The predominant themes of the Easter season are joy and new life, yet these 50 days between Easter and Pentecost can also teach us something about being in liminal space. Richard Rohr, the Franciscan spiritual writer and teacher, says of such times, “All transformation takes place here. There alone is our old world left behind, though we’re not yet sure of the new existence. That’s a good space where genuine newness can begin.”
To be in liminality is to be betwixt and between. These threshold moments require us to hold with integrity a variety of emotions—hope, joy, relief, anxiety, confusion, fear, grief, impatience, among many others. Change can be terrifying; it’s understandable that one would want to go back to the familiar, to the way it used to be. Consider Mary Magdalene: The Gospel of John reports that on Easter morning, Jesus had to tell her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to my Father.” I’m sure she wanted to believe that the Jesus she knew was back and everything would be as it was. God’s dream, however, was for something unimaginably greater. And this would require time and patience on the part of the disciples. Between resurrection and the coming of the Spirit, they had to go to the upper room.
Through these remaining days of Easter, I invite you to reflect on the liminal places in your life, your personal “upper room”. Perhaps there is a child who will be graduating next month, preparing to leave home for new adventures. Perhaps a loved one has died, and you are still navigating the stages of grief, waiting on a sense of acceptance and peace. Perhaps you are newly retired and still searching for a routine. For my family, our liminal space at this moment is the loss of family homes. The houses that belonged to my grandparents and to my wife’s grandparents are both being sold. Generations of memories were made in these special places, but now we must let them go. This transition has taught me to consider anew what it means to “come home” because the day inevitably arrives when you can’t come home anymore. I know, however, that new memories in new places are waiting to be fashioned. A new chapter of our families’ stories is going to be written, but right now, we are on that blank page between the two.
The spiritual masters tell us that these liminal moments are spiritually rich times. I have found this to be true. I think this is because there is vulnerability in beholding new life, in coming to grips with a new reality. Oftentimes, when we’re off balance, when our defenses are down, when we’re feeling bewildered, God can do God’s best work! Again, think of the disciples—after the liminality that came with the first Easter, they were instilled with the courage, zeal, and resolve to carry the good news to “the ends of the earth.”
The lectionary readings this season, especially from the Acts of the Apostles, affirm that beyond liminal space awaits something new and life-giving. When Pentecost came, the Spirit moved the disciples from a place of waiting to a place of courageous journeying, witnesses, and ministering. They “left home”, whether it was the confines of the upper room, the precincts of the Temple, or the city of Jerusalem itself, and were sent to places they could never have imagined, to a future that was unknowable but ripe with hope and promise.
As we journey toward the close of the Easter season, my prayer is that God gives us the courage to attentively, hopefully behold the power of the resurrection, savoring the moments in our “upper rooms” of liminality, whatever and wherever they may be, as we prepare to follow the Spirit to a grace-filled future.
— Brian Pinter, Pastoral Associate
April 14, 2024 Essay: Four Freedoms in Art“Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people.” — Preamble of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Our parish lecture series this year has been (and it’s not over yet!) dedicated to the Four Freedoms enunciated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in his State of the Union address of 1941. As I mentioned in my essay of January 7th, FDR considered freedom “the supremacy of human rights everywhere.” The speech evidently inspired the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, cited above in its Preamble where it mentions the four freedoms: freedom of speech and belief, and freedom from fear and want.
Norman Rockwell, the master of Americana, captured the essence of daily life in hundreds of 20th-century magazine covers, and 80 years ago, he accomplished a greater feat, translating the nation’s ideals into indelible images known as the Four Freedoms, also inspired by President Roosevelt’s vision.
By illuminating rights that every American—and every person—should enjoy, Rockwell’s Four Freedoms validated the U.S. decision to enter World War II and overcome powerful enemies whose actions devalued human life. His enduring messages have lingered in the national consciousness, remaining as significant today as they were when the Saturday Evening Post published them in four consecutive weeks during the winter of 1943.
Immediately after publishing Rockwell’s four paintings—Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Religion, Freedom from Want, and Freedom from Fear (link)—the magazine received 25,000 requests to purchase copies. Color reproductions of all four sold for 25 cents apiece. The paintings became the basis for 4 million war posters sold as part of the War Bonds effort, raising $132,992,539. “They were received by the public with more enthusiasm, perhaps, than any other paintings in the history of American art,” The New Yorker reported in 1945.
At the beginning of 1941, when isolationist sentiments still held sway over many Americans, Roosevelt’s goal was a simple one: to convince voters that standing alone ultimately could sacrifice freedoms at home and abroad.
