March 30, 2017
Proudly wearing green—and red—more than 120 St. John’s students, faculty, and alumni marched up Fifth Avenue behind the University’s banner at New York City’s 257th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
The Johnnies started St. Patrick’s Day bright and early with mass at St. Malachy’s-The Actor’s Chapel. From there, about 70 SJU marchers gathered for a special brunch at St. Andrew’s Restaurant and Bar on West 46th Street. As brunch concluded, alumni began to meet the rest of their fellow marchers on Fifth Avenue where they anxiously awaited the start of the parade.
Lifting the St. John’s banner before them, students led the way, followed by Rev. John Kettelberger, C.M., university chaplain; Brian Browne, Executive Director for University Relations; and staff from the Offices of Alumni Relations and Institutional Advancement.
As the march began, St. John’s was greeted with thunderous applause and cheers from bystanders all around. Throughout the entirety of the march, the recognition and passion for St. John’s University was on full display.
“I have to say, we had the best experience marching in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade with St. John's University. I was so proud to march and to hear people yelling out “Go St. John's” and “We Are St. John's,” said Larry Dunn ‘79SVC. On Sirius XM’s First Wave Channel 33, where he appears as Larry the Duck, he discussed his experience even further, “Being 100% Irish, this has been on my bucket list. I never even attended the parade, even though I worked in Manhattan for 25 years… We would do it again in a heartbeat.”
In addition to the strong alumni showing at the parade, St. John’s was also represented by about 50 students, faculty and staff. This exciting event provided an opportunity for many areas of the University community to join together in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day.
“Marching in the St. Patrick's Day Parade is a one of a kind experience. It brings together various members from the St. John's University community to celebrate Irish culture and St. Patrick. For those in Irish Society, it is a fun way to reflect on our heritage, and it is always one of the highlights of our year.” said Maggie Moore, President of St. John’s University Irish Society.
The New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade is the oldest and largest in the US. The tradition began on March 17, 1762—14 years before the Declaration of Independence.
Take a moment to explore the photo gallery on Flickr for pictures from the event!