ST. PATRICK'S WANDERINGS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXIII, Issue 8820, 17 March 1914, Page 6

ST. PATRICK'S WANDERINGS.

Wo all know that St. Patrick's Day comes jound as regularly on the calendar as Christmas Day, but few have ever taken the- trouble to learn why the memory of Saint Patrick is wor T shipped so much. Chambers says: "We can trace the footsteps ol fat. Patrick almost from his cradle to his <*ravo by the names of places called after him. Thus, assuming the Scottish origin, he was born at Kilpatrick , (the cell' of Patrick) in Dumbartonshire • ho resided for some time at Dalpatrick (tho district of Patrick) in Lanarkshire; and visited Crag-phadrig <the rock of Patrick), near Inverness. He founded two churches, "Kirk Patrirk " in Kircudbright, and " lvirkpatrick " in Dumfries; and ultimately sailed for Port Patrock, leaving behind him such an odour of sanctity that etnong tho most distinguished families of the Scottish aristocracy Patrick has been a favourite name down to tho prorent day. Arriving in England, he preached at Patterdule (Patrick's Valley), in .Westmoriar.d, find founded the church of Kirkpntrick in Durham. Visiiing Wales ho walked over Sarnbadrig {causeway cf Patrick), which now forms ti dargoroiif. slionl ii Carnarvon Bay; and departing for tho Continent sailed from Ll:ml>adri;i (cliurch of Patrick) in the Islo of Anglo.sea. Undertaking hit, mission to convert the Irish, ho first landed nt Innispntrick (if,lrnd of Patrick), and next at Holmpatrick, on the opposite shore of the ma in I and. in the County of Durham. PfMii-1?- nouhwu'ds. he touched at tho Tslo .^{"''NEnti. viVpA Inrispatrick. where he founded nnothcr church of Kirkpatrick, near the town of Peel. Again Inndirn; on the ccasi of Ireland, in tbo County Down, ho converted and baptised thf> _ chieftain Dichie, on his own threshing floor. He tin 1"1! nroceeded to Templepatrick in Antrim, arid from thence to a lofty mountain in jlavo, over since called Croaglrjrl! v-ick. In 7(lnst Month he founded Hio Abbpv of Dom^och-Padraig (house of Patrick), and built ? church In Dublin on the spot whore St. Patrick's Cathedral imv stands. In .in island of Lotidh Derg, in Donegal' there is "St. Patrick's Purgatory," in Leinster, "St. Patrick's Wood.", fit Cashel "St. Patrick's. Rock." ThoronTO scores of "St. Patrick's Wells," from which he drank, and ha died at, Saul, March .17, 493 A.D. ' . , • / '