Parade Application Open

The Friends of St. Patrick are pleased to announce that the 72nd annual Miller Place-Rocky Point St.  Patrick’s Day Parade is scheduled for Sunday March 10, 2024 starting at 1:00 PM sharp. The Committee has named long-standing member and Committee Sergeant of Arms, Vincent Worthington, as this year’s Grand Marshal. 

 Please join us on March 2nd at  the Moose Lodge in Mt. Sinai for a fundraiser to celebrate everything Irish,  event info; date 03/02/24, time 7-11pm, $90.00  a ticket, includes buffet dinner and open bar. Tickets are available  through any member, our website or Facebook page and includes  music and dancing. The Friends of St. Patrick will be presenting Mr. Worthington with his Shillelagh and Grand Marshal sash. Also, The Friends of St. Patrick will be presenting the 2024 scholarship recipient (to be named later) with their sash, certificate  and check for $1,000.00.  This year the student will be chosen from the Shoreham Wading River School District.  Coming  this spring, save the date, Monday, June 10th,  2pm, at the Middle Island Country Club, for our nine and dine fundraiser.  Please don’t forget, shop at the Rocky Point Stop & Shop, while  there check out all the incredible prizes you could win by participating in their fund raising raffle  they have to benefit the parade. Store manager and past Grand Marshal Bob Evans and  his crew do an incredible job each year and are much appreciated. The “Friends of St. Patrick” is a registered not-for-profit organization. It relies on donations and monies,  raised through fundraising events in order to offset the costs, associated with this  annual historic event. Your kind donation, support, and participation in these events ensures, that this historic parade will take place this year, and for many generations to come. 

 Just a little bit about our Grand Marshal.  Yes, don’t let the name fool you! According to DNA, Vincent Worthington is actually  81% Irish. In fact, he has traced his Irish ancestry back to 1795 on his father’s side, and 1744 on his mother’s side, and he has found ancestors who have lived in 7 of the 26 Traditional Counties of Ireland from Louth in the NE to Sligo in the NW, to Galway  and Clare in the West, to Cork in the South and Tipperary and Waterford in the SE! His identification with his Irish roots is mostly through his mother’s family, beginning with his mother’s grandmother, Catherine Neilan, who immigrated to the US, from Galway  in 1881. Vincent’s mother and grandmother carried on the lessons Catherine taught them  and made sure the children (Vincent is the 7th of 7) were well steeped in the Irish traditions that helped the immigrants set down roots in America. These included: dedication to family; strong work ethic and commitment to community (which included church);  music, which included singing, and dancing; and the Irish sense of humor - the wit that could bring laughter in the face of the multitude of hardships and heartbreaks the Irish encountered after leaving their beloved Ireland. No one really wanted to leave  their families and their beautiful Island. They left in order to survive, and to make a better life for their children.

Vincent  has been a proud member of the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office since 1996, working alongside the finest Officers he has had the pleasure to be associated with for the last 27 years. After moving to Wading River with  his beautiful wife in 2002, he became involved in the community, and was particularly  drawn to “The Friends of St. Patrick” after attending several parades. Then in 2004,  he had the good fortune to meet several members and was given the opportunity to volunteer, and to become a member himself in  2005. As his family expanded to include his 3 handsome sons, he became more involved  and helped raise funds to support the parade, as well as, helping organize  the actual parade itself, a somewhat monumental task, as we all know, but one well worth it! Vincent has had the privilege and honor to work with so many wonderful people associated with “The Friends of St. Patrick”, and he is so grateful to have laughed and  cried through the good times and the bad with ‘The Friends of St. Patrick.” After all, working  on a common goal (The Parade),  connected by heritage (Irish) and love of country (Ireland and USA) helps to preserve and display the best parts of ourselves. Looking forward to seeing you all out on March 10th to  welcome in the coming of spring. Erin go Bragh.