VIRGINIA AOH NEWSLETTER
Spring, 2008
Next state meeting:
Saturday, April 5, 2008, at 10:00 am Sharp
St. Paul's Church
909 Rennie Ave, Richmond, VA
DIRECTIONS
Coming
from East of Richmond:
Take Interstate 64 (I-64) Exit 76-A for Chamberlayne Ave
Turn Right at Chamberlayne Ave/Chamberlayne Pkwy
Continue to follow Chamberlayne Ave (1.7 miles)
Turn Right at Rennie Ave.
Coming from North of Richmond:
Take Interstate 95 (I-95) Exit 82 for US-301/Chamberlayne Ave (Go 0.3 miles)
Merge on to Chamberlayne Rd/US-301- South (Go 2.7
miles)
Turn Left at Rennie Ave.
Coming from West of Richmond:
Take Interstate 64 (I-64) Exit 78 toward Boulevard (Go 0.3 miles)
Turn Left at N Blvd/VA-161 (0.1 miles)
Turn Right at Brookland Pkwy (0.8 miles)
Continue on W Brookland Park Blvd (0.2 miles)
Turn Left at Chamberlayne Ave/US-1 N/US-301 N (0.2 miles)
Turn Right at Rennie Ave.
This is the Spring, 2008, Virginia AOH
Newsletter, the third edition of our State Newsletter.
Too many officers are submitting claptrap for their contributions.
They are simply photocopying articles, speeches, definitions, proclamations,
etc. for their contributions. This is NOT acceptable and will no longer be
tolerated. An officer who respects his fellow Virginia AOH members AND respects
the integrity of this publication will take the time to compose an original
contribution. Fortunately many officers do have this respect and put great
effort into their contributions. In the future your photocopies shall only be
permitted if said copying represents a maximum of forty-five per cent (45%) of
your submission.
As always, if you have suggestions as to topics you would like to see covered,
please let me know. Also, please give me your feedback, good and
bad, about the Newsletter. We publish four times a year. I am
gratified by the increase in the number of submissions and the quality of the
original submissions.
THE LADS: A group of
Northern Virginia AOH members (All AOH members are welcome.) meets every
Wednesday, rain or shine, for lunch. The group usually meets at Kate’s Irish
pub & restaurant, Springfield, Virginia, at 12 Noon. Please call Mike
Tivnan (703)494-4779 or Joe Boyle (703)646-5576 to make sure the venue has not
changed as The Lads takes trips occasionally.
All Virginia AOH Newsletters are archived at http://www.aohvirginianewsletter.com
Ed
Moran, Editor
HOME:
(703) 820-2854
FAX:
(212) 214-0427
EMAIL:
kerryman@att.net
|
1.
CHAPLAIN 2.
PRESIDENT 3.
VICE-PRESIDENT 4.
SECRETARY 5.
TREASURER 6.
PAST
PRESIDENT 7.
PARLIAMENTARIAN 8.
INSURANCE
ADVISOR 9.
CHARITIES
AND MISSIONS 10.
ORGANIZER 11.
PRO-LIFE 12.
HISTORIAN 13.
CATHOLIC ACTION 14.
FREEDOM FOR ALL
IRELAND 15.
POLITICAL
EDUCATION 16.
IMMIGRATION 17.
BUY IRISH 18.
IRISH AWARENESS 19.
FINANCE 20.
HIBERNIAN OF
THE YEAR |
21.
NEWSLETTER
EDITOR/PUBLICITY 22.
CONVENTION
CHAIR 23.
WEBMASTER 24.
DEGREES AND
CEREMONIALS 25.
VETERANS
AFFAIRS 26.
FAIRFAX COUNTY
BOARD 27.
PRINCE WILLIAM
COUNTY BOARD 28.
COLONEL JOHN
FITZGERALD DIVISION (ARLINGTON) 29.
MSGR. BRADICAN
DIVISION (ANNANDALE) 30.
FATHER WILLIAM
CORBY DIVISION (FAIRFAX) 31.
LT. COLONEL
JOHN A. DOWD USMC
DIVISION (WOODBRIDGE) 32.
FATHER EDWIN
KELLEY DIVISION (MANASSAS) 33.
GEN. THOMAS
MEAGHER DIVISION (FREDERICKSBURG) 34.
COLONEL THOMAS
CUNNINGHAM, JR. DIVISION (ASHBURN) 35.
FATHER JOHN
MUNLEY DIVISION (WINCHESTER) 36.
MAJOR JAMES H.
DOOLEY DIVISION (RICHMOND) 37.
JOHN CARDINAL
O’CONNOR DIVISION (WILLIAMSBURG) 38.
ST. PATRICK
DIVISION (TIDEWATER) 39.
FATHER JOHN
LYNCH DIVISION (ROANOKE) |
1.
S T A T
E C H A P L A I N
Rev. George E. Zahn
St. Paul’s Church
909 Rennie Avenue
Richmond, VA 23227-4808
(804) 329-0473
Dear Hibernians,
We celebrate our Irish heritage this month with pride and
thanksgiving. For what, then, are we praying? We ask God through the
intercession of St. Patrick to grant us the fullness of life in Christ.
With the Lord Jesus' help, we must try to give witness to
our beliefs in everyday life. May the Risen Christ grant you and yours
peace now and always.
Sincerely,
Fr. George E. Zahn
2. S T A T E P R E S I D E N T
Pat
Naughton
(804)
360-2969
At my
last Division meeting one of the newer members asked, “What does it mean to be
Hibernian?” He had been asked this question by a lady and wasn’t quite sure how
to reply. Hibernia is the Latin word for Ireland. The spelling “Hibernia” was
likely influenced by the unrelated Latin word hibernus meaning "wintry." The Ancient Order of
Hibernians is part of the history of Ireland from 1331B.C. The men who formed
the Hibernian militia were defenders of the faith and fatherland.
What does it mean to be a
Hibernian in the 21st century? First and foremost we are men who treasurer the
Catholic faith. Even under persecution for their beliefs the Irish people never
gave up their Catholic faith. The Ancient Order of Hibernians has been the
protector of clergy and churches in Ireland and America. We are the oldest lay
organization in America.
Secondly, like our Hibernian
forefathers, we have a strong love for the Irish people and culture. The Order
helped Irish immigrants assimilate in America.
The AOH organized meeting halls, insurance programs, and cultural events
to foster an Irish culture in their new homeland. This St. Patrick’s season be proud of you
Order and invite others to become a part of this special organization.
The positions of Immigration,
Political Education, and Freedom for all Ireland are still open. I would like
to fill these positions with someone who will work for you to keep you informed
of issues in these areas. It is better to have a vacant spot than it is to have
a name without a worker behind it.
Please consider taking an active role in State Board and notify me.
I look forward to seeing many
of you during this St. Patrick’s season and the next state meeting. You don’t
have to be an officer to attend the State meeting. This is great opportunity to
meet other great Hibernians and learn a little bit.
In Friendship, Unity, and
Christian Charity,
Pat Naughton
3. V I C E—P R E S I D E N T
Rich
Aleksy
(703)
369-3189
Irish-American
Heritage Month, 2008, by the President of the United States
A Proclamation
Since
the earliest days of our Republic, Irish Americans have enriched
our culture with their faith, values, and hard work. During the month of
March, we celebrate the contributions of Americans who trace their ancestry
back
to Ireland's shores.
Many of the sons and daughters of Erin came to America fleeing famine and
poverty. They came with dreams of
opportunity, and they helped to build our
Democracy and advance the cause of Liberty.
Irish Americans in all walks
of life have made lasting contributions to our Nation, and we honor the service
of Irish Americans in America's Armed Forces.
