Atlanta officially moves St. Patrick’s Day
March 7th, 2008 by Chris
Here’s the word from our local Church here, the Atlanta Archdiocese. Archbishop Gregory has decided that since St. Patrick’s Day falls on Monday of Holy Week, that the diocese will officially celebrate the holiday on the preceding Friday…and as a result, he’s also promulgated a dispensation for all Atlanta’s faithful, from the obligation to abstain from eating meat on that Friday.
How does this even make sense? Monday of Holy Week is not part of the Triduum or anything, it’s not even a day when there are typically special services scheduled at parishes? Why move the celebration to Friday? Is it just so we could have a dispensation from abstaining from meat?
Seems bizarre to me.
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3 Comments »
March 11th, 2008 at 10:43 pm
It occurred to me that perhaps he was thinking, as our pastor, to reserve Holy Week for a complete focus on our Lord and his upcoming Passion, instead of detracting from it with a celebration like St. Patrick’s Day.
March 12th, 2008 at 8:30 am
Reasonable idea…but then, why not Saturday or Sunday? Not Sunday, because that’s the Lord’s day…but how about Saturday?
March 13th, 2008 at 10:18 pm
My understanding was that the Feast of St. Joseph was already moved (or otherwise observed) on the Saturday.