“By an impressive expression of the public will and without regard to partisanship, we are committed to the proposition that principles of morality and considerations for our own security will never permit us to acquiesce in a peace dictated by aggressors and sponsored by appeasers,” he told Americans. “We know that enduring peace cannot be bought at the cost of other people’s freedom.”
Rockwell faced the difficult task of transforming governmental phraseology into evocative tableaux on canvas. He had expected to finish all four scenes in two months, but the work dragged on through seven months of false starts and revisions.
Nonetheless, Rockwell was fully committed to the Four Freedoms. “I just cannot express to you how much this series means to me. Aside from their wonderful patriotic motive,” he told his impatient editors, “there are no subjects which could rival them in opportunity for human interest.”
To complement the educational, inspirational, and personal lectures that have lifted our spirits and raised our consciousness, I invite you to allow the paintings to speak to you about the timeless meaning of freedom, perhaps now more imperative than in the past eight decades.
— Fr. Michael Hilbert, S.J., Associate Pastor
The fifth and final lecture in the series will be on Monday, May 6th, at 7 PM in Wallace Hall. The topic will be “Freedom from Fear” and the guest speaker will be Senator Angus King of Maine.
April 14, 2024 Essay: Four Freedoms in Art“Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people.” — Preamble of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Our parish lecture series this year has been (and it’s not over yet!) dedicated to the Four Freedoms enunciated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in his State of the Union address of 1941. As I mentioned in my essay of January 7th, FDR considered freedom, “the supremacy of human rights everywhere.” The speech evidently inspired the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, cited above in its Preamble where it mentions the four freedoms: freedom of speech and belief, and freedom from fear and want.
Norman Rockwell, the master of Americana, captured the essence of daily life in hundreds of 20th-century magazine covers, and 80 years ago, he accomplished a greater feat, translating the nation’s ideals into indelible images known as the Four Freedoms, also inspired by President Roosevelt’s vision.
By illuminating rights that every American—and every person—should enjoy, Rockwell’s Four Freedoms validated the U.S. decision to enter World War II and overcome powerful enemies whose actions devalued human life. His enduring messages have lingered in the national consciousness, remaining as significant today as they were when the Saturday Evening Post published them in four consecutive weeks during the winter of 1943.
Immediately after publishing Rockwell’s four paintings—Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Religion, Freedom from Want, and Freedom from Fear—the magazine received 25,000 requests to purchase copies. Color reproductions of all four sold for 25 cents apiece. The paintings became the basis for 4 million war posters sold as part of the War Bonds effort, raising $132,992,539. “They were received by the public with more enthusiasm, perhaps, than any other paintings in the history of American art,” The New Yorker reported in 1945.
At the beginning of 1941, when isolationist sentiments still held sway over many Americans, Roosevelt’s goal was a simple one: to convince voters that standing alone ultimately could sacrifice freedoms at home and abroad.
“By an impressive expression of the public will and without regard to partisanship, we are committed to the proposition that principles of morality and considerations for our own security will never permit us to acquiesce in a peace dictated by aggressors and sponsored by appeasers,” he told Americans. “We know that enduring peace cannot be bought at the cost of other people’s freedom.”
Rockwell faced the difficult task of transforming governmental phraseology into evocative tableaux on canvas. He had expected to finish all four scenes in two months, but the work dragged on through seven months of false starts and revisions.
Nonetheless, Rockwell was fully committed to the Four Freedoms. “I just cannot express to you how much this series means to me. Aside from their wonderful patriotic motive,” he told his impatient editors, “there are no subjects which could rival them in opportunity for human interest.”
To complement the educational, inspirational, and personal lectures that have lifted our spirits and raised our consciousness, I invite you to allow the paintings to speak to you about the timeless meaning of freedom, perhaps now more imperative than in the past eight decades.
— Michael Hilbert, S.J., Associate Pastor
The fifth and final lecture in the series will be on Monday, May 6th, at 7:00 pm in Wallace Hall. The topic will be “Freedom from Fear” and the guest speaker will be Senator Angus King of Maine.
April 21, 2024 Essay: Faces Without NamesI write this essay for people who identify St. Ignatius Loyola Church as their parish church and who come here to celebrate the Eucharist with some regularity. If you come to St. Ignatius only occasionally, or if you are a visitor, of course, you are invited to continue reading. But the people I wish to address primarily are those I see here at church with some frequency.