Throughout our history, those
claiming Irish ancestry have helped shape and strengthen America, including
as signers of the Declaration of Independence and as Presidents of the United
States.
This
month, we celebrate the patriotic and proud people who originated from
the
Emerald Isle and who played a vital role in the story of this Nation of
Immigrants.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States
of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
laws
of
the United States, do hereby proclaim March 2008 as Irish-American
Heritage Month. I call upon all Americans
to observe this month by celebrating
the
contributions of Irish Americans to our Nation.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth day
of
February, in the year of our Lord two thousand eight, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
thirty-second.
George W. Bush
4. S E C R E T A R Y
Chuck
Curran
Brothers –
As we approach the April Quarterly State Meeting, I have still not received the
Form 9 and rosters from all Virginia Divisions. Please forward copies of
these to me as soon as possible either by e-mail to irl4fr@aol.com or by regular mail to 6537
Novak Woods Court, Burke, Virginia 22015. These documents will allow the
State Board to be in touch with the Divisions and their members on matters of
importance in a timely fashion. Your cooperation in this regard is
greatly appreciated!
A notice announcing the April 5, 2008, State Board Meeting to be held at St.
Paul’s Church Center in Richmond was recently sent out. Please come if
you can. This Meeting is open to all members of the Ancient Order of
Hibernians in good standing
The National Biennial
Convention of the Ancient Order of Hibernians in America, Inc. will be held in
New Orleans, Louisiana from July 23-26, 2008. It is not too late to make
reservations. Please see the National AOH website at www.aoh.com. Come on down and join
the fun. I would ask all Divisions to advise me of the names of their
delegates that will be attending the Convention. Remember that our own
Brian Boru Major Degree Team will present the Tower Degree of the Order at the
Convention on July 24, 2008. Come support the team!
The Brian Boru Major Degree
Team will also present the Tower Degree of the Order on Sunday, April 20, 2008,
at Ascension Catholic Church on Lanham Severn Road. Candidates
should report at Noon. The Degree will be underway by 1:00 pm. This
is a great opportunity for those who have not yet taken our Major Degree.
In Friendship, Unity and Christian Charity,
Chuck
Curran, State Secretary
5. T R E A S U R E R
Joe
McCarthy
(540)
888-3664
I
would like to have all Per Capita and Initiations paid up by our next meeting.
Liability Insurance will be coming on the heels of that.
$2
X members subject to per capita (line 16 of form 11)
$1.50
X number of members initiated in 2007
6. P A S T P R E S I D E N T
Dan
Brennan
(757)
471-7274
Brothers, I hope this finds all of you doing well.
Some brothers and their families are in need of prayers. I would like to report
that Father Ed Richardson, chaplain and Past President of St. Patrick Division
in Virginia Beach is in the hospital with pneumonia and is in need of prayers.
The latest report is that Father is slowly improving but that he has a long
road to full recovery.
The Ancient Order of Hibernians, like many other
organizations, is getting older. We need to bring in new and younger members to
continue our works. This not only brings in younger members who can help in our
efforts to spread and encourage our Irish heritage but it also brings in new
ideas. To be an effective organization we need members and ideas. Ask your
friends who are Irish and Catholic to join us.
I hope all of you had a wonderful St. Patrick’s Day.
If there was a parade and your division marched I hope you were there. I hope
that all of you supported your Division if they had a function to honor St.
Patrick Be proud of your Irish heritage not only on our patron saints feast day
but each and every day of your life.
Just remember there are only two kinds of people: those who are Irish and those who wish they
were.
7. P A R L I A M E N T A R I A N
Arthur
Grimley
(703) 971-6831
Parliamentary procedure is the best
method designed to enable a group of any size to efficiently arrive at a
general conclusion on a number of questions. It is a process that allows
for the expression of every members opinion while maintaining order during
discussion.
We all have the basis in making a motion, i.e., "I move ---". What we
often forget is that old and new business is not a time to rise to chat about
something. There must be a motion with a
second before discussion can begin.
How about amending the motion! Not to
get to specific, amendments can be made to insert or add, to strike out, a
combination of the first two or to substitute.
There are primary amendments and secondary amendments. The primary amendment
must be germane to the main motion, i.e., it must have a direct bearing on the
subject matter of the motion which it proposes to modify. A secondary amendment
is an amendment to the primary amendment and must also be germane. One cannot
amend a question equivalent to a rejection of the original motion. This attempt
would be ruled out of order by the chair. We will talk more about types
of amendments in the future, but for now "That's all folks".
8. I N S U R A N C E A D V I S O R
Dave
Zerby
(540)
374-1982
I submitted paperwork for a quote the early part of
January. The request was sent to a good insurance company,
"Scottsdale Insurance," owned by Nationwide. They kept coming
back asking for more input. I finally received the quote on the 28th of
February. It was for $4,244.63. You could have pushed me over with
a feather. Approximately $2,200 more than last year! Needless to
say I got back on the horn and asked what’s going on? Well to make a long
story short, I was told this year was different. I did finally get a credit of 10% ($400.00)
which reduced the premium down to $3,820.17. I then e-mailed facts to Pat
Naughton , laid out the facts, and asked
for his ideas, telling him I would do whatever he said, but in the past I had
always just gone ahead and renewed the policy each year. I also said I
felt I could get the agency to kick in some help also, but it wasn't up to me
anymore to make that call. He said he trusted my judgment to do what
seemed best for the Virginia AOH. The Agency Principal agreed to give up 50%
of the commission. This amounted to approximately $190.00.
Therefore, the bill to the AOH is for $3,850.07. The credit is based on a
premium of $4,000.00, the rest being fees and taxes. I told Pat after he
said go ahead that I felt we would receive some flack at the April State
Meeting. The original premium was based on a charge of $5.00 per person
and counting the ladies with the men we have a figure of 800 bodies. This still
comes to $4.75 per person, however. The only thing that we could do is look for
a cheaper premium but in today's financial situation I just don't know; but if
anybody wants to take it upon himself to try or has a buddy in the insurance
business that wants to try, he has my blessing.
9. C H A R I T I E S A N D M I S S I O N S
NO
REPORT. (Chairman position open)
10. O R G A N I Z E R
Rich
Aleksy
(703)
369-3189
What is the Ancient
Order of Hibernians in America?
The Ancient Order of Hibernians is a Catholic, Irish
American Fraternal Organization
founded
in New York City May 4, 1836. The Order
can trace its roots back to a parent
organization,
of the same name, which has existed in Ireland for over 300 Years.
Active
across the United States, the Order seeks to aid the newly arrived Irish, both
socially and politically. Many Divisions
and club facilities located throughout the U.S.
traditionally have been among the first to welcome new Irish Americans. Here, the Irish
culture, art, dance, music, and sports are fostered and preserved.
You may further seek admittance to the FINEST Irish Catholic Organization in
the
World - all we would ask is for you to live our motto of:
"Friendship, Unity, and Christian Charity"
11.
P R O—L I F E
Larry
O'Brien
(703)
978-5651
Who Are Those Guys?
People in wheelchairs, on crutches, and others using prosthetic
devices, fragile individuals, young and old, showed up for the annual Pro-Life
Rally and March for Life on January 22. The Knights of Columbus, various
church and fraternal groups, and others all showed up in great numbers.
AOH members from various States reported to the rally and march, but
unfortunately AOH participation generally was disappointingly low in
numbers. Even more disappointing was that our Virginia organization had
two members show up--Brother Ed Moran and this scribe. Someone shouted
out during the march, “Where is the Virginia AOH?” Those words should
echo between now and our next annual march. If we as the AOH at next
year’s Pro Life Rally and March have a similar turnout, profound questions will
arise about how committed each of us is to Pro Life, as well as how committed
the AOH is to Pro Life. Whether we are motivated by Irish conscience or
Catholic guilt, words mean very little unless they are buttressed by
actions. If we as the AOH cannot stand up for aborted babies, what do we
represent? Christmas and St. Patrick Day parties? Remember the twin
questions: if not now, when? If not us, who?
