Lent vs. St. Paddy's Day!

Well, well, well...it seems as though the Bishops in our area (Cincinnati/Northern Ky) have granted local Catholics (and visiting Catholics) special dispensation from the Lenten obligation to abstain from meat on that day. hmmmm.....soemtimes I get confused with Catholics.
Now, please understand, I grew up Catholic and am still recovering. I spent 12 years in their schools being taught absolute doctrine that said if I strayed from these teachings, my soul (which I knew was ME) would go to purgatory or, if I committed a mortal (vs. venial) sin, I would go directly to hell without getting a bypass to purgatory card. So, back in the 50's and 60's, the Church had a rule that we needed to repent for our sins by avoid eating meat on Fridays. So, lots of fish and cheese pizzas for us. Well, then on occasion, if we were on vacation, some priests said it was "OK" if we ate meat while we were traveling. My little child mind couldn't understand that since most restaurants had fish and pizza, even when we were traveling.
Then the Church started granting "annulments" because Catholics aren't allowed to divorce. So, people who were married 24 years, could still get it annulled and go to Mass.
I figure the Church will eventually have to give up on being the rare religion that doesn't allow their clergy to marry. Can you imagine that poor 86 year old, life-long celibate priest, on the day he finally hears that he can participate in the "sins of the flesh" ??
Now when the Church did away with the no meat on Friday rule altogether, my adult mind thought, "OK, have we repented enough for our sins?"
But they kept it for the few weeks (7) of Lent??
St. Patrick's Day falls within Lent and every 6 or 7 years!
So, out of the pockets of coerced Bishops, comes ANOTHER DISPENSATION! Why St. Patrick's Day? Hmm..maybe because there are restaurant owners who serve corned beef, who also happen to be Church contributors? OH, I'm just kidding, of course.
St. Patrick's Day cracks me up. Ireland itself has a an entire population of about 4 million people yet, in the US, there are over 34 million people who claim Irish heritage.
On St. Patrick's Day there is an old saying, "On March 17th, there are two kinds of people ~ those who are Irish, and those who wish they were".
My name is Margart Mary Murphy, although there are a few who call me "Peggy"...
since my name sounds Irish, I always get referred to being Irish. In fact (Hold on to your hats), I am 100% American! Yep..it's true..both of my parents were born the good ole USA. My Mom had little if any Irish blood and Dad's parents were both born here. His Grandparents came from the "old sod"...
But isn't it funny that I received 17 St. Patrick's day cards last year and only 6 birthday cards?
If you polled 100 people at a St. Patrick's Day celebration, 3 may know who St. Patrick was.
Now don't get me wrong, I love a party as much as the next pseudo-Irish -American, but I still can't understand a Church making rules that can be changed at any time for a local priest.
It just leaves me wondering....
whoops, gotta go..time is a-wastin! I must prepare my stash of green beers!