St. Patrick's Day has fallen on a Friday for the first time since 2017.

The Bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Kevin C. Rhoades, has issued a decree.

In response to several requests for a dispensation from the law of abstinence on March 17, 2023, Bishop Rhoades has decreed the following:

“Catholics in the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend may substitute for abstinence from meat one of the following acts on March 17, 2023, the Memorial of Saint Patrick:

1. Attendance at Holy Mass.
2. The recitation of the rosary for the intention of peace in the world.
3. One-half hour of prayer in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament.

This commutation is meant to preserve the penitential spirit of a Lenten Friday while also allowing for the celebration of a great saint whose feast should be celebrated in a spiritual manner and not merely in a secular context.”