Let me not beat around the bush. I’m making an appeal. It is not an appeal for your financial help (though we certainly need that). It is not even an appeal for your volunteer help. We need that, too, for the important, worthwhile services we offer as a Christian community. It truly is impossible to function as a vital parish without a coalition of men and women who generously donate their financial resources and offer their time and talent to the myriad ways we follow Christ’s bidding to serve the needs of others. Some of these generous volunteers teach Christian doctrine to grade school children in our afterschool religious education program for public and private school children. Others act as lectors and Eucharistic ministers and ministers of hospitality at our liturgies. Others help to run toy, food, and blood drives. Throughout the year, we will be soliciting your volunteer services for a wide range of activities and interests.
But today, my appeal to you is much more modest and basic. It is an appeal to register as a parishioner of St. Ignatius, to stand up and be counted, as it were, as one who identifies with this parish and with our community. For registering as a parishioner is more than putting your name on a mailing list. It is more than signing up for Sunday offertory collection envelopes. Registering is really a statement about how you see yourself as a Catholic in New York City. It is about your sense of belonging and connectedness to a particular parish church. It is about ownership and about your endorsement of what this local church is attempting to do.
Sometimes I wonder why some people who regularly attend our church never become members. What does it mean when you don’t want to put your name to something? I can answer only for myself. For me, it means I don’t want to be involved. I don’t want to go on record as a supporter of a particular organization or group. I may enjoy receiving benefits from the organization now and then but don’t ask me to give anything, not even my name. It is all very safe and sanitary. It allows me to feel part of something from a safe distance and quite anonymously.
If you react the way I do, maybe it is time you thought through the decision to register. As a priest on the staff of a large church in a very large city, it is a great help in my ministry to know, as best I can, the people I am called to serve in a special way: the parishioners of St. Ignatius Loyola. I wish never to exclude anyone from my ministry as a priest, but I can’t claim to serve the entire Catholic population of New York City. I am most strongly committed to the people who make up St. Ignatius Parish. But some of you remain anonymous. How am I to know who you are if you won’t give your name to a list of parish members? How can any organization function with members it cannot identify?
I am reminded of the invitation John Daly used to give every Sunday night during the twenty-five years he hosted the popular TV show “What’s My Line?” The panelists on the show would try to guess the occupations of several guest contestants during the evening. At the end of the show, the panelists would be blindfolded, and a celebrity would make a guest appearance amid howls and applause. And gesturing to the blackboard, John Daly would say: “Will the mystery guest sign in, please?” So how about it, you mystery guests out there, would you sign in, please!
— Rev. William J. Bergen, S.J., Senior Priest
April 7, 2024 Essay: Called to Serve: The Role of Women in Our ChurchEach year, the Holy Father asks for our prayers for a specific intention each month. This is Pope Francis’s intention for April: “We pray that the dignity and immense value of women be recognized in every culture and for the end of discrimination that they experience in different parts of our world.” This is a particularly apt intention during the Easter season, in which we recall the critical role of the women disciples in the proclamation of the resurrection of Jesus.
In every gospel, the women disciples are the first to receive the good news of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. There is, therefore, a strong affirmation of the central role of the women disciples. A striking feature of the resurrection accounts is how women are commissioned to be apostles, ones who are sent to proclaim the good news of the resurrection. In Matthew’s gospel, it is an angel who commissions the two Marys to report the resurrection of Jesus to the other disciples. In John’s gospel, it is Jesus himself who tells Mary Magdalene: “…Go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” The foundational texts of our faith underscore the important role of women in the community of faith that would evolve into the church.
Reflecting on the centrality of women in the scriptures, we should not overlook Mary. Before we made of her a plaster saint, she was a real woman who is, for us, a model of discipleship. On one occasion, when crowds were pressing in upon Jesus, a message was brought to him that his mother and brothers and sisters were there and wanted to speak to him. To which Jesus replied, “Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” (Mk. 3:31-35; Mt. 12:46-49; Lk. 8:19-21). Mary’s whole life was a radical assent to the will of God for her. In the annunciation, she heard the call of God to her, wrestled with that call, and ultimately gave her assent to what God was asking of her. She then persevered in that “Yes” through the many trials that were hers. The last time we see Mary in the scriptures, she is at prayer with the other disciples during the Jewish feast of Pentecost. Only a woman of deep prayer could have been as faithful to her “Yes” as Mary was. Mary is the model of discipleship. She is a person of discernment, a person with a profound trust in God, a person who gave all of herself to God in her “Yes,” and who persevered in her self-gift to God through a life of prayer.
