Many parts of the Northeast have been devastated. Hurricane Sandy has left us with unimaginable misery in terms of destruction, dislocation, and despair. Areas with extremely high concentrations of Hibernians truly resemble war zones where dark and heatless homes faced this frigid morning with temperatures averaging 25 degrees.
I realize you have seen the tremendous loss on TV. A neighbor of mine told me that when a newscaster showed people burning their own furniture to stay warm, he had to stop looking at the evening news.
But we, as Hibernians, cherish an Irish Catholic legacy that compels us not to look away, but instead to consistently respond to the needs of those among us and around us. If we are to fulfill the enduring mission of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, then we know that it is our responsibility to reach out with assistance and the support of our prayers so that spirits broken by a sense of helplessness will not soon be crushed by an added burden of hopelessness.
In an emergency conference call last night, the AOH National Board unanimously voted to donate $25,000 for AOH Storm Relief. In addition, a program has been authorized to both process donations and provide an opportunity for Hibernians impacted in various ways to request assistance from their Hibernian Brothers. We are counting on the generosity of our State Boards, County Boards, Divisions, and all Hibernians everywhere. If every Division, County Board, and State Board were to contribute at least $200, we would total well in excess of $100,000 without even counting the generous donations from each of our members!
HOW TO MAKE A TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATION:
All checks MUST be written: Pay To The Order of Hibernian Charity.
Memo portion of your check MUST read: AOH Storm Relief.
Send all donations to Edward Dougherty, Hibernian Charity Sec—7236 Brous Ave, Phila, PA 19149
AOH Storm Relief Request Forms available from: State Presidents OR aoh.com (website) OR from Seamus Boyle–3097 Willits Road, Philadelphia, PA 19114 (shay39@comcast.net)
Brothers, because the will of God is the need of the hour, I ask this entire Order to please respond generously and immediately.
Celebrate 175th Anniversary at Basilica of Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral
A February 23rd meeting at Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City final plans were made for the parade, Mass and reception for this May 21st, 2011 commemorating the 175th anniversary of the AOH.
This site and date in May 2011 were chosen to recognize the founding of the Ancient Order of Hibernians in America at nearby St. James Church (now closed) 175 years ago on May 4, 1836 by a ‘handful of Irishmen.” A letter dated 5/4/1836 “From the Brethren in Ireland and Great Britain to the Brethren in New York.” read:
“Brothers, greeting: Be it known to you and to all it may concern that we send to our few brothers in New York full instructions with our authority to establish branches of our society in America.” The letter goes on to explain qualifications for membership, use of the motto Friendship, Unity and true Christian Charity, and what is expected of the new branches and its members.
It was at Old St. Patrick’s that the call went out to the Hibernian brotherhood by Archbishop John “Dagger” Hughes to save the church from the Know Nothings in the mid 1800’s when those bigots were burning catholic churches. The AOH surrounded and saved the Cathedral and later built the wall around it.
To note the founding of our Order, Hibernian members wearing sashes, and guests are asked to assemble on Mulberry Street near Precious Blood Church just north of Canal St. at at 9:00 am on May 21, 2011. The parade will step off at 9:30 am and go north on Mulberry St. to Prince St., right on Prince St., left on Mott St. to the Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral. This route retraces a similar route, depicted in the famous lithograph, of the 69th Regiment in April 1861 on their way to the Civil War parading to St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral and past the then AOH headquarters at 41 Prince Street. The 175th parade will be led by AOH color guard, clergy, AOH National Bd, first two divisions organized in 1800’s, LAOH Nat’l Bd, pipe bands and state, county and division officers and members with their flags and banners. Representatives of the Fighting 69th will also be part of the march to the Cathedral.
An anniversary Mass to be celebrated by the AOH National Chaplain Father Thomas O’Donnell of Pittsburgh and concelebrated by the pastor Msgr. Sakano, AOH State, County and Division Chaplains bishops and priests will take place at 11:00 am in the Old Cathedral. The Mass will be sung by the Hibernian Festival Choir under the direction of Maura Allen.
This choir has sung at the White House and at many venues in Ireland, N. Ireland, Canada and the U.S. and have always added to the solemnity of the liturgy. AOH members will act as ushers and altar servers under guidance of a committee headed by Past National Director Martin Kelly of Brooklyn.
Following the Mass, a reception will be held in the Youth Center across from the Cathedral. Catered food and refreshments and entertainment will be offered starting at approximately 12:30 pm. A short program and introduction of visiting dignateries will take place during the reception.
