St. Patty's, Holy Week Collide

Some Irish organizations reschedule parades from Palm Sunday; others stand firm
By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 21, 2008 4:14 PM CST
St. Patty's, Holy Week Collide
Three young women greet New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani along the St. Patrick's Day parade route on New York's Fifth Avenue where his hometown supporters turned out in force in this March 17, 2000, file photo. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)   (Associated Press)

This year’s calendar sees St. Patrick’s Day (March 17) falling during the week preceding Easter, which has caused most organizers to move parades forward to avoid forcing Irish Catholics to choose between heritage and the church's Holy Week, the Boston Globe reports. South Boston planners, however, refused to reschedule the parade, which is still set for March 16, or Palm Sunday.

Boston officials say the afternoon parade will miss the noon Palm Sunday mass, but some states have moved their parades out of Holy Week altogether. A parade organizer for the Allied War Veterans of South Boston gave voice to the general resistance to a schedule change: "We won't be dictated to. … Our obligation is supporting the armed forces.” (More St. Patrick's Day stories.)

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