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52 < o JS* C.g R a> C 5, TO -R^ •*** . R22 O 05 Co x J o <^“8 s?§ p'"'t 0. 00 The Soulhern Diocese of Savannah OSS VOL. 81, No. 12 Thursday, March 22, 2001 $.50 PER ISSUE Haifa million celebrate Ireland’s patron saint in Savannah |]W 1 i ip i 4 ■ : ,8 : i iM il ■ M| SEJ S' 'i 1 i Hih j- il IP' - m 8 1 i Hfl Cp [J>si■*§ • iip 4 *> By Father Douglas K. Clark Savannah ive hundred thousand people jammed the streets of Savannah this year for the annual celebration of Saint Patrick’s Day. The coincidence of the feast day with a Saturday brought record numbers to the nation’s second-largest celebration of Ireland’s patron saint. For Catholics, the day began with Mass cel ebrated by Bishop J. Kevin Boland in the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist, which was filled to capacity, as it always is on Saint Patrick’s Day. His brother, Bishop Raymond J. Boland of Kansas City-Saint Joseph, Missouri, and retired Bishop Andrew J. McDonald of Little Rock, Arkansas, a native Savannahian, concelebrated, as did some 15 priests. Monsignor William O. O’Neill, rector of the Cathedral, delivered the homily. He began his remarks by recalling that when Saint Patrick came to Ireland as a mission ary in 432 a.d. to begin his work of convert ing the Irish from paganism to Christianity, he was returning there. “I say returned to Ireland because we know he was there earli er as a slave,” Monsignor O’Neill said. “When he was first brought to Ireland it was by Irish raiders send to Britain to capture slaves for King Niall. He was known as Niall of The Nine Hostages. You may be surprised to learn that this King Niall was an ancestor of mine.” The laughter that fol lowed indicated that not all were surprised. Monsignor O’Neill recalled that on Saint Patrick’s Day last year, the Cathedral was closed for restoration. “Even though we were able to assemble in the Civic Center for Mass, we missed the Cathedral,” he said. “As we return to the Cathedral this year, we should be mindful of the great sacrifices made by earlier generations in Savannah who gave generously from the little they had to have this magnificent Cathedral erected. We of this generation have done our part to restore the Cathedral, thereby doing our part to insure that future generations can worship God in the beauty of this sacred place. But the beauty of this Cathedral becomes more significant when the faith it represents is lived and practiced in the daily lives of its people.” A three-hour parade followed, in which the three bishops took part, along with 300 other groups. Top: Grand Marshal Robert J. McGrath and his wife, Alieze, present the gifts of bread and wine to Bishop J. Kevin Boland at the Saint Patrick’s Day Mass. Above left: Retired Little Rock Bishop Andrew J. McDonald sports a green tam. Above right: Irish dancers show off their skills in the parade. Photos by Jonas N. Jordan. Monsignor Bourke “Why we celebrate Saint Patrick” Saint Patrick's Day in pictures —see page 3 —see page 4 —see page 6