National President’s Report – Jan/Feb/March 2025
May 2025 be a year of health, hope and happiness for all our members and their families. Each new year presents both opportunities and challenges for individuals and organizations. The year 2025 promises to be an exciting period for members of the AOH. We are pleased to announce that we will be sending our third class of St. Patrick’s Centre ambassadors to Ireland in June; further details will be provided in this Digest. We aim to implement a new roster and application system by the second quarter. The initial phase of the project will enhance our technological capabilities, facilitating improved communication between divisions and national boards. This initiative will streamline follow-up and reporting processes. In subsequent phases, we plan to develop mobile functionality to enhance member access. We are collaborating with the 2024 convention sponsors, The Getaway Girls and Ave Maria, to cultivate mutually beneficial relationships that will enable us to sustain ongoing sponsorships.
Expanding our organization is our top priority. We will be commemorating our 189th anniversary on May 4th. To successfully achieve our 200th anniversary in just over 11 years, it is imperative that we take immediate action to ensure we reach this milestone as a dynamic and thriving organization.
It is essential for our organization, which is made up of individuals of Irish heritage and Catholic faith, to recognize the evolving landscape in which we operate. We must acknowledge that restrictive immigration policies have significantly diminished Irish immigration to the United States. Furthermore, there has been a notable decline in the regular attendance of Catholics at mass. To address these challenges, we are pleased to reaffirm our partnership with the USGAA and announce a new collaboration with the Irish American Baseball Society. We are optimistic about the growth and exposure opportunities that these alliances will create.
In response to the concerning decline in the number of practicing Catholics, recent studies conducted by Gallup and the Pew Research Center reveal that only 23 to 28 percent of Catholics attend Mass on a weekly basis. This issue was a focal point of discussion at the recent National Convention. As a result, during the Orlando convention, the membership requirements specified in the constitution were revised. With a two-thirds majority, delegates approved a modification of the membership criteria, changing it from “Be a practicing Roman Catholic” to “Be a Roman Catholic, have received First Communion, be confirmed in the Catholic Church, and live a life in harmony with and respect for the teachings of the Catholic faith.”
The consensus among the membership indicates that proactive change is essential to effectively address existing challenges; inaction and mere hope for improvement would be deemed irresponsible.
Numerous members, myself included, have expressed how the AOH has facilitated their return to the Church. Since the change in August, we have heard more examples of Hibernians strengthening their faith and practices because of our organization. We aspire to encourage both current and prospective members to reconnect with their Catholic faith, fostering their return to the Church.
Concerns have been raised regarding the potential impact of recent changes on our Catholic identity as an organization. However, I would like to emphasize that we remain deeply committed to our values. We begin and conclude every meeting with prayer, and we are fortunate to have dedicated chaplains at every level. Our organization has awarded 73 Project St. Patrick grants to seminarians nationwide and will be traveling to Ireland in March to present grants to the Maynooth seminary in support of Irish seminarians. Additionally, we have recently established the Father Flanagan Human Dignity Award, which recognizes individuals or groups who excel in defending the unborn and advocating for those affected by injustice, poverty, homelessness, abandonment, and other forms of societal neglect. Furthermore, our leadership will once again participate in the annual Right to Life march in Washington. I assure everyone that we will not compromise our Catholic identity and values.
Our actions align with the principles outlined in scripture, emphasizing forgiveness, acceptance and salvation. The teachings remind us that the last shall be first and the first shall be last. Furthermore, we reflect on the profound moment when our Lord, in His final moments on the cross, assured the thief of his place in paradise that very day.
