A Doubleheader
Fr. Francis Di Spigno, OFM,
Pastor
This week we have a bit of a reprieve from Lent!
With St. Patrick’s Day on Monday and the Solemnity of St. Joseph on Wednesday, we have an opportunity to celebrate our faith with a bit of a festive spirit during the often-slower paced penitential tone of Lent.
I have no doubt that more corned beef and cabbage will be eaten in the United States [maybe even in the State of New Jersey!] on Monday than in all of Ireland in an entire year. An Irish friar and friend, Caoimhín Ó Laoide, OFM, once asked me why Americans eat corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day. I did not know so I looked it up. According to the “Delish” website, corned beef was the alternative for the Irish immigrants looking for a taste of home. They would have typically boiled bacon for a holiday meal. Since bacon was so expensive they went to the cheapest cut of meat and found beef brisket. The article went on to say that different immigrant cultures in New York City also influenced this Irish American tradition. It is “corned beef” because rather than simply boiling the beef they learned from the Eastern Europeans who brined and salt-cured their meat. “Corned” refers to the corn-sized salt that is used to brine the beef. The cabbage was added because it too was one of the cheapest vegetables around.
Despite the fact that the Irish don’t eat corned beef, this guy who grew up eating macaroni and meatballs does enjoy a good, corned beef and cabbage meal. It is delish!
Two days after St. Patrick’s Day the church celebrates St. Joseph’s Day. Although we don’t have parades in this country like we do on March 17th, growing up in an Italian American family St. Joseph’s Day was very important.
In Italy, St. Joseph’s Day is Father’s Day. It is an opportunity to remember that St. Joseph, in his unwavering commitment to Mary and Jesus, exemplified the virtues of a good father: integrity, sacrifice, steadfastness, prudence, and service. Of course, any Italian celebration has to have food, but in Italy the traditions varied from region to region.
South of Rome, the Feast of St. Joseph is celebrated with a cherry topped custard filled zeppole if you were from the Naples area or a cannoli cream filled fried pastry called Sfinge di San Giuseppe for the Sicilians. The Romans call their dessert, Bignè di San Giuseppe, which is simply a cream puff with a dusting of powdered sugar.
Whether it is a corned beef and cabbage dinner or a St. Joseph’s dessert, or both, I hope you enjoy your celebrations of St. Patrick’s Day and St. Joseph’s Day... because on Thursday, we’re back to Lent!
Enjoy!
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