Archbishop Leonard P. Blair has formally dispensed the Faithful of the Archdiocese of Hartford from the obligation to abstain from meat on the Memorial of Saint Patrick, Bishop, which will be observed this year on Friday, March 17.

Inasmuch as fasting is a spiritual good, meant, in the words of the Catechism, “to help us acquire mastery over our instincts and freedom of heart,” the Faithful who partake of meat on March 17, 2017 are encouraged to observe the Lenten abstinence on Thursday, March 16, or Saturday, March 18.