Has The Feast Of Saint Patrick Lost Its Significance?

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centurionguard

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I wasn’t really sure if this should be mentioned in the Liturgical Forum
I hope no harm is done.

It’s Unfortunate, the real reason this particular feast day has such resonance with so many people has nothing whatsoever to do with its religious significance. St. Patrick’s Day, like Christmas, is a religious feast day that has lost much of its meaning due to over-secularization. Rather than a day to celebrate the life of this great British saint who evangelized the Irish, St. Patrick’s Day has become just another excuse to get drunk and tell stupid Irish jokes.

One of the biggest problems with the secular celebrations of St. Patrick’s Day is the ubiquitous presence of the leprechaun. On and around St. Patrick’s Day, this little fairy creature can be seen on the front pages of major newspapers, on greeting cards, and on televisions selling used cars, credit cards, and beer in a cheesy Irish brogue accent.

Some Catholic Churches throughout Ireland, United States and Canada will celebrated a special Saint Patrick Day Mass. But verily it’s still another Lent Day observance.

In my country Canada; Saint Patrick Day is not even an official Liturgical Feast if one looks in the Ordo even if it is celebrated amongst Irish Catholics.

But by the same token I do enjoy the rich religious symbolism behind Saint Patrick Himself.

newadvent.org/cathen/11554a.htm

religionfacts.com/christianity/holidays/st_patricks_day.htm

Peace
Chris
 
I am not trying to sound bigoted or ethnocentrist in any way. However, St. Patrick’s Day (other than the commercialized, secular celebration) has little or no significance outside the Irish Community.

Everyone has their own ethic religious celebration days. For example, for us Mexican-Americans, the major ethnic religious celebration is December 12, the Feast of the Virgin de Guadalupe. (The good thing is that it has really not become secularized. We go to daybreak Mass, sing Las Mananitas to Our Lady and have a breakfast of hot chocolate and pan dulce.)

We Americans should do more on December 8 on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception to celebrate our national patroness.

Most of us non-Irish know little about St. Patrick’s Day beyond the wearing of green, pinching those who don’t, and drinking green beer.
 
I’m Irish, too. Secular celebration of the feast day hasn’t really bothered me. I don’t celebrate it at all really. I can understand the OP’s frustration with the secular celebrations though. It has become a social holiday, much like Christmas. I wish society hadn’t gone this route. All I can do is pray and try to inform those around me about the true meaning behind these days.
 
PacoG said:
Everyone has their own ethic religious celebration days. For example, for us Mexican-Americans, the major ethnic religious celebration is December 12, the Feast of the Virgin de Guadalupe. (The good thing is that it has really not become secularized. We go to daybreak Mass, sing Las Mananitas to Our Lady and have a breakfast of hot chocolate and pan dulce.)
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I know this thread is about the Irish, but this popped out at me. Where I am, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is secularized, though still not in the manner of St. Patrick’s day. Sure, there’s a Mass (with what I call questionably-religious music) but the huge celebration after is entirely secular and it could be a party for just about anything. Nothing links it to the actual feast.

Now about St. Patrick’s, I’ve never been to the parties around here, either at local establishments or at the Irish church, so I can’t say from personal experience. However, from everything I’ve heard it’s very secular. But isn’t that what is happening to so many feasts of the Church these days? Christmas (Santa and reindeer), Easter (Rabbits and eggs), St. Patrick’s Day (Leprechauns) and so on…
 
PacoG said:
I am not trying to sound bigoted or ethnocentrist in any way. However, St. Patrick’s Day (other than the commercialized, secular celebration) has little or no significance outside the Irish Community.

Everyone has their own ethic religious celebration days. For example, for us Mexican-Americans, the major ethnic religious celebration is December 12, the Feast of the Virgin de Guadalupe. (The good thing is that it has really not become secularized. We go to daybreak Mass, sing Las Mananitas to Our Lady and have a breakfast of hot chocolate and pan dulce.)

