Congratulations to John Graf and the staff at the Priory Hotel for being named one of hotel.com's Top Ten Hidden Gems in the world! The list was compiled based strictly off of guests' feedback and reviews. Click here to see the full list.
John Graf's "The Priory Hotel" Mentioned in The New York Times
In an article entitled "36 Hours in Pittsburgh"in todays New York Times, that finest of North Shore lodging establishments - The Prior Hotel - was given a mention as one of the best places in the city for travelers to stay. Kudos to brother Graf!
According to The Washington Post, Ireland's newly-found affluence may be contributing to the decline of pub culture in rural Ireland. Check out the link to the story.
Eternal rest grant unto her oh Lord and let perpetual light shine upon her...
Regretfully, I must inform you that Linda Donnelly's mother and AOH 32 brother Bern's mother-in-law, Helen Swentosky passed away at about 3:00 p.m. Sunday, February 3.
Visitations will be from 7-9 p.m. Tuesday and from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Wednesday at the Warchol Funeral Home, 3060 Washington Pike, Bridgeville, 15017 (near McDonald's) . The home's phone number is 412.221.3333.
The funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church, 730 Washington Ave., Carnegie, near the Boys' and Girls' Club and on the same side of the street.
Please keep Helen, Linda, Bern and their family in your prayers.
Thanks to brother Chris Cahillane again who recenly passed along an interesting story summarizing the rush of native Irish folk becoming land barons in mid-town Manhattan.
Thanks to brother Chris Cahillane who recenly passed along a good story summarizing the recent landmark legislation in Northern Ireland regarding power sharing of government.
The Ireland Institute of Pittsburgh is running its first Wider Horizons program of the year this May/June. It is an 8 week program with young people from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland interning (non-paid) on Monday - Thursday and attending classes at Duquesne on Fridays. The first day of internship would be May 7th and the last day June 21st.
The thrust of this program is Information Technology. The IT work involved can be as simple as basic data entry or database work and can be as involved as an employer would want a participant to be. IT loosely means, for the purposes of our program, any work involving a computer.
Please bear in mind that their young people are some of those that have fallen through the cracks in the economy back home and this internship may be their first real job. The internship is designed to give them a sample of what kind of work goes on in the sector they choose to intern in.
The initial list of choices include:
Graphic Design
Interior Design
Web Design
Fashion Design
Participants stay with host families during their time in Pittsbugh and it is hoped that most internships would be within easy reach of the city via public transport.
The host family is the last piece of the puzzle once the IIoP know where the young person will intern.
If you have an Internship opportunity or know of someone who would or would like to be a host family, please email Rob Tierney at the IIoP or call him at 412.394.3900
Please forward this note to any contacts you may have by simply clicking on the envelope icon below.
P.S.: The Institute is in need of one host family from Friday, May 4th - Thursday, June 28th. Host families are paid $135/week and provide a separate bedroom and meals as per household schedule. Participants are in work placements Monday - Thursday and Duquesne University Fridays. The IIoP organize activities for them when they are here so that gets them out of the house every so often and they provide 24 hour support to host families and the group also has a supervisor who travels with them. If there are any AOH 32 members that have a vacation that is preventing them from helping out - the IIoP has host families that will take a participant for up to a week while on vacation. It's a great opportunity to help some young people from Ireland and Northern Ireland that are less fortunate than ourselves.
Little Sisters of the Poor Present Andy Cooney, Irish/American Recording Artist in Concert at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 28, 2007 at Central Catholic High School, 4720 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh.
Named "irish America's Favorite Son" by the New York Times, Cooney has been performing since age 5. Andy will perform classic Irish songs such as My Kathleen, Danny Boy, Daughter of Mine, Boston Rose, and The Irish Wedding Song.
Special guests include comedian George Casey and the Niall O'Leary Dancers.
Concert tickets are prices at $40 each, with group (ten or more) and senior rates at $30 each.The concert is open seating. Order tickets by calling the Little Sisters of the Poor at 412-307-1100 or by e-mail at littlesisters@mindspring.com. Proceeds benefit the elderly Residents at the Little Sisters of the Poor Home, Pittsburgh.
Here is a good article from the March 10th issue of the Chicago Tribune outlining the power sharing process of the Good Friday Agreement vote - deadline is March 26th.
