Hartford AOH has been sponsoring Food Drive for the pantry at Saint Augustine’s since May 2020 and will continue to do so. The Toy/Gift Card Drive concluded our “holiday” season with drives in October for Halloween treats and in November for Thanksgiving sides.
Sean Pender, National President of the Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH), America’s oldest and largest Irish Catholic organization, issued a statement today offering congratulations and best wishes to newly inaugurated Irish President Catherine Connolly”
Dear President Connolly,
On behalf of the Ancient Order of Hibernians in America, I extend our warmest congratulations on your inauguration as the 10th President of Ireland. Your resounding victory, winning 63.4% of first-preference votes, the highest share ever in a contested Irish presidential election, speaks to the deep confidence the Irish people have placed in your leadership. Ireland’s exiled children in America celebrate this moment alongside our brothers and sisters in Ireland.
As an Irish-American organization with deep roots in our shared heritage, the Ancient Order of Hibernians has long supported the aspirations of the Irish people to sovereignty and unity and has maintained strong ties between Ireland and the Irish diaspora in the United States. We are particularly heartened by your commitment to engaging young people and by your advocacy to include the North more fully in the life of the presidency. It has always been our central goal that Ireland be united, sovereign, and that the Irish people chart the destiny of Ireland.
As you have stated, you will be “a president who listens, who reflects and who speaks when it’s necessary.” We respect the important role you will play in representing Ireland on the world stage and wish you every success in that endeavor.
The Ancient Order of Hibernians extends our best wishes for your presidency and looks forward to the continued friendship between the people of Ireland and Irish America.
May you be blessed with wisdom, strength, and grace as you serve the Irish nation.
In Friendship, Unity, and Christian Charity,
Sean Pender
National President, Ancient Order of Hibernians in America
]]>
It’s morally indefensible that abortions of viable children could occur while nearby, infants of identical gestational age embrace life in NICUs. Our laws and conscience cannot remain divided on whether the value of a child’s life, or any life, depends solely on whether he or she is wanted or is convenient to others. Any society that adopts such a standard places itself on a slippery slope, where the worth of human life becomes negotiable and the powerless exist only at the mercy of the powerful.
New Jersey abolished capital punishment to spare even the lives of convicted criminals. How can we now contemplate taking viable innocent lives that have committed no crime and have no advocate?
As an adoptive father, I know firsthand that a life once despaired of can become a source of immeasurable love. Countless families are ready to open their hearts if our policies make choosing life as accessible as its alternative.
We’re calling on the New Jersey Legislature to ensure that every public dollar spent facilitating abortion is matched by a dollar supporting life, — housing, prenatal care, adoption support, and childcare assistance for mothers in crisis. Otherwise “choice” is no choice at all.
True compassion defends both mother and child. True choice requires real support.
“While compassion must always embrace the mother, it can never excuse the deliberate taking of innocent life.”
#AOH #ProLife #TrueChoice #NewJersey #DefendLife #SupportMothers
]]>
Dear Brothers,
The month of October is dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary. On October 7th, we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary in honor of the Blessed Mother. October was also the month in which Mary appeared for the last time to shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal, urging them to “say the rosary every day to obtain peace for the world.
Say a rosary to Our Lady today! Your prayers will not go unanswered!
May Our Lady, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary pray for us now and forever!
In our motto,
James Russell
Catholic Action Chairperson,
Ancient Order of Hibernians in America
]]>
Dear Brothers,
Peace and all good! This is how St. Francis would greet his brothers.
On Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, we celebrate the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi. Blessed with vast spiritual insight, Francis’ love for Christ permeated every aspect of his life and showed through in everything he said and did.
What better time than his feast day to reflect on this beautiful expression of St. Francis’ guide for living and to think about how each of us can show our love of Christ through everything we say and do each day. Are we understanding of others? Do we strive to forgive what we perceive to be a wrong done to us by another? When we see sadness in others, do we offer consolation and seek to bring them joy? By doing so, we can help others — and ourselves — to heal in mind, body and spirit.
On this special day my prayer is that we put into daily practice the spiritual values of St. Francis of Assisi and become the light of Christ by bringing joy, hope, compassion and love to all whom we encounter.
Peace Prayer of St. Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is error, the truth;
Where there is doubt, the faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled, as to console;
To be understood, as to understand;
To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.
As I close this reflection, I invoke the words of St. Francis, “Preach the gospel at all times, when necessary use words.”
