St Patrick's Day Celebrations 2026
We warmly invite you to join us for the diocesan St Patrick’s Day Celebrations in Down Cathedral and Saul on Tuesday 17 March. The day has a decidedly Celtic flavour and a great atmosphere.
The theme for 2026 is Courage in the Line of Fire and it's a huge privilege to have Finnish MP Dr Päivi Räsänen as our preacher at the Festival Service in Down Cathedral and Mr Ian Bingham, Director of CARE NI as the preacher at Saul.
Päivi Rasanen is an eight-term member of the Finnish Parliament, the former chairperson of the Christian Democrats and Minister of the Interior. She is a medical doctor and has also published several books, where she reflects deeply on major questions of life and society, such as values, ethics, and faith. Päivi has become known for her courageous defence of free speech and recently testified before US Congress about her six-year-long criminal prosecution for tweeting a Bible verse under Finnish “hate speech” law. She and a co-defendant have twice been aquitted but await the ruling of the Finnish Supreme Court. Päivi will preach from Acts 5 at the Festival Service.
Read about Päivi's case on the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International website HERE.
PROGRAMME
Our varied programme begins early, but you can join us later at the 11:45am Festival Service followed by a complimentary ‘Picnic in the Pews’. It’s a wonderful way to celebrate our Patron Saint with friends and visitors of all denominations from Ireland and abroad.
9.15am: Holy Communion at Saul
10.15am: Prayer Pilgrimage from Saul to Downpatrick
11.45am: Festival Service in Down Cathedral followed by the wreath laying ceremony at St Patrick’s Grave
1.00pm: Complimentary ‘Picnic in the Pews’
Transport to Saul
Please park along the Mall leading to the Cathedral in Downpatrick and board one of the private buses.
Buses to the communion service depart between 8.15 and 8.45am. The last bus for the 35-minute pilgrimage leaves at 9.45am. The last bus from Saul to the Cathedral leaves at 10.40 am.
We look forward to seeing you!