The Irish came over to the United States in huge numbers in the mid 1800's during and after the famine. Irish priests followed in an effort to care for the souls of those who left. Most of the immigrants had lived in Irish rural settings with laws that suppressed Catholic faith practice; many of the immigrants were not well schooled in their own faith. Met here with extreme prejudice like most groups of poor uneducated immigrants, the Irish flocked together and worked hard to become Americans.
Many got a jump start to citizenship by joining in the Civil War—signing up literally right off the boat. Many of the Irish had a propensity towards tough physical labor and joined the railroads. Taking these tough jobs earned the Irish some much needed respect, but they still needed to band together to get a footing in their new home. The one occupation most of the Irish seemed to avoid was farming, having just come from the failed potato patches that their families had “leased.”
It’s pretty certain that Saint Patrick did not drive out the snakes from Ireland. But it is fairly certain that the faith of the Irish was God’s gift carried over by Saint Patrick and many others in the centuries following his mission. Patrick’s gift helped hold the Irish together in the toughest of times under the rule of the English and helped those post-famine Americans in the tenements of New York, Boston and other cities. While we, both Irish and non-Irish alike, may hold up a glass to celebrate the day, I’d like to make my own toast to the Irish priests and sisters who helped “civilize” many of us both Irish and Irish alike in the path of Saint Patrick. May the generosity and sacrifice of Saint Patrick and these good people live on another 1600 years.
No comments:
Post a Comment