Let us continue to welcome the stranger among us!
Let us continue to pray for one another!
Jim Russell
Catholic Action Chairman
Ancient Order of Hibernians in America
]]>
Honoring Irish America’s Role in Building the United States
In 2026, the United States marks 250 years of independence.
From the very beginning, Irish Americans were there—soldiers in Washington’s army, leaders in politics, builders of cities, and servants of community. The Ancient Order of Hibernians carries that legacy forward in faith, culture, and charity.
Our Story
For generations, Irish immigrants and their descendants helped shape America. They dug canals and built railroads, raised churches and schools, and filled the ranks of the military, police, and fire services. They served in city halls and in Congress, never forgetting their heritage while building a stronger nation.
Today, the AOH continues that tradition—preserving Irish heritage, serving our communities, and forming men in Friendship, Unity, and Christian Charity.
Celebrate America 250 With the AOH
As the nation remembers 250 years of independence, the AOH invites you to celebrate the Irish American contribution. Together, we honor the past, celebrate the present, and build the future.
Honoring Commodore John Barry aboard the USS New Jersey
As America commemorates 250 years of naval service, the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Ladies AOH proudly honor Commodore John Barry—Irish immigrant, American patriot, and the first commissioned officer of the United States Navy.
About the Exhibit
We have launched a dedicated exhibit aboard the Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial that brings Barry’s story to life—his courage in the struggle for independence, his leadership at sea, and his enduring example of faith, duty, and service. The display is slated to run through the end of 2025, with the possibility of extension.
To broaden the impact, the exhibit can also be duplicated in whole or in part by AOH & LAOH Divisions nationwide as a centerpiece of their local America 250 commemorations.
Why Your Support Matters
- Educate — Reach the Navy community and the general public visiting an iconic American battleship.
- Preserve — Sustain the production, upkeep, and interpretive materials of the display.
- Multiply — Enable replicable exhibit assets that Divisions can use locally in 2026.
Make a Donation
For Contributions not seeking a tax deduction please donate here directly to the Commodore John Barry Division AOHDC on this site.
For Contributions over $250 that require a tax deduction please donate here to the Barry Division Charitable Trust.
No contribution is too small—thank you for your generosity.
See the Celebration
Watch highlights from the opening aboard the USS New Jersey:
Watch the Exhibit Opening Video
Together, we honor an Irish-born American hero whose leadership helped secure independence and shape the early United States Navy.
AOH America 250 History Webinar Series
First Program
Tuesday, September 23, 2025 · 7:00 PM ET
Register to join the Webinar on Zoom
Or Watch Live on YouTube
Commodore John Barry: Irish Immigrant and Father of the American Navy
Guest Speaker: Tim McGrath, author of John Barry: An American Hero in the Age of Sail
The life of Commodore John Barry, in the words of Tim McGrath, “reads like a Patrick O’Brien novel.” Born to a Catholic family in County Wexford in 1745, young Barry took to the sea at an early age and arrived in Philadelphia in 1760. A nautical prodigy, he commanded his first vessel at the age of 21 and quickly established himself as a leading merchant ship captain.
When hostilities erupted between the American Colonies and Great Britain, Barry stepped forward to become one of the heroes of the American Revolution and the Father of the American Navy. Join us as we explore the role of this legendary Irishman and adopted son of Philadelphia in the founding of the American Republic.
About the Speaker
Tim McGrath is a two-time winner of the Commodore John Barry Book Award for American Maritime Literature and author of the critically acclaimed biography John Barry: An American Hero in the Age of Sail.
The apparition in County Mayo in Ireland of Our Lady of Knock is reported to have occurred on the evening of August 21, 1879, the vigil of the octave of the feast of the Assumption. Those who witnessed the miracle ranged in age from five years old to seventy-five.
The apparition was described as follows: “Our Lady was wearing a large, brilliant crown and clothed in white garments. On her right was Saint Joseph, his head inclined toward her and on her left Saint John the Evangelist. To the left of Saint John was an altar on which stood a cross and a lamb.” Standing only a few feet off the ground, the Blessed Virgin wore a white cloak and was described by witnesses as being incredibly beautiful. She wore a bright golden crown, and appeared to be praying with her eyes looking toward heaven with her arms bend in front of her with her palms facing inward.