Pope Francis has sought to elevate the role of women in our church. He has made significant efforts to bring women into positions of real leadership in the Church. In early 2023, the Vatican News Service reported that during his pontificate, the percentage of women working at the Vatican increased from 19.3% to 23.4%. In the Curia alone—the Holy See offices that actually run the universal Catholic Church—the percentage of women has now risen to 26%, such that one in four employees is female. It is interesting to note that the Vatican News Service candidly admits that while there has been an increase in the Vatican’s female workforce, including in high-ranking positions, “women face continued resistance from the all-male Catholic hierarchy.” Perhaps they need a refresher course in scripture!
Let us do as the Pope asks us to do and pray for a recognition of the dignity and immense value of women and for an end to discrimination against them. We can also pray that the Church itself will model for the world what it means to truly value women.
— Fr. Mark Hallinan, S.J., Associate Pastor
March 31, 2024 Essay: A Tuft of Snowdrops in a StormJostling crowds, the cacophony of a thousand voices, tension in the air, the presence of fear as a constant companion, the detritus of conflict on city streets and in distant lands, civility smothered and forgotten, dreams extinguished, hope hidden, and anger spewing out from all quarters—there is a darkness that veils the possibility of bringing out the best in people, that threatens and overwhelms and leads its victims to their baser instincts, all under the banner of survival and advantage at any cost. Is this a world of the past that periodically, like a Phoenix, rises from its ashes? The holy city of Jerusalem as Jesus Christ would have experienced it while being led to his death? Jerusalem today? Gaza today? Ukraine today? The world of today?
Like a storm growing in intensity as it is about to break through its vortex, events in our daily lives have the tenacity to try to weaken our conviction that what God created is good, all God’s creation, and not simply select portions of it. We imagine barbarians at the gate, or border, who are about to rout us into submission. And yet, for those who proclaim the greatest event in human history, the resurrection from the dead of Jesus Christ, a tiny ember flickers, like a sentinel of hope, in a world of darkness, a spark of divinity waiting to inflame the world and shatter the woeful shackles of history. For, as you see, the world that the disciples of Jesus Christ experienced is not unlike the worlds experienced throughout history. The lesson to be learned, and yet to be grasped, from their experience is that there is nothing to fear, that it is possible to stand firm against the allure of might, wealth, and power.
In his poem, On Seeing a Tuft of Snowdrops in a Storm, William Wordsworth wrote about the first signs of hope that spring forth in the waning assault of Winter.
When haughty expectations prostrate lie,
And grandeur crouches like a guilty thing,
Oft shall the lowly weak, till nature bring
Mature release, in fair society
Survive, and Fortune’s utmost anger try;
Like these frail snowdrops that together cling,
And nod their helmets smitten by the wing
Of many a furious whirlblast sweeping by.
Observe the faithful flowers! if small to great
May lead the thoughts, thus struggling used to stand
The Emathian phalanx, nobly obstinate;
And so the bright immortal Theban band,
Whom onset, fiercely urged at Jove’s command,
Might overwhelm, but could not separate!
Like a tuft of snowdrops, the first disciples of Jesus Christ stood together against a tempest backdrop of darkness, despair, and human suffering. Nothing could separate them from one another or from their belief in Jesus Christ. They became the heralds of his message of justice, peace, and the inherent goodness of all God’s creation. Buffeted by the winds of condemnation, suspicion, and fear, they held firm and resolutely witnessed the triumph of good over evil, light over darkness, and hope over despair.
In many ways today the world is being assaulted by the wintry blasts of darkness. It anguishes to catch even a glimpse of a snowdrop. It is now our turn, as it has been throughout the ages, to follow the example of the first disciples and become sentinels of hope who reflect the radiant brilliance of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Darkness has been vanquished; death defeated. May we have the audacity to plant seeds of hope in everything that we do and say, so that our efforts may redound to the greater glory of God and the salvation of souls.
May your celebration of the season of Easter be filled with all God’s blessings! Happy Easter!
Dennis J. Yesalonia, S.J., Pastor
Essay | Reflections on a Parish Immersion Trip: Stories from the Southern BorderOn March 20th, Jane Rodas, Jim Skarzynski, and Kelly Quinn shared their experiences on their January KINO Border immersion trip to the southern border in Nogales, Arizona, and Mexico that consisted of nine parishioners and family members from St. Ignatius Loyola.
After Migrant Stations of the Cross, they offered poignant insights into the complex realities of the migration crisis that continues to grip our country. The speakers brought their unique perspectives and reactions, their unexpected encounters, and lessons learned.
