Bishop Louis Tylka (second from left), and diocesan staff, family and friends pose in front of the Diocese of Peoria’s St. Patrick’s Day parade float on March 17, 2025.

In his homily at the St. Patrick’s Day Mass at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Peoria on March 17, Bishop Louis Tylka zeroed in on why the saint is still so relevant to Christians today.

FROM SLAVE TO SAINT

Bishop Tylka traced the arc of Patrick’s life – from enslavement in Ireland as a youth, to returning there to minister to the people.

Bishop Tylka receives the gifts from (right) Dennis McNamara, president of the local mens division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH), and Pat O‘Connell, president of the local division of the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians.

“What Patrick knew was that his calling was from God, and it was for God,” said Bishop Tylka, and then he added the kicker: “Like him, do we trust that God is with us, and that God has sent us on mission . . . to our streets here in Peoria, our region, our area, our families, our communities?”

Later, Bishop Tylka and diocesan staff, family and friends took part in the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade, proceeding through the streets of downtown Peoria, bestowing Irish blessings (and lots of candy) along the way.

PDCCW PARTICIPATES

The Peoria Diocesan Council of Catholic Woman (PDCCW) also had a float in the parade. “We love to participate in the St. Patrick’s Day parade to honor the legacy of St. Patrick, a man of deep faith who spread Christianity with courage and love,” said PDCCW president April Adams.

Adams said that for the PDCCW – now celebrating its 85th year – the parade was a chance to “come together, celebrate our faith, and connect with others, spreading kindness and positivity as we represent both our faith and our community.”

The Peoria Diocesan Council of Catholic Women were a proud part of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in downtown Peoria on March 17. (from left) Deacon Ed Mallow, spiritual advisor to the PDCCW; Dianne Gootee; April Adams, PDCCW president; and Mary Jo Grebner.

NO ONE BEYOND REACH

Bishop Tylka closed his St. Patrick’s Day Mass homily with an invitation/exhortation to take a page out of St. Patrick’s book – literally. From “The Confession of St. Patrick,” he paraphrased, “The Gospel is for everyone. No one is beyond the reach of the Gospel.”

He continued, “However, for them not to be beyond that reach, you and I, like Patrick, have to be sent, and to use the gifts of the Spirit, so that we give witness to the faith we have in Jesus Christ, not because any of us are great, but because all of us are disciples of the Lord, and the Lord works in, with, and through us.”

Bishop Louis Tylka is seen reverencing the tomb of the Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen after the St. Patrick’s Day Mass at St. Mary’s Cathedral on March 17. Sheen was of Irish descent.

SHEEN DEFINES IRISH BLARNEY

Before leaving the cathdral after Mass, Bishop Tylka reverenced the tomb of the Venerable Archbishop J. Sheen, who was of Irish descent. Sheen once defined the difference between baloney and blarney for his millions of television viewers:

“You tell a woman of 40, ‘you look like 16,’ that’s baloney.

“The blarney way of saying it is, ‘Tell me how old you are. I should like to know at what age women are most beautiful.’”