St Patrick's Day

As a student, St Patrick's Day was great fun. After Mass around lunchtime it would be time to go down to the rammed Dog and Partridge for a few pints of Guinness. The afternoon would roll into the evening and celebrations would continue with fantastic live music inside a massive tent erected right in the middle of Sheffield. It was great fun, especially mingling with the local Irish community. Then usually on the following night there would be a party at the chaplaincy.

I realise now, however, that despite this being a great feast day for people not just in Ireland but in Great Britain as well, many just use it as an excuse to get drunk and prance about.

On Tuesday I had a day off to go and see Arsenal v Hull City at the Emirates Stadium in London (I'm still livid about us losing 1-2 in very controversial circumstances). I went to Westminster Cathedral for confession and Mass. You could tell there were plenty of Irish people there because everyone around me was about three lines ahead when reciting the responses and prayers! Then I went over the road to Ha Ha's and enjoyed a fantastic Irish stew for lunch.

Then I headed closer to the ground for a pint or two. On seeing hundreds of people stood outside pubs with pints of whatever, I was reminded how tacky St Patrick's Day has got. Men and women of all ages wearing either Ireland rugby, football or Gaelic football shirts were swaying and singing out of tune to a classic Pogues number on the music player. Tacky badges and those stupid Paddy hats you get if you buy a certain number of Gunniess' were being worn in abundance. Individuals, some of who (including myself) hardly have an Irish bone in their body, clearly out of it by 4pm in the afternoon.

I'm not trying to deny people a drink on St Patrick's Day. After all, I've been guilty on plenty of March 17's for having far too many. But what does annoy me is the realisation that most celebrating probably couldn't give a monkeys about the great saint himself. It's a cultural thing, it's cool to be Irish for a day etc.

The most important thing about Tuesday was celebrating the ministry of St Patrick, a bishop who converted thousands back to Christianity, built churches and performed many miracles. It was also about asking for St Patrick's intercession to help us to become closer to Christ. And, of course, a day for praying for a peaceful Ireland, especially given recent goings on in the north. Unfortunately our secular country is more bothered about gulping down another pint then at least popping into church for five minutes.

It's so important to keep feast days as feast days - having a special meal, a glass of wine as well as prayer and Mass (if we can get there). Today is one of my feast days, St Joseph, my confirmation name. There are other great saints we need to honour and celebrate. But sadly, as Catholics, we don't seem to treasure our saints as much as we should at times. It seems only to be St Patrick's Day that gets the attention, but sadly for the wrong reasons.