the cunningham chronicles...then we look ahead to 2015 with the election of officers, the planned...

The Cunningham Chronicles January 2015 V15-1

The Cunningham Chronicles The Colonel Thomas J. Cunningham, Jr. Division

The Ancient Order of Hibernians

January 2015

News/ Views/ History/ Irrational Thought & Other Good Stuff

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Colonel Cunningham Division!!!

2014 Was a Grand Year & 2015 is Looking Even Better In this edition of the Cunningham Chronicles, we look back at parades, parties, meetings and activities from 2014, and some recent activities including the Shamrock Degree. Then we look ahead to 2015 with the election of officers, the planned schedule for 2015, upcoming events, raffles, and lots more.

Happy New Year from the Colonel Thomas J. Cunningham Jr. Division

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The Winning Ticket for The Trip to Ireland Raffle is Drawn at the Half-Way To Saint Patrick’s Day Party

The 2014 Half-Way-To Saint Patrick’s day party drew a great gathering of Cunningham Division brothers, families and friends to O’Faolain’s Irish Pub in Sterling on October 16th. The 150 people attending the celebration made it one of the largest turn outs in recent memory for the Half-Way Party and by all reports was one of the best. O’Faolain’s General Manager Francis Thornton (a Cunningham Division brother) arranged for sponsorship of the event by Guinness (you may have heard of them), so there were more than the usual number of great door prizes and beverage specials. After all the food was eaten, the door prizes distributed, and the crowd finally was able to quiet down, the highlight of the evening was the drawing of the winner for the annual Trip for Two to Ireland Raffle. The winners of the 2014 Raffle were Bob and Judy Connors (see the photo below). Division President Bob Fay contacted the Connors immediately after the drawing by phone from O’Faolain’s with about 60 others listening in. The Connors were surprised but happy. They had purchased their winning ticket from Division members at Saint Theresa’s Church in Ashburn. The evening was actually a double win, for shortly after winning the raffle, Bob Connors joined the Colonel Cunningham Division. Congratulations Bob and Judy, and thanks for joining the Division Bob.

Cunningham Division President Bob Fay at right presents the Trip to Ireland Raffle prize to Bob and Judy Connors at

O'Faolain's Pub shortly after the Half-Way Party.

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Some more photos from the Half-Way Party

President Bob Fay and Father Randy Sly, Division Chaplain look over the winning ticket.

Susan Parker and Margie McCarty with their new shirts. Bob Fay, Francis Thornton and Bob Connors.

The Lawlor brothers looking ahead to 2015. Mike Lawlor, Division Marshal on the left and Immediate Past President David Lawlor on the right. We have a prize for the first person to correctly identify the Lawlor brother in

the middle.

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Cunningham Division Officers and Committee Chairmen are Confirmed for the New Year

At the December General Membership meeting the elected officers of the Colonel Thomas J. Cunningham Jr. Division were re-elected by unanimous acclamation. This continues a long standing tradition of the Division, to have elected officers serve two one-year terms. This policy and commitment by the officers promotes a continuous and smooth operation of the Division and its many activities. Following the re-election of the officers, President Bob Fay announced that almost all 2014 committee chairmen had accepted re-appointment to continue their service in 2015. Two vacant chairmanship positions were filled by Brother Dave Crew who agreed to serve as Chairman of the Hibernian Hunger Project Committee, and Brother Bob Carmack who agreed to serve as Project St. Patrick Chairman for 2015. Past President David Lawlor once again volunteered to Chair our annual “Trip for Two to Ireland” fundraising raffle for 2015, after a very successful campaign in 2014. The following is the complete list of elected officers and appointed committee chairmen for 2015:

Title First Name Last Name PRESIDENT Robert Fay

VICE PRESIDENT Jay McCarthy RECORDING SECRETARY John Farmer FINANCIAL SECRETARY John Devins

TREASURER Timothy Kinslow CHMN STANDING COMM Timothy Melia

MARSHAL Michael Lawlor SENTINEL Cole Slattery CHAPLAIN Fr Randolph Sly HISTORIAN Cole Slattery ORGANIZER Timothy Melia