We Americans should do more on December 8 on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception to celebrate our national patroness.

Most of us non-Irish know little about St. Patrick’s Day beyond the wearing of green, pinching those who don’t, and drinking green beer.
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Code: 
Most who truly know of Patrick's holiness know this:

"St. Patrick’s chief concerns were the raising of native clergy and abolishing Paganism, idolatry, and sun worship. He made no distinction of classes in his preaching and was himself ready for imprisonment or death. **He was the first writer to condemn all forms of slavery.**"

[webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:-3oDwZVuXrcJ:www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Saint_Patrick+st.+patrick,+first+to+condemn+slavery&cd=4&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&source=www.google.com](http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:-3oDwZVuXrcJ:www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Saint_Patrick+st.+patrick,+first+to+condemn+slavery&cd=4&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&source=www.google.com)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~  Of great assitance in his thinking such anti-slavery notions was the fact that as a boy, he had been kidnapped and enslaved, taken from Britain to Ireland by Irish savages.  He lived as a slave for around seven years, escaped at last, became an ordained priest (later bishop) and returned to Ireland, by choice, to convert the Irish.

Alone, he converted fully pagan Ireland to a nation of Catholics.
Shame on those who tarnish his memory.

Holy St. Patrick, once a slave, pray for us.  

His very early stand against slavery should have meaning for all Christians!
 
I am also of full Irish descent and have never “partied” on St. Patrick’s Day.
Indeed, our family taught us that the gift of our heritage was/is our FAITH.

We even call it “the gift of faith.”
We KNOW it’s a gift from God.
 
catharina said:
I am also of full Irish descent and have never “partied” on St. Patrick’s Day.
Indeed, our family taught us that the gift of our heritage was/is our FAITH.

We even call it “the gift of faith.”
We KNOW it’s a gift from God.
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Although not full, I am also of Irish descent. We party, but not in the normal way. We cut out green shamrocks and talk about the Trinity. We wear green and not orange. We talk about St Patrick. And we invite my father over for dinner. He is 1st generation American.👍

I have never had green beer and I have never been out drinking on March 17.
 
OK, yes, it has lost its focus on the Saint, and, yes, it’s Lent, but on the other hand, I can’t say it’s inappropriate to celebrate one’s heritage (in moderation) one day out of the year.

I’m reminded of Belloc’s quote:
“Wherever the Catholic sun doth shine,
There’s always laughter and good red wine.
At least I’ve always found it so.
Benedicamus Domino!”
Click to expand...
 
OK, yes, the day has lost its focus on the Saint, and yes, it’s Lent, but on the other hand, I can’t say I find it inappropriate to celebrate, in moderation, one’s heritage one day out of the year. We are not Puritans.

I’m reminded of Belloc’s quote (tho change “wine” to “Guiness”):

“Wherever the Catholic sun doth shine,
There’s always laughter and good red wine.
At least I’ve always found it so.
Benedicamus Domino!”
 
It is sad to me that St. Patrick’s day is, to most people, just about getting drunk from whiskey and green beer. They are supposedly proud of their heritage, but the message of the great Saint who evangelized Ireland- who taught virtue and faith- is completely lost on them.
 
For my family it’s like Second Thanksgiving.

Probably still leaning towards the secular but it’s more family-focused than parties and drinking. 🙂
 
drforjc said:
OK, yes, it has lost its focus on the Saint, and, yes, it’s Lent, but on the other hand, I can’t say it’s inappropriate to celebrate one’s heritage (in moderation) one day out of the year.

I’m reminded of Belloc’s quote:
Click to expand...
The point is, it’s not a celebration of one’s heritage, any more than Dec 12 is a celebration specific to Latinos. The appearance of Our Lady to St. Juan Diego is a cause of joy for all the Church.

Likewise, the Feast of St. Patrick is (and should be) a celebration of God’s gift of Patrick to His Body the Church.
 
yes, it is all about the green beer and the corn beef! You hardley hear anything about St Patrick and his noble works.
 
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