They say everyone’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, but no one quite like the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick.
The Saratoga Springs chapter of this national organization has deep roots in the area’s heritage of community, and will celebrate its 60th anniversary this March 17, St. Patrick’s Day.
The group will be carrying on their tradition of holding an annual dinner and honoring the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick. Each dinner doubles as a fundraiser, and in 2011 the chapter made $5,500 in contributions to various Catholic charities in the Saratoga community.
The first Friendly Sons of St. Patrick is said to have been founded in Philadelphia on St. Patrick’s Day in 1771. Since that time, chapters have popped up across the country, with the current number of chapters in the hundreds, including branches in Albany and Troy.
“One of the first chapters of the society was founded in post revolutionary war New York City by Irish American Daniel McCormick, with the purpose to help the unusual number of impoverished and displaced Irishmen who had arrived in New York in the wake of the British evacuation,” said John Pecora, a Saratoga Springs chapter member for the past decade. “The first meeting of the New York City chapter was in 1784 at Cape’s Tavern. The Saratoga Springs chapter formed in 1956.”
Each year since its inception, the Saratoga chapter of thisf raternal and social organization has, through their annual dinner, raised money for local charities. Past recipients include many Catholic charities andarea Catholic school, among others.
In addition to its dinner, the group also has a mass on the day of the dinner at 8 a.m. during which they remember their deceased members. Mass has always been a very important part of many Irish heritage oriented groups.
“We meet periodically through the year to plan for the annual dinner. Past speakers have been geared toward Irish heritage. My favorite part about being a member is that it’s fun to be involved and have a chartable purpose. I’ve learned a lot about Irish-American history. There are so many fun aspects,” said Pecora.
“Last year we had about 150 attendees, it was during the week and that may have had something to do with the slight decline, it’s a little tougher for people to get out then. A few years ago we peaked with a membership of about 200,” he continued.
Mark Phillips, historian for the Saratoga chapter, has been a member since 1974 and has many memories of past dinners with relatives and brethren alike. His father, William A. Phillips, was a charter member of the organization and held the title of president in 1969.
“In the beginning, it was mostly people from just Saratoga Springs, but with the more transient society we have now, we have members from near and far. Back in the ‘50s it seemed like Wilton was about the farthest that people would come from. One of our members now is from Ohio,” said Phillips.
Local newsman John Gray spoke a couple of years ago at the annual dinner, and Phillips remembers that as one of the most memorable because of Gray’s message.
“He was really informative and hammered home the facet of family and togetherness. The Irish have a great sense of dedication and tradition, he got that across,” said Phillips.
Phillips’ favorite parts of belonging to the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick are the fellowship, strong sense of community, religion and service. He remembers that as a kid, his dad would wear a green carnation boutonniere to the annual dinner, and every year his mom would save the flower and put it in a glass jar.
“When I saw that carnation in the morning, it was a sign that dad must have gotten home from the dinner safe and sound,” Phillips recalls.
“We’re all brothers in the organization. For a couple of years my son went and we’re now on our third generation of members. I’m fortunate tobe a native Saratogian, looking back through so many photographs, it’s nice to see uncles and my godfather,” said Phillips.
This year, the Saratoga chapter expects to meet, and perhaps exceed, the amount of money raised for charities in the past. Once that amount is known, the brothers will be allocating those funds to the various charities.