CHARITIES & MISSIONS,

James Sinnott CATHOLIC ACTION, CHAIRMAN Michael Hippchen

F.F.A.I., CHAIRMAN Robert Anderson PRO-LIFE, CHAIRMAN Daniel Whalen

P.E.C., CHAIRMAN David Lawlor IMMIGRATION, CHAIRMAN Brian Donohue

VETERANS AFFAIRS Cole Slattery WEBMASTER Michael Lawlor

HIBERNIAN HUNGER PROJECT David Crew PROJECT ST. PATRICK Robert Carmack

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The Leesburg Christmas Parade A new event for the Cunningham Division in 2014 was to participate in the Leesburg Christmas Parade. Brother Cole Slattery organized and coordinated the activity for the Cunningham Division. The parade took place in the evening of December 6th, and everyone marched down King Street in Leesburg’s Old Town to the cheers and well wishes of all the people, young and old that lined the streets. Plan on this parade to become an annual event for the Division.

Left to right: Cole Slattery, Frank O’Gara, Rick Parker, Bob Fay, Mike Hippchen and his two sons Matthew

and David, and David Lawlor.

The Cunningham Division 2014 Christmas Party

The 2014 Christmas Party for the Cunningham Division was held at O’Faolain’s Irish Pub in Sterling on December 18th. The party featured fine food, beverages for all tastes and ages, live entertainment, and lots of chances to visit and catch up with old friends and acquaintances. The Christmas party offered a chance for all of our Hibernian family and friends to enjoy a great time out together and a great way to celebrate the Christmas season. The event was extremely well attended with AOH brothers, wives, children, friends, and other patrons from O’Faolain’s who wanted to share in the fun. The entertainment was Irish Step Dancing provided by ShamrocksRus and it was fantastic.

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Some More Photos from the Christmas Party

There were too many people to name everyone in every photo, but if you were there see if you can find yourself. If you weren’t there, you missed one h--- of a party. Plan now to be there next year.

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Cunningham Division Hibernians in Action

Sweats for Vets at the Martinsburg VA Hospital Saturday, January 10th was a cold day in Martinsburg, West Virginia, but it was a great day for some Hibernians brothers from the Cunningham Division and the Virginia AOH State Board to demonstrate our moto in action. Over 750 sweat suits were donated to male and female Veteran inpatients at the Martinsburg VAMC by the Cunningham Division of the AOH, the Knights of Columbus of Loudoun County, and local chapters of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars from Loudoun County. In addition to the sweat suits; Division President Bob Fay presented a monetary donation to the VA Hospital and Division Vice President/ AOH State Treasurer Jay McCarty presented a donation from the AOH Virginia State Board. Thirteen brothers of the Cunningham Division attended the Sweats for Vets event and distribution, providing an outstanding example of living our moto through Christian Charity. Thank you to all the brothers who helped out at the VA and all the others who donated sweats and money for the event.

Cunningham Division Brothers at the VA Hospital President Bob Fay presents a check from the Division to the VA hospital for the benefit of the patients.

i VP Jay McCarty distributing sweats and one of the vets. The Knights of Columbus were also present, including two Of our Division Brothers, David Wilson and Pat Korten, Second and first from the right.

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The 2015 March for Life Between 700,000 and 1 Million people (the exact count depends on who is counting) gathered in Washington, DC on a cold, but sunny day, December 22nd for the annual March for Life. The marchers started assembling before noon on all the streets, parks and open areas surrounding the national mall to listen to speeches and encouragement from leaders of different faiths, members of government and leaders of the Pro-Life movement. Then at 1:00 Constitution Avenue was closed to traffic and the marchers walked the route from 17th street to the Supreme Court Building on Capitol Hill. The Ancient Order of Hibernians was represented by members of the national board and fellow brothers from divisions across the country. The Cunningham Division was represented by several brothers, many of whom traveled to the march with groups from their individual parishes. The march marked the 42nd anniversary of Roe v Wade which legalized abortion in America. A BIG CHEER and THANK YOU to all who participated.

He's Baaaaack! Father Timothy Harris, past Division and Father Timothy and National Director Mike Delaney (at left) State Chaplain returns to DC for the March for Life. with Brother Hibernians from several states ready to march.

Brother Hibernians from Maryland distributing signs and A small portion of the approximately one million marchers getting the boys organized. preparing to step off at the corner of 7th St and Constitution.

