St. Patrick's Day causing Catholic dilemma

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cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayoflife/02/20/catholic.conflict.ap/index.html

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – That famous saint named Patrick will have his green-drenched party this year, but it’s unclear when the guests are supposed to arrive.
http://i.l.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/2.0/mosaic/base_skins/baseplate/corner_wire_BL.gif

For the first time since 1940, St. Patrick’s Day will fall during Holy Week, the sacred seven days preceding Easter.
Because of the overlap, liturgical rules dictate that no Mass in honor of the saint can be celebrated on Monday, March 17, according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
 
IMO, the way the US celebrates St. Patrick’s Day cannot, in any way, be considered religious in nature. Today, it is seems to be used as a reason to get drunk. :mad:
 
WanderAimlessly said:
IMO, the way the US celebrates St. Patrick’s Day cannot, in any way, be considered religious in nature. Today, it is seems to be used as a reason to get drunk. :mad:
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I also agree to a point. It seems here that it’s all about the corned beef and cabbage - which is only a US made up tradition and no connection to Ireland - so our Irish forum members informed us for the past few years.

Oh and heaven help the years it falls on a Friday - people in the US freak out).

It’s an occasion for debauchery - no thought of the Saint or a thought to a religious connection. We even put green dye in beer.

It’s just a shame.
 
jrabs said:
I also agree to a point. It seems here that it’s all about the corned beef and cabbage - which is only a US made up tradition and no connection to Ireland - so our Irish forum members informed us for the past few years.

Oh and heaven help the years it falls on a Friday - people in the US freak out).

It’s an occasion for debauchery - no thought of the Saint or a thought to a religious connection. We even put green dye in beer.

It’s just a shame.
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I am probably gonna make a lamb shank that day. Lamb (actually Mutton) is one of the main meats of Eire.
 
WanderAimlessly said:
I am probably gonna make a lamb shank that day. Lamb (actually Mutton) is one of the main meats of Eire.
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Yes, and unlike many people celebrating that day - you will actually give much thought and praise to God and ask for prayers from St Patrick.
 
jrabs said:
I also agree to a point. It seems here that it’s all about the corned beef and cabbage - which is only a US made up tradition and no connection to Ireland - so our Irish forum members informed us for the past few years.

Oh and heaven help the years it falls on a Friday - people in the US freak out).

It’s an occasion for debauchery - no thought of the Saint or a thought to a religious connection. We even put green dye in beer.

It’s just a shame.
Click to expand...
Corned beef and cabbage isn’t a made-up tradition. It’s an Irish-American tradition. When the Irish were among the very poorest Americans, and the poorest of the city people, corned beef was the least costly red meat in most urban areas. The Irish celebrated St. Patrick’s Day by stewing a few scraps of corned beef so they could have something festive with the cabbage and potatoes they lived on. St. Patrick’s Day became what it is in the US for a very real reason. Hardly anyone dyes beer. That’s kind of a sports bar thing, and those guys will dye anything and wear anything silly. Peek in at them on a game day.
What upsets me is the leprechaun posters and ad themes all through early March. Dancing ugly leprechauns saying stereotypically “Irish” things and giggling. I don’t see anything like that for any of the other ethnic festivals we have arounfd here. The Cinco de Mayo, Chinese New Year an Oktoberfest posters are very respectful, for a few examples. Oh, well.
 
WanderAimlessly said:
I am probably gonna make a lamb shank that day. Lamb (actually Mutton) is one of the main meats of Eire.
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Great idea! I don’t like corned beef and cabbage and was thinking of having pasta that day but a leg of lamb on the grill sounds very good.
 
Dandelion_Wine said:
cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayoflife/02/20/catholic.conflict.ap/index.html

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – That famous saint named Patrick will have his green-drenched party this year, but it’s unclear when the guests are supposed to arrive.
http://i.l.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/2.0/mosaic/base_skins/baseplate/corner_wire_BL.gif
For the first time since 1940, St. Patrick’s Day will fall during Holy Week, the sacred seven days preceding Easter.
Because of the overlap, liturgical rules dictate that no Mass in honor of the saint can be celebrated on Monday, March 17, according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Click to expand...
I hardly think that Saint Patrick will take issue with giving up a day for his Lord and Savior. :rolleyes:

I think this is wonderful actually - all the more occasion to understand sacrifice. Wow - one year without green beer and drunkenness. :rolleyes:

~Liza
 
strngrnrth said:
Corned beef and cabbage isn’t a made-up tradition. It’s an Irish-American tradition. When the Irish were among the very poorest Americans, and the poorest of the city people, corned beef was the least costly red meat in most urban areas. The Irish celebrated St. Patrick’s Day by stewing a few scraps of corned beef so they could have something festive with the cabbage and potatoes they lived on. St. Patrick’s Day became what it is in the US for a very real reason. Hardly anyone dyes beer. That’s kind of a sports bar thing, and those guys will dye anything and wear anything silly. Peek in at them on a game day.
What upsets me is the leprechaun posters and ad themes all through early March. Dancing ugly leprechauns saying stereotypically “Irish” things and giggling. I don’t see anything like that for any of the other ethnic festivals we have around here. The Cinco de Mayo, Chinese New Year an Oktoberfest posters are very respectful, for a few examples. Oh, well.
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Thank you! You have affirmed my post.
Yes - it is an Irish American made up thing. Not what the Irish eat. Most American have no idea that’s not authentic Irish food.
Take away the corned beef and people get ticked.

