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Show INTERESTING STUDY Of IRISH HISTORY Its Mission In. the Continent Its Early Civilization Civi-lization The Type Suited to Christian Teaching. (Written for the Intermountain Catholic.) The writer, who is a true Alemannian, has devoted de-voted considerable time, care and attention to the study of Irish ristory. Its close connection 111 ecclesiastical ec-clesiastical matters, with his native diocese, will add interest to this brief review. ... Ordained to the sac-red ministry by the bishop of St. Gall, Switzerland, which is the liueal descendant of the church established by St. Patrick in Ireland, being founded by St.Gall, an Irishman, there is naturallv a spiritual relationship between the Church 'of St. Patrick and St. Gall, both of which are firmlv attached to the See of St. Peter. To the diocese of St. Gall, by right of inheritance, belonged the famous and world-renowned Abbey of St. Gall, which was suppressed in 1S05, by the arbitrary dictation dic-tation of Napoleon Bonaparte. The saint, whose name it bears, was the apostle of Alemannia, and the successor of St. Columbanus, both disciples of St. Comgall in the monastry of Bengor, which was founded in 558. St. Patrick, who died iu 465, wrote many beautiful things of Bengor, which were verified veri-fied as years passed by. The Catholics of Alemannia have never forgotten the debt of gratitude they owe to the children of St. Patrick for planting the seed of divine faith in that country. One of its ablest historians, C. D. Greith. second bishop of St. Gall, wrote a "History of the old Irish Church," whi !ch is rcmarakle for itsv classical style and deep research of events of that early period. 'As a historian and student of mystical life but few equalled him and he was not surpassed by any contemporary writers. After his elevation to the See of St. Gall, he devoted de-voted all his energy and talents to bring the lost sheep to the unity of the one true faith. An intimate friend of Doctor Dollinger, after the breach caused by the definition of the infallibility, Bishop Greith, returning from the Vatican council, extended his journey to Munich in order to see his old friend, the illustrious" aridgtcariiistOTiaTJ,nd-win back' his allegiance to the old church. Dr. Dollinger persisted per-sisted in his obstinacy, and died outside the pale of the church. In reaching his own diocese Bishop Geith was confronted with the same schismtatic spirit, among some of his own folk, as that which had taken ta-ken possession of Dollinger and his followers. These were supported by the government. The determined effort of the liberals, backed by the iron hand of Bismarck, met its Waterloo by the united strength of the sturdy German Catholics from the North sea to the llhine. In Switzerland the bishop's hand lifted lift-ed was loyally and faithfully supported and strengthened by the clergy of the diocese. After the death of Bishop Greith, his successor, Dr. Aug. Egger, who was calm, prudent, active, ' continued the successful work of his predecessor. In 1870 the Catholic population of St. Gall was not more than 1.000. It now numbers, including its suburbs. 25,000. Its spacious cathedral, large enough to accommodate 5,000. is well filled at the three services on Sundays. The followers of Dr. Dollinger the old Catholics in the city of St. Gall, are not more than 800. The difficulty of giving giv-ing the exact number is due to the fact that when the census are taken, many enroll themselves as Catholics, in order to claim a share of the benefits bene-fits of the church. Only recently they presented a claim to the government, claiming half the revenues of the cathedral and its real estate. In the preface of the treatise on the "History of the old Irish Church," Bishop Greith says: "Since the church of St. Gall and Ireland are so closely united with each other, and up to the present, have preserved flic old faith unsullied, our people should learn a profitable lesson from Irish Catholics, and that is to defend and maintain their church and their religion against injustice and tyranny. That-church, That-church, founded and blessed by the authority of the Vicar of Christ on earth, and from the very beginning be-ginning being closely allied with the Rock of St Peter, has not only preserved the true faith, but has been zealous in propogating the inheritance left by St. Patrick in other countries. . . Injustice heaped upon a nation, as is often verified, can grow old, but justice is older than injustice, and will, in the end, gain the ascendancy, provided the nation be loyal to its faith, resists moral corruption, and preserves her character unspotted and undefiled." Those beautiful sentiments, with the history, which follows, fol-lows, have anade an indellible impression in the hearts of the faithful in the diocese of St. Gall. The work under two headings : "St. Patrick in Gaul, 2, St. Patrick's disciples in Alemannia, is subdivided sub-divided into many different and important subjects, which treat of the early civilization, which formed a most important factor of Christian teaching. The writer proves, from ancient Irish literature, that at the advent of St. atrick the Irish people . were civilized, and that their civilization, which was of different type from that Anglo Norman borrowed from Greco-Roman, was adapted to Christian influence influ-ence and teaching. The latter was devoted to material ma-terial display, pomp and dignity. Prosperity and wealth lent charm to its attractiveness, but its denial de-nial of the supernatural neutralized its power to effect ef-fect any permanent good. It engendered pride, thereby subverting Christian principles. The for' mer, based on the supernatural, appealed to all that was legal and enabling in the human heart, softened soft-ened the selfish nature of humanity, and with the milk of human kindness, which is inseparable from ' the life, teaching, and example of the Savior, its development meant' progress in peace and happiness. happi-ness. This latter added to the type which St. Patrick Pat-rick found in Ireland was one of the great sources of his great successes. Through it the smoke of sacrifice was forever quenched, idols, covered with dust of ages, were, demolished, and the druid priests 1 who held sway over the Island when he first landed, ' were supplanted Christian priesthoQii before hii death, which occurred A. I. 4"5. The apostolic ..;.; of St. Patrick found its way into the hearts of hw , ; followers. Irih nii?iouaries, bearing the torch ot faith, crossed over to Europe, and preached Chri-t , crucified to nations yet groping" in Pagan dark ness. To those missionaries my native- country h indebted for the light of the true faith, and a-; Abbot Ab-bot Ermenrich of the once famous monastry of Jich.cn has written: "How could we- ever forge the island. Ireland, whence the brightness of s: brilliant a light, and the sun of faith have come to us." These are my sentiments. G. E. |