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The November Division Meeting

The November meeting featured a recap and report on the trip to Ireland Raffle and the initiation of new Brother Mike Egan.

New member Mike Egan is welcomed to the Division by President Bob Fay at the November Meeting

The December Division Meeting

The re-election of officers was conducted at the December meeting, with a review of the Division’s year, and two new members were welcomed into the Division, Father Pat Kelly, S.A.M., and Bob Connors.

President Bob Fay welcoming new Brother Bob Connors to the Cunningham Division. Father Pat Kelly was initiated

in absentia as he is currently serving with the Society of African Missions in Africa. 9


The January Division Meeting

The highlight of the January meeting was the Shamrock Degree Ceremony for ten of the Division’s Brothers. It was the largest “class” that any of the current members can remember since the initial ceremony at the Division’s

founding.

Recipients of the Shamrock Degree from left to right; Michael Culligan, Rick Parker, Mark Harrington,

Bob Connors, Dave Crew, Jim Ryan, Francis Thornton, Michael Egan, Frank O’Gara, and David L. Wilson Sr.

All the Division members gathered together for a group shot before they shared a shot to welcome in the

New Year.

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The President’s Report

Bob Fay, President of the Colonel Thomas J. Cunningham Division of the AOH

The following is excerpted from the Col. Cunningham Division President Bob Fay’s Report to the Virginia State AOH

Board at its Quarterly meeting in January 2015.

08 January 2015

Brothers, The Cunningham Division had a very busy year and continued the pace through autumn 2014. Regular meetings of the Division continue to be held on the second Wednesday of each month at the Belmont Greene Community Center, 43003 Chesterton St., Ashburn, VA 20147. The “New Member per Month” program that we started at the beginning of the year was a huge success and we not only met, but exceeded, our membership goal. I am very happy to report that our Division added a total of 19 new members to the roster through the end of December 2014. This represents an increase in membership of almost 40% since the start of the year. Our new members include two active priests and one active duty Airman serving in the USAF in Germany (my youngest son Michael). We have several additional candidates for membership waiting to be initiated in 2015. Every member in good standing has been encouraged to bring a friend, neighbor, or relative eligible for membership to at least one meeting with an application in hand! Our Past Presidents Council, which was formed at the start of the year has been very active and has been a great resource to me as President. The “Cunningham Chronicles” newsletter was revived and put into electronic format for e-mailing to all members and has been sent out each Quarter to members, families, and friends of the AOH detailing Division news and events. A multitude of THANKS and great credit goes to Past President Bob Anderson for compiling the pictures, details, letters, and articles needed for consistent publication of this newsletter. I have no doubt that this great newsletter had contributed significantly to our membership growth by helping to spread our Hibernian news and show-off some of our terrific events and activities. On October 16th we held our annual “Trip to Ireland” raffle party at O’Faolain’s Pub in Sterling Virginia. A crowd of more than 150 Brothers, and friends witnessed the grand prize drawing as our new Chaplain, Fr. Randy Sly, pulled the winning ticket from the hat. The raffle winners were Bob & Judy Connors of St. Theresa’s Parish in Ashburn, VA. The Connor’s were thrilled and Bob Connors became one of our newest members in December. A good time was had by all! Our Division Officers and the Past President’s Council met in early December and a budget and calendar for 2015 was prepared. The Division treasury is in very good shape to start the New Year and a number of great events are planned for 2015. The Division expects to increase charitable donations for 2015 while maintaining our regular programs of support for direct educational grants to students at three of

