Hundreds filled the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist on Sunday for the annual St. Patrick’s Day Mass, honoring the city’s Irish roots.
Families dressed in green sang hymns, prayed and reflected on a history of resilience. Reverend Stephen D. Parkes said the Mass provided a moment to recognize Savannah’s deep Irish heritage.
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“After the 17-1800s, they had to deal with a lot of challenges. They faced discrimination, they faced poverty, they faced many difficulties, but they rose above them,” Parkes said.
Worshippers prayed and sang throughout the service. Community members said the Mass made them proud of their heritage.
“It’s really an honor. And it really makes you proud of your Irish heritage,” Mollie Hamilton said. “It’s great to be in a city where the Irish are represented in such large numbers. And, you know, to remember Saint Patrick.”
Parkes highlighted local traditions during Sunday’s 11:30 a.m. service.
“This Celtic cross marks a tradition here in our city of Savannah,” Parkes said. “The Celtic Cross has a fruitful history. Some legends say it goes back to the Saint Patrick who put the cross and the sun together.”
Visitors from Ireland joined the celebration and say Savannah’s embrace of Irish culture is something special.
“It feels such pride to see that our culture has been totally immersed in it, and it’s just a beautiful thing to see from an Irish point of view,” Broin Tuite, chairman of the City of Limerick band said.
The Mass serves as one of several events leading up to St. Patrick’s Day. Local leaders expect the parade and related celebrations to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors to the Hostess City in the coming days.
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