Linda Beershank broke into song and dance when Father Alex Mosko told her the welcome news: the annual St. Patrick’s Day Party was returning to St. Francis Xavier Parish after a seven-year hiatus.
“We need this—to get together, to laugh, to talk, to dance,” said Beershank, a longtime parishioner and volunteer. She had donned a green cable-knit sweater, shamrock earrings, and headpiece for the occasion.
Back by popular demand, partygoers packed the St. Francis Xavier School gym for the St. Patrick’s Beef & Beer, a longstanding tradition for the parish in Philadelphia’s Fairmount neighborhood.
“Everybody’s excited to celebrate our heritage—whether they’re Irish or not,” said Bridget Bowen as she took a break from the lively festivities. The Irish were well represented, with the McGivelys and the Coffeys, the McCrimmons and the Finleys among the crowd.
Longtime parishioner and volunteer Linda Beershank has cooked for the St. Patrick’s Day Beef & Beer for years. She was thrilled when she learned the celebration was returning to St. Francis Xavier Parish.
The parish’s last St. Patrick’s Day Party was seven years ago. The 2020 celebration was cancelled at the last minute, just days before schools and businesses shut down to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Looking back, the decision to cancel was prudent. “We would have had a superspreader,” said Father Paul Convery, C.O., on Saturday.
“Before the pandemic, there were lots of traditions like this,” said Father Georges G. Thiers, C.O. He and Father Convery co-founded the Philadelphia Oratory, part of the Congregation of the Oratory, within St. Francis Xavier Parish in 1990. “People have to get reacquainted,” he said as he looked around the darkened, crowded gym. “This is getting reacquainted.”
St. Francis Xavier Parish, founded in 1839 by Bishop Francis Patrick Kenrick, has deep Irish roots. Original parishioners were primarily Irish and German immigrants who worked in Fairmount shops and factories. Not surprisingly, the St. Patrick’s Day Party has been a longtime favorite parish activity.
For more than 25 years, the event was a general fundraiser. This year, it was about much more than raising money for the church— it was a reunion.
“The primary reason was to bring people back,” said Father Mosko, a Philadelphia Oratory priest who spearheaded the event in response to parishioner requests. “So many Philadelphia neighborhoods used to be close-knit, but we’ve seen many people move away.”
Kathleen Bannon left the neighborhood five years ago but returned for the celebration with childhood friend Patricia Rapone.
“I always come back for stuff like this,” Bannon said. She, her children, and grandchildren all attended St. Francis Xavier School.
Brother Joshua Vargas, C.O., of the Philadelphia Oratory serves roast beef during the St. Patrick’s Day Party at St. Francis Xavier in Philadelphia’s Fairmount neighborhood.
Linda Beershank has helped to prepare food for the party for many years but intentionally kept this year’s menu simple—roast beef and rolls, macaroni and potato salads. “We didn’t know what to expect,” she said.
Turnout exceeded expectations, said longtime parish business manager Christine Powell. She deserves much of the credit for the party’s success, Father Mosko said.
Final count: 230 people.
The green-clad crowd was entertained by school-aged dancers from the Celtic Flame School of Irish Dance and music by the Sean Fleming Band. From jigs to rock and roll, the band’s eclectic playlist appealed to all ages. Several partygoers noted the many young people in attendance.
“I am so happy to see a lot of the old timers, but there are a lot of young faces, too,” Father Mosko said. “People are here to have fun and support the parish.”
The party was a first for parishioners Dave and Cassandra McClafferty. “I always wanted to attend, but we had young children. Then there was COVID,” Cassandra said. “This year I had to come.”
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