Tuesday, March 14, 2006
MEATLESS ST. PATRICK'S DAY
Here in Ohio the Cincinnati Archdiocese and the Cleveland diocese have been dispensed from Friday abstinence on the 17th. Not so in Columbus:
"First and foremost, we want to pay tribute to St. Patrick. It is a religious holiday."
Bishop Frederick F. Campbell agrees. He "wishes to remind Catholics of their Lenten obligations to abstain from meat on Fridays," said Carol Lowry, associate director of communications for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus.
She said she’ll have corned beef and Guinness on Wednesday and fish on St. Patrick’s Day.
Campbell, though, is willing to consider special requests, Lowry said.
For example, Monsignor John Kelly Cody, chaplain to the Shamrock Club, the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Daughters of Erin, received the limited approval for those attending the Irish Family Reunion and other organized events to eat meat.
"The bishop made a very practical, wise decision," Cody said. "You still can’t eat your bacon at home."
Continue reading...
Since I'm not Irish, and since I'm not crazy about corned beef anyway, I think I'll be cooking some kind of fish this Friday while I'm listening to Irish music on the radio.
I'm somewhat puzzled by this passage in the article about the arrangements in Columbus:
He has, however, granted a limited, special dispensation for the 5,000 people expected at the Irish Family Reunion in Veterans Memorial. Individuals also can ask their priest for a pass.
Don't believe I've ever heard of priests handing out dispensations before.
In any case, the main thrust of the article is the restaurant of Chinese "Irishman" Ken Yee, who is preparing his specialty, Chinese corned beef and cabbage for the Irish Family Reunion.
It's often said that on St. Patrick's Day everyone is Irish. Maybe after I've finished eating the fish this Friday, I'll drink a Bailey's toast to internationalism. It would be more in keeping with the Columbus celebration than toasting the Old Sod; but afterall, Ireland's most impressive saint was really a Scottish import.
