Q: because of the clash of Holy week leading into Easter St Patrick`s Day cannot be held on march 17th this year its march 15th just making some people aware this statement is true as St patrick is a catholic feast day and feasts CANNOT be celebrated during holy week the vatican made a statement about this last year in october
A: Yes. Saint Patrick died in 461 C.E., after preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Ireland for 40 years, on March 17 and the Church celebrates this patron saint of Ireland's feast day on that date. Millions of Irish immigrants who have come to the United States brought the celebration of this saint with them. Unfortunately in 2008, for the first time since 1940, Saint Patrick's Day will fall during Holy Week, the sacred seven days preceding Easter. This will not happen again until 2160. The Catholic Church announced in December 2006 and again in April 2007 that, in 2008, the Church's celebration of the feast day of Saint Patrick would be moved out of Holy Week to: + Saturday, March 15 in Ireland + Friday, March 14 in the United States The Church informed the communities in which major Saint Patrick festivities are celebrated of what the Church's plans but left the separate communities to make their own decisions. Would it not be better to celebrate on a Friday than a Monday anyway? http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0801013.htm http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/articles/2008/02/24/features/religion/relig918.txt With love in Christ.