A sight of green sweaters, bagpipes playing, and Irish dancers in downtown Washington, D.C., signals that St. Patrick Church celebrated its annual Solemnity of Saint Patrick Mass on March 17.

Dancers from the O’Neill James School of Irish Dance in Arlington, Virginia, performing outside the church bookended the Mass, along with a piper from the Law Enforcement Massed Pipes and Drums. The Ancient Order of Hibernians served as ushers at the Mass, where a harpist was among the special elements to the day.    

Cardinal Wilton Gregory celebrated the Mass along with concelebrants including Washington Auxiliary Bishop Roy E. Campbell Jr., new Washington Auxiliary Bishops Juan Esposito-Garcia and Evelio Menjivar-Ayala, and Bishop Mario Dorsonville, a Washington auxiliary bishop who will be installed later this month as the new bishop of Houma Thibodaux, Louisiana.

Also concelebrating the Mass were Father Andrew Wakefield, the pastor at St. Patrick's Parish, and former St. Patrick's pastors Msgr. Salvatore Criscuolo and Msgr. Peter Vaghi. 

During his homily, Cardinal Gregory referenced Thomas Cahill’s book, “How the Irish Saved Civilization: The Untold Story of Ireland’s Heroic Role from the Fall of Rome to the Rise of Medieval Europe.” This historical book chronicles how many written works were preserved by Irish monks. Cardinal Gregory described the book as having been “written with the bright sparkle of Irish wit and humor.” 

“Those Irish monks saved many of these great works for future generations by meticulously hand-copying the manuscripts and then preserving them within their monastic communities, and we are all deeply indebted to them for their successful work of conservation,” Cardinal Gregory said.

According to the cardinal, Washington D.C., is likewise grateful to the Irish because numerous Irish immigrants settled there.

“Quite literally, the Catholic Church in the DMV rests securely upon the missionary zeal of our Irish sisters and brothers both past and present,” Cardinal Gregory said.

He concluded his homily by wishing that all Irish and those of Irish origin are proud of their heritage, especially on St. Patrick’s Day.

“May all of our Irish sisters and brothers rejoice in their proud heritage and take comfort in the reward that is their due, not only for perhaps saving civilization and constructing more than a few church institutions, for sharing their wondrous culture, music, art, literature, and love of life, but especially for planting the faith deeply in the hearts of a great many people who have been blessed to know them and who love them still,” Cardinal Gregory said. 

Tradition is the cornerstone of many elements in a St. Patrick’s Day celebration, including Irish dancing. Natalie Brace, a senior at Lake Braddock High School in Burke, Virginia performed before and after the Mass along with other dancers from the O’Neill James School of Irish Dance. She has been dancing since fourth grade. Growing up, her mother and grandparents also did Irish step dance.

“I really like when I practice hard and then I get the results I want, like when I learn a new step or how to do a fancy move,” Brace said. 

Christina Werner and her daughter Jazzilyn Werner were visiting Washington from Nashville. Their visit was not a coincidence with St. Patrick’s Day, but the purpose of the trip. 

“We like visiting St. Patrick’s Day in new cities and her spring break always falls on St. Patrick’s Day week, so it’s really easy to kind of explore new places, and we try to find something that is family appropriate,” Christina Werner said. 

After Mass they planned to visit the Embassy of Ireland. The tradition first started when they visited Savannah, Georgia with family, coincidentally on St. Patrick’s Day. She said Jazzilyn likes to set up a “leprechaun trap” as part of their family traditions for the holiday, which includes a box, string and “glitter, of course.”

Ralph Day, former president of the DC Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) state board, ushered at the Mass, along with other members of the group and the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians. AOH is the oldest Irish Catholic fraternal organization in the United States. Day said the AOH was formed originally in the 1800s to protect Irish priests against the Know Nothing party, a nativist political party in the United States that held anti-Catholic beliefs. 

The Ancient Order of Hibernians currently works to raise funds for many Catholic charities in the area, including Project Saint Patrick to assist seminarians.  

"We're celebrating the patron saint of Ireland. Indeed in Ireland, it's more of a religious experience than the big party that Americans do. That's why it's important. It's to honor our saint and for many of us, a religious day," he said. 

As for celebrating the holiday after Mass, Day said he does not plan on dining at an Irish pub. 

“I do not go to Irish pubs on St. Patrick’s Day, because that’s when all the non-Irish show up. I’ll go an Irish pub many other [days],” Day said. He is currently applying for Irish citizenship and has bought a thatch house in County Meath, Ireland, where he plans to retire and rear horses.

Marilyn Madigan is the national president of the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians, and traveled to Washington for St. Patrick’s Day. Madigan said every St. Patrick’s Day should start with a Mass.

“If it doesn’t start with a Mass, there’s no meaning in the day. It’s a religious holiday. We’re glad that we’re able to celebrate our Catholic heritage with everyone, but again the most important part of the day is attending Mass,” Madigan said.