Round Four

In a bit, my own fortnight of St. Paddy's celeb- rations will formally kick off. However, we're still keeping score of the (arch)dioceses which are granting indults so that the 17th -- a Lenten Friday -- may include the consumption of the sacred corned beef, pictured at left.

All thanks again to everyone who's keeping all of us plugged in with the reports -- just so everybody knows, this is all coming straight from the readership.

Forgive my lack of replies to e.mails in the last few days -- I'm trying to get some rest this weekend as the past few weeks have been chaos with little time to wind-down.

Continuing with the reportage, The Corned Beef Indult has been granted by the (arch)bishops of:

• The archdiocese for the Miltary Services
• St. Paul and Minneapolis -- with an "encouragement to mark the day with some other form of special observance."
• Indianapolis -- the faithful are requested to transfer abstinence to a prior day of the week
• Cleveland
• Kansas City-St. Joseph
• Detroit
• Providence -- with a reminder that the faithful "should practice an alternate act of penance, charity, or prayer"
• Fall River
• Madison -- Provided "Those who avail themselves of this dispensation are asked to perform another form of penance such as acts of charity, prayer, or almsgiving on or near the date of March 17."
• Washington -- Those who indult are "encouraged to substitute another form of sacrifice on March 17."
• Rockville Centre -- with a request that the revelers "perform another act of penance in lieu of abstaining from meat March 17th."
• The home of the Fighting Irish may indulge as Bishop John D'Arcy of Fort Wayne-South Bend has green-lighted the beef, asking "everyone who accepts this dispensation to do some holy act on or near that day. For example, attending Mass, especially on the feast of St. Patrick,would be a most worthy act. So also would be the recitation of the rosary. In addition, there could be an act of service or generosity towards the poor."
• The archdiocese of New York has announced that "since the day is the feast of the Patron of the Archdiocese it is celebrated as a Solemnity and, therefore, abstinence need not be observed by parishioners of the Archdiocese or others present here on that day."

More as it rolls in....

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