In the 2005-2006 fiscal year, according to L. Brent Bozell in The Washington
Times, 10-28-07, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America performed a
record 264,943 abortions, reported a profit of $55.8 million, and received a
record high in taxpayer funding of $305.3 million. The profit, in this
writer’s opinion, incidentally, is literally blood money. Bozell noted
that Planned Parenthood elected to build the largest abortion clinic in the
country at Aurora, IL, but it lied by omission. It applied for permits by
listing the owner as “Gemini Office Development,” not as Planned
Parenthood. With the cover of ABC News, the reporter Barbara Pinto said
the blame should not be cast on Planned Parenthood but on Aurora’s officials
for being dimwitted, and added the clinic’s neighbors wished pro-lifers would
stop protesting: “I just wish they’d go home. I’m tired of seeing
signs.” In Johnson County, Kansas, a suburb of Kansas City, District
Attorney Phil Kline filed 107 charges against Planned Parenthood, charging that
its clinic in Overland Park performed unlawful late-term abortions. The
23 felony counts allege that Planned Parenthood submitted false “pregnancy
termination reports” to a court on 8-21-07, in response to a subpoena. As
Bozell reported, ABC’s Emily Friedman suggested Mr. Kline was either an
agenda-driven prosecutor operating outside the law or one of the best friends
the anti-abortion rights movement has ever had. Friedman demonized Kline
and lionized Dr. George Tiller, the champion of hideous third-trimester
abortions. Women received abortions at Dr. Tiller’s clinics when they
were at 22 weeks’ gestation or later, from 2003-2008. Fortunately, a
Kansas judge ruled on January 30, 2008, that the abortion facility must turn
over hundreds of medical records to a grand jury.
If this does not make one’s blood boil and make us want to join our pro-life
movement, I do not know what will. Think about the repulsive pictures of
butchered babies and how we as AOH members can positively channel energy and
disgust into attracting and retaining members by involving ourselves
considerably more in the pro-life movement. Conversely, consider how you
appear to prospective new members by being passive toward the pro-life
movement. This does not even take into account the compelling and graphic
depictions of the various stages of fetuses—human life—that were barbarically
removed from their mothers’ wombs.
It is not just the Pro-Life March. We also meet as a pro-life group,
generally the last Saturday of each month at 8 AM at the Pro-Life Mass at St.
Rita’s. This is immediately followed by praying the complete rosary (all
20 mysteries) near an abortion facility on Duke Street. If you have any
questions, need directions, or can offer input about pro-life activities that
you are involved in, call or email me (home 703-978-5651 or obrienclu@cox.net ). So far I have
received no input from members about pro-life activities.
The recurring question in various forms is what impact does it have on
prospective members, especially younger ones, whose time is already stretched
to the breaking point by family obligations? How do we stop the Planned
Parenthood killing machine—264,843 abortions, the adverse physical and
psychological effect on aborting mothers and fathers, and the path of destruction
abortion creates? The answer for now is to stop one abortion at a
time. With our help, the help of brother Hibernians, and others we bring
into the Pro-Life movement, we can make a difference. Status quo is not
an option. We remember the scenes in “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance
Kid,” when Redford and Newman continuously ask each other, “Who are those
guys?” When the question is raised in the future—who are those AOH
pro-life guys who are not just talking, but are active? We should be
those guys.
Saint Rita's Catholic Church is at:
3815
Russell Road
Alexandria VA
(703)836-1640
Schedule of
Pro-Life Number of
Virginia Hibernians
Masses at
Saint Rita's in
Attendance
1.)Saturday, 22 September,
2007 2
2.)Saturday, 27 October,
2007
2
3.)Saturday, 24 November,
2007
2
4.)Saturday, 22 December,
2007
2
5.)Saturday, 26 January,
2008
2
6.)Saturday, 23 February,
2008
2
7.)Saturday, 29 March,
2008
? Will you be there?
8.)Saturday, 26 April,
2008 ? Will you be there?
9.)Saturday, 24 May,
2008 ? Will you be there?
10.)Saturday, 28 June,
2008
? Will you be there?
11.)Saturday, 26 July,
2008
? Will you be there?
12.)Saturday, 23 August, 2008 ? Will you be there?
13.)Saturday, 27 September, 200
?
Will you be there?
14.)Saturday, 25 October, 2008
?
Will you be there?
15.)Saturday, 22 November,
2008 ? Will you be there?
16.)Saturday, 27 December,
2008 ?
Will you be there?
12.H I S T O R I A N
Bruce Denault
(540) 446-9123
|
Biographies
of our namesakes continue with the biography of Colonel Thomas J. Cunningham,
the patron of Virginia’s largest Division of the Ancient Order of Hibernian. |
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Col. Thomas J. Cunningham |
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Thomas
J. Cunningham, Jr. was a gentleman -- and a gentle man. He was considerate,
kind, outgoing, warm, friendly. He
personified the Christian ideal -- wherever he went, he sowed joy. He was a communicator!
He was trained in communications; he practiced communications; toward the
end, in a sense, he taught communications. |
13.C AT H O L I C A C T I O N
Jack
Devaney
(703)
278-8352
Editor's
Clarification:
The following rant by Father McCloskey was submitted by
the Catholic Action chairman. The abstract is deficient in several
important scholarly aspects. For
example, while Father McCloskey cites a "late nineties . . . New York
Times poll," he fails to give the date when said poll was published. Father McCloskey states other statistics in
regard to practices and beliefs of American Catholics but does not reveal his
source for these statistics.
In regard to Georgetown University and
the University of Notre Dame, the reader is urged to review these universities'
commitments to Catholicism which are well defined and explained at the
respective Websites of these universities.
For Georgetown U. see http://www.georgetown.edu
. Please especially note "Georgetown's Catholic and Jesuit
Identity" on its Website. For Notre Dame see http://www.nd.edu . Please especially review
"About Notre Dame," "Faith and Service," and "Related
Links" (e.g., "Campus Ministry," “Institute for Church
Life," "pray.nd.edu," etc.)
In particular Father McCloskey is
incorrect in his claim that the alumni of Notre Dame issued a clarion call
to the University "for a return to faithfulness to the Church's
teaching." As an alumnus of Notre
Dame it never seemed to me that such an action was required, and I can assure
that no such call ever was issued by the alumni as a body. One of the
aspects of life at Notre Dame that is unique is that the clergy, priests,
brothers, and nuns live with the students in the men’s and women’s dorms,
respectively, on the same floors. Mass
is offered in each dormitory's chapel in addition to several daily Masses
at Sacred Heart Basilica. All are well
attended.
Eighty per cent of Notre Dame's students do volunteer
work in the greater South Bend, Indiana, metropolitan area. If the alumni
of Notre Dame had issued a call to the University's administration for a
"return to faithfulness," how do you explain the high, VERY high
numbers of alumni who send their sons and daughters to Notre Dame? And a similar statistic applies to Georgetown
alumni.
There are other errors in Father
McCloskey's rant. For example, those of you who read business publications
("Business Week," etc.) know that the Ave Maria project in Naples,
Florida, is on the verge of bankruptcy.
I always find it interesting when a person acts as if he
or she has just gotten off the phone with God and is now uniquely qualified to
be the definitive decider of who is orthodox and who is not.
