Waterford New Communities Network was delighted to take part in this years St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Waterford City. This year, our group celebrated Luke Wadding, the Waterford man who gave Ireland St. Patrick’s Day.
Born in 1588, and raised in Waterford, Luke Wadding was a notable Franciscan priest and scholar. He was educated in Waterford and later moved to Portugal, Spain, and Italy. It was during his time in Rome, when he raised funds for the construction of St. Isidore’s College for Irish exiles to study into priesthood. When he arrived at Rome in 1618, he found that not many knew of our island, that was in those times considered mysterious and primitive. In fact, the Irish culture in Rome was often vilified. Wadding wasted no time attempting to rectify this, and soon succeeded in showcasing Irish culture in Italy. Each year, Wadding celebrated the Feast of St. Patrick at St. Isidore’s; and it is due to his influence that the festival was inserted on the 17th of March in the Universal Church’s calendar. It took a long time for the festivity to become popular in Ireland, in fact, the first St. Patrick’s Day parade was held in Boston in 1737. It wasn’t until the 1900’s when St. Patrick’s day was formally celebrated in Ireland.
Luke Wadding’s story highlights the importance of sharing new cultures and customs with others and how human migration is beneficial for us all. Without moving to Rome and showcasing Irish traditions within the Catholic Church, the world would have not had one of its most widely celebrated festivals. We had so much fun and can’t wait for next year!
