A notice regarding St. Patrick's Day 2017

In the March 8 edition of the NOLACatholic e-Bulletin, the weekly communication to priests and parish staff, the archbishop wrote:

If a Catholic residing in the Archdiocese of New Orleans wishes to participate in St. Patrick’s Day festivities and desires to eat meat, they may be dispensed and choose another day of the week for abstinence or may choose to perform an act of penance that is a greater sacrifice.