Fifteen parishioners stood to witness the apparition for two hours as they recited the rosary. Although it was daylight when the apparition began, the weather turned for the worse and it began to rain heavily. The area around the apparition appeared unaffected, however, as the ground remained dry as long as the vision lasted. She did not speak, but the gable of the church where the manifestation was made was covered with a cloud of light.
Saint Joseph, the foster-father of Jesus, also wore white robes and stood on the Virgin’s right. He inclined his head respectfully toward the Blessed Virgin. Saint John the Evangelist wore a miter, and appeared to be preaching as he held a book in his left hand.
Since then thousands of people have gone to Knock to pray to Our Lady. Their prayerful, penitential and reverential spirit has been commended again and again by visitors from other lands. No sign of commercialism detracts from the purely religious atmosphere of that hallowed spot. People from all walks of life kneel in humble supplication before the shrine of Our Lady, fully confident that she has sanctified that spot by her apparition.
Organized pilgrimages from various dioceses are conducted frequently to the shrine of Our Lady of Knock. The rosary comprises the main portion of the devotion; the shrine is therefore appropriately called the Rosary Shrine. The “Knock Shrine Annual” relates many interesting stories of cures and conversions effected at the shrine.
Brothers, in today’s world, might I suggest a prayer to Our Lady!
Our Lady of Knock, Pray for us!
In our motto,
James Russell
Catholic Action Chairman,
Ancient Order of Hibernians in America, Inc.
Note: Since August 17th, 2025 falls on a Sunday this year, the feast day is not celebrated.
]]>Celebrated every year on August 15th, the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is important to many Catholics and Orthodox Christians as the day that Mary was received into Heaven at the end of her earthly life. This is not a Holy Day of Obligation this year; please stop into a Church to pray during the day to honor our Blessed Mother on this special day.
Can you imagine what a moment the Assumption must have been for Mary! In describing the scene, some Church Fathers spoke of Jesus Himself coming back to Earth to take His mother and bring her to her Heavenly home.
Many years ago, St. John Paul II said that the Assumption truly was an event of love, in which Mary’s ardent longing to be with her Son was finally fulfilled. In fact, many paintings of the Assumption portray Mary rising in splendor on a cloud to Heaven, received by the angels with trumpets and celebration, and reunited joyfully with her beloved Son.
In light of the Assumption of Mary, it is easy to pray her Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55) with new meaning. In her glory, she proclaims the greatness of the Lord and finds joy in God, her Savior. God has done marvels to her and she leads others to recognize God’s holiness. She is the lowly handmaid who deeply reverenced her God and has been raised to Heavenly heights.
Who can describe the benefits of devotion to Mary? She not only listens, she anticipates our petitions, and grants them beyond all expectations. Let us make every effort to guard our devotion to Mary as a precious treasure.
Let us take Mary for our Mother and let us pray to her every morning and evening, and in life’s difficult trials Mary will comfort and save us.
On this special day, let us join in her joy and happiness.
The Almighty has done great things for me, And Holy is His Name.
]]>
Shortly after Memorial Day, Brothers from South Carolina and Georgia laid a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Washington, DC. The ceremony concluded a weekend (June 6-8th) of family fun and sightseeing that included attendance at Dropkick Murphy’s Rally for Veterans on the National Mall, visits to several Smithsonian Museums, and a private tour of the the White House and US Capitol building coordinated by SC Senator Lindsay Graham’s congressional staff.
To conclude the weekend, the travel party which included State Vice President Greg Buehner, Greenville AOH Man of the Year Joseph Carey, South Carolina State President Kevin Barnes and Georgia State President and National Director Ryan Curry attended Mass at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception and were joined by Brendan Cooney, Veterans Chair of the Virginia State Board for the Changing of the Guard and the Wreath Laying Ceremony in Arlington, Va. As the AOH contingent stepped out for the wreath laying ceremony, a bout of misty Irish weather did not dampen our spirits, but served as a reminder that Friendship, Unity and Christian Charity is needed now more than ever. As a group we were honored to participate in the wreath laying and in some small way recognize the sacrifices of so many who fought for freedom and the rights we hold dear.
Special thanks to the Barnes and Buehner family, and to Kevin Barnes for coordinating the event and working with the White House, Senator Graham’s staff, and Arlington National Cemetery to make the weekend a memorable one for all involved.
