| Perhaps nowhere else, in what was once Christendom, can an entire nation and its vast diaspora of descendants trace their Catholic Faith and culture — and their hope of eternal salvation — to the evangelism of a single saint. Our debt of gratitude to Saint Patrick is beyond measure.
Saint Patrick (+461) is the Apostle of Ireland and was the first bishop and archbishop of Armagh. He is also the principal patron saint of the Archdiocese of Boston.
Sent by Pope Saint Celestine I, Patrick, in a single lifetime, transformed the people of Ireland from bondsmen of death dealing Druids to disciples of the Author of Life.
As a consequence, a small island upon whose soil no Roman Legionary ever trod, would help form the character of Christendom by its leadership in the two great civilizational movements of the early Middle Ages—the preservation of the learning of Classical Antiquity, and the evangelization of Europe, known to history as the Conversion of the Barbarians.
The feast of Saint Patrick is not “a municipal festival,” as Judge Hiller B. Zobel erroneously asserted during the Saint Patrick’s Day parade case thirty-one years ago. Nor is it merely a communal celebration of ethnic pride, as one low wattage, nominally Catholic, ex-state senator once tried to tell us.
We commemorate the feast of our patron saint because he brought the Catholic Faith to Ireland, delivering that nation, and us, from the darkness of paganism, and showing us the fountains “that rise in the heart of Our Savior above.”
Only two Catholic organizations in Massachusetts in the last three decades, the Immaculate Heart of Mary School and the Catholic Action League of Massachusetts, have publicly defended the venerable name of our patron saint from sacrilegious exploitation and coarse trivialization by the enemies of Catholicity.
The silence of our bishops, priests, deacons, and religious is a terrible betrayal, which speaks to cowardice, the loss of Faith, the desire for human respect, and the malign influence of effeminacy in the ranks of the Church.
As the contemporary forces of paganism continue their assault against the Christian character of March 17th, and attempt to deform and de-Christianize our feast day, let us never forget that Saint Patrick’s Day is a Catholic holy day in honor of a Catholic Saint.
Sancte Patrice, Ora pro nobis.
O God, You deigned to send Blessed Patrick, Your Confessor and Bishop, to preach Your glory to the Gentiles; grant by his merits and intercession, that those things which You command us to do, we may be enabled to accomplish by Your mercy. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.
Collect of the Feast of Saint Patrick from the Missal and Breviary of Saint Pius V
There are only two writings of Saint Patrick extant. The first is his
Confession, while the other is his Letter to the Soldiers of Coroticus. The latter bears a prophetic relevance to the modern crisis of abortion.
In it, our patron saint exhorts Catholics to avoid all fraternization with those who participate in the willful murder of the innocent: “Therefore I ask most of all that all the holy and humble of heart should not fawn on such people, nor even share food or drink with them, nor accept their alms, until such time as they make satisfaction to God in severe penance and shedding of tears…” He goes on to warn that “The Most High does not accept the gifts of evildoers.”
When you see our modern priests, prelates, and Catholic schools giving, unlawfully, awards, honors or platforms to politicians who promote the mass killing of the unborn, please remind them of the words of Saint Patrick!
Sadly, the name of our patron saint will be misappropriated by partisans of the Culture of Death when they gather on March 19th, for the so-called “Saint Patrick’s Day Breakfast” in South Boston. These enemies of the Cross will include Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, Bay State Attorney General Andrea Campbell, U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, Congressman Stephen Lynch and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, State Senate President Karen Spilka, and Lieutenant Governor Kimberley Driscoll.
All are in favor of child killing, sodomy, the corruption of minors and the homosexualization of the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade. Warren, Markey, Healey, Pressley and Campbell are now leading the authoritarian campaign to deprive pro-life Catholics of their constitutional rights.
Sadly and repulsively, some priest or auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Boston will likely be present to devalue their evil by engaging in amicable social intercourse, and even pathetic attempts at humor, with these blood stained destroyers of the unborn and persecutors of the faithful.
Neither Scripture, nor Tradition, nor secular history record instances of the Apostles Peter and Paul, in Rome, consorting and trading jokes with Nero.
The City of Worcester has already had its Saint Patrick’s Day Parade. Among those marching, ostensibly to honor Sant Patrick, was Mayor Joe Petty, who cast a tie breaking vote in the City Council, to pass an ordinance that would force crisis pregnancy centers to commit or make referrals for abortions.
Also marching was Congressman Jim McGovern, a co-sponsor of the so-called Equality Act, which would compel Catholic physicians to perform abortions.
What a surfeit of hypocrisy it must require for these two apostates to participate in the celebration of a Catholic saint!
Once again, we are happy to present the good Sisters of Immaculate Heart of Mary School, who lightheartedly memorialized their departure from the South Boston parade with this melody to the air of “The Leaving of Liverpool”
entitled “The Leaving of Boston.” |
Happy St. Patrick’s Day 2023. It is insulting as to how the media portrays this day as only associated with drinking. Never any mention of the huge historical contributions of the Irish-Americans. I was amazed as to how much Irish-America has contributed . Even the modern submarine was invented by an Irish born person, Mr. Holland. Unfortunately the Irish have many sell out politicians on both sides of the Atlantic who have only their own interests at heart. The Republic of Ireland today has a large homeless population. Most of the homeless are Irish citizens. This while accomodations are being built for and aquired for foreign people coming to Ireland by the Irish Govt. The Dublin Government turns a blind eye to the plight of their own in favor of accomodating foreigners to please the European Union. Ireland is prosperous today. However, unrestricted foreign immigration, homelessness and rising crime rates are a problem. It’s good to help refugees. Not so good to ignore your own.
The South Boston St. Patrick’s Day/ Evacuation Day Parade has become more like a big frat party than a celebration of St.Patrick, Irish Culture and Boston history. The parade was televised on NECN yesterday. The commentators were mostly clueless. They kept on talking while bands marched by without them even being shown on the NECN coverage. I watched the NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade on WNBC. The NYC Parade still gets it right. Boston’s parade organizers should copy them.