SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) – Members of Savannah’s Irish community gathered Sunday for the annual Celtic Cross Mass and Ceremony, part of the ongoing St. Patrick’s Day Committee celebrations.
The event began with Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist. Members of several Irish-based organizations then walked from the cathedral to Emmet Park for the Celtic Cross Ceremony.
Grand Marshal Martin Hogan said religion remains central to the observance of St. Patrick’s Day.
“We are going to keep the Saint in St. Patrick and carry this on for generations to come,” Hogan said.
Saint Patrick is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland in the fifth century. The Celtic Cross is a Christian symbol prominent in Irish culture and is said to originate from when St. Patrick converted Ireland from paganism.
“To show them the light he more or less put a regular crucifix up to the sun, and the sun put a little ring around it, or what have you, and it more or less signified Christianity in a Pagan country,” Hogan said.
The Celtic Cross Ceremony honored generations of Irish Americans in Savannah. The theme of Bishop Stephen Parkes’ homily was roots and wings — that parents should give their children strong roots to know and honor where they came from, and wings to go forward with confidence.
Hogan said the sermon reflects the meaning behind the ceremony.
“When you look back, my forefathers come from Limerick, Ireland and Longford and see what we’ve been through,” Hogan said. “The plight that we had, and we don’t look back, don’t make any excuses, just put your boots on and it’s all about roots and wings.”
Each year, a wreath is laid at the Celtic Cross statue in Emmet Park to honor the struggles and resilience of the Irish community and in remembrance of fallen Irish immigrants and their descendants.
Dori Sessoms, president of the Police Emerald Society, said the event held personal significance.
“We’re honoring the fallen of past, present and future,” Sessoms said. “It’s pretty special having the whole group of us actually go to church together and then march down to actually lay a wreath at the Celtic Cross.”
The ceremony included remarks from several speakers, including address speaker John W. Jurgensen, who spoke in remembrance of Irish immigrants who lived and worked in Savannah.
“Irish immigrants industrialized Savannah not only through factories and railroads but by shaping the very grounds on which the city stands,” Jurgensen said.
The mass and ceremony also featured music from the City of Limerick Pipe Band, which performed the United States and Irish national anthems while the Benedictine Color Guard presented both flags.