March 3, 2017

Catholics may eat meat on St. Patrick’s Day

St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, falls this year on a Lenten Friday, a penitential day for Catholics when they do not eat meat or soups and sauces made from meat.

After due consideration of a number of requests and recognizing that this is a traditional day of celebration for many Catholics, Msgr. William F. Stumpf, administrator of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, has dispensed Catholics of the archdiocese from the obligation to abstain from meat on Friday, March 17.

Msgr. Stumpf said that those persons in the archdiocese who wish to eat meat on St. Patrick’s Day are free to do so, but are highly encouraged to substitute some other act of penance, such as special prayer, acts of piety or works of charity on March 17.

Read the official decree here

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