Abstracted
from a paper by Fr. John McCloskey, STD
Priest
of the Prelature of Opus Dei
Monday,
January 16, 2006
STATE
OF THE CHURCH AS IT AFFECTS US
The growth of the
Church in the US, both in its origins and throughout its history until the
1930s, was as an immigrant Church. Yet no immigration by any ethnic group, not
even the Irish, has been as rapid and overwhelming as the deluge from south of
the border. Indeed, that continuing immigration has been so massive that some
people refer to California as "Mexifornia." One of the big questions
affecting both the US as a country and the Catholic Church in America is
whether the majority of Hispanics will assimilate by learning English as other
immigrants historically have done, or whether they will form almost a separate region
within the United States, resulting in a "Balkanization" of America.
On the handling of
the Hispanic immigrant population rests the real future of the Church in the
US. Even though the Church in the US is large, it still trails Brazil (144
million), Mexico (126 million), and the Philippines (70 million). Obviously,
these three countries, all of which could be classified as
"developing," do not now match the United States in wealth or power.
This is also reflected in ecclesiastical "politics." The US has 13
cardinals, as opposed to Brazil with 8, Mexico with 5, and the Philippines with
2. Another way of evaluating American influence is to consider that American
votes in the recent conclave outnumbered all of Africa. Naturally the universal
Church and its particular churches in countries cannot be measured only in
statistics, but it is clear that the stature of the Church in the US plays a
significant if not predominant role in the universal Church.
For example,
Catholics in the US make up six percent of the global Catholic population, but
12 percent of the bishops in the Church and 14 percent of the priests. The US
alone has more priests than the top three Catholic countries combined (41,000
in the US to 37,000 in Brazil, Mexico and the Philippines combined). This makes
talk of a "priest shortage" in the US almost laughable, at least in
comparison with many countries struggling to care for much larger Catholic
populations.
Let's look at the numbers
in the US first. In 1965, at the end of the Council, there were 58,000 priests.
Now there are 41,000. By 2020, if present trends continue (and there is no sign
of a dramatic upsurge in vocations), there will be only 31,000 priests, and
half of those will be over 70. (To offer a personal example of the effect of
these demographics, I was ordained in 1981 at the age of 27. Today, at the age
of 52, I can still attend gatherings of priests and find myself one of the
younger members present.) In 1965, 1,575 new priests were ordained. In 2005,
the number was 454, a decrease of more than two-thirds — and remember that the
Catholic population in the US increased during these years from 45.6 million in
1965 to the 64.8 million of 2005, a rise of almost 50%.
Almost half the
Catholic schools open in 1965 have closed; 4.5 million students attended
Catholic schools in the mid-1960s, while today there are about half that many
students. Even more troubling is the religious education offered in those
remaining schools: many of these catechetical programs are taught and presided
over by poorly formed lay Generation X Catholics who have serious difficulties
with aspects of Catholic doctrinal and moral life. Only 10 percent of lay
religious teachers accept Church teaching on contraception; 53 percent believe
a Catholic woman can get an abortion and remain a good Catholic; 65 percent say
that Catholics have a right to divorce and remarry; and, in the late nineties
in a New York Times poll, 70 percent of Catholics aged 18-54 said they believed
the Holy Eucharist was but a "symbolic reminder" of Jesus.
Let's move now to
the topic of higher education. Today, there are 224 Catholic colleges and
universities formally recognized by the US bishops as Catholic. Two of them,
Georgetown and Notre Dame University, are generally included among the top 25
universities in the US. However, the word "Catholic" tends to be very
loosely applied; in many cases only the name and the statuary remain to signify
the Catholic origins of the universities. If one judges the most important part
of any Catholic university to be the faithfulness of its theology department,
only some fifteen of the 224 (less than 10%) have theology faculties who have
as a whole received the Mandatum (the authority from the local diocesan bishop
allowing faculty to teach Catholic theology) from the competent ecclesiastical
authority as required by the Congregation of Catholic Education, according the
Apostolic Constitution on Higher Education (1990), Ex Corde Ecclesiae.
Nonetheless, there
are signs of hope. Over the last 30 years or so, a dozen or more new Catholic
colleges have been founded, partly in reaction to the increasing secularization
of the nominal Catholic institutions. Most of them are flourishing, though many
are not large institutions. Franciscan University of Steubenville, the
University of Dallas, and the newly founded Ave Maria University stand out
among the larger faithful institutions, while Thomas Aquinas College and
Christendom College stand out among the smaller schools. All have a required
core curriculum for the liberal arts, including theology and philosophy.
Another sign of hope
appears among some of the larger universities. The University of Notre Dame
seems to be gradually returning to catholicity, spurred in part by a new
president and by a better catechized student body and also by alumni demand for
a return to faithfulness to the Church's teaching. If Notre Dame indeed returns
to total loyalty to the Church in its teaching and campus environment, it may
serve as a bellwether for other mainstream "Catholic" universities to
return to their roots. Other good signs: some bishops are now informing
colleges that they can no longer refer to themselves as Catholic without
earning the title by moral and doctrinal orthodoxy, and at least six new
Catholic colleges and universities are under development.
14.F R E E D O M F O R A L L I R E L A
N D
NO REPORT. (Chairman position open)
15.P O L I T I C A L E D U C A T I O N
NO REPORT. (Chairman position open)
16.I M M I G R A T I O N
NO REPORT. (Chairman position open)
17.B U Y I R I S H
Hugh
P. O'Brien
(540)
786-4214
Brothers,
I am continuing my efforts to assemble a complete
directory of venues for the purchase of Irish products in Virginia,
particularly of quality Irish products. As I have mentioned before I need your
input. I am particularly interested in places where you feel there are
especially good values to be had. For example, The Irish Collection in
Occoquan. Many people have for years praised the quality of this
establishment's goods and all Hibernians receive a 10% discount. Just show your
AOH membership card. You will receive this discount even for sale items.
The Irish Collection
125
Mill Street
Occoquan, VA 22125
(703)492-9383
Please send me the place(s) you recommend and,
hopefully, why you recommend that particular establishment(s).
18.I R I S H A W A R E N E S S
John
O’Hara
(703)
217-5527
St. Patrick’s Day Parade Has Military Roots
For nearly 250 years, the city of New York has celebrated Irish pride
with an annual parade. And the New York National Guard’s 69th Infantry Regiment
upholds the tradition of leading the procession to this day.
Each year, approximately 2 million spectators line Fifth Avenue to watch some
200,000 marchers, including bagpipe players and high school bands, participate
in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New York City. It is the world’s oldest
civilian parade and the largest in the U.S. The event is televised for four
hours, and in 2008 will be Web streamed for the first time.
The parade, held in honor of the Patron Saint of Ireland, has taken place
annually, both in peacetime and wartime, for 246 years. Its beginnings and long
history are inextricably tied to the military.
Parade Origins
The parade’s New York City roots stretch back to before the U.S. became an
independent nation. In 1762, Irish members of the British army stationed in the
American colonies in New York City marched down lower Broadway in the
first-known St. Patrick’s Day parade in that city.
“Undoubtedly,” John T. Ridge wrote in The St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New York,
“it was one of the military units stationed in the city and raised in whole or
in part from Irishmen, some of them possibly recruited in Ireland and sent over
to New York.”
At the time, wearing green was a sign of Irish pride and was banned in Ireland.
Parade participants spoke Gaelic, wore green, sang Irish songs and played Irish
music, according to the St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee.
Recognizing the contributions of Scotch-Irish Presbyterian (originally from
Ulster or Northern Ireland) troops to the Revolutionary War, Gen. George
Washington even permitted the St. Patrick’s Day Encampment of 1780 at
Morristown, N.J. It is estimated that more than one-third of Revolutionary War
soldiers were of Scotch-Irish descent.
