Ways To Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day In Lakewood

LAKEWOOD, NJ — St. Patrick’s Day is Friday this year. Restaurants around Lakewood will be swimming in Kelly green, and perhaps flashing red and blue lights if people don’t behave themselves.

And devout Catholics may have to consult their parish priest before they dig into a plate of corned beef and cabbage.

A number of places in and around Lakewood have celebrations going on Friday, from bagpipers to early openings and late musical entertainment. Click the names to check out what they have going:

• PJ Sweeney's, 447 Brick Blvd., Brick
• River Rock Restaurant & Marina Bar, 1600 Route 70, Brick
• McIntyre's Pub, 1747 Hooper Ave., Toms River
• Klee’s Bar & Grill, 101 Boulevard, Seaside Heights
• The Office Lounge, 820 Main St., Toms River
• Crab's Claw Inn, 601 Grand Ave., Lavallette
• The Idle Hour, 2600 Route 88, Point Pleasant
• Windward Tavern, 292 Princeton Ave., Brick
• Donovan's Bar and Grill, 1900 Route 70, Manchester

Devout Catholics abstain from eating meat on Fridays during Lent, a sacrifice that recognizes Jesus’ death on the cross on a Friday. Catholics in some areas can eat the traditional fare without guilt, but the Diocese of Chicago is holding firm.

Whether revelers in cities like heavily Catholic Chicago, one of the most St. Patrick-y cities in the country, go all in with the holiday staple corned beef and cabbage could come down to whether they get special dispensation from the diocese.

Locally, Bishop David M. O’Connell of the Diocese of Trenton announced dispensation from the obligation to abstain from eating meat on Friday to allow for the observance of St. Patrick’s Day.

"The Holy Season of Lent brings with it the serious annual penitential obligation to abstain from meat on Fridays of Lent. This year, 2023, however, Friday of the third week of Lent corresponds with St. Patrick’s Day (March 17), which has traditionally been an occasion for special celebrations," he said. "As Bishop of the Diocese of Trenton, I am granting a dispensation from the obligation to abstain from eating meat to Catholics of the Diocese of Trenton as well as to any visitors or travelers who may be physically present within the territory of this Diocese on Friday, March 17."

"Those Catholics taking advantage of the dispensation, however, are asked to transfer the Friday abstinence obligation to another day of their choosing in Lent or to perform a work of charity (for example, a donation to the poor) or some exercise of piety (for example, a visit to Church and prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, a rosary, or some other prayer, etc.) to fulfill the spirit of the obligation," O'Connell said.