“This Patch of Sand”: North Wildwood Celebrates St. Patrick’s Day, Remembers Fallen State Trooper

NORTH WILDWOOD ─ A sky the color of slate hung above North Wildwood as a cool breeze blew in from the nearby sea. Although not formally celebrated until March 17, the annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration took place on March 12. Beginning at 11:30 a.m., the celebration commenced with song, the raising of the Irish Flag, and prayer before the parade. “Forty shades of green” came together on the lawn in front of city hall, mingling emerald hues with tartan plaids, the roll of drum beats, and the “skirl” (sound) of bagpipes.
Mayor Patrick Rosenello opened the ceremony with a welcome and remarked on the religious significance St. Patrick’s Day holds for Irish Americans. Rosenello, a second generation American, can trace his family lineage to Swinford, County Mayo. The Rosenello family immigrated to the United States in the early 1900’s – in essence, refugees seeking a better life and future for their children.
Rosenello then invited Rev. Joseph Wallace of Notre Dam de la Mer to give the invocation. Wallace spoke of the “contributions of the sons and daughters of Ireland” who serve in the armed forces and in offices across the nation. Wallace eulogized St. Patrick, captured when but a youth by Irish sea pirates, who “brought Christianity” to Ireland and how the descendents of those first converts later sought refuge on America’s shores. “All Hail, St. Patrick,” a poem belonging to Wallace’s Irish grandmother, was then read. The poem, which was also set to music two centuries ago, ends with the phrase “Our hearts will burn wherever we roam. . .for God and St. Patrick and our native home.”
Why celebrate the life of a slave who tended sheep a millennium ago? Historians still quibble over where Patricius (Patrick in Latin) came from exactly in ancient Britain; tradition points to England, but strong evidence suggests that the missionary was captured along the coast of Scotland or possibly Wales. Young Patrick found himself prisoner of Irish raiders in the 400’s, after the fall of the Roman Empire in 410 A.D. Until his twenty-first birthday, Patrick served an Irish chieftain, tending sheep and pigs among the rolling hills. After his escape, Patrick decided to return and present the message of love and forgiveness to those who had enslaved him.
After the invocation, students from Wildwood Catholic High-school led in the Pledge of Allegiance. Rosenello took the podium once more and spoke of the first inhabitants of Anglesea. “They formed a community,” Rosenello said. “They came to this strip of sand.” The borough of Anglesea, a community settled originally by Welsh, Irish, and Swedish fishermen and shipbuilders, was formed in 1885. Rosenello recognized the organizations started by those first settlers: the Cape May Emerald Society, Ladies AOH (Ancient Order of Hibernians), Anglesea Irish Society, and the Second Street Irish Society of Philadelphia. “Our forefathers would be proud of what we’ve done with this patch of sand,” Rosenello said.
The Irish Flag was raised not only in memory of Irish heritage but also for State Trooper Sean Cullen who recently died after being struck by a vehicle. The tricolor of green, white, and orange floated in the soft breeze as the Irish National Anthem was played on the bagpipe. The “Star Spangled Banner” was also sung by Macey Bishoff and by those in attendance. Flags rippled softly, held by the Cape May Emerald Society Honor Guard and members of 5941 North Wildwood VFW Post.
As the ceremony drew to a close, Rosenello invited Pastor Robert Rogish of the First Baptist Church of Anglesea to give the benediction. Rogish said, “We’re grateful for neighbors we can get to know and love.” Rogish also spoke of North Wildwood as a community and “all that this dear place has to offer.” Rogish remembered “our ancestry” and those who suffered wrong. “One day these days will be righted,” said Rogish. Rogish prayed that the actions and attitudes of those present would not be looked back on in regret, but that they would be “just.”