ST. PATRICK, MO. (AP) -- A March 17 fundraiser has been a financial boost to the Catholic church in a tiny northeast Missouri town for 30 years. But chief organizer, 81-year-old Ellen Krueger, wonders if the St. Patrick's Day festival will continue on without her in years to come.
The Hannibal Courier-Post reports that residents in the town of St. Patrick will welcome hundreds of visitors Wednesday for the annual festival. They'll serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, provide plenty of Irish music and give tours of the Shrine of St. Patrick. The local priest will celebrate Mass.
In 1980, Krueger promised to do what she could to keep the church from closing. She and others organized a March 17 celebration honoring Ireland's patron saint. Each year, the town's post office does a March 17 postal cancellation for thousands of self-addressed, stamped envelopes sent from around the world.
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