For the parade’s first few years, military units organized it. Irish societies
joined at their respective meeting places and moved toward Old St. Patrick’s
Cathedral. According to the History Channel, the formally organized New York
City St. Patrick’s Day Parade that exists today started in 1848.
St. Patrick’s Day and the military have been continuously intertwined ever
since. In fact, because of the parade’s martial spirit, women did not march
until well after the Civil War.
The parade is still led by a unit of soldiers. Since at least 1853, the “Irish
Brigade,” or New York National Guard’s 69th Regiment, has led the grand
procession. (Also included in the early years were the 9th and 73rd militia
regiments.)
The Fighting 69th
In 1851, Irish
immigrants formed the 69th Infantry Regiment. During the Civil War (1861-65),
it was nicknamed the “Fighting 69th” by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. That
reputation was earned by sustaining the sixth-largest number of killed in
action (259) of all the Union combat arms’ regiments.
In the past 157 years, the 69th has missed only a handful of St. Patrick’s Day
parades. In 1882 and 1887, for instance, the 69th declined to participate. It
had its own parade from its armory to the cathedral.
In 1918, 3,000 women relatives of 69th members marched in place of the unit,
which was then serving in France. The next March, in 1919, saw returning
veterans honored in the first public parade for most of these men.
“There was a storm of applause as more than 300 members of the ‘Old 69th,’ many
of them wounded, marched along after the guard,” reported the Irish World.
“More than 20 automobiles with the wounded of the famous Irish regiment
followed the marching section, and their reception was a splendid start toward
payment for their sacrifices and trials.”
During WWI, when the unit was federalized, it was designated the 165th Infantry
Regiment and became part of the 42nd “Rainbow” Infantry Division. The outfit
was still 90% Irish then. Of 3,507 original members who went to France, only
1,400 returned.
In 1944, the 165th (then part of the 27th Infantry Division) sent a radiogram
from the Pacific Theater, where it fought on Saipan and Okinawa, to the parade
committee. It said that the overseas fighting force “joins you over many miles
in celebrating the feast of our beloved patron saint.” Two years later, three
area Medal of Honor recipients of Irish descent appeared on the reviewing
stand.
In 1953, amidst the Korean War, 75 Marine Corps recruits from the city dubbed
the “Shamrock Platoon” participated in the parade.
Over the years, the ethnic makeup of the 69th has been radically transformed.
Hispanic veteran Pedro Martinez of Long Island marched with the legendary unit
back in 1984.
“Twelve years ago, the whole unit was Irish,” Martinez told the New York Times.
“Today, it doesn’t matter if you’re Puerto Rican, Italian. We all march.”
At the time of the 2005 parade, nearly 800 of the unit’s 900 soldiers were
serving in Iraq (it was there from October 2004 to September 2005). Sixteen
members (another three later) had already died, including one soldier whose
body was returning to the U.S. on March 17.
“It adds to the—what would you call it?—surrealness of the day,” Lt. John
Salazar, a company commander, told the New York Times. “Picking up a body on
St. Patrick’s Day.”
Despite the solemn atmosphere, soldiers marched on that day. In stereotypical
“Irish” spirit, officers drank a toast of whiskey before heading out.
“Gentlemen, our job today is to make sure the tradition goes forward,” said
Capt. Raphael Santiago, according to the New York Times. “A toast to our fallen
soldiers.”
---
by Kelly Lanigan, VFW Magazine
For more information on the parade, go to www.saintpatricksdayparade.com
.
19.F I N A N C E
Rich
Aleksy
(703)
369-3189
Once
again, NO REPORT. (2nd time
in a row)
20.H I B E R N I A N O F T H E Y E A R
Rich
Aleksy
(703)
369-3189
Brothers,
I thank the Division Presidents who submitted Brothers
for this Award. We did have numerous
submissions but not from every Division. The decision for the 2007 winner was
very difficult to select but the Winner will be announced at the April State
Meeting.
21.N E W S L E T T E R E D I T O R/P U B L I C I T
Y
Ed Moran
(703) 820-2854
Please see
"Introduction."
In regard to
"Publicity”:
Prospective members cannot learn about
the AOH and your Division unless they know where and when your Division is
meeting and, most importantly, who the contact person is. It would be helpful
to send your local Catholic newspaper details about your meeting dates, times,
places and contact person(s), including a phone number with the correct area
code.
(A) For the Diocese of Richmond:
"The Catholic Virginian"
Email the information to: steveneill@catholicvirginian.org.
(804)359-5654
Fax:(804)359-5689
Ask to have your information printed in "ShorTakes."
(B) For the Diocese of Arlington:
“The Arlington Catholic Herald"
Email: event@catholicherald.com
(703)841-2590, ask for Stephanie.
Ask to have your information printed in "Coming Events."
PLEASE NOTE: Each publication has a time frame
by which you need to supply the pertinent information. Please call first to
make sure your emails are timely. Also, do not abandon this project if your
initial emails are not printed. Remember: people cannot become members if they
do not know about you or where you meet.
22.C O N V E N T I O N C H A I R
Bruce
Denault
(540)
446-9123
For a variety of reasons, the General Meagher Division
is unable to host our convention in July 2009. Fredericksburg, however,
remains the city of choice for the convention location, and I somehow or other
remain the Convention Chairman. To that end, I need all the help I can
get. I recognize that we all have busy schedules, but I need volunteers to fill
the committee, and that includes members from the LAOH to make this endeavor a
success.
23.W E B M A S T E R
Mike Creegan
(703) 221-4692
I am still only getting input
for the Website from a couple of Divisions. The State Board has been paying
iPower to host our website and it should be used to support the activities of
our Divisions. It should be a one stop location to find out what our Divisions
are doing around the state. It can make people aware of your fund raising
activities and Irish cultural events. All that it takes is an email to me with
all the details or, if you have one, a flyer with the details.
We still have the bulletin
board associated with the State website. However, it’s not being used. I am the
only one posting announcements to the bulletin board. But this is a resource
for the State Board, the County Boards and all of the Divisions. All it takes
is to register and please provide some information that will help me identify
you as a Hibernian. I continue to receive notice of registrations being
submitted by individuals that are clearly not Hibernians. Fortunately, all
registrations must be approved by the Webmaster before the individual can log
in. Let’s use this resource.
In addition to the bulletin
board, we also have a Blog (weB Log). While I still have some customizing to
do, it is still available. This application also requires registration and
Webmaster approval be an individual can login for the first time. This “Blog”
will allow registered users to post information/comments on the site and other
registered users can post comments. This product provides the capability to
restrict viewing to registered users only. This is another resource that we
should be utilizing to support our activities.
Both the bulletin board and
Blog can be accessed using the links found at our website www.aohvirginia.org.
Lastly, iPower has
completed the transition of our website to a new server and management
software. The old software was “text” oriented while the new software provides
a graphical interface. This transition has provided much more hard drive
capacity (300 GB) and bandwidth (3,000 GB). This provides us we the room to
grow and maximize our exposure to the outside community. Let’s use it. Please
provide me with input concerning your Division’s activities, it’s free
advertising!
24.D E G R E E S A N D C E R E M O N I A L S
J. J. Kelly
(703)
455-1507
NO
REPORT.
25.V E T E R A N S’ A F F A I R S
Dan
Brennan
(757)
471-7274
Brothers, let me remind everyone that there are two
events coming up that honor our members who have served or are serving our
country as defenders of our way of life. These days are Armed Forces Day, 17
May and Memorial Day, 26 May.
There are many things we can do to honor our Veterans
and those currently serving in our Armed Services. You don’t have to be a Veteran to honor our
Veterans. Just be grateful for their dedication and their sacrifices.
