For the Moment

For the worshippers at St. Margaret's Church in Dorchester, this St. Patrick's Day won't be like the others. The organizers called the annual parade off because of their objection to would-be gay and lesbian marchers.

But the absence of a parade will not stop this largely Irish-American community from celebrating the age-old traditions associated with the day.

"[St. Patrick's Day] means everything to me because I was born in Ireland," says Limerick native Pat Douggan. He looks forward most to the "dear little shamrock, and having an Irish dinner."

As his wife and neighbors smile, Douggan describes the feast. "Corned beef and spare ribs and cabbage and lots of potatoes. The Irish love potatoes. Not just one potato either, we have five or six each."

The schools in Dorchester are closed on St. Patrick's Day, and when asked what the holiday means to him, one boy joyously shouted, "No school!" But Teri Hankie explains that the schools close on March 17 because of Evacuation Day, a local holiday commemorating a Revolutionary War battle in Dorchester Heights.

One man offers a possible connection between the two holidays. "When Washington occupied Dorchester Heights the pastor was St. Patrick and a lot of the soldiers were Irish," he says.

Boston's population did not become significantly Irish, however, until the mid-19th century, when immigrants flocked to the city to avoid Ireland's potato famines. Since then, the Irish-American community has become a permanent fixture of Bostonian society. For 104 out of the past 110 years, the mayor of Boston has been of Irish origin.

St. Patrick's Day is major holiday for all Irish-Americans, but it holds special significance for those who reside in Boston. Father Stephen Zukas of St. Margaret's Church explains that "St. Patrick is the patron saint of the archdiocese." He says that the holiday has become a celebration of the contributions made by the Irish to Boston's Catholic community.

"The church of Boston has gained so much from the Irish immigrants," Zukas says. "Their help in the establishing of our cathedral was bolstering for the archdiocese."

But the Irish don't need much recognition from the rest of the community. They do a good job celebrating themselves. Zukas remarks that he is "constantly amazed at how big a deal St Patrick's Day is to the archdiocese and especially to the Irish. "Zukas adds that 'being a Lithuanian-American, our holy day is St. Casmier's Day...but the Lithuanians tend not to celebrate as visibly."

With the cancellation of the parade, the St. Margaret's parishioners' spirits are a bit dampened. A former South Bostonian complains, "It's a shame they had to postpone it. By heaven, the parade brought families together."

Still, the celebrations of the day transcend the parade. Most of the congregants have plans for a corned beef dinner with their relatives. Jeanette Daley says she plans to "wear green to work." Brieanna, age 12, says "my mother makes a green cake." Her friend Jessica plans to have "an Irish party."

And Teri Hankie, who is not Irish, plans to celebrate as well. "[On St. Patrick's Day], you're Irish for a day, whether you're Irish or not."