This year, one of the Lent Fridays falls on St. Patrick’s Day. Now, for me, St. Patrick’s Day means corned beef. It is so delectable and I look forward to it every year. For those celebrating Lent (not me), those who are Irish Catholic were torn. Do they continue with their non-meat Fridays or do they indulge in corned beef? This problem was previously faced in 2000. I read an article online today regarding how they solved the problem. It can be found here. In the end, Archbishop Timothy Dolan of Milwaukee has granted an exemption to the normal Lent rules. If people add an extra Lent day this year, they can have corned beef on the 17th of March. Other churches have moved their St. Patty’s celebrations to the Thursday before or Saturday after with no fuss.

For me, the whole thing is a bit comical. One must receive an exemption from their local archbishop to take part in eating corned beef on the 17th. The article read:

Milwaukee parishioners can take their dispensation elsewhere: In other words, they can eat corned beef if they travel. But people shouldn’t come in from other areas — where they haven’t received dispensation — just to eat meat

Can you see a mass of people flocking to Milwaukee just to have some corned beef? I think this issue has been made into a bigger problem than necessary. It has turned the celebration of a simple holiday into a jumble of rules and has added more rules to Lent…too much for my taste.