The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1875-03-21
ST. PATRICK'S DAY.
ITS RELIGIOUS AND CIVIC CELEBRATION By
THE IRISHMEN OF NEW ORLEANS.

There is no city in the world where the
annual festivities of the people at large, or
those which claim the special love and rever-
ence of any proportion of them, are observed
with more genuine enthusiasm and perfect
order than in New Orleans. These celebrations
vary, of course, in extent and solemnity, in so
far as they affect larger smaller portion of
the community, though it has often been observ
ed that the sympathetic nature of the masses
here cause them to share, to a very appreciable
degree, in the e1ultant feelings of the cele-
brauts.
As very large proportion of our population,
probably one-ffth. is of Irish birth or parent
age, it may be easily understood that the Feast
of st Patrick, the great and glorious Apostle
of the Evergreen Isle, considered both as
religious and as a national holiday, is annually
celebrated with appropriateness and en-
thusiasm which do honor the Saint and
credit to the Irish people.
No more beautiful day than Wedne sday last,
the 18th inst, has ever dswned upon this fair
city. The sun shone out in all his splendor
and glory, and the air was soft and balmy,
though just sufficiently cool to infuse energy
into the system and cause one to feel that no
creator pleasure could be afforded him than
that of marching, to inspiring strains of music
through streets lined with the beauty and
loveliuess of the city.
AS A RELIGIOUS FESTIVAL
the day could not possibly have been more
generally more solemnly observed than it
was. At all the ch urches hundreds of the faith
full approached Holy Communion at the Low
Masses, while at those which have any con-
siderable number of Irish parish:ouers, Solemn
High Mass was celebrated. This, in each
church, was attended by large congregation,
the presence of the several Hibernian Societies,
in regalia. testifying to the truly Catholic
spirit of the organization.
At st. Patrick's Church the ceremonies were
most solemn and impressive. Oh Sunday the
Devotion of the Forty Hours Alteration had
commenced in preparation for che Feast, and
the church had been crowded, each day, with
the faithful who came from all parts of the
city. AS His Holiness, Pope Plus TX, had
granted Plenary Indulgence to all who, hav-
ing the proper dispositions, would approach
the Sacraments in ST. Patrick's Church on the
Feast of its Patron, the congregations on that
day, at the Low Masses, were very numerous,
nearly all of those present receiving Holy
Communion. At o'clock Solemn High Mass
L Z.
Allen, with Rev. T. J. kennedy as Deacon, and
Mr.. Kennedy as Su Deacon. Rev. Thos. Finn
delivered the panegyric of the Saint.
THE PARADE.
AS we have on previous occasions described |
the regalia, banners and flags of the several |
Branches, it is not thought necessary here to
go into details again. The public now, as
elsewhere, know what trials New Orleans has |
passed through during the past year. They |
know that in this community all are poor, and |
therefore one expected that benevolent
associations could go to the expense of pur-
chasing new outfits for parade purposes. The
dibernians have nobly performed the more
important duties of visiting and assisting the
sick and destitute, burying the dead and sup
porting the widows and orphans, and their
failure to provide for q more magnificent dis
play on this occasion than in the past instead
IF being imputed to a want of patriotism or
generosity, will be taken proof of their
wisdom and charity. For these reasons we
will content ourselves with giving merely q
ist of the officers of the Branches and the
lumber of men in each
By eleven O'Clock, Canal, Camp, st. Charles,
md our other principal thoroughfares were
crowded with eager spectators awaiting the
ormation of the procession, which was ordered
o assemble on Canal street. Soon the galop-
ng of horses and the strains of martial music
n the distance, nnOunced the approach of the
everal Associations, which were dexterously
md expeditiously formed into line by the I