DAIL QUESTIONS
The broadcast began with video of recent remarks by Irish Tánaiste and Foreign Minister Simon Harris on the Sean Brown case, made in response to a parliamentary question asked by Paul Lawless T.D. of AONTU. Harris said he had made it clear to Hilary Benn that the Irish government will only reach an agreement with Britain on legacy, on terms that “were human rights compliant and had the support of victims and their families”. He had told the British Secretary privately and publicly that 87 year old Bridie Brown had shown enormous strength in pursuing justice through every available channel and I intend to pursue it also.”
CLARE BROWN LOUGHRAN
Clare Brown Loughran began with breaking news that instead of complying with court orders directing a Public Inquiry into her father’s murder, and her mother’s appeal to “do the right thing” the British filed papers to take the case to London. Both the Belfast High Court and Court of Appeals had ordered a Public Inquiry, holding that the ICRIR was incapable of providing an independent hearing that met the requirements of the European Convention on Human Rights. The British she said acted with “phenomenal disrespect” for her family by taking this legal action without notifying them or their legal counsel.
Sean Brown had been abducted and murdered as he locked up the Bellaghy Wolfe Tone Gaelic Athletic Club on May 12, 1997. No one has ever been convicted of this sectarian assassination, in which multiple British agents played a part. The murder took place less than a year before the Good Friday Agreement, when the conflict was nearly over. He was not politically active. The murder was committed shortly after DUP member Willie McCrea lost his Westminster seat to Martin McGuinness and threatened that nationalists “would reap a bitter harvest.” The Brown family believes that Sean Brown was targeted “as a warning to nationalists not to rise above their station”.
The Brown family brought civil suits against both the British Ministry of Defense and Chief Constable, winning damages and a formal Court apology for the RUC’s inadequate investigation. They learned additional details from an Ombudsman Report. All legal attempts to answer questions about collusion were stalled by the British.
More than 25 years after the murder, an Inquest hearing began. However the Coroner was forced to close their Inquest when the British blocked information about the role of British agents. The Coroner found that a Public Inquiry would be the only way for the Brown family to get the truth, and made a formal written request to then British Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris. Both the Belfast High Court and Court of Appeals have ordered Hilary Benn to commence an inquiry.
These judgements held that the Independent Commission on Reconciliation and Information Retrieval (ICRIR), created by the ousted Conservatives and continued by the new Labour government was not credible, because it was not independent, did not allow adequate victim participation and gave the British a veto on revealing the role of British agents.
She concluded by saying “all her family wants is the truth”.
100 YEAR BRITISH MILITARY BAN
Roisin Reade’s two uncles were killed at Kelly’s Bar, Springfield Road Belfast on May 13 th , 1972. A third man Thomas McIlroy was shot dead as he ran out to help the bomb victims. Although the gun and bomb attack was carried out by the Loyalist Ulster Volunteer Force, the British released press statements claiming it was an IRA bomb which exploded prematurely, thereby blaming her uncles John Moran and Gerard Clarke for their own murders.
The family had been fighting for decades to get the truth and their application for an inquest was granted in 2014.The inquest was handicapped because the British Ministry of Defense imposed a 100 year ban on military records about the attack.
As the inquest neared completion the family was hopeful of getting the truth. Then on May 1 st last year, the Coroner announced that he was compelled by the British Legacy Act to terminate the Inquest without a judgement.
Roisin said her family was “absolutely gutted” because they had been so close to justice.
The British referred the family to the ICRIR. However the ICRIR would not allow them their own lawyers to apply for discovery and question witnesses on their behalf. Her family had gotten as far as they had only because of their solicitor Padraig O’Muirigh. They would get nothing like that from the ICRIR.
IRISH GOVERNMENT
Ciaran Madden of the Department of Foreign Affairs represented the Irish government. He said that Tánaiste Simon Harris had raised Sean Brown’s case in his very first phone conversation with Hilary Benn, and had raised it repeatedly during meetings and conferences with the British thereafter. Only two days earlier Harris had spoken about the Brown case in the Dail.
The Irish government’s position is that the Brown family must have access to an Article 2 compliant investigation and the only existing way to provide that is through a public inquiry. What the British have now is “not fit for purpose” for the family of Sean Brown or for other victims’ families.
A recent headline in the Irish Independent, which said Taoiseach Micheal Martin and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had agreed on a joint approach to legacy issues, was inaccurate. The Irish government must discuss legacy issues with the British and a responsibility to try to put proper legacy mechanisms in place, but will not accept anything which does not comply with Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights or does not command the support of victims.