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our main Parish schools in Northern Virginia. We will be continuing our support of the Diocesan work-camp programs, and support for vocations locally in the Diocese of Arlington and through the Order’s Project St. Patrick campaign. A donation to the Project St. Patrick Campaign providing support for vocations was made in December in honor of our immediate past Division and Virginia State Chaplain (now National Deputy Chaplain of the AOH) Father Timothy Harris, T.O.R. Several of our members and family members gathered in Leesburg, Virginia, on the evening of December 6th and marched behind the Cunningham Division banner in the annual Christmas Parade. It was heartwarming to hear “Merry Christmas” shouted from all sides---and not a “Happy Holidays” greeting to be heard. While we continue to miss Fr. Timothy’s presence and sage counsel at our meetings, we were blessed to have Fr. Randy Sly join our Division toward the end of 2014 and agree to act as our new Division Chaplain for 2015. Fr. Randy joined about 40 members, friends, and family members for our Christmas party celebration held at O’Faolain’s Pub in Sterling on December 18th. Entertainment at the party was provided by a talented family group of Irish Dancers called ShamrocksRus, and was thoroughly enjoyed by all. All of our Division Officers who were elected and installed at the start of 2014 were unanimously re-elected for a second term in 2015, and all of our committee chairs have agreed to serve for another year in their respective positions as well. I am happy to report that two vacant positions were also filled. Brother Dave Crew has agreed to serve as Chairman of the Hibernian Hunger Project Committee, and Brother Bob Carmack has agreed to serve as Project St. Patrick Chairman for 2015. Past President David Lawlor once again volunteered to Chair our annual “Trip for Two to Ireland” fundraising raffle for 2015, after a very successful campaign in 2014. I want to thank all our officers and chairmen for their service and all of our Brothers for their support as we look forward to another terrific year for the Col. Thomas J. Cunningham Division in 2015! *********** Subsequent to the above report having been prepared and filed, I am happy to report that the Col. Thomas J. Cunningham Division held its first membership meeting of the New Year on January 14, 2015, and conducted a Shamrock Degree ceremony attended by 24 members of the Division—a full 35% of Division membership. Ten new members received the Lesson of the Motto and were awarded their Shamrock Degrees. An impromptu social gathering with light refreshments and snacks followed the meeting to welcome our new members to the Division, and a grand time was had by all. Members were disappointed to learn that the Exemplification of the Major Degrees, which had been tentatively scheduled after the January Virginia State Board quarterly meeting, had been cancelled. Many Brothers expressed their desire to take the Major Degrees and Test of the Order at the next available opportunity and vowed to support the Virginia State Convention scheduled for later in the year. I look forward to seeing you and all our Worthy State Officers on January 24th. In Our Motto, Bob Fay Capt. Robert A. Fay, President Col. Thomas J. Cunningham Division Ancient Order of Hibernians

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Celtic Crossings – A Message from Your Chaplain Living the Gospel Out Loud When I was very young in the ministry, I always kept trying to “push” the envelope a bit with my parish. During one Lent we were having a time of music and teaching when I decided it would be a good idea to help my people see what it would be like to experience a bit of persecution. In addition to being a pastor, I was the chaplain coordinator for the local police department. I had talked a couple of off-duty officers to come to the church in uniform and arrest one of my parishioners (a woman who was also in on the stunt) and drag her off in handcuffs for being too public about her faith. Things got a bit out of hand when a few other parishioners (most of whom were part of the First Infantry Division stationed at nearby Ft. Riley) decided these officers were out of line and, exhibiting some strong anger, were about to get physical. (Needless to say, I learned a lesson that day!) While things didn’t go as planned, we did get an idea of what kind of chaos could break out if we were persecuted. We got a small taste of what it would mean to publicly stand for our faith. I’m writing this on the eve of the 41st Annual March for Life and thinking about the event about to take place. Each year many thousands gather in downtown Washington to stand for life and for the Lord of Life, Jesus Christ. They walk down Constitution Avenue chanting, “Hey, hey, ho, ho; Roe v. Wade has got to go!” They are also praying the Rosary, singing and getting a chance to meet other people from across America who came to the March. From the sidelines, there will be some hecklers and other who simply want to make fun of the “religious people.” In all of the buildings on the route, people are watching from the windows, taking in the spectacle. This is about as confrontational as it will ever get. So why do we do this each year? Primarily, we are uniting for the cause of the unborn, to speak for those who have no voice. We are marching for those who are losing their lives not because of their faith but merely because they are alive. Why do we do this? Because, this is what Catholic Christians do. We live the Gospel out loud, in plain sight of our society. We demonstrate our faith in Christ in word and deed, in big things and even in the small things of life.

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St. Sechnall (or Secundinus), a fourth century bishop and the nephew of St. Patrick, wrote a hymn about his uncle. One of the stanzas says, Christ's holy precepts he keeps in all things, His works shine bright among men, And they follow his holy and wondrous example, And thus magnify God the Father in the heavens. The hymn pays tribute to the famous bishop for all of his feats but also speaks strongly of his deep and abiding faith – a faith he practiced earnestly. He, too, lived his faith out-loud. As St. Sechnall wrote, “they follow his holy and wondrous example.” Whether it’s the March for Life or in some other way – big or small – we have wonderful regular opportunities to live out our faith in front of others and, just perhaps, ignite something inside them that will draw them closer to our Lord.

