro nc American who will not- honor In him tho survival through tho centuries ol tho prldo and learning and achlovo ment. of his ancestors, nnd, Join him on St. Patrick's day In singing "All Hnll to St. Patrick?" |