Mr. Madden noted the positive impact which Congressional initiatives have and urged Irish Americans to continue their strong support of justice for victims particularly in securing Congressional support.
CAJ
Daniel Holder, of the Committee for the Administration of Justice, had issued a report last November on what it would take to make the ICRIR Commission satisfy human rights requirements under the European Convention. He said although the law is supposed to apply to everyone, during the conflict there were almost no investigations of British military killings and the system seemed designed to evade justice in collusion killings.
Victims’ relatives had brought a series of legal cases in the European Court of Human Rights, and secured a package of measures including Inquests, Ombudsman Reports, and civil actions which were starting to deliver justice.
Boris Johnson’s Conservative government wanted to shut down mechanisms that were working for families. The ICRIR was created to allow the British to remove legal representation for victims’ families and to impose a national security veto on truths which contradicted British versions of events. The Labour government has continued the ICRIR, bowing to pressure from veterans’ groups and the military.
Courts have already struck down the bans on inquests, Civil Actions and Ombudsman Reports but the British have not restored these mechanisms. They have shut down justice in legacy cases for over a year.
PANELISTS
AOH National Freedom for all Ireland Chair Martin Galvin, who served as Moderator for the Panel, said that the families of Sean Brown, John Moran, and hundreds of other families were a continuing inspiration to Irish Americans.
He also commended the Irish government for standing up for Irish victims by bringing the case in the European Court.
National AOH President Sean Pender thanked each of the panelists and noted that by continuing to go to Court 59 times, the Brown family had proven that “the reprehensible British strategy of delay, deny and wait for family to die will never succeed.”
]]>
The Feast takes place ten days before Pentecost; thus taking on a special anticipation of the gift of the Holy Spirit.
It does not commemorate a departure. Oh, no! It celebrates a presence and a promise:
I am with you always, even to the end of time. Jesus is with us at all times and in all places. This sentence is the core of our faith.
During the 40 days before the Ascension, Jesus continues to fortify our faith. He appears to many, that they might see that He is truly risen. The Apostle Thomas famously bears witness to the Lord’s wounds, which he recognizes on Jesus’ Risen Body. The Lord eats and drinks, proving He is not a ghost or apparition. Jesus strengthens our faith by leaving the Church with credible evidence that He was indeed
raised from the dead.
Jesus commissioned His followers to spread the Good News to the ends of the Earth and promised His Spirit as a helper and advocate.
After this promise, “He was lifted up, and a cloud took Him from their sight” (Acts 1:9). His followers are left behind, looking up at where He went, and then two figures appear and say, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into Heaven will return in the same way as you have seen Him going into Heaven.”
The reality of Christ’s Ascension is so important that the Creeds (the basic statements of our belief) of Christianity all affirm that “He ascended into Heaven, sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.”
Jesus’ Ascension should point our entire being towards Heaven, and guide our every thought and deed. We should have Heaven as our goal and seek it, using whatever means are most fruitful.
This coming Thursday, celebrate the Ascension! Hear the promise! Believe the Word!
Receive new hope!
Let us continue to pray for one another!
The late Professor Marshall McLuhan presciently noted, long before the advent of the World Wide Web, that we “live today in an age of information and communication [in which] electric media instantly and constantly create a total field of interacting events in which all men participate.” The contents of entire libraries now reside online, making history accessible from any place, at any time, without the need for even local travel. Even so, there has been a renewed interest in recent years, across many disciplines, in the concept of place. Place, as noted by J. Nicholas Entriken, “presents itself to us as a condition of the human experience” such that “our relations to place … become elements in the construction of our individual and collective identities.”
