St Patrick's Day Celebrations
in St Patrick, Missouri, USA
Every year we celebrate St Patrick's Day although some of the information on this page might change from year to year.
Father Francis O'Duignan developed the idea of having St Patrick's Day cards postmarked in St Patrick, Missouri on March 17 in 1936 and designed the shamrock cachet the same year. The tradition continues today.
2009 Saint Patrick's Day Special Cancel
A
pictorial cancellation will be available at the St Patrick,
Missouri Post Office March 1 - 30, 2009. The date changes
daily. Celtic shamrocks will surround the lettering, "Happy St Patrick's Day Station March 1, 2009, St.
Patrick, MO 63466". There is no charge for the cancellation.
Stamped, self-addressed envelopes requesting the special
pictorial cancellation may be sent to: Postmaster, St. Patrick, Missouri 63466 USA.
Any day between March 1 and March 30 can be placed on your pictorial cancellation and your envelope mailed that day. Please specify your mailing date. Customers who want their envelope returned under protected cover should include a large, stamped, self-addressed envelope. If you want the shamrock cachet on your envelope, please mail to; Shrine of St. Patrick, Box 34, St. Patrick, MO 63466.
Specially Designed Envelope
The Shrine of St. Patrick will sell a specially designed envelope with a greeting card inside. The commemorative envelope has a sketch of the head of St. Patrick surrounded by Celtic Shamrocks. The greeting card has a photo of St. Patrick and an old Irish poem. The envelope sells for $1.00 which includes the envelope, first class postage, pictorial cancellation, a St Patrick's Day greeting card and the shamrock cachet (designed Fr Francis O'Duignan in 1936).
Church volunteers will address the envelope, write the sender's return address, sign the card with the sender's name, and mail on the day in March you specify, if you request it. The envelope can be mailed only on the day listed on the postmark unless it is mailed under separate cover. St Patrick's greetings sent out on his anniversary from his name city changes an ordinary envelope into a collector's item.
Please make all checks or money orders payable to the Shrine of St Patrick as all proceeds go to the Shrine. A different envelope, card and postmark are offered every year.
The Shrine postcards may be addressed, stamped and mailed for $.50 cents each. A plain postcard sells for $.25 cents. There are six postcards available
Shrine Museum
- Envelopes and postcards will be sold in the Shrine Museum from 9am - 9.30am March 1-16
- A limited quantity of previous March 17 postmarked envelopes are available for $1.00 each. The 1984, 1985, 1986 and 1988 envelopes are sold out. These old envelopes must be mailed under separate cover, so please include a large, stamped, self-addressed envelope.
- Envelope, postcards, Shrine souvenirs and the History of St Patrick book will be sold all day on March 17th in Shrine basement.
Novena
The St Patrick Novena will be March 9 - 17. Novenas are prayerful nine-day preparations for an important Feast Day. All Novena services will be held in the Shrine of St Patrick at 8.30am on weekdays; 8am on Sundays and 4pm on March 17th. Names to be included in the Novena will be placed on St Patrick's altar during the Novena and may be mailed to the Shrine address listed above.
March 17th
The Leprechaun Give Away will be at 1pm and 200 free bags will be distributed - one bag per person. Each bag contains a gift. If the gift is too big or too valuable for the bag, a number will be enclosed for you to exchange for your gift. Gifts will include Waterford crystal, Belleek china and Galway crystal from Ireland.
Breakfast
and lunch will be served in the Shrine basement from 9am to
1pm on March 17th.
Jerry Davis will drop shamrocks from his plane at 10am on the area south of the Shrine. Some shamrocks may be redeemed for gifts.
A beef dinner will be served in the Shrine basement
from 5pm to 7.30pm.
Dinner prices are: Adults - $7; Children (6 - 12) - $3;
Children under 6 eat free.
There will be Irish music at 3.30pm.
Father Paul Hartley, Pastor, will celebrate Mass and conclusion of the Novena at 4pm.
Post Office Hours: 8am to 5pm
Free Tours and Special Guest
Free tours of the Shrine of St Patrick and Museum will be conducted all day by tour guides. You may arrange a scheduled tour time before March 17th.
Colleen McNally-Harris, of Youngstown, Ohio, will present a concert and CD signing at 11am in the Shrine of St. Patrick. She began her singing career in the St. Dominic School Choir in the first grade. Church music became an inspiration for her music. A highlight of her career was leading the singing during a Mass for Pilgrims at the Church of Santa Susanna, the American Catholic Church in Rome, during a pilgrimage in the Jubilee Year of 2000. McNally-Harris has been a cantor in the Cathedral of Saint Columba for over 12 years, has performed as a soprano soloist and is a member of the Renaissance Quartet that sings in church. As a member of the Youngstown Symphony Chorus, she has sung with the chorus at Carnegie Hall in New York city on two different occasions. "Singing is not just a part of her life, but also a part of who she is," McNally-Harris states.
|
Send orders to |
Or Call |
|
Shrine of St Patrick |
Ellen Krueger |
Write
to:
Ellen Krueger
Publicity Chairperson
Route 1
Box 55
Canton
Missouri
63435-9637
Or Call: (660) 754-6028
Tommy Murphy Show on Shamrock Radio, County Mayo, Ireland.
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