School Desk

Drizzle doesn’t stop St. Patrick’s Day parade

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Just before the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade at St. John’s School in Kingsbridge, it started to rain.

Parents took cover under scaffolding across the street and wondered out loud when that dark gray storm cloud would pass.

Pass it did, and with just a few minutes’ delay, out came the flag bearers and St. Patrick himself — or rather, a student dressed as the holiday’s eponymous saint.

Then the whole school filed out onto the sidewalk, starting with the pre-kindergarten classes and going all the way to the eighth grade students. Each student waved a little Irish flag, and all took advantage of the rare “dress-down” day to wear their best green outfits. Some girls even topped off the look with a festive green tutu.

Eighth grader Maria Bermudez was wearing her green shirt under her sweatshirt — it was still a little drizzly.

“I’m so comfy, I feel like I’m wearing PJ pants. I had these on,” she said, holding up a pair of glittery green deely-bopper antennae. “But the wind had other ideas.”

“I like it when it rains,” interjected fellow eighth grade student Julia Prieto.

Principal Edward Higgins said earlier in the day, the students went to a special Mass to learn the story of St. Patrick, who also happens to be the patron saint of New York Archdiocese.

“Forget all the bad stuff, the drinking. It’s a holy day, it’s a day to celebrate God’s love,” he said. “St. Patrick was a slave. He was kidnapped and made a slave, and escaped, and went back to his captors and forgave them and showed God’s love and mercy to them, and they became Christians.”

Leading the whole parade was fifth grader Sean Flaherty, who was chosen to play St. Patrick.

“It means a lot because I’m Irish, so I liked the idea,” he said while dressed in green and white robes made by his mother. “My family was excited. I was mainly excited. I called, like, everyone.”

Sean was eager to share the news because St. John’s runs in the family: his mother and his grandmother attended the Kingsbridge school.

As the parade turned the last corner back to the school, the sun broke through the clouds. There was no rainbow — let alone a leprechaun or pot of gold — but the St. John’s students didn’t seem to mind.

St. Patrick's Day, St. John's School, Edward Higgins, School Desk, Isabel Angell

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