BACKGROUND
Towards 1870, there were many Irish scattered in the parishes of southern Santa Fe. Thus, in 1887, John M. Sheehy undertook the important task of organizing this diocese called the "Irish Chaplaincy of Santa Fe". It began its mission in the only existing church, the Cathedral. In 1888, it continued in the new chapel of Saint Rose, but it soon became necessary to have their own premises in order to meet regularly.
The arrival of Father Sheehy marked a milestone in the history of the community. His personality and his defined purposes were the basic cornerstones for his agglutination. His noble mission captivated souls, and generated such enthusiasm that in 1889 he managed to gather more than 500 contributions, culminating in the acquisition of the lands at 2600 Salta Street. On March 17, 1892, the buildings for the chapel and the parish house were inaugurated. From 1892 onwards, several entities took shape, such as the "Irish Literary Hall", the "Irish Relief" and the "Irish Catholic Association", being real precursors of what was born in 1902 under its final name, the St. Patrick’s Catholic Association.

ITS FOUNDER
Monsignor John M. Sheehy was born in Cloghenn, Tipperary, Ireland, on September 25, 1857. He was sent to Argentina by the Archbishop of Dublin, upon the request of immigrants from this area. He arrived in October 1887, when he was a newly ordained priest. He served as chaplain to St. Patrick’s uninterruptedly for 62 years and died in 1949 at the age of 92. As recognition, in 1962, the community designated him "Distinguished Founding Member" and, since 1984, his remains rest in what was the fruit of his efforts, the St. Patrick’s chapel.

THE INSTITUTION
Since 1902 and through countless commissions, the St. Patrick’s Catholic Association was built around the figure of the illustrious chaplain. A rapid growth in the religious, social and building areas began with its first president, Juan Kelly. Thus, in 1904, the bordering plot of 200 Rodríguez Street was acquired. On March 17, 1908, the Social Hall was inaugurated (donated by Miss Ana Garaghan) and in 1909 the venue was completed with the acquisition of the corner, which years later was destined to the practice of sports. In 1916, the chapel building was enlarged and the east end was built.

The "Ernesto Kehoe" Library stands as a safeguard of immigrant heritage and as a means of spreading the values of the Irish community. Since its foundation in 1991, it has been shaped thanks to the contributions and donations of its members. In particular, a large part of Monsignor Sheehy's personal library is preserved. In addition, acquisitions are made annually to update the material, provide all kinds of information to those who want to use the library and promote reading activities that enrich artistic appreciation and cultural heritage.

In the following link you can access the online catalog of the "Ernesto Kehoe" Library
http://bibliotecasanpatricio.com.ar/

On the 17th of March we celebrate the feast of our Patron Saint. Traditionally, we raise the Argentine flag on the main mast of the National Flag Memorial, and the Irish flag on the first mast. Furthermore, to pay tribute to our Argentine Flag, we placed a laurel wreath in the Hall of Flags, followed by allusive words from a member of the community.
We celebrated Holy Mass and enjoyed the performance of the St. Patrick´s Singers Choir and Irish dance groups.
During the month of August, to celebrate the apparition of Our Lady of Knock, Patroness of Ireland, we held the Irish Week. The festivities begin with the Holy Mass, to be followed by various cultural activities such as the presentation of a play and the performance of both the Institution's choir and the Irish dance group.
In all these festivities, we had the participation of groups formed by members of the community: the St. Patrick’s Theatre Group, the Saint Patrick's Singers Choir, and the dance groups: Grupito Azul, Siamsa, "Margaret Young" Dance School and Mr. Alejandro Mahon.
The Association has Friendly Institutions: those that have legal independence but to which our Institution lends the facilities to carry out its activities. These institutions are the "St. Patrick’s" Home, the "Catholic Club for Our Ladys" and the "Brownian Institute".