By Hank Russell
The Tap Room in Patchogue was the site of an early St. Patrick’s Day celebration as the
Greater Patchogue Foundation’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee held its annual passing of
the sash on February 26. The committee named Deacon Marty McIndoe as the Grand Marshal
for this year’s parade.
“It’s totally unbelievable,” said McIndoe, a deacon at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in
Patchogue. “I’m absolutely thrilled. I love it. … I was surprised when I found out.”
McIndoe has served as a deacon with the church since 1980. According to the foundation’s Wit
& Wisdom newsletter, McIndoe moved to Patchogue with his family more than 45 years ago
after being honorably discharged from the U.S. Army. He also served with the Suffolk County
Probation Department until 1980.
He is very involved in the community, volunteering his time and serving on the boards of
organizations such as HALO (Health and Learning for Orphans) Missions, Carroll’s Kitchen and
the St. Joseph’s Retreat House. He is also an active member of chaplain of the Ancient Order of
Hibernians, Division 5 in Patchogue.
Anne Marie Sarich, the parade’s committee chairperson, said they look for people who have
made significant contributions to the community to hold the esteemed title, and McIndoe fit the
bill. “He contributes to the community in so many ways,” she said, citing his aforementioned
volunteer work.
As grand marshal, McIndoe was responsible for choosing the theme of this year’s parade. The
theme he chose was “Peace Be WIth You!”
Dennis Smith, who is the previous Grand Marshal, remembered finally having the opportunity to
march in the parade last year after the previous two were cancelled due to the COVID-19
pandemic. “I remember walking down Main Street with my family,” he said. “[It’s] a memory that
we will never, ever forget.”
“It was so good,” Sarich added. “It brought the community together in so many ways. It’s great
for the Irish community, but it’s also great for the community itself because it brought a lot of
people into Patchogue Village.”
After receiving the sash from Smith, McIndoe told those in attendance, “It’s an honor for me, but
it’s certainly an honor for me for many reasons: one, as you know, I love Patchogue and I will do
anything for it, and, secondly, [it is to] honor my Irish ancestors.”
He spoke about how his ancestors emigrated from Ireland to the United States. “Coming into a
new country … isn’t easy,” he said. “We have to be careful and remember that all of us had
family that came over here [to the United States]. None of us … were natives. So I thank my
Irish ancestors … They suffered a lot to come here.”
The parade will take place on Sunday, March 19 at noon along the Main Street corridor. It is
sponsored by the Patchogue Village Parks and Recreation Department. The day before the
event, a fundraiser for St. Francis de Sales will be held in honor of McIndoe at the Hero Joint,
located at 77 E. Main Street in Patchogue, from noon to 4 p.m.