The first stop for travelers on the recent Hibernian History Tour of Ireland, fresh from the Dublin airport, the grave of Theobald Wolfe Tone in the ancient burial ground at Bodenstown, County Kildare, illustrates the significance of place in Irish history. Standing before the ruined church, dating to 1352, that forms the backdrop of Tone’s final resting place, the group contemplated Tone’s legacy as the father of Irish Republicanism and the significance of Bodenstown as a place of annual pilgrimage for generations of Irish patriots. Later that same day, our group stood atop Vinegar Hill in County Wexford and looked out from the base of the historic windmill, which stands, as it did in 1798, a silent, enduring witness to the sacrifices of the common people of Wexford who died, in the poignant words of Seamus Heaney, “shaking scythes at cannon.” The port town of Cobh in County Cork, from which so many of our ancestors embarked on their one-way journey from the land of their birth, proved as significant a place as any on the tour, as we reflected on the horrors of An Gorta Mór and the triumph of those who survived to make a new life in America. The group spent a relaxing two days in beautiful Kinsale, the site of the infamous siege and battle of 1601-1602 in which the Irish forces of O’Neill and O’Donnell could not break through to relieve their Spanish allies, with disastrous results for the old Gaelic Order. Traveling west through County Cork, a roadside stop at the Michael Collins ambush site near Béal na Bláth allowed the group to contemplate the relationship and intertwined legacies of Collins and his erstwhile comrade, Éamon de Valera, at the place where Collins received his mortal wound. The famous Ring of Kerry provided beautiful scenery en route to Derrynane House, the home of Daniel O’Connell, where our travelers took in the beauty of the place while contemplating O’Connell’s great triumph of 1829, Catholic Emancipation, his failed effort to repeal the Act of Union, and his place in the pantheon of Irish heroes. The group stopped at the majestic Rock of Cashel, seat of the Kings of Munster for 500 years, before traveling deep into the past in the Boyne Valley, where the ingenious Stone Age builders of the Newgrange complex showed a strong understanding of the significance of place. Later that day, before travelling on to Dublin, members of the group stood on the Hill of Tara, like the legendary High Kings of Ireland before them, and placed their hands on the Lia Fáil, or Stone of Destiny. The penultimate stop on the tour was the GPO, where our travelers took in the battle scars still extant on the magnificent Greek Revival portico and reflected on the events of Easter Week, 1916, and the tumultuous years that followed. The tour concluded, appropriately, at Glasnevin Cemetery, where we descended into the tomb of O’Connell and stopped to reflect at the final resting places of Parnell, de Valera and Collins, among many others. History is truly at our fingertips in this remarkable age of technology, but there is something special about being in the places that have shaped and informed the Irish identity.
]]>
New York — May 8, 2025 — The Ancient Order of Hibernians in America (AOH) extends heartfelt congratulations and prayerful best wishes to His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV, on his election as the 267th successor of St. Peter. His election marks a special moment for American Catholics as the first pope born in the United States.
“We offer our prayers and support to Pope Leo XIV as he begins his ministry as Bishop of Rome and Pastor of the Universal Church,” said Sean Pender, National President of the Ancient Order of Hibernians.
Ad Multos Annos, Pope Leo XIV.
]]>
Mary has a unique place in salvation history and in the Church. Because she responded yes to becoming the Mother of God, she is our first model of discipleship and our model of grace and trust in God.
Among Catholics, May is most well known as “Mary’s Month,” a specific month of the year when special devotions are performed in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Ancient Greek and Western cultures view May as a month of life and motherhood. This was long before “Mother’s Day” was ever conceived, though the modern celebration is closely related to honor mothers during the spring months.
In the early Church there is evidence of a major feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary celebrated on the May 15th each year, but, it wasn’t until the 18th century that May received a particular association with the Virgin Mary. It was a Jesuit priest in Italy who asked his students to make a vow to devote the month of May to Mary. This practice spread to other Jesuit colleges and to the universal Church.
In 1945, Pope Pius XII solidified May as a Marian month after establishing the feast of the Queenship of Mary on May 31st. After the Second Vatican Council, this feast was moved to August 22nd, while May 31st became the feast of the Visitation of Mary.
The Month of May is one rich in tradition and a beautiful time of the year to honor our heavenly mother.
Below are some Marian Celebrations and Feast Days:
Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God (January 1st)
Our Lady of Lourdes (February 11th)
The Annunciation (March 25th)
May Crownings
Our Lady of Fatima (May 13th)
The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church (Day after Pentecost)
Our Lady of Mount Carmel (July 16th)
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (August 15th)
Our Lady of Knock (August 17th)
The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (September 8th)
Our Lady of the Rosary (October 7th)
The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (November 21st)
The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (December 8th)
Our Lady of Guadalupe (December 12th)
May Our Lady, Queen of Ireland continue to watch over us and protect us!
Peace and Prayers,
Jim Russell
Catholic Action Chairperson
National Ancient Order of Hibernians
]]>“We look forward to working with Bishop Elect Keehner as he assumes the office of Bishop for the Diocese of Sioux City, Iowa”, said Sean Pender, National President of the Ancient Order of Hibernians President. As our immediate past National Chaplain, I have worked with Bishop Elect Keehner on a number of different projects. Our Brother Hibernians in Ohio have sung the praises of Bishop Elect Keehner. We look forward to working with him now as the Bishop of Sioux City, Iowa in the future.