AOH 32 brother Pat McCann (Padraig MacAnnadh) and his lovely wife Margie proudly announced that their new grandson - Nathaniel Adam Butschle was born 03/01/07 and tipped the scales at a healthy 7 lbs. 10 ozs. Son-in-law and Dad Ron Butschle and Mom Kelly McCann Butschle are all doing fantastic too!
Note: Your computer isn't playing tricks. Nathan already has more hair than grandpap, should be taller in about two years and yes - thank the Lord and blessed St. Patrick that both Nathan and Kelly favor Margie (instead of our good brother Pat) in the "looks" department - Nathan's a beauty!
~ From 6.00pm to 8.00pm (incl. cocktail reception)~
~ All Welcome -Donations appreciated ~
~ For More Information Contact the IIP at (412) 394-3900 ~
The Ireland Institute of Pittsburgh in conjunction with the O’Neill Summer School , will give the Irish American community of Pittsburgh the chance to not only trace their ancestral roots, but also walk in their ancestors footsteps.The O’Neill clan, and its lineage, is the oldest in Europe with an unbroken descent in its line, and this surname is one of the most illustrious in Irish, if not world history. The ancient clan system in Ireland depended on one key factor—commonality of genealogy or blood ties. This meant that every clan in Ireland had kinship and a bondwith the O’Neill clan.
The program for the event will include talks on Ireland’s ancient past, the Flight of the Earls and the shared future of all the people of Ireland, North, South, Protestant and Catholic, featuring guest speakers.
Both of our sites, AOH Division 32 Web Site and Blog have been awarded Nancy's Celtic Award 2007. This award is not given lightly. As a prolific webmistress, graphic designer and author, it has always been Nancy's goal to increase awareness and appreciation for Irish and Celtic cultures. Her award is only given to sites that educate about and share the beauty of these cultures in a meaningful and aesthetically pleasing manner.
Many thanks to our good AOH 32 brother Pat "My Man" McCann who did a great job organizing and cataloging our AOH Division 32 Irish Library which includes a variety of Irish videos, books, and publications listed below.
All of the items are stored in the filing cabinet at the Uke’s and are available to check out anytime or at our monthly meetings. There is a key available at the bar. See Pat McCann at the meetings, email him or call him at 412.343.7271. If Pat is not available see Denny Donnelly.
Item - Title - Copies
Video - Celtic Journey Through Time (A) - 1
Video - H Block - 1
Video - Invasion of Lower Ormeau Road - 1
Video - Road To Bloody Sunday (The) - 2 (2 missing)
On Friday, March 16 at Noon a special St. Patrick's Day Mass will be held at Old St. Patrick's Church in Pittsburgh's Strip District at 17th Street and Liberty Avenue.
Our presider will be Archabbot Lambert Reilly, O.S.B. who is a native Pittsburgher and the retired Abbot of St. Meinrad Archabbey in southern Indiana.
Parking and seating is at a premium so be sure to arrive early!
Archabbot Lambert served as the archabbot of Saint Meinrad Archabbey in southern Indiana from June 2, 1995, to Dec. 15, 2004. He was the eighth abbot and fifth archabbot in the monastic community's 150-year history.
Following his resignation as archabbot, he has returned to his work of preaching and retreats. For more than 40 years, Archabbot Lambert has distinguished himself as a retreat director and speaker on issues of spirituality and prayer. He has given countless retreats, especially to bishops, priests and sisters, and has conducted parish missions throughout the nation. He has been a frequent retreat master for Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity in the United States and India. Archabbot Lambert is also an educator. He taught Latin and education courses at Saint Meinrad College, Mount Sacred Heart College in Hamden, CT, and Penn State University; he served as principal of St. Elizabeth High School, Pittsburgh, (1976-1978). He also served as a consultant to the Diocese of Peoria’s Office of Education. The 71-year-old native of Pittsburgh professed vows as a Benedictine monk in 1956 and was ordained to the Roman Catholic priesthood in 1959. During his 50 years of monastic life, Archabbot Lambert has held a variety of assignments within the monastery. In addition to his retreat work and teaching, Archabbot Lambert has assisted in parishes, worked in public relations, and served as guest master, assistant oblate director and assistant to the novice master. In the fall of 1993, Archabbot Lambert served the monastic community as pro-prior during the prior-s sabbatical.
