For millions of Americans, St. Patrick’s Day is a time to party.

Green beer, green clothes and general revelry makes everybody somewhat Irish — at least for one day in the middle of March.

But March 17 is a holy, high holiday for the estimated 1.3 billion Catholics that revere St. Patrick and his mission to bring the good Word to Ireland.

Father William Joy of the Archdiocese of Boston shares what St. Patrick’s Day is truly about. Listen to the full interview below.

Image at top: A rainbow over Kerry, Ireland. Photo by P J K on Unsplash.