March 17th, St. Patrick’s Day, comes again. Once celebrated with grand festivities across the country, it is still observed today, though not as prominently as in the past. This change in how the day is marked reflects an important shift in American society and speaks to a deeper evolution.
A century ago, and long before, Americans of Irish descent were at the bottom of the social ladder in the country — struggling economically, culturally and in nearly every other way.
The beginnings of the Irish presence in the United States were bitter, marked by their being unwanted, much like the later waves of immigrants from Italy, Eastern Europe, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Jewish communities. .
The Irish were seen as unwelcome — considered lazy, dim-witted and defiant of British authority, many of them fleeing from British prisons. Few realized that British authorities in Ireland denied Catholic Irish schooling, the right to own land or to exercise a skill. Catholics in Ireland lived in conditions little better than slavery. Thus, they left for America, seeking a better life.
In a predominantly Protestant America, rejecting alcohol was the norm, but the Catholic Irish did not follow this rule, fueling the stereotype of the Irish as heavy drinkers. Over time, however, these prejudices and struggles have been largely forgotten. Irish Americans have “made it,” becoming integral parts of the American mainstream, perhaps one reason St. Patrick’s Day is no longer as widely celebrated as it once was. Today, Irish Americans are among the wealthiest and most accomplished in the country, with names like Kennedy, Reagan, and Biden marking their presence in American political history.
Overcoming prejudice and adversity
This rise to prominence is a remarkable story of overcoming prejudice and adversity, and it is a story that could not have been written without the Catholic Church. The Church, already present in America, welcomed Irish immigrants into its parishes, created new ones to meet their needs, and established Catholic hospitals across major cities — often run by nuns — dedicated to caring for the sick among the Irish immigrants.
The Church also pioneered the parochial school system, which became a symbol of Catholic education in the United States. These schools were largely founded to educate the children of Irish immigrants, with the belief that education was the key to success. Catholic institutions of higher learning, from Boston College to Santa Clara University, were also created with Irish Americans in mind.
Compelled by the need for work, many Irish immigrants found themselves in factories and on the railroads, enduring terrible working conditions and being paid starvation wages. Yet they found support in Catholic leaders like Cardinal James Gibbons, and in priests who spoke out for the rights of the laboring class. Catholic laypeople, such as labor organizer Mary Harris Jones (known as “Mother Jones”) and political figures like Governor Alfred E. Smith of New York, also played pivotal roles in advocating for the Irish community.
An immeasurable contribution
The Irish contribution to the vitality and survival of Catholicism in America is immeasurable. Irish Americans helped shape the United States Navy, and many sacrificed their lives in wars from the American Revolution to Iraq. They became legends in law enforcement, with the term “paddy wagon” — named after Irish American police officers — becoming a part of American culture.
In every aspect, the Irish immigrants and their descendants have enriched and bettered this country.
Immigration has been an unending reality in this country since the Spanish settled in Florida in 1565, and the English in Virginia in 1607. Those settlers brought their own religious support, but, as history unfolded, meeting, welcoming, befriending, defending, respecting and helping immigrants has been the unbroken tradition of Catholicism in this country. Today, few American Catholics fail to recognize the debt owed to this rich, enduring legacy.