Immediate Past National President Daniel J. O’Connell echoed that praise, stating, “Father Keehner is a natural leader. His sincerity and wisdom guided the AOH on all levels of our Order. His commitment to our faith and his work ethic is second to none. I am confident in his continued success.”
Father Keehner, 59, is a native of Youngstown, Ohio, and is one of five children. He attended Austintown schools and graduated from Austintown Fitch High School in 1984.
Father Keehner earned a B.A. in English in 1988 from the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio. He then began studies at Mount St. Mary Seminary of the West in Cincinnati where he earned his M.Div. and M.A. in biblical studies in 1993.
He was ordained a priest in 1993 by Bishop James Malone at St. Columba Cathedral. His first assignment was parochial vicar for St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Boardman, Ohio. Father Keehner began canon law studies at the University of St. Thomas Aquinas (the Angelicum) in Rome and earned a licentiate in canon law in 1999. The priest was then assigned as a judge to the diocesan Department of Canonical Services.
He has served as vice rector and later rector of the St. Columba Cathedral, director of campus ministry at Youngstown State University. He has served as pastor of St. Casimir Parish, St. Christine Parish in Youngstown as well as St. Luke in Boardman, St. Paul in North Canton and Holy Spirit in Uniontown.
The bishop-elect currently serves as dean in Ashtabula County, Ohio, and is pastor of four parishes in the Diocese of Youngstown:
– Our Lady of Peace Parish in Ashtabula, Ohio
– Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Geneva, Ohio
– Corpus Christi Parish in Conneaut, Ohio
– St. Andrew Bobola Parish in Sheffield, Ohio
Father Keehner served as adjunct instructor of canon law at St. Mary Seminary in the Diocese of Cleveland from 2021-24.
In additional pastoral assignments, the bishop-elect has served on the diocesan board of religious education, priest council, board of mediation and arbitration for the Office of Conciliation, presbyteral council and the priest personnel board. Father Keehner has served as a spiritual director for the permanent diaconate.
The bishop-elect has served as state chaplain and national chaplain for the Ancient Order of Hibernians.
“The National Ancient Order of Hibernians welcomes you to the episcopate!”
“ Beannacht Dé leat agus go gcoinní Dia thú”
Dear Brothers in the Ancient Order of Hibernians, family, and friends,
It is with a sad heart that we learn of the passing of Pope Francis.
Pope Francis’ legacy is one of boundless grace, simplicity, humility, and hope. He demonstrated a gentle spirit, offering solace and guidance to those in need. His words and actions were a testament to the power of faith and the enduring strength of the human spirit.
May he now rest forever in the loving arms of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Let us quietly pray for the happy repose of his soul:
Our Father …
Hail Mary …
Glory be to the Father …
Fr Martin O’ Reilly
National Chaplain to the AOH
]]>Pope Francis led by example, reminding us all of our shared responsibility to care for one another, especially the most vulnerable among us. His dedication to the dignity of all people, his call for unity, and his tireless pursuit of a more just world will remain an enduring legacy.
As we reflect on his life and contributions, we offer our prayers for his eternal rest and the Church he so faithfully served. May his example continue to inspire us in our faith and in our commitment to charity and community.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.
-Sean Pender
National President
Ancient Order of Hibernians
John Lawrence Sullivan, born to Irish immigrants on October 15, 1858, in Roxbury, Massachusetts, grew into an embodiment of the American Dream for many Irish Americans. His parents, survivors of the Great Hunger in Ireland, instilled in him a profound sense of identity and resilience. Though he was an excellent student and his parents aspired for him to attend Boston College and become a priest, destiny had a different plan for Sullivan. Lured by the raw appeal of professional sports, Sullivan found his true calling in boxing, a sport then shadowed by legal ambiguities and often relegated to “exhibitions” or clandestine bouts.
Sullivan’s rise from local fame to national celebrity was meteoric. In one fight, his opponent failed to show, and to quell the restless crowd, Sullivan issued a challenge that became his trademark, “I can lick any man in the house.” This became not just Sullivan’s trademark but a symbol of Irish-American defiance and determination. Through a series of exhibition matches and high-profile bouts, including a legendary encounter with Paddy Ryan in Mississippi, Sullivan’s fists wrote chapters of boxing history. His victory over Ryan, witnessed by figures as diverse as Oscar Wilde and Jessie and Frank James, cemented his status as a champion of the people.