One way would be to have all Divisions make a list of
their members who are serving or those who are sons and daughters, brothers and
sisters, or any friends we may know. Send these people a card on birthdays, at
Christmas or any time you desire. Drop a note letting them know of our concerns
and that we are keeping them in our thoughts and in our prayers.
On Memorial Day, make a visitation to the graves of
those members who served to place a small flag on their graves. In one
community that has a gathering to celebrate and remember their fallen warriors
on that day one Division, St. Patrick Division in Virginia Beach, annually lays
a wreath to honor them. It is presented by the Division President and the Color
Guard in green jackets and sashes.
To all of you who have served, I thank you and salute
you for your efforts to keep our country safe. To those who have lost family
members who served, I keep you in my prayers. May the good Lord keep all safe
from harm and return them safely to us.
26.F A I R F A X C O U N T Y B O A R D
Dan
Rhoades
(703)
532-6385
Once
again, NO REPORT. (2nd time
in a row)
27.P R I N C E W I L L I A M C O U N T
Y B O A R D
Russell
Keating
(703)
392-3997
Once
again, again, NO REPORT. (3rd time in a row; going for a
record)
28.COLONEL JOHN FITZGERALD DIVISION (ARLINGTON)
James
Rogers
(703)
413-3062
* The annual Gaelic Mass was
held March 10 with brother Hibernians from
around the state in attendance.
* March 14 is our annual St. Patrickąs Party co-hosted with the EDW Knights
of Columbus.
* On March 17, we will be gathering in the EDW council home to celebrate St.
Patrickąs Day with an Irish comedy night.
* At the March meeting we discussed attending a local production of The Last
Days of the Killone Players at the Theatre on The Run in Shirlington,
sometime after St. Patrickąs Day. The shows runs through April 5th, tickets
are only $20. We are looking at the matinee on March 30th. If you are
interested, please contact Chris OąConnor at (703) 876-6331 or at
coconnor@instill.com (Please mention
AOH in the subject line). If we have
enough interested folks weąll see if we can get a group rate.
http://www.keegantheatre.com/
29.MSGR. BRADICAN DIVISION (ANNANDALE)
Gene
Bransfield
(703) 820-2464
The Monsignor Bradican Division,
Fairfax County No. 2, hosted our annual St. Patrick’s Day Dinner on Saturday,
March 15. We will host our annual trip to the Potomac Cannons on June
21. It is always a fun affair for the whole family and as usual will end
with fireworks. Contact either Gene Bransfield, 571-278-5770 or J.J.
Kelly for tickets.
RIDE THE CRESCENT TO
THE CONVENTION:
As of this writing, there are only 9 committed for the train to New Orleans for
the National Convention. There are also only 22 reserved spaces for
this fun adventure travel alternative. As the convention gets closer it
will become much harder to reserve any more spaces. Even now, if the
number goes beyond the 11 remaining reserved spaces, the price will be slightly
higher. If you are interested, please contact Gene Bransfield at
571-278-5770.
Reservation Details
for 11 remaining per person spaces:
DEPARTING: MONDAY JULY
21, 2008 @ 6:49 PM ON TRAIN 19 FROM ALEXANDRIA, VA TO NEW ORLEANS, LA
RETURNING: SUNDAY JULY
27, 2008 @ 7:10 AM ON TRAIN 20 FROM NEW ORLEANS, LA TO ALEXANDRIA, VA
OVER 62 ON JULY 21,
2008; $165.92 + (˝ Roomette RT) $131.00 = $296.92 Round Trip
UNDER 62 ON JULY 21,
2008; $195.20 + (˝ Roomette RT) $131.00 = $326.20 Round Trip
Purchase of Roomette
includes all meals. Sample menus can be viewed at:
30.FATHER WILLIAM CORBY DIVISION (FAIRFAX)
ED
CARLS, II
(202)
431-3899
Once again, NO
REPORT. (2nd time in a row)
31.LT. COLONEL JOHN A. DOWD USMC DIVISION (WOODBRIDGE)
Jack
Murphy
(703)
497-4495
The Division’s Charity Golf Tournament
will be held Monday, 12 May, 2008, at the Montclair Country Club, in
conjunction with the Montclair Lions Club.
We need golfers and sponsors for this event. The 30th annual Southern Maryland
Celtic Festival will be held on Saturday, 26 April, from 10:00 AM-6:00 PM. Our Division meetings are held on the first
Thursday of the month, 7:15 PM, Our Lady of Angels school.
32.FATHER EDWIN KELLEY DIVISION (MANASSAS)
John Rickard
(703) 368-4795
NO
REPORT.
33.GEN. THOMAS MEAGHER DIVISION (FREDERICKSBURG)
Bruce Denault
(540) 446-9123
______________________________________________________________________________
Fredericksburg, Virginia
Instituted: November 11, 1987
Meeting Time: 3rd Tuesday,
7:30PM Membership: 22
Meeting Location: Fredericksburg Knights of
Columbus Council Home, 4724 Harrison Road, Fredericksburg, VA 22401
PRESIDENT
VICE-PRESIDENT
Bruce A.
Denault
Robert E. Ghormley
FINANCIAL SECRETARY
TREASURER
Jeffrey A.
Denault
Vacant
RECORDING SECRETARY
ORGANIZER
Robert
Sullivan
Vacant
A heartfelt “thank you” goes
out to Bob Sullivan, Bob Ghormley, and Jeff Denault, without whose help we
would not have had a successful State meeting or Tower Degree. And, congratulations
to Jeff Denault who joined the Hibernians of the Higher Degrees by completing
his Tower Degree on the 19th on January. Fifty-nine percent of
our Division has now taken the Tower Degree. That’s the highest
percentage in the State from any Division.
March 1st marked
our first St Patrick’s Day celebrations. Hugh O’Brien marched in the
Alexandria parade and we co-hosted a dinner with the PTO of St. William of York
School of Stafford. We served corned beef and cabbage to over 200
attendees and enjoyed the music of Moch Pryderi and Celtic dancers from the
McGrath Dance Academy. This event wouldn’t have been possible without the
hard work and dedication of Bob Ghormley who worked so long and hard for this
event that he was temporarily hospitalized. I personally cannot thank him
enough. Special thanks go out also to Jeff Denault, Shon Ramsel, Bob Sullivan,
Hugh O’Brien and Joe O’Connor – all whose dedication and hard work assisted Bob
in making this event a success. Additionally, we received three more
applications for membership during this event.
On the 15th we
participated in a parade sponsored by our fellow Hibernian Jeff Fitzpatrick and
the Blue and Gray Brewery. The following day we marched in the parade in
downtown Fredericksburg co-sponsored by the Irish-American Social Club and the
Jaycees.
Upcoming Events
The General Meagher Division
plans on launching a month-long recruiting blitz through each parish in which
we have membership. Our goal is to go into the summer increasing our
number by 20%.
We will be planning a
fundraiser of an unspecified nature. For too long we have attempted to
operate on a shoestring. It is our hope that through fundraising, we will
also raise awareness for the Hibernians and stimulate membership.
Goals
1. Continue to promote and support Catholic
education in the Fredericksburg area.
2. Continue our efforts to recruit Catholic men
of Irish descent, hopefully increasing our division size by 20%
3. Continue to be an ever increasing presence in
our community, promoting Irish awareness and education.
4. Work with other Catholic organization h the
Fredericksburg area to promote and support the need for Catholic High School
facilities in central Virginia.
