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PORTLAND – March 17 is the Feast Day of St. Patrick, and churches in Bridgton and Lewiston will be among Diocese of Portland parishes hosting feasts to celebrate.
St. Patrick, along with St. Jean Baptiste, is a secondary patron of the Diocese of Portland, chosen because French missionaries and, later, French and Irish immigrants, brought the Catholic faith to Maine and helped it take root and grow. St. Patrick Church in Newcastle was the first church in the country named for St. Patrick and has been in continual use longer than any other Catholic church in New England.
St. Patrick was born in Roman Britain in the fifth century. When he was a teenager, he was captured by Irish raiders and taken to Ireland as a slave to herd and tend sheep. During this time he discovered his faith. He eventually escaped back to Britain, but then had a vision in which a man came to him from Ireland and gave him a letter with the heading ‘”The Voice of the Irish.” In his spiritual autobiography, the Confessio, St. Patrick wrote that he heard the Irish people crying out, “We appeal to you, holy servant boy, to come and walk among us.” It led him to study for the priesthood, and he was later ordained a bishop and was appointed bishop of Ireland. He is believed to have used the three leaves of the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity. The prayer “Breastplate” is attributed to St. Patrick. It reads in part: “Christ be within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ inquired, Christ in danger, Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.”
St. Patrick died on March 17, 461. He is the patron saint of Ireland and is known as the Apostle of Ireland.
Celebrations in Turner Publishing’s circulation area are:
Lewiston, 5 p.m., Saturday, March 12, Holy Family Church, 607 Sabbatus St. Dinner hosted by the Knights of Columbus will feature corned beef, potatoes, cabbage, carrots, beverages and dessert. There will also be live music. $5 per person, $20 for families of four or more; parishioners of St. Patrick’s eat for free. Tickets for the postponed dinner from 2020 will be honored. New tickets will be sold before and after Mass or by calling Robert Michaud, 207-740-6585.
Bridgton, Saturday, March 19, 5 p.m., St. Joseph Parish Hall, 225 South High St. Traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner hosted by Bridgton/Fryeburg Knights of Columbus, $15. Meals will also be available for takeout by driving to the side door of the parish hall immediately following 4 p.m. Mass. Proceeds benefits Knights charities.
