Honor St. Patrick's Parade

Senate Resolution No. 977 BY: Senator GOLDEN COMMEMORATING the 255th Annual New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade WHEREAS, St. Patrick's Day is a time to celebrate the rich heritage of the Irish people, unlimited in their contribution to this State and Nation; and WHEREAS, A St. Patrick's Day Parade reflects and records the ongoing history of the United States and Ireland and provides an opportunity for people of all generations to assemble in ethnic pride and pageantry; and WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to commemorate the 255th Annual New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade on Friday, March 17,

2017; in recognition of this momentous occasion, a Mass in honor of St. Patrick will be officiated by His Eminence Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan at St. Patrick's Cathedral, Manhattan, New York; and WHEREAS, The New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade is the oldest and largest St. Patrick's Day Parade in the world; the first parade was held on March 17, 1762, 14 years before the signing of the Declaration of Independence; and WHEREAS, The parade is held annually on March 17th in honor of St. Patrick, the Patron Saint of Ireland and the Archdiocese of New York, and travels up Fifth Avenue beginning at East 44th Street and ending at East 79th Street; and WHEREAS, Each year, the New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade hosts approximately 150,000 marchers and draws two million spectators; and WHEREAS, From its earliest days to the present, the New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade has been run entirely by volunteers, many of whom come from generations of families dedicated to the organization of this auspicious event; and WHEREAS, The Grand Marshal for the 2017 Parade is Michael J. Dowling, a Limerick native and the President and CEO of Northwell Health; he is the first hospital head to serve in this esteemed position; and WHEREAS, The Aides to the Grand Marshal of the 2017 Parade are: Edward C.J. Meehan, New York County Aide; Daniel Donovan, Bronx County Aide; Thomas Brendan Jones, Queens County Aide; Tom Crockett, Kings County Aide; Ann Joan Clark, Richmond County Aide; Peter Begley, Nassau County Aide; Tom McKenna, Suffolk County Aide; Kevin Ellis, Westchester County Aide; Helen Kilgallen Murphy, Rockland County Aide; Therese (Terry) Meyer, Orange County Aide; Garrett Doyle, United Irish Counties Aide; Brian Coughlan, Grand Council of United Emerald Societies Aide; Michael Cremin, Knights of St. Patrick Aide; Monsignor Kevin Sullivan Ph.D., Aide-at-Large; and Colonel Patricia M. Groeber, Aide-at-Large; and WHEREAS, The St. Patrick's Day Parade celebrates the spirit, purity and strength of the Irish culture and its fine traditions; and WHEREAS, Through this heartfelt and compassionate expression, as well as through their sustained commitment to the cultural vitality of their Irish heritage, the Irish-American people of New York City, and the State of New York bear witness to the deep faith and love of humanity which is their rich tradition; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to commemorate the 255th Annual New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade; and be it further RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to the New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee and the aforementioned Grand Marshal and Aides to the Grand Marshal.