St. Patrick's Day Tomorrow

The Diocese of Salt Lake City and the Cathedral have deep roots in the faith and work of the Irish. Our first Bishop, Lawrence Scanlan, was a native of Ireland who came to the Utah territory to begin his remarkable ministry in 1873. Many fellow Irish clergymen also assisted with the early years of the Church in Utah.

Strangely, our Irish roots and our current pastoral reality have a very strong connection: Los San Patricios or "Those of Saint Patrick." The famines of the nineteenth century wrecked havoc on the Irish people, forcing many of them in desperation to make the very dangerous journey to the United States (thousands perished amidst the poor conditions of the British ships) and facing incredible hostility from the American people upon arrival. The animosity toward the new Irish immigrants, and the prejudice they experienced in the midst of abject poverty forced them to become sympathetic to others in a similar state, and developed a strong bond between the newly-arrived Irish and the Mexican people.

While the history is complex, many of the impoverished Irish were conscripted into the United States Army. As plans developed to invade Mexico in the 1840's, many of the Irish questioned the injustice of such a venture, and, goaded by the poor treatment of their Protestant leaders, began to empathize with their fellow Catholic Mexicans to the South. Los San Patricios is the name given to the many Irish who fled the US and began to fight on behalf of their Catholic brothers and sisters, impoverished as they were, in Mexico. Forming their own battalion, these Irishmen were noted for their valor and courage. In a final battle when the Mexican soldiers raised a white flag, the Irish tore it down again wanting to fight to the end.

It came to a tragic end. After the United States Army defeated the Irish and Mexican troops, the Irish were arrested as deserters and brought to trial. Unlike the other 9,000 deserters from the US Army during the Mexican American War, some 85 irishmen were hanged to death in what has been described as largest mass hanging in North America. The Battalión de San Patricio is memorialized every year in Mexico: on September 12th, the day of the executions, and, of course, on March 17th in honor of St. Patrick.

On this St. Patrick's Day, let us pray for all immigrants who are despised and rejected in their new home, and consider the loyalty of the Irish to their Catholic brothers and sisters - a loyalty that transcends nation and race.