St. Patrick As A Middle Class Deacon And Tax Collector

Her father James, who was a successful businessman who had acquired considerable real estate and was a practising catholic and man of deep faith passed away when she was very young. However his strong faith servilely impacted her. His inspiring example lead Catherine to persist being a Catholic her entire life. Which meant going against all the pressures and resisting or the criticism. Catherine 's mother lacked her husbands depth of faith and was much more interested in her social status within Dublin society than her religion. It was her father who provided her with the first model of service to the poor through his involvement with those in his own community. The second death of her parent forced into becoming independant, and growing up much quicker then she would have hoped. However again this has shaped the way Catherine was, and built her strong and caring character. Looking for god in this instance help Catherine gain strength to carry on to inspire and help others along the way. “Do not put your trust in any human being, but place all your confidence in God.”(Catherine McAuley 49). Catherine was influence by religion from a very young age, which has shown significantly throughout her life. Her fathers presence in her life at a young age was still so impactful that she carried out his religion and pushed through all other temptations to convert.

During the mid-1500’s when Queen Elizabeth I was ruling there was a power struggle over the England as to what religion was going to be recognized nationally (Schultz, 2009). While England’s foundation was Catholicism, there had been a large-scale transition to Protestant style beliefs, including Queen Elizabeth I. Furthermore, with Spain still staunchly Catholic the upheaval in England was a chance for them to attempt a political coup in the name of religious fervor which ultimately failed. Consequently, after this attempt at a coup, the Queen realizing Spain’s attempt to colonize the New World tasked Sir Walter Raleigh to also start English colonies in the New World. Additionally, one reason for this was the fact that Queen Elizabeth I did not want the Spanish to convert the natives of the New World to Catholicism, and instead chose to attempt the advancement of Protestantism among other reasons (Schultz, 2009).

Christ Blessing, Surrounded by a Donor Family (1573-1582) offers valuable insight into a changing European landscape during the sixteenth century. The Protestant Reformation, which reached its climax during this era, rejected many aspects of Catholicism. Among other things, Protestants believed that each individual should read the Bible and develop a meaningful connection to G-d rather than limiting the Bible to the clergy’s interpretation.1 This Protestant belief and other tenets of the Reformers are evident in the Reformation’s art. Christ Blessing, Surrounded by a Donor Family demonstrates the manner in which the cultural shift from Catholicism to Protestantism in Northern Europe during the Reformation was reflected in that era’s art.

No matter their religion, language, or struggles they faced upon arrival in America throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the one thing all Irish had in common was their reason for leaving Ireland; the English. Whether Catholic from southern Ireland or Presbyterian from the Ulster region, the Irish were systematically oppressed by the Anglican Church of England. For those who could afford the passage, America meant freedom to worship as they chose and for the Ulster Presbyterians; recognition that their church was valid. For the southern Irish, unfortunately, during the 1800’s America was a heavily Protestant country that harbored severe suspicions of Catholics and rumors the Pope was plotting to destroy their country. This meant

Nestled among the modern skyscrapers of Midtown Manhattan, you could be forgiven for mistaking the striking Gothic architecture of St. Patrick’s Cathedral as a medieval artifact in the heart of New York City. Though not quite that old, the storied cathedral is renowned for its beautiful Neo-Gothic design and rich history. Not too many people, however, realize the true story behind one of New York City’s most iconic and celebrated landmarks. Here’s a quick look at the hidden history of the famed St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

St. Patrick of Ireland is one of the world's most popular saints. He was born in Roman Britain and when he was fourteen or so, he was captured by Irish pirates during a raiding party and taken to Ireland as a slave to herd and tend sheep. At the time, Ireland was a land of Druids and pagans but Patrick turned to God and wrote his memoir, The Confession. In The Confession, he wrote: "The love of God and his fear grew in me more and more, as did the faith, and my soul was roused, so that, in a single day, I have said as many as a hundred prayers and in the night, nearly the same. I prayed in the woods and on the mountain, even before dawn.

