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The Irish Mass

A beautiful celebration of St. Patrick in the Irish and English languages

On March 9, 2020, WSI held it's annual Irish Mass at St. Raphael Church in Naperville, Illinois. The Mass was a celebration honoring the memory and good deeds of St. Patrick.

The event featured readings in the Irish language, Irish instrumental music, pipes & drums, Irish dancing and the pageantry that only the Knights of Columbus can bring. We were especially blessed this year to enjoy the stunning voice of Paddy Homan, Chicago's Traditional Irish Tenor, as he sang hauntingly beautiful Irish hymns.

The prelude began at 6:30 pm, Mass started at 7:00 pm and the popular Soda Bread & Tea Reception followed immediately afterwards. As always, the Irish Mass was open to the public.

The West Suburban Irish would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the many groups who brought the Irish Mass to life:

Deacon Len Penkala & Father Michael McMahon
Paddy Homan
Beth Considine
Mary Maloney
Robert & Julie Frazier, CoDirectors of Liturgy & Music
St. Raphael Knights of Columbus Council #14171
The McNulty Irish Dancers
The Firefighters Highland Guard of Naperville
Honorary Grand Marshal Dr. Mark Goodwin; and finally
The WSI volunteers who made it all happen

We couldn't have done it without you! Plans for 2021's Irish Mass are still up in the air. Please check this page or our social media channels for updates.