I have a question, not sure if someone is teasing me or what..

[Bob Slydell]

I was pretty sure it was up to the individual diocese. I remember the last time St. Patrick's fell on a Friday during Lent--our local bishop (Long Island, NY) did not give a dispensation. NYC did. I work in NYC so I could have had corned beef for lunch, but I didn't. We have a different bishop now so it's possible that we will get the dispensation this year.

Yes, it is a decision that's made by each individual diocese and thus, a change in bishop might change the decision in a given year.

 

[TheRatPack]

So Catholics don't eat meat on any Friday or just during Lent? I'm confused...LOL

And what is the reason for no meat on Fridays? Just curious

 

[Bob Slydell]

So Catholics don't eat meat on any Friday or just during Lent? I'm confused...LOL

And what is the reason for no meat on Fridays? Just curious

Pre-Vatican II, it was every Friday that Catholics were to abstain from meat. Post-Vatican II, it became just Fridays in Lent.

 

[mrsltg]

Technically, it's not fasting. It's abstaining from meat.

Our diocese grants dispensation on St. Pats Day -- they don't make a big deal out of it, the bishop just releases a statement saying that dispensation has been granted. Apparently, it's something that our diocese has been doing since the 1800's, so I guess it's somewhat of a tradition.

It is fasting as well as abstaining. Your first two meals together are not to equal the amount of food you consume at the third (no gigantic third meal, either!). You are also not to eat in between meals. The way the meatless Friday's are set-up now abstinence is part of the fast.

Oh well. I've never abstained or fasted on St. Pat's before and won't begin tomorrow regardless of my disocese granting dispensation.

 

[swea_pea1]

Bishop DiLorenzo granted dispensation for tomorrow. Most years, he also cancels January 1st as a Holy Day of Obligation. That name's not Irish, but I'm pretty sure he's got to be!

 

[Bob Slydell]

I guess I was taught differently. We were taught that the only fast days were Ash Wednesday and Good Friday (they double as abstaining from meat days) and that the other Fridays were only abstainance days.

http://www.catholicculture.org/lit/activities/view.cfm?id=1013

 

[swea_pea1]

It is fasting as well as abstaining. Your first two meals together are not to equal the amount of food you consume at the third (no gigantic third meal, either!). You are also not to eat in between meals. The way the meatless Friday's are set-up now abstinence is part of the fast.

Oh well. I've never abstained or fasted on St. Pat's before and won't begin tomorrow regardless of my disocese granting dispensation.

Fasting in our diocese is only for Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Friday's during Lent require abstinence only.

 

[nliedel]

It's up to the individual Bishops. You are not supposed to, if you are Catholic, eat meat on Fridays during Lent and Lent only.

 

[nliedel]

OOPS! Doppleganger.

 

[swea_pea1]

I guess I was taught differently. We were taught that the only fast days were Ash Wednesday and Good Friday (they double as abstaining from meat days) and that the other Fridays were only abstainance days.

http://www.catholicculture.org/lit/activities/view.cfm?id=1013

You're quicker on the Catholic trivia

 

[Crankyshank]

I was raised with fast days being Ash Wednesday and Good Friday as well no meat on Fridays.
We have a dispensation for tomorrow as well. here's the official memo from my diocese:

BISHOP GRANTS DISPENSATION FOR ST. PATRICK'S DAY
FALL RIVER — George W. Coleman has dispensed Catholics in the Fall River Diocese from the Lenten obligation to abstain from meat on Friday, March 17, the Feast of St. Patrick.

Members of the Church who make use of this dispensation are urged to make some other form of self-denial in accordance with the spirit of the Lenten season.



Pastors throughout the diocese were notified of the dispensation last week and were asked to announce it to their parishioners

 

[Bob Slydell]

You're quicker on the Catholic trivia

16 years of Catholic school has ingrained it in my head.

 

[Missy1961]

Rockville Center did give a dispensation this year

Thanks--I was in Virginia last week so I went to Mass there. I know they have the dispensation!

 

[helenabear]

16 years of Catholic school has ingrained it in my head.

I know that feeling all to well! It's rather easy to rattle off rules after hearing them so much!

I know my local diocese has not given a dispensation for meat on this Friday. As Bob said, it is NOT fasting on Friday (only required to do Ash Weds & Good Friday) though some strict Catholics I know will fast all through Lent as you used to have to do.

I truthfully don't see what the big deal is anyway. Lent is about sacrifice so what's the big deal about not being able to eat meat St. Patrick's Day. I especially laugh when the person isn't the slightest big Irish and finds it to be a huge deal. Feast day or not, it is Lent, and it is supposed to be a more solemn time (which is noticable in my church with the music alone) so I don't get why people whine about St. Patrick's Day anyway. It isn't at all like other major feast days celebrated in the Church!