As Jane said, “When people talk about the border, the talk can get inflamed pretty quickly.” She recounted the meeting with Border Patrol officers who said 99% of those they interact with are not criminals but simply families, many fleeing dangerous conditions and just looking for a better, safer life. Another surprise was learning that the primary role of Border Patrol right now is humanitarian, given the harsh, unforgiving conditions of the Sonoran desert, where many migrants have lost their lives.
At a meeting with Jim and Sue Chilton, 5th-generation cattle ranchers, the group heard about the problems they face with migrants streaming across their land, fences cut, and cattle lost. Despite this, they recognize the dangers of the trip and have set up stations to provide clean water for the migrants.
Jim spoke of his experience at the Kino shelter in Nogales, Mexico, where he saw firsthand the compassionate treatment of migrant families awaiting their chance to cross into the United States. His account spoke to the resilience and dignity of those navigating uncertain paths searching for a new life. He was deeply moved when the shelter staff and volunteers surprised a young girl on her 15th birthday. Quinceañera, a celebration typically filled with joy, took on a sober tone as this young girl mourned the recent loss of her mother to cancer.
Kelly’s unexpected connection with teenagers happened on a basketball court at the Kino shelter. For Kelly, who played basketball in high school, the court was a great stage, and for three days, she played with a group of teens—girls and boys—who amazed her with their shooting skills—and all in flip-flops! For all of us, this brought home the resilience and spirit of these kids amidst challenging circumstances. For Kelly, this shared passion for the game transcended language barriers, leaving a lasting impression on her heart.
As we reflect on these stories, I hope we all may be inspired to seek out moments of connection, challenge stereotypes, and uphold the inherent dignity of every individual, regardless of their background or circumstance.
— Anne Melanson
Essay: Why College?Why College? was the title of a presentation that Maura Brennan, Director of College Counseling at the Loyola School, gave to a group of LSA (Little Sisters of the Assumption Family Health Service) high school students and their parents during a College Access Workshop at LSA on March 8th. The audience comprised eighteen students, predominantly sophomores and juniors, who are the first generation in their families to apply to college.
This year, the workshop took on a new dimension as Olga, a freshman at College of the Holy Cross and a recent graduate of our College Access Program, shared her experience with those in attendance. Her story served to prove that the college dream is real. Danny, a current member of our College Access Program, also shared his college application experience with those in attendance. Both are incredible ambassadors and embody the community spirit that is involved in assisting LSA families to realize their college dreams.
We are blessed in our partnership with the Loyola School because Maura shares the same passion, and she welcomed the opportunity to give this presentation. Melina Gonzalez, LSA Community Engagement Manager, and Lucia Bravo, LSA Director of Advocacy, were her guides and translators. One of the earlier impactful slides was how the range of college degrees available relates to a college graduate’s expected salary. FAFSA, Pell, HEOP, EOP, SEEK, IEP, Questbridge, Posse, and BigFuture were mentioned as some of the programs and organizations that will now become welcome allies in easing college attendance financial concerns for the families of our future software, biochemical, and electrical engineers and social workers in attendance.
The word ‘families’ is mentioned a lot during the workshop. This is our third year providing this type of presentation to LSA. In the first year, we had the mindset that we were supplementing the sparse and sometimes unhelpful college guidance currently available to these students in school. We were pleasantly surprised in our feedback to discover that we were also providing a tremendous benefit to the parents in attendance, as they were excluded from the college guidance process provided by their children’s high schools. After the presentation, I spoke to some of the families in attendance. I shared their excitement about having their parents in attendance as they embark on the college application process on equal footing.
— Jimmy Coffey, Ignatian Social Justice Ministry member
March 24, 2024 Essay: Jesus Christ Has Redeemed the World
Jesus Christ, by his suffering, death, and resurrection, has redeemed the world. This Holy Week affords us the opportunity to remind ourselves of what it means for us personally and for our world to have been redeemed by Jesus Christ.
The suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ did, indeed, redeem each one of us. We who were once enslaved to sin were set free, redeemed, by the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We participate in this redemption from our slavery to sin through our baptism, in which we are brought to share in the risen life of Christ now so as to have the hope of one day sharing in his risen life forever. Every day, we have to choose to affirm our participation in the risen life of Jesus Christ by conforming ourselves to his life and teaching. As we conform ourselves to his life and teaching, we deepen our participation in his risen life so as to strengthen our hope of one day enjoying the fullness of his risen life forever.