Necrology:
N/A
34.COLONEL THOMAS CUNNINGHAM, JR. DIVISION (ASHBURN)
John O’Hara
(703) 217-5527
Sarah Dwinnell accepting awards during Feis competitions
While the Division remained involved in
the usual scheduled events that we participate in on a monthly basis, such as
participating in the distribution of food at the Interfaith Relief Organization
in Leesburg, the highlight of this quarter was our tremendously successful
annual St Patrick’s Day Party held this year on March 8th at St
Theresa’s Parish in Ashburn. It was a
grand standing room only affair that for the first time was catered by
O’Faolain’s Irish Pub and Restaurant and they did a superb job offering your
choice of three entrees: Shepard’s Pie, Corned Beef & Cabbage and Guinness
Casserole. As usual everyone in
attendance was treated to our traditional bottomless pint of Guinness or Harp
beer, wine or other non-alcoholic refreshments.
Throughout the evening, the
sold-out crowd enjoyed being entertained by The Turf Fire band from the
Richmond area, as well as the Maple School of Irish Dancers. One of the highlights of the evening was the
presentation of a $250.00 check from the Division to one of the Maple School’s
dancers, Sarah Dwinnell, who is also an 8th grade student at St
Theresa School. Sarah qualified during
the North American Irish Dance Championship to compete in the World
Championship Irish Dance Competition this year being held in Belfast,
Ireland. In addition to the our check,
the Division held a 50/50 drawing, which raised over $1000.00, which we were
able to provide another donation of over $500.00 to help defray Sarah’s family
expenses associated with getting to and participating in the World
Championship. There is no doubt Sarah
will have the luck of the Irish on her side as she was born on St Patrick’s
Day. Good Luck to Sarah.
35.FATHER JOHN MUNLEY DIVISION (WINCHESTER)
Jack Rogers
(540) 877-3023
Held our January meeting and were able to
elect and install a new slate of officers (some not so new).
Had a St.
Patrick's Day dinner, with about 200 in attendance, complete with Irish step
dancers, fiddlers, a 50/50, raffles on a trip to
Ireland. Our ladies held an auction,
which is always successful.
We'll be going as
a group to the air museum at Dulles airport in the near future.
The division now
has 13 members participating in our parish adoration chapel, which is open
24/7. We cover Sat. morning
hours from 1-2, 2-3, and 3-4 among others.
We will have a
presence in our parish family fun day this spring and also the Weekend in the
Park portion of Winchester's APPLE BLOSSOM FESTIVAL.
Our Division runs
the K of C soup kitchen every fifth week, providing meals on wheels to
over 60 people and just about as many sit down
dinners.
36.MAJOR JAMES H. DOOLEY DIVISION (RICHMOND)
Joe O’Brien
(804) 349-4301
Once again, NO REPORT (2ND time in a row)
37.JOHN CARDINAL O’CONNOR DIVISION (WILLIAMSBURG)
Jack Cummings
(757) 229-7368
Once
again, again, NO REPORT. (3rd time in a row; going for a record)
38.ST. PATRICK DIVISION (TIDEWATER)
Mark Monaghan
(757)471-6557
TIDEWATER HAPPENINGS:
St. Patrick Division 1, Tidewater, Virginia held their annual election
and the new officers are:
·
President: Mark
Monaghan
·
Vice-President:
Blake Cahill (Past-Pres)
·
Chaplain: Rev.
Edward Richardson, SMA
·
Financial
Secretary: Daniel Brennan (Past State Pres)
·
Treasurer: Warren
Massey
·
Recording
Secretary: Kevin Cassidy
·
Marshal/Sentinel:
Bill Moran
The first order of business was the preparation for the annual Knights
of Columbus Saint Patrick’s Day Parade in Ocean View. This year, St.
Patrick Div 1 is hosting almost every Catholic school in Tidewater (9
elementary schools and one high school*). Approximately 275 Hibernians,
school children, and their parents will march in faith and unity behind our
float featuring an Irish High Cross surrounded by a typical Irish stone
wall. While still in the first real business meeting of the year, St.
Patrick’s Division already voted to continue our annual support for Catholic
High School by honoring the most improved young man and woman with a check for
$150.00 each to assist them with education expenses. The Division has hit
the deck running, and is looking to continue to be an inspiration for
Irish-Americans in Tidewater.
* [Catholic High School, St. Patrick Catholic Elementary School, Christ
the King School, St. Pius School, St. Gregory the Great School, Holy Trinity
School, St. Matthew School, St. John the Apostle School, Portsmouth Catholic
Elementary School, and Our lady Star of the Sea School.]
39.FATHER JOHN LYNCH DIVISION (ROANOKE)
Matt Duffy
(540) 989-6067
Brother Bill Phoenix continued to coordinate the Angel
Food project in which food parcels are delivered to families in need in
the Roanoke Valley. Brother Mike Whelan has brought two
opportunities to the attention of the membership in which the AOH could provide
support to community needs. One opportunity concerned a Youth Basketball
Tournament and Cheerleading Competition sponsored by the Knights of Columbus
Council 562. This tournament has been ongoing for the past 38 years after
being organized by Brother Bob Canfield.
Mike also initiated a charitable contribution to the
Perpetual Care Fund of St. Andrew’s Diocesan Cemetery, which provides Catholic
burial services to the churches in the Roanoke Valley area.
The Father Lynch Division
closed the quarter with three significant events. The first was the award
of the annual AOH Scholarship of $500 to Mary Katherine “Katie” McNally, in
recognition of her academic achievements and her service contributions to the
Roanoke Valley.
The second event concerned the AOH participation in the annual
St. Patrick’s Day parade. This Roanoke City event was organized in 1995
through the efforts of Brother Ray Donnelly and Brother (then Mayor of Roanoke
City) David Bower. The event was later adopted by the City of Roanoke and
continues as a festival under the umbrella of the “Event Zone”. This year
the Father Lynch Division appeared in a prominent position in the line of march
and was led by a piper and his bagpipe.
The third event was the celebration of the feast of St.
Patrick on March 15th, in coordination with Council 562 of the
Knights Of Columbus, and don’t you know we all enjoyed some corned
beef and
cabbage.
James P. Carroll, Jr., “JP” is a true Hibernian.
Originally from a small town in Massachusetts, he joined the Marine Corps after
high school. JP spent thirty years in the Marine Corps retiring as a Sergeant
Major. For all thirty years of his career in the Corps JP was a frontline
warrior, a rifleman. He saw combat in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. As
with so many who have actually been in combat he never talks about it. Even
though one attempts to drag 
stories out of him, he prefers to talk of other matters.
One matter that JP relates with pride is his involvement in
the evacuation of islands in the Pacific. JP had to carry a woman to an
evacuation craft. He had to do so because her feet had been bound in the
ancient Oriental tradition, and she was incapable of walking the distance to
the watercraft. JP is very proud of this particular humanitarian gesture.
JP is a widower with three adult children, two women and a boy. He is also
proud of them and talks willingly and happily about them. JP's brother is
retired from the US Army and lives in County Donegal, Ireland.
JP has been a Hibernian for at least twenty years and has served in every
officer position in the Major Dooley (Richmond) Division. Currently he is
the Marshal of his Division. As so many Division members indicate, JP is
a fellow one can always, ALWAYS, rely on; he goes out of his way to
volunteer and do things for his Division and its members. Usually he
is the first to volunteer.
While
JP is a shy person, he warms up to people quickly and then cannot do enough to
put people at ease and make them feel welcome. He delights in spreading
happiness and cheer wherever he is. Being proud of his Catholic faith and his
heritage, JP is the kind of Hibernian we should all attempt to emulate. The
Virginia AOH is lucky to have him as an active member, and those who meet him
and work with him always feel that their lives have been enriched by
the experience. He sets a high standard for all of us to aspire to.
Thank
you, JP, for all you have done and for all you do, and God bless you always.