 

[Mickey Fliers]

You want to hear a kick in the pants....I am leaving for WDW in 2 weeks and I booked LTT dinner on Friday

What was I thinking??? Kicking myself from here to next week now!

 

[lyeag]

We are allowed our corned beef here!!!

Dispensation Granted

In view of the number of activities scheduled for Saint Patrick Day, I am granting a dispensation from the obligation of abstinence from meat on Friday, March 17th. I ask that whoever avails themselves of this dispensation substitute some other mortification and accomplish some act of charity or mercy.

Most Reverend Eusebius J. Beltran
Archbishop of Oklahoma City

 

[piglet too]

I truthfully don't see what the big deal is anyway. Lent is about sacrifice so what's the big deal about not being able to eat meat St. Patrick's Day. I especially laugh when the person isn't the slightest big Irish and finds it to be a huge deal. Feast day or not, it is Lent, and it is supposed to be a more solemn time (which is noticable in my church with the music alone) so I don't get why people whine about St. Patrick's Day anyway. It isn't at all like other major feast days celebrated in the Church!

My Grandmother is very upset with some of her fellow parishoners who are all excited that they can eat meat tomorrow just because it is St Patrick's Day. She says that those who are Irish, she can understand, but most in her church are not and see this just as a way to eat meat. She is of the "old school" however and has never eaten meat on Fridays year round.

 

[diskids2]

It was announced in our church last Sunday that we could eat meat on St. Patrick's Day. New York Diocese.

And.....I totally agree!

 

[r3ngels]

We can eat meat, in Saint Louis, but those who take advantage of it are askes to perform another form of penance.

And I think it's great that the archbishop allows for the dispensation... I am Irish my kids are Irish my DH is Irish... I have been eating Corned Beef every year on Saint Pats... my family is coming over and we have a green meal with all the traditional irish fixins' And hopefully with leftovers for another time. We are celebrating just as we would if it were Thanksgiving. We could do it another day but it would be like eating Thanksgiving turkey on Friday.

I guess we take it a little serious (But I can't wait... )

 

[Karibeth19]

We are allowed our corned beef here!!!

Dispensation Granted

In view of the number of activities scheduled for Saint Patrick Day, I am granting a dispensation from the obligation of abstinence from meat on Friday, March 17th. I ask that whoever avails themselves of this dispensation substitute some other mortification and accomplish some act of charity or mercy.

Most Reverend Eusebius J. Beltran
Archbishop of Oklahoma City

But in Tulsa, you're not!!!

Tulsa World
Catholics in culture conflict
By BILL SHERMAN World Religion Writer
3/16/2006


Meat is out for the Tulsa faithful Friday because of Lent. That includes St. Patrick's Day corned beef.
Kilkenny's Irish Pub & Eatery will serve more corned beef and cabbage Friday than any other day of the year, but eastern Oklahoma Catholics probably will not be eating it.

Western Oklahoma Catholics who happen to be in Tulsa, how ever, will be free to eat the traditional St. Patrick's Day fare.

The situation splitting the state's Catholics developed because St. Patrick's Day falls on a Friday this year.

That creates a conflict between the Catholic prohibition of eating meat on Fridays during Lent and the American Irish Catholic tradition of celebrating Ireland's patron saint day with a hearty portion of corned beef and cabbage.

Some Catholic bishops around the country resolved the conflict by granting special dispensations -- or exceptions -- allowing their parishioners to eat meat on St. Patrick's Day.

Among them was Archbishop Eusebius Beltran of the Oklahoma City Archdiocese, which covers the western half of the state. In his statement granting the dispensation, Beltran said anyone who takes advantage of it should "substitute some other mortification and

accomplish some act of charity or mercy."

But no dispensation has been granted in the Tulsa diocese, covering eastern Oklahoma.

Henry Harder, the chancellor of the diocese, said that as of Wednesday, Bishop Edward J. Slattery had not issued a dispensation to allow the eating of meat this Friday.

Slattery, who is of Irish descent, was visiting Ireland this week and could not be reached for comment, but his second in command, Monsignor Patrick Gaalaas, the vicar general of the Diocese of Tulsa, said he doubted that Slattery would grant the dispensation.

"He's been asked in the past and has said no," Gaalaas said.

Gaalaas, who is also part Irish, said Catholics age 14 and older should not eat "meat of beast or fowl" on Fridays through Lent or on Ash Wednesday, unless they have an illness that precludes that.

Gaalaas said Beltran's dispensation was "both local and personal, so an Oklahoma City Catholic can eat meat in Tulsa Friday and a Tulsa Catholic can eat meat in Oklahoma City."

"St. Patrick himself was a very austere saint," he added. "I doubt that he would be eating corned beef and cabbage during Lent."

St. Patrick is known to have fasted from all food for the 40 days of Lent, Gaalaas said.

Catholics once were required to abstain from meat every Friday. The ban was changed in 1966 to apply to only those Fridays during the Lenten season.