Catholics normally refrain from eating meat on Fridays during Lent, but this Friday—St. Patrick’s Day—bishops all throughout the region are making an exception.
Corned beef is often served over the holiday. Catholics are been given permission by the dioceses of Springfield and Worcester to partake in the customary St. Patrick’s Day meal.
Because the Catholic faith holds that Jesus died on a Friday, traditionally, Catholics abstain from meat on Fridays throughout Lent to honor his sacrifice. Instead, during Lent, Catholics usually eat fish on Fridays.
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The Diocese of Providence in Rhode Island, on the other hand, does not make this exception. In a statement, Bishop Thomas Tobin said that he thought it was crucial to remind the faithful of the significance of their Lenten habits.