We feature books, fiction and
nonfiction, of interest to the Irish and Irish-Americans.
For the latest
news and reviews of Irish books, go to http://www.readireland.ie.
Send them your email address to get on their mailing list. They send
reviews at least once a week. Also, http://www.dufoureditions.com is
a good source of Irish-themed books. This issue we want to feature
two books by Virginia’s Coilin (pronounced “Co-leen.”) Owens as well as a
volume of writings by contemporary Irish women.
1.
Irish Drama, 1900-1980, edited by Coilin D. Owens & Joan N. Radner,
1990, Catholic University of America Press.
2.
James Joyce’s Painful Case, Coilin Owens, 2008, University Press of
Florida.
Coilin is Professor Emeritus Literature, George
Mason University, Fairfax Virginia. He is a native or Ireland. Many Hibernians
in Northern Virginia have taken courses from Professor Owens and every one of
them I have encountered has expressed gratification for the experience. Coilin
is a dynamic instructor and his enthusiasm and scholarship show forth in his
writings as well as in his lectures. He has the rare ability to make academic
research and scholarship palatable and understandable.
From time to time Professor Owens joins the Lads
for their Wednesday luncheons and has expressed his appreciation for the
repartee. And the Lads always enjoy his presence and contributions to the
conversation. His books are well worth your perusal.
3.
Stories by Contemporary Irish Women, edited by Daniel J. Casey and Linda M. Casey, 1990,
Irish Studies Series, Syracuse University Press.
An excellent compendium of writings emerging from
Ireland by Irish women of our day. There has been a particularly fruitful
explosion of fiction, poetry and drama by current-day Irish writers and it is
wonderful to see Irish women participating in this bounty.
Inside this book on the page facing the
“Contents” page is a list of other books published in the Irish Studies Series
by Syracuse University Press. A
magnificent bibliography.
This
section features reviews, good and bad, of Irish-themed pubs and
restaurants. This issue we feature. . .
Rare Olde
Times, a Public House, 10602 Patterson Avenue (Route 6), Richmond VA
23238-4702, (804)750-1346. Rating: Five Shamrocks (Highest
Rating)
I visited Rare Olde
Times on Sunday, 16 March, 2008, upon the recommendation of several AOH members
of the Major Dooley (Richmond) Division; Andy and Cindy Jennings are the
owners. They opened the place in 1994.
The pub/restaurant has a friendly atmosphere which is greatly due to the
wonderful, engaging personality of Andy,
who is from Dublin, Ireland. Andy and
Cindy have been longtime supporters of Hibernian activities in the greater
Richmond metro area.
The menu has a
wonderful variety, and I had the best corned beef I have ever had at any
establishment. The sausage is delicious
as are the potatoes, both mashed and boiled.
There are many other delicious items on the menu. Service is excellent and prices are very,
very reasonable. I enjoyed rich, moist
baked desserts and would recommend a full course meal at this establishment.
There is also, of
course, Irish music nightly. Andy and
Cindy are also performers and have guest performers on a regular basis.
Rare Olde Times is
located at the corner of Pump Road & Patterson Avenue, in the Canterbury
Green Shopping Center on the North side of Patterson Avenue (Route 6). If you are driving West on Patterson Avenue
(Route 6) and reach the Goochland County line, you have driven too far. Consult Rare Olde Times’ website, www.rareoldetimespub.com , for more
and better directions, hours of operation, etc.
Previously reviewed: 
Kate's Irish Pub &
Restaurant. Rating: 5 shamrocks (highest rating), 6131
Backlick Road, Springfield (in the Concord Centre, next to Fischer's
Hardware), (703) 866-0860, www.katesirishpub.com.
Open 11:00 am-2:00 am, everyday. Last
visited: Wednesday, 2 January,
2008.
Annie Moore’s Pub.
Rating: 5 shamrocks (highest rating), 3555 Electric Road,
Roanoke (at the corner of Colonial Avenue), (540) 904-5466. Open 11:00 am-11:00 pm, Monday through
Wednesday, and 11:00 am through 1:00 am Thursday through Saturday. Last visited:
Saturday , 22 December, 2007.
In this section we highlight an AOH
Virginia Committee or an officer explaining what he does. In this issue we
feature Dave Zerby, Insurance Advisor.
Is there anybody who doesn’t like Dave Zerby? Dave has been a Virginia AOH member since
1986. He is a member of the Lt. Colonel
Dowd (Woodbridge) Division. Dave
and his lovely wife, Joy, are both from Minnesota. They are from Austin,
Minnesota, the headquarters of Hormel; Austin is known as “Spamtown” and “the
home of Spam.” This summer they will have been married for 53 years. 53 years!
They have four children, all girls, and thirteen grandchildren.
At the time of the beginning of
Korean conflict Dave dropped out of high school early to enlist in the US Air
Force at seventeen years of age. After basic training and other training Dave
was assigned to RAF Bovingdon (World War
II bomb base), England. Dave spent twenty-four years in the Air Force before he
retired as a Tech Sergeant. Dave had assignments in many parts of the world
including other parts of Europe, CINCPAC (Commander in Chief Pacific) staff,
Hawaii; the Strategic Air Command (SAC); the Pentagon; and, eventually, South
Korea.
In
1974 Dave took a position as a field officer with Kemper Insurance and has been
in the insurance field ever since. Dave is the person responsible for the
Virginia AOH having a comprehensive liability insurance policy. Dave searches
for the best policy at the best rate. This type of policy is a component of the
Property & Casualty branch of insurance. Finding a good, comprehensive
policy has become more of a challenge over the 
years. With
the major natural disasters of recent years, e.g. Hurricane Katrina, and
others, insurance companies have had to pay out huge, HUGE, sums and, as a
result, have tightened substantially their underwriting standards. This has
made it much more difficult for all potential insureds to get and keep
policies. Fortunately the Virginia AOH has never had a claim on its policies
but that has not stopped insurance companies dropping the Virginia AOH as a
client out of fear of what a possible claim or claims could involve. Also,
insurance premiums for such policies.
Recently I had the opportunity to
review the situation with Dave and witnessed his negotiating with potential
insurance carriers. I must admit that I was quite surprised with his tenacity
and toughness. I, as well as many other Virginia Hibernians, have become
accustomed to the quiet, humble and affable Dave Zerby. But he is quite a
tiger, a tough negotiator with the insurance companies in regard to the
Virginia AOH policy. I inquired of Dave why he was so tough in this regard and
he advised me that he takes his position as Insurance Advisor quite seriously
and since he knows so many Virginia Hibernians, and their families, he feels
that this can be his contribution to making sure the organization functions
well.
Dave is a quiet person who only
speaks when he feels he has something worthwhile to say and prefers to assume a
quiet, patient role in the Virginia AOH organization. He endures questions with
aplomb. Dave is one of those wonderful people who does his job quietly and
competently and prefers to let others share the spotlight. The Virginia AOH is
lucky, VERY lucky, to have Dave as a member and as a state officer bringing his
expertise and resoluteness to his position. He is also a generous, great guy
with a wonderful personality and an expansive sense of humor. As with so many
confident, humble people, he tells hilarious stories about himself; he has an
infectious self-deprecating sense of humor.
When one has had the chance to spend time with him in a social setting,
it is a thoroughly enjoyable experience which one is likely to remember warmly
for years and years and years. Thank you, Dave, for all you
do and have done for many years!
ED MORAN
kerryman@att.net
Telephone: 703.820.2854 (U.S.A.)
Fax: 212.214.0427 (U.S.A.)
3705 SOUTH GEORGE MASON DRIVE
#2618
FALLS CHURCH, VA 22041-3728
U.S.A.