what about personal penances and Solemnities.

Dear Terry
Jimmy has said that any solemnity dispenses from the (obligatory in US) abstinence from meat on Fridays in Lent, regardless of whether or not it's a holy day of obligation.
Since the personal penances that you mention are not obligatory, I think you may safely imply that those may also be interrupted today.

Thanks Jimmy, but as questioned above, what about personal penances and Solemnities. Like today is the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. So, does the Church "encourage us " NOT to do Penence today, but to celebrate the Solemnity, of course no celebration ought to occurr at Notre Dame University.

Jimmy,
The way I read things, the penetential practice is suspended for a Friday in Lent, but abstaining from meat is not. For example, if you gave up chocolate for Lent, and March 19 was a Friday, in honor of St. Joseph, the chocolate cake is fair game, but since it's still Lent, I'm not sure the canon 1251 also suspends the Lenten practice of abastining from meat. The norms can be take multiple ways.

If St. Joseph's Day (March 19th) had fallen on a Friday in Lent would anyone even have thought to ask for a dispensation from the abstanence rule? St.Joseph's day is widely celebrated by Americans of Polish and Italian descent.

You don't need to shout. :-)

Some bishops suspend the rule on abstinence if St. Patrick's Day falls on Friday, but, of course, each bishop's authority pertains only to his own diocese.

Whether or not St. Patrick's day is a solemnity can depend on the diocese you live in.
Also, liturgically a parish church named for St. Patrick could celebrate his day as a solemnity.

Am I correct in thinking that St. Patrick's is NOT a solemnity, and thus Canon 1251 doesn't apply there? (It's relevant for 2006 since St. Patrick's falls on a Friday.)