The reception will be chaired by Sir Patrick Allen, a member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem and a brother Hibernian. A fee of $20.00 per person will cover cost of reception and day’s activities. All who plan to attend the May 21st celebration is urged to respond by April 30, 2011 with number attending and check made out to: AOH 175th Anniversary and send to: AOH 175th Anniversary, Mr. Patrick Allen 1713 Summit Avenue Union City, NJ 07087. Registration and receipt of wrist band of all pre-paid responders will take place at parade assemble area prior to start of parade and again for rest of attendees immediately following the Mass. All are urged to respond by the deadline.
To get idea of numbers attending on 5/21/11, everyone is asked to contact asap either 175th Chrmn. PNP Ed Wallace at 315-686-391 or email ewallac2@twcny.rr.com or Nat’l Pres. Seamus Boyle at 215-820-1547 or email shay39@comcast.net.
Ancient Order of HIBERNIANS Division 11 Hicksville
Action On Hunger
In need of high protein Canned Meat is always needed, and more convenient items like Coffee are rarely get donated.
The Irish were intentionally starved out of their homes as well as their Country. This exodus caused by the Great Hunger brought millions of Irish people to the USA. Many who made this journey survived but so many thousands did not.
The Irish Immigrant knew hunger as few others ever did. One of our major efforts under the HIBERNIAN HUNGER PROJECT is to help our local food pantries. No one in this country should want for food. Or have their children go without the necessary nutrition.
If Possible Please Donate to the Food Pantries.
Every Cent you donate here through AOH Div.11 that is earmarked for the Food Pantry makes it to our Food Pantry. Unlike charities that have only a percentage of your donation make it to where it was intended.
Find it in your heart to donate something now.
Pick Up is Available for large donations 724-6821
In these challenging times, more and more people find themselves in need.
IN NEED OF LARGE AMOUNT OF RICE, BEANS, MEAT in Cans and TUNA Please Donate or contact us for pickup!
Need Rice ..Canned Meat, Beans, Whole Kernel Corn, Pancake Mix and Syrup, Fruit in Cans/Jars, Fruit Juice, Rice in Bags and Boxes, Chunky soups are always needed. And many non food items are needed as well like Foil, Wax paper, Toothpaste and Toothbrushes, Shampoo, Diapers (size 1,2 & 5), soaps and detergents.
Thank you for helping to keep our Food Pantry stocked! In these challenging times, more and more people find themselves in need. Supermarket Gift Cards (left in Sunday collection basket) are greatly appreciated for perishables! Items ESPECIALLY needed:
There has seen a huge increase in the number of people seeking assistance in the past few years. In September 2007, the parish outreach fed 292 people. This past September, they fed 552 people, Samodulski said, noting that this increase occurred despite the fact that the pantry was open five days per week in 2007 and now is open only three days.
People who receive aid at St. Ignatius fall generally into four categories, said Samodulski. Undocumented immigrants make up a large percentage of the clientele. “These are the people who are busing our tables, washing our cars and mowing our lawns,” he said, but don’t make enough to feed their families.
Some of the clients are homeless people. “The homeless population of our clients has dwindled from 45 to about 12, because a lot of the people we used to see have died,” said Samodulski.
Two other groups are growing in numbers, according to Samodulski. Each month the parish assists between 35 and 45 senior citizen households, most living on fixed incomes.
“The fastest growing group is the ostensibly middle class,” he said. “They have been laid off, downsized or outsourced. They have tuition and mortgage payments they can no longer afford because the primary or secondary wage earner or both have lost jobs.”
“While the numbers (of this group) are small in comparison (to the other groups) they have grown most quickly, almost double in the past year,” he added.
Here is an article that was published about the food not getting to those people who need it. Also the food they have on hand and pay to store is not a variety of food needed by the pantries! …Note: The article in Newsday did not even address this point.
Saint Ignatius Social Service/Outreach pantry Thank you letter to the Ancient Order of Hibernians Division 11 John Barry A.O.H. for the tons of food this year. Over 2,000 lbs in the past season was delivered to the local outreach centers in Hicksville NY through Division 11. That helped a lot as more than 1,495 distributions were made from the St. Ignatius center in November alone. And this number includes 692 Children and 510 households!
Reasons for Learning: An Gorta Mor – The Great Hunger
The Ancient Order of Hibernians, America’s largest Irish Cultural organization, has assembled the information contained in this site to advance the understanding of An Gorta Mor – Ireland’s Great Hunger from 1845 through 1851 and beyond – a tragic time in world history whose impact has yet to be truly recognized. There are only two instances in history in which ethnic cleansing has been perpetrated against a people not as a reprisal for rebellion, civil strife nor political retaliation. Those two are the Holocaust and An Gorta Mor.
