The Ancient Order of Hibernians

The Oldest and Largest Irish-Catholic Organization in the United States. Established 1836

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Robert Emmet Remembrance Day in San Francisco

Robert Emmet Remembrance Day in San Francisco

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On Sunday 8 September Dr. Ruan O’Donnell spoke at the United Irish Cultural Society event in San Francisco, California, on the subject of Robert Emmet’s legacy in the USA. Ireland’s Consul General Michael Smith addressed the gathering outside the Academy of Science in Golden Gate Park. Ancient Order of Hibenians, San Francisco Division 17 joined with the United Irish Societies of San Francisco. In 1916, one third of the population of San Francisco was Irish or of Irish descent and largely supporters of the struggle for Irish independence. When news of the Easter Rising reached them, they … [Read more...] about Robert Emmet Remembrance Day in San Francisco

Camino de Santiago for Seminarians

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Father John Keehner, AOH National Chaplain 2020-24, is walking the Camino right now to support our Seminarians in Ireland and the United States. His Pilgrimage includes difficult paths and even a waterfall to climb. Father Keehner will continue to beautiful Pamplano Cathedral en route to a lean-to for a nights rest. You can join Father's Pilgrimage by supporting seminarians with your tax deductible donation today. 100% of your donation will support seminarians. … [Read more...] about Camino de Santiago for Seminarians

Irish Language Mass

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Honoring those keeping Irish Heritage & Language alive. https://youtu.be/96FhIUjsVqc Sunday, September 15th, 2024 St. Barnabas Church Martha Avenue & East 241st Street, Bronx, NY 10470 Presented by the AOH, Preservers of Irish Language & Culture and Others in America & Ireland ALL WELCOME … [Read more...] about Irish Language Mass

Hartford AOH Division Sponsors Annual Hartford Irish Road Bowling Tournament

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Hartford AOH Division sponsored its annual Hartford Irish Road Bowling Tournament on July 20 at Riverside Park in the capital city. With over 40 teams participating in the event, it is believed to be the largest Irish Road Bowling Tournament ever held in New England. All proceeds benefit the Division's fight against hunger in the Hartford area, particularly the food pantry at Saint Augustine Church and the sandwich ministry at Saint Patrick-Saint Anthony Church. The Division continues to hold a monthly food drive to benefit the pantry at Saint Augustine's and has been since June 2020. … [Read more...] about Hartford AOH Division Sponsors Annual Hartford Irish Road Bowling Tournament

National Eucharistic Pilgrimage in Saint Paul

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On Memorial Day, the Marian Route of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage passed through Saint Paul, Minnesota, enroute to the National Eucharistic Congress. Minnesota Hibernians were among 7000 members of the local faithful who participated in the “Source and Summit” Eucharistic Procession which went on Summit Avenue in Saint Paul from the Saint Paul Seminary through various historic neighborhoods, past our Governor's Residence, and ending with a prayer service at the Cathedral of Saint Paul / National Shrine of the Apostle Paul. … [Read more...] about National Eucharistic Pilgrimage in Saint Paul

St. Anthony Dining Room – Ancient Order of Hibernians, San Francisco Division 17

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The St. Anthony Foundation is a nonprofit social service organization in San Francisco, California. They are best known for their operation of the St. Anthony Dining Room in the Tenderloin District. It was founded in 1950 by Franciscan friar Alfred Boeddeker to serve free meals to the poor in an ordinary restaurant-like setting. The Dining Room has served as many as 2,500 plates of food a day, and over thirty seven million meals since its creation. The foundation operates a residential drug and alcohol treatment program for … [Read more...] about St. Anthony Dining Room – Ancient Order of Hibernians, San Francisco Division 17

U.S. Representatives Urge PM Starmer to Repeal Legacy Act

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On July 15, 2024, Congressman Brendan F. Boyle led a bipartisan group of U.S. Representatives in sending a letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, congratulating him on his election and urging the repeal of the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023. The Representatives emphasized the need for justice for the victims of the Troubles and the importance of upholding the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement. The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 has been criticized for undermining the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement and denying justice to victims of … [Read more...] about U.S. Representatives Urge PM Starmer to Repeal Legacy Act

Suffolk’s Division 9 Brother Father Henry Delivers Prayer at Suffolk Legislature

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Before the start of every General Meeting at the Suffolk Legislature, one Legislator is chosen to designated individuals in the community to sing the National Anthem and obtain a clergyman to say an opening prayer. For the June 6th General Meeting, Suffolk Division 9 Brother Suffolk County Legislator Chad Lennon chose fellow Division 9 Brother Father Henry Reid to lead the Legislature, and all those present, in a prayer dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  Brother Lennon introduced Brother Henry to those present as a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians for over thirty years, former … [Read more...] about Suffolk’s Division 9 Brother Father Henry Delivers Prayer at Suffolk Legislature

Illinois ~ Chicago Division #59 Celebrates Bloomsday

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June 16th is Bloomsday, named after the one of the main characters in James Joyce’s Ulysses.Bloomsday is the day where people get together around the world to celebrate the book. InChicago our Hibernian brothers celebrated with traditional music referenced in Ulysses andreading selective passages. (Hibernians member in picture = Joe McGovern) … [Read more...] about Illinois ~ Chicago Division #59 Celebrates Bloomsday

