MONROE - For the first time since 1940, St. Patrick's Feast Day, March 17, falls during Holy Week. Due to the solemnity of the period, Masses for Saint Patrick cannot be held during Holy Week, and some American bishops moved the celebration of Ireland's patron saint up to March 14.
Bishops in Dublin, Ireland, thought ahead enough last summer to shift the feast to March 15. But almost everywhere secular parades as a celebration of the Irish culture and contributions have been maintained on the traditional day, without objection from bishops.
What is Heartland Graphics co-owner Tracy Hamilton's take on the rescheduling?
"I can't comment, because I'm Catholic," he laughed.
But the Catholic Church's changes in scheduling didn't seem to concern anybody on Saturday's pub crawl.
"We're sure St. Patrick is going to smile on our parade no matter when it is," said Southern Irishman Joe Ganshert, Monroe. Ganshert, born in 1923. He will play the green trombone in today's parade on the Square.
"St. Patrick's Day is always a holy week," Northern Irishman Terry Hanna, Monroe, said.
Good-hearted bantering neighbors, Hanna, born in 1932, and Ganshert took the entire crawl tour.
Dressed to the hilt in green, Ganshert is a "green card carrying Irishman," so says his little green card. Half-Irish, half-German, Ganshert said the German tempers the Irish part, and the Irish livens up the German part.
Hanna, dressed in white and green, came to the U. S. from Quebec in 1962, and said his father came from Ireland.
Jean Zimmerman, Monroe, is 100 percent Irish, and Catholic. She scoffed at the idea of having to move St. Patrick's Day away from Holy Week because of its bawdy reputation. She plans to go to the parade.
"We're not as big of alcoholics as they say we are," she said. People of other nationalities get just as drunk, she said. "They're just jealous 'cuz they don't have a day."
Carrie Hartman of Monroe, who said she is 75 percent Irish and 100 percent Catholic, non-practicing, intends to attend the parade too.
"Absolutely. We just have a good time," she said.
St. Patrick's Day will next fall during Holy Week in 2160.
BAGPIPES
Ganshert's grandson, "little" Joe, 16, was recruited to play the official bagpipes for the pub crawl, between his 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. state tournament hockey games at SLICE in town.
Dressed in a traditional Irish kilt with a black sporan chained at the waist, Joe led the group from one pub to the next, while performing "Irish Eyes," "The Wearing of the Green" and "Oh, Danny Boy."
But Joe won't be in town to perform in the parade with his grandfather; he will be at the Model UN in Milwaukee on Monday.
Joe learned to play the pipes from Charles Knowles in Monroe, and has been playing for about three years. Next week Joe will start teaching a local Scottish father and son to play.
The first year was spent "just learning the fingerings of songs on the practice chanter, like a recorder," he said. Only then were the air bag and three drones added to make what we know as the bagpipes.
Little Joe is the second generation of his family to pick up the pipes. His Uncle Mike of New Glarus was performing with the Shriners Saturday.
PARADE QUEENS
This year's parade queen was chosen to honor Skip Brennan, one of the parade's founders nine years ago.
Erin Buhlmann said her father had just gotten out of the hospital on Friday, but will be at the parade.
"Normally, the Queen is older," she said. "But the committee wanted to have a Brennan girl this year to honor my dad."
Bishops in Dublin, Ireland, thought ahead enough last summer to shift the feast to March 15. But almost everywhere secular parades as a celebration of the Irish culture and contributions have been maintained on the traditional day, without objection from bishops.
What is Heartland Graphics co-owner Tracy Hamilton's take on the rescheduling?
"I can't comment, because I'm Catholic," he laughed.
But the Catholic Church's changes in scheduling didn't seem to concern anybody on Saturday's pub crawl.
"We're sure St. Patrick is going to smile on our parade no matter when it is," said Southern Irishman Joe Ganshert, Monroe. Ganshert, born in 1923. He will play the green trombone in today's parade on the Square.
"St. Patrick's Day is always a holy week," Northern Irishman Terry Hanna, Monroe, said.
Good-hearted bantering neighbors, Hanna, born in 1932, and Ganshert took the entire crawl tour.
Dressed to the hilt in green, Ganshert is a "green card carrying Irishman," so says his little green card. Half-Irish, half-German, Ganshert said the German tempers the Irish part, and the Irish livens up the German part.
Hanna, dressed in white and green, came to the U. S. from Quebec in 1962, and said his father came from Ireland.
Jean Zimmerman, Monroe, is 100 percent Irish, and Catholic. She scoffed at the idea of having to move St. Patrick's Day away from Holy Week because of its bawdy reputation. She plans to go to the parade.
"We're not as big of alcoholics as they say we are," she said. People of other nationalities get just as drunk, she said. "They're just jealous 'cuz they don't have a day."
Carrie Hartman of Monroe, who said she is 75 percent Irish and 100 percent Catholic, non-practicing, intends to attend the parade too.
"Absolutely. We just have a good time," she said.
St. Patrick's Day will next fall during Holy Week in 2160.
BAGPIPES
Ganshert's grandson, "little" Joe, 16, was recruited to play the official bagpipes for the pub crawl, between his 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. state tournament hockey games at SLICE in town.
Dressed in a traditional Irish kilt with a black sporan chained at the waist, Joe led the group from one pub to the next, while performing "Irish Eyes," "The Wearing of the Green" and "Oh, Danny Boy."
But Joe won't be in town to perform in the parade with his grandfather; he will be at the Model UN in Milwaukee on Monday.
Joe learned to play the pipes from Charles Knowles in Monroe, and has been playing for about three years. Next week Joe will start teaching a local Scottish father and son to play.
The first year was spent "just learning the fingerings of songs on the practice chanter, like a recorder," he said. Only then were the air bag and three drones added to make what we know as the bagpipes.
Little Joe is the second generation of his family to pick up the pipes. His Uncle Mike of New Glarus was performing with the Shriners Saturday.
PARADE QUEENS
This year's parade queen was chosen to honor Skip Brennan, one of the parade's founders nine years ago.
Erin Buhlmann said her father had just gotten out of the hospital on Friday, but will be at the parade.
"Normally, the Queen is older," she said. "But the committee wanted to have a Brennan girl this year to honor my dad."