St. Patrick's Day.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3811, 16 March 1881, Page 2

St. Patrick's Day.

To-morrow being the day set apart in memory of the patron saint of Ireland, it will be kept as a holiday on the Thames. The principal attraction tomorrow will be the races at Parawai. A. rifle match will take place between the the Wairoa visitors and a local team, and in the evening a ball will be held in the Academy of Music, under the auspices of the Naval Brigade, in honor of Carbine Cnampion Armstrong. To the ball the Wairoa visitors are to be invited. A ball will held in the Oddfellows" Hall, Shortland. Services will be held in the Roman Catholic Church, Willoughby street, and the members of the Hibernian society will as usual attend in regalia. To the Miranda the Enterprise 'will leave on an excursion at 7 a.m., so that many opportunities are offered for our citizens to enjoy a holiday. ST. PATBICK. The following particulars—principally extracts from old writers—relating to St. Patrick, may be of interest to the curious in such matters: —

The first effort made to convert the Irish was by Palladius, in the beginning of the sth Century. We are aware that attempts have been made to prove that Palladius was not the first who endeavoured to do this, but the documents supporting this have been proved to be vile forgeries of the 12th Century. St. Patrick succeeded Palladius in the year 432. 'It has been generally held that St. i Patrick was, bom in Scotland. This has, however, beWn questioued very strongly,' more especially during the present century; but impartial investigations show that however much people may try to claim the high honor of so great an apostle being a countryman of theirs, yet the preponderance of evidence»is in favor, of Scotland being his country. The place of his birth in Scotland is pointed out as Kilpatrick, on the Clyde. The tradition of that being the place has been handed down from father to son, and from generation to generation. Of dourse the question of what countryman he was is not a matter of very great importance, and though not really worth arguing about, it is only natural there should be a--■■strong desire to know as much as possible about the life and birthplace of this great and successful missionary. Moshiem, the celebrated and impartial German ecclesiastical historian, writing (150 years ago) in his history; gives the following brief account of St. Patrick— V. century, chap, v, vi.—" Celestine, the Eoman Pontiff, sent Palladius into Ireland.to propagate the Christian religion among the rude inhabitants of that island. The first mission was not attended with much fruits, nor did the success of Palfadius bear any proportion to his laborious and pious endeavours. After his death the same Pontiff employed in this mission Succathus, a native of Scotland, whose name he charged into that of Patrick, and who arrived among the Irish in the year 432. The success of his ministry, and the number and importance of his pious exploits, stand upon record as undoubted proofs not only of his resolution and patience, but also of his dexterity and address. Having attacked with much more success than his predecessor the errors and superstitions of that uncivilised people, and brought great numbers of them over to ihe Christian religion, he formed, in the year 472, the Archbishopric of Armah, which has ever since remained the Metropolitan See of the Irish nation. Hence the famous missionary, though not the first who brought among that people the light of the Gospel, has yet been justly entitled the apostle of the. Irish and the father of the Hibernian churches, and is still generally acknowledged and revered in that honorable character."