Irish Protestants: St. Patrick's Day admirers from afar

From Savannah-

Still, Stewart says he's grateful for St. Patrick himself for introducing Christian faith to his homeland.

So does, the Rev. Liam Collins who regards St. Patrick as more than just a cultural icon.

Collins recalls joyful religious traditions on St. Patrick's Day in his native Tipperary, Ireland, where he grew up in a Catholic family.
From the Celtic Cross Ceremony to Mass at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Roman Catholics have a stamp on nearly everything related to St. Patrick's Day in Savannah.

But all Irish-American Christians have the patron saint to thank for introducing the faith to their ancestors more than 1,500 years ago.

So where are the Irish Protestants in this cultural and religious celebration?

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Since becoming a priest in the Episcopal Church about 30 years ago, he has let go of his St. Patrick's Day observances, but still regards the day as special.

St. Patrick, he said, is a model of religious and cultural cooperation.

"There are no martyrs in the Celtic church, because when St. Patrick came, the principle of how he worked was the principle of dialogue in a conversation," said Collins, who leads "Celtic Mass" on Sunday evenings at St. Paul the Apostle Church.

"There was no animosity created between what he was bringing in terms of his message and what he found there, which was the ancient druid, pagan practices. He created a great conversation within that culture."

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