Father Haffey Reflects on St. Patrick’s Day in Butte
Father Tom Haffey was supposed to be the grand marshal for the 2022 Butte St. Patrick's Day parade- but we all know what happened in the Spring of 2020. Father Haffey marched Thursday alongside his fellow Hibernians in Uptown Butte as one of the grand marshals for 2022.
Father Haffey was born and raised in Anaconda, Montana but has served as a Catholic priest all across the state- from Browning, Conrad, the Bitterroot Valley, Montana State University in Bozeman, and of course in Butte and Anaconda. He retired after 52 years of service, but still continues serving a number of capacities.
Father Haffey says St. Patrick's Day is "a spiritual feast day to honor St. Patrick and the faith of Irish people trusting in God, and so first of all- it's a spiritual day for many of us."
What was his St. Patrick's Day message?
Father Haffey: Simply a reminder to trust in God more and to live our lives more as we think the Lord wants us to live it. The message is one of remembering the faith of the people who were our ancestors from Ireland and brought a great spirit of faith and joy and hospitality and kindness to our country. The Irish contribution to American history is a strong and important part of the cultural experience of America. And so probably the message is one of- again- hope and trust in God.
Full audio with Father Haffey on "Montana Talks with Aaron Flint:"
By the way- I also enjoyed reading the Montana Standard's "Green Gazette" print edition for the 2022 St. Patrick's Day parade. They had one feature that included several quotes from St. Patrick's Day in Butte going all the way back to the 1880s. Check out this one from 100 years ago.