Go mbeannaí Dia duit,

Fr. Randy Sly Chaplain, The Colonel Thomas Cunningham Division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians

The Cunningham Division Prayer List

Please remember the following in your prayers: a. Noah Wilson b. Kay Melia c. Catherine Gressel d. Francis Thornton e. Noreen McCarthy f. Declan Shea Haas g. Gertrude Hippchen h. Edward Kennedy i. Robert Burger j. Fr. Mike Morris k. Michael Goodwin l. Maria Vabarro m. Georgina Roach n. Goodwin and Weber families o. Jimmy McCluster p. Bill McCarthy

q. Bill Walsh r. Bill and Shiobhan Cahillane s. Maureen McCarthy t. Michael Matthews u. Samantha Wanagel v. Marvin Carmack w. Ester Connors x. CAPT Pete Sarandinacki y. Brother Dave Wilson z. Joe Kober + (ROS) aa. Betty Kober bb. Bill Delaney cc. Max Hall dd. Jennifer Schadowsky ee. Frank Kessell ff. Megan Anderson and baby

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The Deputy National Chaplain’s Corner

The following excerpt is taken from Father Timothy Harris’s column “The Chaplin’s Corner” published by the Virginia State AOH website, the National Hibernian Newsletter, and the National AOH Website.

Father Timothy is the former Cunningham Division and Virginia State AOH Chaplain.

My Brothers in Christ, Merry Christmas to you all! I want you to know that during this most Blessed of Seasons, you and your loved ones will be in my prayers as I remember you in my Masses. The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that

will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah

and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and

lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising

God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor

rests.” (Luke 2:10 – 14) Who was born for us over two millennia ago? A Savior! Jesus Christ came to save us. One might ask: from what is He to save us? Since the beginning of time, mankind has struggled with sin. And through the first sin of Adam and Eve, death entered the world. The Christ Child came to free us from sin so that we might receive the Father’s Gift of Eternal Life. We cannot earn this Gift any more than we can save ourselves. The Father’s Gift of salvation, brought to us by Jesus, is truly a Gift. We cannot earn it, but we

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can lose it and we can reject it. Pride, arrogance and conceit are the “gifts” of satan who seeks to severe our bond with our Triune God. How do we reject these so called “gifts” and instead embrace the true Gift of the Father’s love for us manifested in the Christ Child? We need to become more like the Christ Child. During Christmas day Mass, as I contemplated our Savior being born into such humble estate, I looked out over the congregation at all the beautiful infants present for the liturgy. I thought about my nephews and nieces, who are no longer infants, and my grandnephews and grandnieces, one of which was born this very month. And I thought about the great joy I have experienced from them being a part of my life. I have always held precious the times and opportunities in my life when I have been able to embrace, feed, change, and care for these little ones. Caring for them has taken a lot of work and may not have always led to the most pleasant of experiences (i.e. spit-ups and full diapers). Yet for me, it is precisely because of the challenge that is required in caring for infants that makes the labor so filled with love. And their simple smiles of gratitude have brought the greatest joy into my heart. These little ones are completely dependent upon us for their care and must trust we will provide for the needs which they are incapable of meeting for themselves. It is in this state of humble reliance on others to which the Word of God entered as a Child. The Son of God was not too proud to allow Mary and Joseph to care for Him. Baby Jesus humbly turned completely to them for not only His human needs, but also to save Him from the dangers of the world of His time. My Brothers, we need to humble ourselves as Christ did. We need to recognize our complete dependence upon God. He is the source of our salvation. Just as our hearts are filled with joy when one of our little ones reaches out to us to be loved and cared for, we need to understand that God rejoices when we reach out to Him and entrust ourselves to His care. The Christ Child was born vulnerable and powerless to the Holy Family in Bethlehem. Mary and Joseph rejoiced at the gift of the Christ Child and the opportunity to care for Him. Embrace Love this day and every day. Let the new born King reign in your hearts and be filled with the Glory of God that the angels sang of on that first Christmas Night. When we turn completely to God, our Lord rejoices in our humble hearts opening to His glorious gift of salvation. Let the Gift of God’s favor rest in your souls today. May the Lord Give You Peace! Merry Christmas Fr Timothy, T.O.R.

