Grand marshal, deputies for the St. Patrick’s Parade presented

It’s almost that time of year again!

February is upon us and soon we will be parading with the Irish for the 20^th year anniversary of the Bay Ridge St. Patrick’s Parade, to take place on Sunday, March 24.

Sister Virginia Lake, director of alumni at Bishop Kearney, has been selected to represent the neighborhood as the parade’s grand marshal, news this paper broke back in September, and on Sunday January 27 she was honored at a “Meet and Greet” event, along with this year’s eight Deputy Grand Marshals.

The 2013 honorees were introduced to the public at the Greenhouse Café on Third Avenue, where the parade will be held for the first time this year. Previously, marchers had made their way along Fifth Avenue from St. Patrick’s Church at 95^th and Fourth to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church at Fifth Avenue and 60^th Street.

“It was a terrific night,” said Linda Gallagher, the vice-president of the committee, “We have four men and four women.”

Who are the deputies? Let us present them: Marianna Murray O’Connor, Tom MacLellan, Eileen Long-Chelales, Karen Hennigan, Christine Doherty, Chris Coughlin, Enda Lally and James Quigley.

“We wanted a woman for this year’s 20^th anniversary of the parade,” Gallagher said about the grand marshal. “In 19 years, we had only had one woman,” she added, so it was a must to return and give the honor of leading the parade to Lake. “We’re honored that she accepted.”

Lake’s evening speech included her tales of being “a local Bay Ridge girl who never left Brooklyn,” said Gallagher.

All in all, said Frankie Marra, the parade’s president, the party was “Just a great event, with great honorees and the support of the Bay Ridge community.”