Our daily struggle is to avoid capitulating to our sinful desires. Two sacraments serve as essential weapons in our daily battle to choose for Christ rather than choosing to enslave ourselves to sin: Eucharist and Reconciliation. In every celebration of the Eucharist, we remember the saving sacrifice of Jesus Christ. In our remembrance, we make his saving sacrifice present once more. We then receive his risen body and blood to nourish us in our efforts to conform our lives to his. When we have fallen short in doing so, the sacrament of reconciliation allows us to be restored to right relationship with our God, and with our brothers and sisters in God. In this way, we avoid enslaving ourselves to patterns of sin that alienate us from the life of Christ into which we have been brought by our baptism and in which we are renewed each time we receive his body and blood in the Eucharist. During this Holy Week, we ought to reflect prayerfully on how deeply we appreciate the redemption won for us by Jesus Christ. Do we manifest our appreciation in our daily efforts to conform ourselves to the life of Christ while striving to put aside sinful thoughts, words, and actions?
Jesus also redeemed this world. Our world has been corrupted by human sinfulness. We see the effects of human sinfulness on creation in the adverse impacts of climate change and in the ways that the beauty of creation has been marred by pollution and irresponsible exploitation of natural resources. We see the effects of human sinfulness in the horror of the ongoing wars in Ukraine, in Gaza, in Yemen, in Syria, and in multiple nations in Africa. We see the effects of human sinfulness in the collapse of civil order in Haiti. We see the effects of human sinfulness in the gun violence that our nation seems incapable of controlling and in the ongoing crisis of opioid addiction. Yes, our world has been corrupted by human sinfulness.
Yet, our world has also been redeemed by Jesus Christ. Jesus inaugurated the reign of God in human history and that reign continues to unfold wherever persons speak and act for what is right, good, and just. Remember, justice, love, and truth have prevailed. Jesus was triumphant over sin, hatred, and injustice. We, therefore, have to choose whether we will advance that victory by our commitment to doing the good and working for justice, or slow the advance of that victory by capitulating to falsehood, evil and injustice.
In this Holy Week, pray for the grace to live in faithfulness to the redemption won for you by Jesus Christ. Pray for the grace to be an agent of the continuing redemption of our world through your commitment to living in faithfulness to gospel values.
— Fr. Mark Hallinan, S.J., Associate Pastor
March 17, 2024 Essay: The Blessing of St. Patrick’s DayHappy St. Patrick’s Day to you and yours! In my family, full of names such as Noonan, Shields, Byrne, Donahue, and Dunion, we take this day rather seriously. There is no question of whether we are getting together but rather a nudging amongst family members to be sure we can all attend the day’s celebration.
My Irish roots have been planted in America for a long time. My grandmother’s grandfather came over to America in the 1880s. However, on both sides, the rest of my Irish ancestors landed in America just after the American Revolutionary War. Despite my family’s many generations in the USA, we are still proudly Irish. Interestingly, according to our DNA, my siblings and I are over 75% Irish, clocking in at 90% Celtic. We did not hop into the melting pot.
My Gran is why we still find joy and connection to our Irish heritage. She loved being Irish. She was born just as the days of No Irish Need Apply were ending in America. Her family was not keen on advertising their heritage, but my Granny, Peggy Shields, was Irish all the way.
She passed down the love of her Irish roots to our family. She instilled in us a fondness of wit and somehow the ability to laugh at things others might find a bit macabre. We understood with little overt instruction that it is good to be Irish.
Each St. Patrick’s Day, we gather as a family at Finn McCool’s in Port Washington, NY. We often take over the entire back room with three generations of my family celebrating together. It is a wonderful day free of the pressure of gift-giving at Christmas or the task of the Thanksgiving meal. We eat loads of Irish soda bread, corned beef, and cabbage. The more traditional of us choose shepherd’s pie or salmon. Of course, the day would not be complete without a nice, slow-poured Guinness.
We all don some version of green or shamrock-laden clothing. The hats and headband, well, they are just too much. This regalia may be why we are relegated to the back room. Our celebration is full of laughter, love, and tradition. I’ve been to the St. Patrick’s Day parades in NYC, Chicago, and Dublin. I’d take our St. Patrick’s Day party at Finn McCool over these parades any day.
I leave you with An Irish Blessing for St. Patrick’s Day:
May the Irish Hills caress you.
May her lakes and rivers bless you.
May the luck of the Irish enfold you.
May the blessing of St. Patrick behold you.
— Kate Noonan, Director of the Interparish Religious Education Program