Catholic Calendar – June 2024

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Catholic Action To All Hibernians: The month of June falls entirely within Ordinary time. Sunday the 2nd is dedicated to the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi), a day which should assume more importance in the context of the ongoing Eucharistic revival and imminent National Eucharistic Congress which our bishops are encouraging. MAJOR SAINTS AND FEAST DAYS OF JUNE JUNE 1Justin, MartyrMemorialJUNE 3Charles Lwanga & Companions, MartyrsMemorialJUNE 5Boniface, Bishop and MartyrMemorialJUNE 7The Most Sacred Heart of JesusSolemnityJUNE 8The Immaculate Heart of … [Read more...] about Catholic Calendar – June 2024

Illinois – Chicago Division #59 Supports Those in Need

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John F Kennedy Division #59 came together on April 27th to help St. Vincent DePaul’s food pantry at St. Thomas More. Division #59 regularly donates to local food pantries throughout the south side of Chicago to ensure that families do not have to make choices between medical bills and food. Hibernians in action, giving back to our community. (Hibernians members in picture Left to Right) Joe Kennelly, Joe McGovern, Kevin Gill, Michael O’Connor, Tim Noonan … [Read more...] about Illinois – Chicago Division #59 Supports Those in Need

AOH St. Patrick’s Division 2 Installs New Brothers

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On Sunday, April 28th, AOH St. Patrick’s Division 2 (Suffolk County, Long Island, NY) held a Shamrock Degree. Division President Jim McGrath welcomed 21 new Brothers into the Order. Refreshments were enjoyed by all after the Shamrock Degree. With the newly installed Brothers, this brings the total membership of St. Patrick’s Division 2 to 514. Division 2’s Organizing Team (led by Brothers Kevin Vaughn, Frank Collins, Mark Tynan and John Faust) are planning another Shamrock Degree in the early Autumn of 2024. … [Read more...] about AOH St. Patrick’s Division 2 Installs New Brothers

Empty Promises and More Perfidy: UK Fails to Prosecute Bloody Sunday Perjury

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The recent decision by the Northern Ireland Prosecution Service not to prosecute fifteen former British soldiers and one civilian for perjury concerning their testimony during the Bloody Sunday Inquiry is yet another attack on the universally accepted standards of justice and a continuing denial of the fundamental human rights of the victims and their families. The lies told by these men were not harmless fibs; they slandered the names of innocent victims and their families, they covered up killings which former British Prime Minister David Cameron admitted forty years later were … [Read more...] about Empty Promises and More Perfidy: UK Fails to Prosecute Bloody Sunday Perjury

Forgotten Patriot: The Courageous Story and Legacy of Commodore John Barry

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Did you know that the first flag officer and founder of the United States Navy was an Irishman?  His name was John Barry and Dr. Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, said in his eulogy at Barry's graveside, "He was born in Ireland, but America was the object of his devotion and the theater of his usefulness."  Barry was born in Co. Wexford, Ireland in 1745 and grew up with a great love for the sea.  As a young man, he emigrated to the Crown colonies in America and by 1760, he was employed in a shipbuilding firm in Philadelphia.  In 1766, at the age of … [Read more...] about Forgotten Patriot: The Courageous Story and Legacy of Commodore John Barry

Andrew Higgins: The Man Who Built the Boats That Won World War II

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“The Jaws of Death.” A photo by CPHOM Robert F. Sargent, USCG. A Coast Guard-manned LCVP from the USS Samuel Chase disembarks troops of Company E, 16th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division on the morning of June 6, 1944, at Omaha Beach It is an iconic image of WW II, a photo taken on June 6, 1944 showing American soldiers exiting a landing craft coming ashore at Omaha beach. A few months later on October 20th, another photo captured the moment General Douglas MacArthur “returned” to the Philippines, wading ashore from a landing craft. Neither of these historic moments would have been possible … [Read more...] about Andrew Higgins: The Man Who Built the Boats That Won World War II

Space, Service, and Heritage: Michael Collins

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Then Colonel Michael Collins Major General Michael Collins, who as a Colonel was the Command Pilot of Apollo 11, the mission that put a man on the moon, is sadly often overlooked, but it should not be forgotten that the successful return of his crewmates Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin was dependent entirely on his piloting skill in flying the command module and performing a successful docking with the Lunar module. Michael Collins was a second-generation Irish American born into a military family. Collin's father was a career soldier, attaining the rank of Major General, earning two … [Read more...] about Space, Service, and Heritage: Michael Collins

From Priest to Martyr, From Klan Robes to Justice’s Robes

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The 1920s were one of the darkest and least discussed chapters in American history.  During this period, the Ku Klux Klan experienced a resurgence, propelled by various factors, including D. W. Griffith's controversial portrayal of the Klan in "Birth of a Nation" (originally titled "The Klansman"), a complex mix of patriotism and isolationism following World War I, and the adoption of modern marketing techniques.  As a result, the Klan transcended its Southern roots, evolving into a nationwide movement with a staggering membership of six million.  To sustain this growth, the Klan expanded its … [Read more...] about From Priest to Martyr, From Klan Robes to Justice’s Robes

The Childhood Friends Who Earned the Medal of Honor

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In the historically Irish neighborhood of Woodside, Queens, stands a monument to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country in the Vietnam War.  On the monument are inscribed the names of 27 young men from the local Zip Code of  11377,  more than any other postal code in the nation to die in that conflict.   However, the Irish community of Woodside has another unique distinction touching on the Vietnam War, the story of two childhood friends from that community who would both enlist in the Marines and earn our nation’s highest award for valor, with sadly … [Read more...] about The Childhood Friends Who Earned the Medal of Honor