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Member News & Members in the News

Division VP Jay McCarty at left and Brother Rick Parker, President Bob Fay, Chaplain Randy Sly, and Brothers Tim Second from right with Mairtin O’Muilleoir, in the middle, Melia and Dave Crew celebrating New Year’s Eve at The Ex-Mayor of Belfast at a DC reception. O’Faolain’s. (Their wives were there somewhere too.)

Mike Fay, son of President Bob Fay and a new Division Mike Fay at right with his brother and fellow Hibernian member in 2014 is currently serving with the Air Force. Brother Kevin Fay on a recent vacation back home.

Brother Rick Parker and VP Jay McCarty (seated in front) with their wives, some friends from Ireland and Father Pat Kelly, S.A.M., second from right. Father Kelly, a Division Brother, was in town visiting from his home in Tenafly, NJ.

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Irish Wit & Wisdom Mistaken Identity Pat and Seamus met and one said to the other, 'Have ye seen Mulligan lately, Pat?' Pat said, 'Well, I have and I haven't.' His friend asked, 'Shure, and what d'ye mean by that?' Pat said, 'It's like this, y'see...I saw a chap who I thought was Mulligan, and he saw a chap that he thought was me; But when we got up to one another...it was neither of us. Grounds for Divorce? 'Well, Mrs. O'Connor, so you want a divorce?' the solicitor questioned his client. 'Tell me about it. Do you have a grudge?' 'Oh, no,' replied Mrs. O'Connor. 'Shure now, we have a carport.' The solicitor tried again. 'Well, does the man beat you up?' 'No, no,' said Mrs. O'Connor, looking puzzled. 'Oi'm always first out of bed.' Still hopeful, the solicitor tried once again. 'What I'm trying to find out are what grounds you have.' 'Bless ye, sor. We live in a flat -- not even a window box, let alone grounds.' 'Mrs. O'Connor,' the solicitor said in considerable exasperation, 'you need a reason that the court can consider. What is the reason for you seeking this divorce?' 'Ah, well now,' said the lady, 'Shure it's because the man can't hold an intelligent conversation.' Sunday Drive Paddy was driving along the road one fine day when the local policeman, a friend of his, pulled him over. “What's wrong, Seamus?” Paddy asked. “Well didn't ya know, Paddy, that your wife fell out of the car about five miles back?” said Seamus. “Ah, praise the Almighty!” he replied with relief. “I thought I'd gone deaf!” Blessing: May your home be filled with laughter May your pockets be filled with gold And may you have all the happiness Your Irish heart can hold.

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COL. CUNNINGHAM DIVISION CALENDAR OF EVENTS— 2015 Jan 24 AOH Quarterly State Meeting---Alexandria

Feb 11 February Meeting Approve Charity Budget // Raffle Committee

Mar 07 Ballyshaners St. Patrick’s Parade—Alexandria

Mar 07 OLOH St Patrick’s Party ---AOH participation w/Dessert & Coffee AOH 5:00 PM Mass @ OLOH

Mar 04 Officers Meeting @ O’Faolain’s

Mar 11 March Meeting---Volunteers for raffle ticket sales!

Mar 14 AOH Concert @ Triangle, VA Officers

Mar 15 & 17 Kick off 2014 Raffle sales @ O’Faolain’s & O’Sullivan’s

Apr 08 April Meeting –

Apr ?? AOH Quarterly State Meeting

May 06 Officers Meeting @ O’Faolain’s

May 13 May Meeting--Prep for Golf Outing/picnic, & Scholarship Grants & Spring Disbursements

Jun 10 June Meeting

Jun 19 4th Annual “Poor Man’s” Golf Outing/ Picnic @ Sterling Par 3 Golf Course

Jul 13(Su) AOH Mass @ St. Joseph’s/ Brunch @ Sullivan’s **No July Monthly Meeting**