Sullivan’s reign as the Heavyweight Champion brought boxing to the forefront of American sports, making him the nation’s first sports superstar. Leveraging his “I can lick any man in the house” boast, he made a whirlwind of 200 stops across the United States, showcasing his unparalleled strength and skill, endearing him further to an adoring public. Boxing historian Nate Fleisher has observed, “For the first time in their lives, Americans living in the sticks — nearly four hundred thousand American farmers, miners, lumberjacks, artisans, and clerks — laid down their hard-earned cash to see a real boxer in action. They loved it, and the effect of their gratification on the growth and spread of boxing is beyond calculation today.”
Yet, Sullivan was more than a mere athlete; he was a cultural icon, reflecting the grit and determination of the Irish American community still struggling to overcome prejudice and find their place in American society. Such was his fame that to be able to say, “Shake the hand of the man who shook the hand of John L. Sullivan,” brought its own notoriety.
Sullivan never forgot where he came from. In a story that further enhanced his renown in the Irish community, it was said that he refused to stand for the traditional toast to Queen Victoria while attending a dinner in his honor in Victoria, British Columbia. Sullivan stated he “hadn’t been brought up to seeing Irishmen drinking to the health of English monarchs,” he informed the shocked dinner guests.
However, time and age give athletes no special consideration. Add to this that in a phenomenon we see repeated among many modern athletes, Sullivan liked to party, and it became increasingly difficult for him to get in shape. The fight against “Gentleman Jim” Corbett in 1892 highlighted the end of an era and showcased how far boxing had developed under Corbett. No longer were fights held secretly in the dark backroom of a saloon; this fight was held under the glare of the new electric light and the eyes of over 10,000 spectators and reported worldwide. The aging champion and brute strength brawler Sullivan met his match in the younger, more agile, more scientific Corbett. While clearly past his prime and suffering a broken nose in an early round that constrained his breathing, Sullivan persevered until the last of the 21 scheduled rounds where he was knocked out.
However, even in defeat, Sullivan added to his legacy for the graciousness he accepted, “Gentlemen, all I have to say is that I came into the ring once too often, and if I had to get licked, I’m glad it was by an American.” Sullivan’s grace in defeat, acknowledging Corbett’s victory as a passing of the torch to a fellow American, exemplified his character.
John L. Sullivan’s legacy is not merely confined to his boxing achievements; it is interwoven with the narrative of Irish-American struggle, perseverance, and success. His life story, from the streets of Roxbury to the heights of boxing fame, resonates with the spirit of a community that literally and metaphorically fought to carve out a place in America. Sullivan’s journey embodies the complexities of the American Dream, reminding us that heroes are not defined by their victories alone but by their ability to inspire, persevere, and stand with dignity and pride regardless of the outcome.
]]>
We acknowledge that there is a trade imbalance between the United States and Ireland, and that many U.S. companies have relocated operations to Ireland in pursuit of more competitive tax treatment. However, during his March 12, 2025, meeting with Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin, President Trump stated:
“They [Ireland] should have done just what they did.”
He then added: “But the United States shouldn’t have let it happen.”
The AOH agrees. The core issue lies not with Ireland, but with longstanding issues in U.S. trade and tax policy. Ireland acted strategically within legal frameworks available to all nations. Labeling such actions a “scam” only distracts from the real issue: meaningful domestic policy reform. The U.S. should compete, not compel, by making itself the best place in the world to do business.
Let us be clear:
This is not about partisanship. The AOH is not endorsing or condemning any individual or administration. Our focus is—and always has been—on defending the Irish American communities.
Tariffs on Irish goods would severely impact Irish American enterprises, many of which are already under economic pressure. From import shops to pubs and local retailers, these family-owned businesses bring Irish culture to life and contribute meaningfully to our local economies and are run by our brothers and sisters.
That’s why the AOH has released a constructive policy alternative:
Toward a U.S.–Ireland Fair Trade & Talent Agreement
Our proposal offers a smarter path forward—one that supports job growth, encourages U.S. reinvestment, and strengthens transatlantic ties without inflicting collateral damage to American communities in the process.
Read the full paper here: https://aoh.com/TradePolicy
As always, the AOH remains committed to honoring Irish heritage, defending our communities, and advocating for fair, practical, and principled policy.
]]>