Comments about ‘Sacred, secular St. Patrick’

know why whiskey was invented?? Too keep the irish from taking over tne world!!!!

We have a nice 26 year old bottle waiting for Tuesday. Slainte mhath!

Nice Google work, Johnston. My St. Patrick is not just for us Catholics. He is Christianity's St. Patrick. That, of course, means he is not LDS' St. Patrick, since LDS are not Christians.

SpySmiley is soooooo funny.

Anyway, don't forget to wear green everyone.

I didn't realize those other than Catholics had saints. Aren't they the only ones that cannonize(sp?) people?

I know lots of Patricks who are LDS and, therefore, later day saints. Ergo, Saint Patricks.

Don't wear green, I wanna pinch ya.

As a Mormon who has attended a Catholic law school, I appreciate the religious diversity this article brings to the Deseret News and its erudite discussion of St. Patrick: fun and informative . . . .

Fundamentally speaking, you are correct. However, faithful LDS base their faith and works on patterning their lives after the accountability and charity exemplified by Jesus Christ.

May good luck be with you,
Wherever you go;
And your blessings outnumber
The shamrocks you grow.

Before St. Patrick's comes Pi Day! Happy 3.14 - enjoy!

The orthodox churches have their own saints, some are shared of course. Some protestants consider the apostles and Paul saints cause they lived during the time of Christ and the early church.

Saints are people close to God. When someone is cannonized it's a way of confirming they are definitely in heaven. We also want to mimmick them. Mother Theresa is on her way toward being declared a saint. It takes many years.

St. Patrick was living as a slave and when he free of that he decided to go back to the land of his captors and share Catholicism with them. Amazing example.

Kinda rude Spysmiley. As a Catholic I'm bugged. Yes their baptism would not be counted in a Catholic church if an LDS converted, but they don't accept our baptism either if we coverted to their church. So what! When did role models in holiness apply only to the devout? I would think they would be of more use to help turn sinners away from sin and towards God. That is the point. Are only Catholics in need of examples, are they the only sinners?

K | 6:12 p.m. I'm an atheist with LDS roots. I have enjoyed exploring and photographing Catholic Cathedrals and missions. I have always been welcome.

I admit, the first time I entered a Cathedral in Germany, I was expecting to get hit on like you would be if you visited Temple Square. I have never had anyone stop me from taking pictures inside as long as I don't use flash.

The best dark lager, I've tasted was made by monks. My LDS family never master much more than lime Jell-O.

St Patrick's Day is wonderful it that it has religious and secular appeal.

Well, for heck sakes! bring out the bubblies.....LETS CELEBRATE pagan day.

Thank you for the explanation. I respect your saints as honorable people with lives that champion good works. You're right. We all can use examples of selflessness and living life to higher standards.

Baby names

Never heard the comfort explaination before?

First off the baby needs to have the name of a saint for baptism purposes. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland and popular. There is a long history of passing down family names. Most girls have some form of Mary as their first or middle. In fact all sister's might be Mary Kate, Mary Margaret, Mary Pat... and go by middle name.

When the child reaches confirmation age they picks a saint they admire for their confirmation name. Name changes are seen throughout the bible; Abram becoming Abraham, Simon becoming Peter, Saul becoming Paul.

In Europe it wasn't uncommon for part of your baby's name to be determined by the day they were born and whose feast day was it? Most days of the year it is at least one saint's feast day, the feast day has nothing to do with their birthday. Or to be named after or by your godparents. Or to be named after your father or mother if you were the first girl or boy in the family. Siblings would be named after grandparents, aunts/uncles.

We're cracking open a couple bottles of our homemade blueberry wine on St. Patrick's Day. Let's raise a glass to that devout fellow. We also make a delicious corned beef with cabbage, taties, leeks and carrots. You are more than welcome at our table.

That answers several questions I've had about naming. I had presumed that Mary Kate, Mary Margaret, etc., meant that an older sibling had died and the next were named for that child plus their own new name. That is very interesting.

Thanks for sharing the naming info.

Yes people in Ireland drink alcohol but St. Patrick's Day isn't a celebration of beer and whiskey. In my midwestern state we go to mass and then attend a parade where all the local parishes participate along with some marching bands and traditional dancers and a few floats dedicated to some charities close to the community's heart usually dealing with chiildren. Then there is feasting on traditional Irish foods and of course there is almost always drinking.

Usually there is a celebration on the weekend before the holiday and if St. Pat's actual day falls on a Friday we check to see if we have been granted dispensation to eat corn beef that day and sacrifice something else for lent.

Equating St. Pat's to just drinking and parades is like equating St. Nicholas to Santa Claus. There's more to it.

St. Patrick brought Christianity to the people of Ireland and turned them away from the pagan druids. I'm sure any of you who served a mission can appreciate his efforts. Imagine having been kidnapped and enslaved. You escape only to return to preach years later on the command of God.

Hey, folks, don't get all wound up over St. Patties day. Most of you who have English ancestry have Celtic bloodlines. I'm sure you all apreciate who you are too...leprechauns or knomes with pots of gold.

Some of the BEST dog gone Mormons are Irish, and these folks can do a Celtic jig like nobodies business. A lot of the Mormon pioneers were Irish and Scottish, English mix. Great bunch of people and they all made their own Mormon beer.