You can do anything you want on St. Patrick's Day, Mary. But if you're a priest, don't go celebrating the Mass of St. Patrick during Holy Week. As PoppaGator so succinctly says, Holy Week trumps St. Paddy, just like a Queen takes a Jack. It's not an issue - it's just the rules of the card game. Holy Week trumps St. Joseph on March 19, too. But the edict simply applies to what goes on the church calendar, nothing more. We don't celebrate the Mass of St. Patrick on any Sunday, either.

Rapaire says "there are more important problems facing it than whether or not to celebrate St. Patrick's Day during Holy Week." That's true - but just because I have more important things to deal with, I still brush my teeth on a regular basis. Even in times of crisis, mundane things like managing the calendar must go on. And that's what this is - just setting the calendar for the year, not an issue.

-Joe Offer-