PRINTER'S NO. 793
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
144
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY MULLERY, PASHINSKI, DRISCOLL, KIRKLAND,
DiGIROLAMO, BISHOP, MURT, COHEN, VEREB, MILLARD, HARHART,
CALTAGIRONE, BOBACK, ROZZI, O'BRIEN, READSHAW, SCHWEYER,
HENNESSEY, KAVULICH, FARINA, McNEILL, ROSS, BARRAR, DeLUCA,
KINSEY, WHEELAND, MARSICO, D. COSTA, MAJOR, GINGRICH,
GOODMAN, GIBBONS AND WATSON, MARCH 3, 2015
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
MARCH 3, 2015
A RESOLUTION
Designating March 19, 2015, as "St. Joseph's Day" in
Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, For those who still observe Polish name day, or
imieniny, the name "Joseph" presents special problems; and
WHEREAS, The feast day of St. Joseph falls on March 19, which
is in the middle of Lenten fasting; and
WHEREAS, To allow the many Josephs to celebrate their name
day, the Roman Catholic Church grants a dispensation, allowing a
"festive fast" of meatless foods; and
WHEREAS, For Polish Americans, "St. Joseph's Day" took on
special significance; and
WHEREAS, From the 1890s to 1930s, the waves of Polish and
Italian immigrants were faced with a Roman Catholic clergy that
was unfamiliar with their culture; and
WHEREAS, As a result of this clash of language and culture,
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
Poles and Italians built their own churches, importing priests
from Poland and Italy, and created schools that preserved their
heritage; and
WHEREAS, Not to be outdone by the huge celebrations for St.
Patrick's Day on March 17, St. Joseph's Day, just two days later
on March 19, became a chance for Polish-Americans and Italian-
Americans to express their ethnic pride with the "wearing of the
red," a color that appears in both countries' flags; and
WHEREAS, Parades and huge meatless feasts known as St.
Joseph's Tables or St. Joseph's Altars were held; and
WHEREAS, For Poles, many American parishes continue to hold
these banquets in church halls with tables decorated in red and
white, a statue or holy cards of St. Joseph, flowers and a
donation bowl for the needy; and
WHEREAS, Sometimes during the banquet there is bread baked in
the shape of St. Joseph's staff over which a blessing is made to
signify the beginning of the feast; and
WHEREAS, In Poland, name days are a special time for family
and friends to gather to wish the person celebrating their name
day Wszystkiego najlepszego! (All the best!) and Sto lat! (A
hundred years!); and
WHEREAS, On these occasions, if gifts are given, they are
usually flowers or chocolates and, sometimes, a little vodka for
toasting; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate March
19, 2015, as "St. Joseph's Day" in Pennsylvania.
20150HR0144PN0793 - 2 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26