St. Patrick's Day to be largely virtual in NYC for 2nd year
Bagpiper Joe Brady leads a smaller version of the St. Patrick's Day Parade, due to the coronavirus pandemic, Wednesday, March 17, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)NEW YORK โ A largely virtual St. Patrick's Day was planned for New York City on Wednesday, one year after the annual parade celebrating Irish heritage was canceled because of the pandemic. A live broadcast of the St. Patrickโs Day Mass at St. Patrickโs Cathedral took place. AdMultitudes of people usually line Fifth Avenue for New Yorkโs St. Patrickโs Day parade, which traces its roots to the 1760s. Patrickโs Day: A Celebration For Allโ at 7 p.m.
Trump, Biden appeal to Catholics at virtual charity dinner
(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)WASHINGTON โ President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden appealed to the nation's Roman Catholic voters on Thursday during a charity dinner that traditionally has been used to promote collegiality and good humor. The event comes as Biden and Trump make fierce plays for Catholic voters, a large swath of the electorate that spans the U.S. political spectrum, including a significant slice of swing voters in battleground states. Trumpโs appearance at the dinner four years ago along with Democratic rival Hillary Clinton produced some laughs, but several cringe-worthy moments, too. When Trump described Clinton as corrupt, he crossed the line for many of those in attendance and was booed loudly. On Thursday, Trump sought to highlight his administration's accomplishments benefiting Catholic voters.
Amid pandemic, future of many Catholic schools is in doubt
Nationwide, more than 140 Catholic schools will not reopen in the fall. Already this year, financial and enrollment problems aggravated by the pandemic have forced the permanent closure of more than 140 Catholic schools nationwide, according to officials who oversee Catholic education in the country. Three of the nations highest-ranking Catholic leaders, in a recent joint appeal, said Catholic schools are presently facing their greatest financial crisis and warned that hundreds more closures are likely without federal support. For Catholic schools that are reopening, there is no national directive as to how they should handle the question of in-person classes. And in Evansville, Indiana, Catholic schools reopened Aug. 5 with a full program of in-person instruction.