Yes - bars do dye beer green. And your summary about the bar scene is exactly what I am talking about. It is a beer drinking fest - no longer the feast of a saint.
 
jrabs said:
Thank you! You have affirmed my post.
Yes - it is an Irish American made up thing. Not what the Irish eat. Most American have no idea that’s not authentic Irish food.
Take away the corned beef and people get ticked.

Yes - bars do dye beer green. And your summary about the bar scene is exactly what I am talking about. It is a beer drinking fest - no longer the feast of a saint.
Click to expand...
Yes, but I wanted to make it clear that there are real, historic reasons for the Irish-American communities’ way of celebrating and that the sports bars aren’t the standard for that. The kind of bars, restaurants and meeting centers that play Irish music etc. don’t oten dye beer. I’ve never tasted green beer in my life and have no idea how many St. Patrick’s Days I had celebrated before I ever heard of green beer.
In the 19th Century before the Civil War, it was extremely hard for Irish people and their kids to get work they could live by, a place to live where they weren’t gagging on a lot of strangers’ infected coughing and bugs, and a meeting place. They could only rarely have their social support netwroks meet in a hotel or hall as could the Germans, Danes, Swedes, French and others, so they walked home from Mass together on special occasions. To make the walk last long enough to give everyone a chance to do business and find help with all sorts of problems, they turned it into a winding parade with stops at bars, which were cheaper than restaurants and more likely to let them in. To buy someone a drink on St. Patrick’s Day became a way of showing a willingness to help that person with anything needed. It still has that significance in some parts.
 
My litergy calendor still marks St. Patrick’s day as the 17th but it won’t be observed. St. Joseph’s feast day is another one the holy week interupts, it’s marked at 15th instead of the 19th this year.

I was born on the 18th and for the first time in my life my birthday doesn’t fall between St. Patrick’s day and the feast of St. Joseph.
 
IMHO…some of the condemnation and outrage regarding the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day is a little over-the-top. You could say similar things about many of our holidays - the overcommercialization of Christmas and focus on Santa rather than Our Lord, the focus on the Easter Bunny rather than Our Risen Lord, etc.

The way secular America celebrates a Catholic holiday should not be a concern to us. What is more important is how we, as Catholics, celebrate those holidays.

Just my two cents.

And now…bring on the Irish smilies!

:irish1: :irish2: ☘️ :irish3: :kissme: :shamrock2:

And, three cheers for Fr. McGivney…may his cause for sainthood be advanced! :knight1:

Okay…I think that is my smiley limit. 😛
 
We’ll probably celebrate the same way we do every year that it doesn’t fall on Friday: beef stew flavored with Guinness (instead of red wine), Irish soda bread, and a cold Guinness to wash it all down. When it falls on Friday, we wash down our fish and chips with Guinness. 😃
 
SeekerJen said:
We’ll probably celebrate the same way we do every year that it doesn’t fall on Friday: beef stew flavored with Guinness (instead of red wine), Irish soda bread, and a cold Guinness to wash it all down. When it falls on Friday, we wash down our fish and chips with Guinness. 😃
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I gave up alcohol for Lent, so…alas…no Guiness on St. Patrick’s Day. It will have to wait for Easter. The stew sounds like a plan though (alcohol is cooked out).👍
 
Our parish, Old St. Patrick’s in Chicago, kicks off the Chicago Civic St. Patrick’s celebration before the parade on March 15. One of the the Cardinal’s auxiliaries will celebrate the Mass (although Cardinal George has celebrated it in the past). No dilemma here. Since Mayor Daley the First brought the parade back downtown, the day always starts with Mass at my church.

John
 
rlg94086 said:
IMHO…some of the condemnation and outrage regarding the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day is a little over-the-top. You could say similar things about many of our holidays - the overcommercialization of Christmas and focus on Santa rather than Our Lord, the focus on the Easter Bunny rather than Our Risen Lord, etc.

The way secular America celebrates a Catholic holiday should not be a concern to us. What is more important is how we, as Catholics, celebrate those holidays.

Just my two cents.

And now…bring on the Irish smilies!

:irish2: ☘️ :irish3: :shamrock2:

And, three cheers for Fr. McGivney…may his cause for sainthood be advanced!

Okay…I think that is my smiley limit. 😛
Click to expand...
👍 :irish2:
.
 
strngrnrth said:
To buy someone a drink on St. Patrick’s Day became a way of showing a willingness to help that person with anything needed. It still has that significance in some parts.
Click to expand...
The great thing about St. Patrick’s Day is its inclusiveness - everybody wears green and pretends to be Irish and I always had the feeling that people who really are Irish welcomed the rest of us.
 
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