Irish had often lived in unhealthy and unclean tenements. Then when they arrived in America they too had faced discrimination. They had many organizations conspired against them to ensure the immigrants could not vote, or hold office (Baker 262). “In 1844 controversy arose in Philadelphia over whether Catholic children in public schools could be allowed to read from the Catholic version of the Bible rather than the King James version and other issues”(Baker 262). This caused a violent reaction of the people who were against the Irish and Catholics (Baker 262). “Catholic churches and priests were the most frequent nativist targets” (Baker 262). The Americans had thought that the Irish Catholics had used the U.S voting system to elect followers of the pope so the pope could have some power in the United States. The nativist did not just have conspiracies about the Irish but many other immigrants too (Baker 262).

When Saint Patrick began the Christianization of the Celts in 432, he empowered the development of a unique form of monastic organization. Irish monasteries meshed traditional Christianity with cultural values of the British Isles, creating the Hiberno-Saxon style of art, best known for its illuminated manuscripts of the Christian Church. Irish monks illustrated Gospels as a method of spreading the Word of God to a predominantly illiterate population. The most elaborate of these Liturgical books is the Book of Kells, a fusion of artistic styles. The book contains the four gospels, along with illuminations of the

The Protestant Reformation, throughout the middle ages, had a truly impactful effect in Europe and the Roman Catholic Church. Before the reformation, all Christians in Europe were primarily Roman Catholic; for it had dominated European civilization. Along with the priest, who provided people with forgiveness of sins, marriage, baptizing and other important duties, the Catholic Church was the “caretaker of the soul” and also owned one third of all the land in Europe. Evidently, the Catholic Church was quite powerful and had great say in a European Christian’s daily living.

At the age of 16, Patrick was kidnapped and sent to Ireland where he was a slave to look after sheep. For seven years he braved the unbearable cold days and mountainous countryside of Ireland. It was during those

One man’s powerful words would convince a nation to go to war. One man’s words echo in the ears of the Protestant church today. One man was unafraid to speak, unafraid of being drowned in the sucking vortex of power held by the medieval church: Bernard of Clairvaux. Bernard’s influence would be forever remembered after his radical ideas significantly impacted the medieval church for good, although sometimes his words convinced people to do things they never should have done. Bernard of Clairvaux's ideas about religion led to a good reformation in the church, but also to the death of thousands in the Second Crusade.

Hyde’s speech argues that the Irish had by that point indiscriminately adopted all that was English with little thought as to its value, that the Irish had “[ceased] to be Irish without becoming English.”2 He criticizes those Irish who claim to hate British dominance, yet speak only English, anglicize their Irish names, and remain ignorant of Gaelic literature. His central view is that the Gaelic language is the most important aspect of an Irish identity distinct to that of the British, and that only a return to Ireland’s native language can halt the process of Anglicization. However, he is careful not to make the claim that nothing English is of value, but emphasizes the necessity of not neglecting that which is essentially Irish.

At five feet and seven inches, a blonde hair, blue eyed adolescent woman is what people visually perceive when they first glance at me smiling while conversing with friends or sitting at a table concentrating on a task. Many times before, people expressed that I am approachable. This perception is one that I yearn to maintain; however, there is one characteristic that I prefer to enhance. In St. Patrick’s prayer, he states this, “Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left,” and he goes on to saying how Christ is there when people reflect on him and address him in conversation. This perception is one I desire. I recognize Christ in me and around

"And three Irishmen came to king Alfred in a boat without any oars from Ireland which they had left secretly because they wished for love of god to be in exile,

For a short time in Ireland many were faced with a hard decision due to the struggling with starvation in a time of famine. With this hardship many made the difficult choice to leave their country and seek refuge in the United States. The individual that I interview had family that lived in County Cork, Ireland and they decided to make the journey to the United States in hopes of a better life. Her Grandparents came to the United States through New York and changed their last name by dropping the prefix to make it more American. They moved to Cleveland and her grandfather was able to find work at chief Boyardee to support his family. Many traditions have been passed down from generation to generation. Celebration St. Patrick’s day was always an important day for this family. This was a time to eat traditional Irish food, music, and Irish folk dancing. The catholic faith is very important aspect of this