Archabbot Lambert earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Saint Vincent College, in 1955. He also holds master of divinity and master of religious education degrees from Saint Meinrad School of Theology, as well as a master of science in education from Duquesne University. In addition, he has undertaken graduate studies at The Catholic University of America, Georgetown University, University of Evansville and Arkansas State University.
He is the author of “Because There Is Jesus” (Abbey Press, 1997) a collection of his homilies and conferences; and “Latin Sayings for Spiritual Growth” (Our Sunday Visitor Press, 2001), which offers spiritual reflections on some of Fr. Archabbot’s favorite Latin sayings and New Testament quotes.
AOH National President Ned McGinley sent me the following note today..."The NY Times has many times ignored The Troubles in Ireland and has more often backed the London government in its interpretation of the situation in the north of Ireland. This editorial lays out the realities of the situation in the six counties today and the need for a political solution in which the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) recognize the mandate of the SDLP and Sinn Fein. It is time for politics not sectarian rhetoric to come to the forefront in six of the nine counties of Ulster and the Belfast Assembly envisioned in the Good Friday Agreement take it's lawful position and govern the North."
Every day we should pray for world peace, however there has never been a better time to "raise the bar" of our prayers for peace in Northern Ireland, Iraq, Afghanistan, Africa, the Middle East and throughout the world than now during Holy Week.
Old St. Patrick's Windows a Gift of True Christian Charity
Through the kind generosity of the Allegheny County Ancient Order of Hibernians and spearheaded by AOH 32, our two year crusade to gift windows to Old St. Patrick’s Church in Pittsburgh's Strip District (on the corner of Liberty Avenue and 17th Street) was accomplished and the AOH’s honorable tradition of gifting windows to Catholic churches will continue to inspire future generations of Irish Catholic faithful.
The new stained glass windows of Saint Brigid of Kildare and Saint Patrick of Ireland - designed and crafted by Nick Parrendo of the Hunt Stained Glass Studios - were blessed by Bishop Bradley of the Diocese of Pittsburgh on Saint Patrick’s Day, March 17th 2006.
The media loved our story. KDKA-TV, WTAE-TV and WPXI-TV covered the Mass along with front page/main section stories in the Pittsburgh Catholic, Pittsburgh Tribune Review and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Here is a brief backgrounder about the symbolism of the windows.
Saint Patrick of Ireland Born: 387 at Kilpatrick, near Dumbarton, in Scotland Died: March 17, 493 at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland (460 or 461 by other sources). Canonized: pre-congregation. Buried in Downpatrick, Ireland.
Patron of Ireland, and as represented in the window, bishop holding the shamrock used to explain the mystery of the Blessed Trinity. To Saint Patrick’s right is a representation of Saint Patrick enslaved as a shepherd in Ireland and instructed by the Angels to flee his enslavement.
Below both Saint Brigid and Saint Patrick are representations of stone posts and lintels -symbolic of the darkness and oppression of the people through the druid influence. Above them is a Celtic Cross symbolic of the liberation that the Catholic faith brings to the people of Ireland and the world. Saint Patrick stands atop a globe symbolic of his being one of the Saints universally recognized around the world. The likeness of Saint Patrick in the window is that of Fran Walsh, who for decades represented Saint Patrick in Pittsburgh’s annual Saint Patrick's Day parade. May he rest in peace!
Saint Brigid of Kildare Born: 453 at Faughart, County Louty, Ireland. Died: February 1, 523 at Kildare, Ireland Canonized: pre-congregation. Buried with Saint Patrick and Saint Columba in Downpatrick, Ireland.
Patroness of Ireland, and as represented in the window Saint Brigid is holding a cross she wove out of rushes from the floor to explain the love of Christ in His Passion.
To Saint Brigid's left are students holding manuscripts -as Saint Brigid founded a school of art (Illuminations). Also to the left is a ship representing Saint Patrick coming to Ireland as slave.
All of God’s Blessings to members of AOH 32, LAOH 32 and the AOH 32 Junior Division who unselfishly gave of themselves to support our holy crusade for Old St. Patrick's Church, for witnessing the great things we can do together in true Christian Charity!
Congratulations to John Graf and the staff at the Priory Hotel for being named one of hotel.com's Top Ten Hidden Gems in the world! The list was compiled based strictly off of guests' feedback and reviews. Click here to see the full list.
The Ireland Institute of Pittsburgh
AOH National President Ned McGinley
