The Catholic Church designates March 17th to honor Saint Patrick, who came to Ireland as a bishop, nearly 1600 years ago. As desribed by Anita McSorley, Patrick encountered a “people who still practiced human sacrifice, who warred with each other constantly and who were renowned as the great slave traders of the day.” Introducing Christianity and its concommitant respect for human life, Patrick brought about a dramatic decline in war and murder, as well as an end to the slave trade.
In subsequent centuries, Patrick's respect for human life has continued to inspire Irish heroism. While it may receive minimal coverage in American history books, Teresita Sabin explains that a group of Irish immigrant soldiers actually switched sides during the Mexican-American War: "the murdering of priests, the rape and murder of nuns, the burning of churches, often with women and children trapped inside....by the American troops must have disgusted and enraged them." At that same time, Americans defined "themselves not by what they were but by what they were not....an American was 'not a Negro, not an Indian, not a Mexican and most definitely not an Irish Catholic!'" Whether or not you agree with the action taken by "Saint Patrick's Battalion" (the San Patricios), these Irish Catholics believed that they had to stand with embattled Mexicans, as their adopted homeland was engaging in a vicious war against human life.
Teresita Sabin also tells us that "Anti-Catholic riots broke out in Philadelphia in 1844, leaving the Irish ghetto in ruins and hundreds homeless, as well as two Catholic churches burned to the ground." Just nineteen years later and 140 miles away, Irish immigrant blood flowed freely at Gettysburg, turning the direction of the American Civil War. Saint Patrick's respect for human life was continuing to cultivate abhorence to the practice of human slavery.
Tragically, the mid nineteenth century also witnessed profound cowardice by some Irish. During the "Potato Famine" or "Great Hunger", food was offered to Irish Catholics at the price of denying their religion. As explained by Katherine Nolan, "Some of the protestant charities running the kitchens demanded that people convert from Catholicism before receiving help. Those who did were derided and referred to as ’soupers’" <www.dochara.com/the-irish/food-history/the-irish-potato-famine-1846-1850/>. "Souper" has come to mean a person of Irish descent who sells out his own people and his own beliefs for material comfort.
As a co-sponsor of the rabidly pro-abortion FOCA legislation, Congressman Patrick Murphy is behaving as a modern-day "souper." You can contact Congressman Murphy at his Bristol (414 Mill Street; 215- 826-1963; 215-826-1997, fax) or Washington offices (1609 Longworth HOB; 202-225-4276; 202-225-9511, fax), or via his web site <www.house.gov/formpatrickmurphy/schedule_form.shtml>, to request that he disavow FOCA and embrace a position which cherishes all human life.
In subsequent centuries, Patrick's respect for human life has continued to inspire Irish heroism. While it may receive minimal coverage in American history books, Teresita Sabin explains that a group of Irish immigrant soldiers actually switched sides during the Mexican-American War: "the murdering of priests, the rape and murder of nuns, the burning of churches, often with women and children trapped inside....by the American troops must have disgusted and enraged them." At that same time, Americans defined "themselves not by what they were but by what they were not....an American was 'not a Negro, not an Indian, not a Mexican and most definitely not an Irish Catholic!'" Whether or not you agree with the action taken by "Saint Patrick's Battalion" (the San Patricios), these Irish Catholics believed that they had to stand with embattled Mexicans, as their adopted homeland was engaging in a vicious war against human life.
Teresita Sabin also tells us that "Anti-Catholic riots broke out in Philadelphia in 1844, leaving the Irish ghetto in ruins and hundreds homeless, as well as two Catholic churches burned to the ground." Just nineteen years later and 140 miles away, Irish immigrant blood flowed freely at Gettysburg, turning the direction of the American Civil War. Saint Patrick's respect for human life was continuing to cultivate abhorence to the practice of human slavery.
Tragically, the mid nineteenth century also witnessed profound cowardice by some Irish. During the "Potato Famine" or "Great Hunger", food was offered to Irish Catholics at the price of denying their religion. As explained by Katherine Nolan, "Some of the protestant charities running the kitchens demanded that people convert from Catholicism before receiving help. Those who did were derided and referred to as ’soupers’" <www.dochara.com/the-irish/food-history/the-irish-potato-famine-1846-1850/>. "Souper" has come to mean a person of Irish descent who sells out his own people and his own beliefs for material comfort.
As a co-sponsor of the rabidly pro-abortion FOCA legislation, Congressman Patrick Murphy is behaving as a modern-day "souper." You can contact Congressman Murphy at his Bristol (414 Mill Street; 215- 826-1963; 215-826-1997, fax) or Washington offices (1609 Longworth HOB; 202-225-4276; 202-225-9511, fax), or via his web site <www.house.gov/formpatrickmurphy/schedule_form.shtml>, to request that he disavow FOCA and embrace a position which cherishes all human life.
REFERENCES
Library of Congress. Co-sponsors of H.R.1964 <http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:HR01964:@@@P>
McSorley, Anita. The Saint Patrick You Never Knew <www.americancatholic.org/messenger/mar1997/feature1.asp>
Mexico honors Irish-American Saint Patrick’s Brigade (San Patricios) <http://mexicotrucker.com/mexico-honors-irish-american-saint-patricks-brigade-san-patricios>
Nolan, Katherine. The Irish Potato Famine 1846-1850 <www.dochara.com/the-irish/food-history/the-irish-potato-famine-1846-1850/>
McSorley, Anita. The Saint Patrick You Never Knew <www.americancatholic.org/messenger/mar1997/feature1.asp>
Mexico honors Irish-American Saint Patrick’s Brigade (San Patricios) <http://mexicotrucker.com/mexico-honors-irish-american-saint-patricks-brigade-san-patricios>
Nolan, Katherine. The Irish Potato Famine 1846-1850 <www.dochara.com/the-irish/food-history/the-irish-potato-famine-1846-1850/>
