Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day
As a vibrant and diverse assisted living community, Youville welcomes residents from all walks of life and cultural backgrounds – including many with Irish roots! St. Patrick’s Day is a wonderful way to celebrate Irish culture in America. It is also an opportunity to celebrate the broader values of cultural acceptance and tolerance that are at its origins.
For example, did you know that St. Patrick, the patron Saint of Ireland, was actually British? Born around the fourth century, he lived a comfortable life in Roman Britain before being kidnapped at the age of 16 by marauders. His captors brought him to Ireland where he spent six years in forced labor and captivity. After his escape back to Great Britain, St. Patrick completed his studies to become a priest. He became determined to convert the pagan Irish to Christianity, and returned to the scene of his teenage captivity to begin spreading the message of Christ. A wandering evangelist in a foreign land, he used the Shamrock to explain to the Irish the concept of the Holy Trinity.
Centuries later, famine and persecution drove millions of Irish from their homeland in the mid 19th century. Like St. Patrick, these immigrants were displaced from their homes by circumstance, facing uncertainty and hardship in new lands. Since then, Irish culture has spread throughout the world. After decades of anti-Irish sentiment and prejudice, Americans now embrace Irish culture in the same way the ancient Irish embraced St. Patrick.
St. Patrick’s Day is a celebration of Irish culture, but it’s also much more. It is a celebration of immigrants in a foreign land, overcoming hardship and intolerance, and ultimately gaining acceptance. As it is written on a beam in the Guiness Storehouse in Dublin, “Everyone’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day.”
At Youville residents often celebrate with an array of green-themed programs – from lectures about Irish poetry to live traditional fiddle music. We urge you to learn more about our vibrant community and our diverse programs. We invite you to attend a program and always welcome inquires!