Jul ?? or Aug ?? AOH VA State CONVENTION—Alexandria, VA

Aug 12 August Meeting—Prep for Parish Sales of raffle Ticks

Aug ?? Ballyshaners Festival, Alexandria, VA

Sep 02 Officers Meeting @ O’Faolain’s

Sep 09 September Meeting--Charity Disbursements// Seminarians

Sep 27(Su) AOH Mass @ St. Theresa’s Hunters Run Winery Outing

Oct 14 October Meeting--Prep for Raffle drawing/ party

Oct 22 Raffle Drawing/ Party @ O’Faolain’s

Nov 04 Officers Meeting

Nov 12 November Meeting—Nominate Officers

Dec 09 December Meeting--Election of Officers

Dec 17 AOH Christmas Party @ O’Faolain’s

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Get Ready for Saint Patrick’s Day

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Some Thoughts on Irish Heritage

Nearly 35 million Americans claim Irish heritage, and among them are titans of sport. Athletes in basketball, football, hockey, boxing, tennis, and more boast an Irish ancestry, no matter their race (no, we haven’t found evidence that this includes Shaquille O’Neal, despite his lilting last name). Here’s a sample of Irish-American athletes, past and present. 1. Tom Brady: Through his father, the New England Patriots quarterback has roots in County Cork. His second great-grandfather, Patrick Buckley, was from Inniscarra, on the River Lee. “My father is 100 percent Irish,” Brady said in a 2009 interview with British media. “We took a trip over there together and visited some of the places where my family came from. That was a great experience for me and obviously I am very proud of my Irish roots.” 2. Derek Jeter: The Yankees MVP was born in 1974 to an African-American father, Charles, and Irish-German mother, Dorothy. It was Dorothy’s mother who first took him to Yankees games and made him a lifelong fan. 3. John McEnroe: Both of the tennis star’s paternal grandparents came from the Emerald Isle — his grandmother from County Westmeath and his grandfather from County Cavan. But they met in New York, where they settled and had McEnroe’s father, John Sr., a lawyer. John Jr. grew up in Queens. His fiery temper on the court has often been attributed to his Irish heritage, especially by members of the British press. 4. Muhammad Ali: Born Cassius Clay Jr., the boxing legend can trace his roots to Ennis, County Clare, on the west coast south of Galway. There Ali’s maternal great-grandfather, Abe Grady, lived before moving to the United States and settling in Kentucky. He married a former slave and the two had Ali’s grandfather. In 2009, Ali visited Ennis and got a hero’s welcome, receiving a special honor called the “freedom” of Ennis, which grants him special privileges in the town. 5. Nolan Ryan: The Hall of Fame pitcher’s Irish heritage comes from his father, whose ancestors immigrated to the United States over a century ago. Ryan grew up in Texas, where his father worked for an oil company, and he eventually played for two of the state’s teams, the Astros and Rangers. 6. Jason Kidd: A 10-time NBA all-star, Jason Kidd has an African-American father and Irish-American mother. He was born in San Francisco in 1973 and is now the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets. 7. Sean Casey: Former first baseman Casey played for the Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, and Cincinnati Reds before retiring in 2007 and was voted “the friendliest player in baseball,” in a Sports Illustrated poll. Boston was a good fit for the Irish-Catholic player, who knows where he comes from: “My great-grandfather came over from County Cork around the time of the Irish potato famine, when he was fourteen years old. He came over to Staten Island, and ended up on Long Island.” 8. Danica Patrick: Half-Irish, the popular NASCAR racer was the first woman to win an IndyCar race. She wears her heritage on her sleeve. In March 2014, she crashed in a Sprint Cup practice and afterwards took to Twitter: “Luck of the Irish was with me last night after getting wrecked early and only have 4th gear a lot of the race.” She added, “Happy St. Patrick’s Day!” (from Ancestry.com)

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http://www.ancestry.com/


Some Notes of Irish History January 27, 2015 marked the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the network of Nazi concentration camps in occupied Poland. The following story is about the recent commemoration to one Irish Priest who worked to help many escape from the Nazis in World War II.

Hero Priest Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty Honored in Kerry

By Stephen Walker BBC NI political reporter 29 October 2013

Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty helped to save an estimated 6,500 people

An Irish priest who saved thousands of lives during the Second World War was recently honored in County Kerry.

