WASHINGTON — It’s festive to display shamrocks on St. Patrick’s Day because they’re pretty, green, and Irish — but the tradition didn’t start that way, according to an expert of the highest order.
“Patrick being a good pastor, picked a simple sign to show everybody a much deeper teaching,” said Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington, during his annual St. Patrick’s Day mass at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Northwest.
O’Neill-James School of Dance at #StPatricks – the oldest DC parish fr 1792 @WashArchdiocese #WTOP pic.twitter.com/9uXSleqEov
— Kristi King (@kingWTOP) March 17, 2016
“The shamrock is a beautiful way of telling the story of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Three persons, one God.”
At the church — the District’s oldest Catholic parish — Cardinal Wuerl used his homily to share St. Patrick’s message.
“The Lord loves you. Jesus brings us the compassion and mercy of God. And we’re supposed to share that with our neighbors.”
Watch a portion of the mass below:
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