A memorial to Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty was to be unveiled in Killarney to mark the work of the priest who ran an escape line for Allied soldiers and Jews in Nazi occupied Rome. It is the first memorial to the priest in Ireland. The unveiling marked the 50th anniversary of his death in October 1963. Dubbed "Ireland's Oskar Schindler", Hugh O'Flaherty, who grew up in Killarney, masterminded a large-scale operation from within the Vatican, to help Jews and escaped Allied prisoners on the run from the Nazis. Often putting himself at serious risk, he used a series of safe houses and church buildings and sheltered an estimated 6,500 people. The bronze memorial, which includes a six foot high figure and replicas of the medals the monsignor was awarded, was designed by English artist Alan Ryan Hall who works in a studio on Valentia Island. Mr. Hall became a big fan of the monsignor when he read about his daring exploits in Rome. He said O'Flaherty was "a real swashbuckling priest". The artist has made a series of public works which are exhibited in towns across Ireland. He said the O'Flaherty memorial was "an absolute pleasure to make". During his time in Rome, Monsignor O’Flaherty was pitted against the local Gestapo commander Herbert Kappler who tried to assassinate the Irishman on a number of occasions. In later life, O'Flaherty and Kappler became friends.

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The memorial in Killarney cost £80,000. It has been paid for by donations and is being erected in the town center. Jerry O'Grady, chairman of the Hugh O'Flaherty Memorial Society, said he hoped the monsignor's story would now become widely known. Mr. O'Grady told the BBC that Hugh O'Flaherty "is now part of the Killarney story".

A six foot high statue of Monsignor O'Flaherty is part of the memorial

Relatives of Monsignor O'Flaherty will be at the unveiling ceremony along with members of Henrietta Chevalier's family. The mother of eight, who was a widow from Malta, was an essential part of the escape operation and ran a safe house in Rome. Family members, including her grandson David Sands, will be in Killarney along with relatives of British Army Colonel Sam Derry who organized the escape line with Monsignor O'Flaherty. The Irish priest's nephew - also called Hugh O'Flaherty and who is a retired judge - said the family was delighted about the memorial. "We are thrilled about the whole thing," he told the BBC. Pearl Dineen, who is a niece of the monsignor, said the memorial was "a dream fulfilled". She said it was most appropriate that it was being unveiled at this time. The Killarney ceremony was also attended by the UK ambassador to Ireland, local politicians and veterans groups. A modest man, if he was alive today Monsignor O' Flaherty would be uncomfortable with the attention his life is now receiving. He was awarded a CBE by the UK, a US Medal of Freedom, a medal from France and a medal from Italy. He died in County Kerry on 30 October in 1963 and is buried in Cahersiveen. One of his favorite sayings was "God has no country" and his words have been incorporated in the new memorial. The author of this story, Stephen Walker, is the author of Hide and Seek, The Irish Priest in the Vatican who defied the Nazi Command.

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“Faugh A Ballagh”

Colonel Thomas J Cunningham Jr. Division Contact Information President Bob Fay [email protected] Vice-President Jay McCarthy [email protected] Chairman of the Standing Committee Tim Melia [email protected] Chaplain, Father Randolph Sly [email protected] All Members Email [email protected]

Division Officers [email protected] The Cunningham Division Website www.aohloudoun.com The Virginia State AOH Website www.aohvirginia.org The AOH National Website www.aoh.com

Return of the Cunningham Chronicles This is the fourth edition of the new Cunningham Chronicles, named after our original Division newsletter. This newsletter is a little bit different than the original in that it is intended to be distributed by email to all the members, friends, and sponsors of the Colonel Cunningham Division. Our hope is to publish the Chronicles every quarter. We want to include news of the Division and our members. Please forward information to us if you are taking any trips to Ireland, have any stories of personal Irish history to share, news of family events (births, deaths, marriages, special anniversaries, awards, etc.). We would like think of our Division and our brothers as a big Irish Catholic family, and we would like to share our family stories and news. If you have any suggestions, ideas, stories, better jokes, prayer requests, etc., please send them on to Mike Hippchen ([email protected]) or Bob Anderson ( [email protected] ).

Brothers, In Our Motto, Friendship, Unity, and Christian Charity

“To be Irish is a Blessing. To be a Hibernian is an Honor”

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the cunningham chronicles...then we look ahead to 2015 with the election of officers, the planned...

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