THE CRESCENT HARP OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE ANCIENT ORDER OF HIBERNIANS VOLUME 3, ISSUE 1 SEPTEMBER-NOVEMBER 2011 FOLLOW THE LOUISIANA AOH ON-LINE NEW STATE BOARD TAKES THE http://aohla.com Facebook: Louisiana State Board of HELM OF THE AOH the Ancient Order of Hibernians After a very close agenda for the vari- election at the Bien- ous AOH commit- nial State Conven- tees that conduct tion, the Hibernians the work of the of Louisiana have Order and promote chosen their State Hibernianism in all Board. appropriate ways. Joseph Casler, an The attendees at attorney for Pro- the Convention gressive Insurance, shared a singular UPCOMING EVENTS the choice of the dedication to their State Nominating Irish Catholic faith Board for President, that was reflected AOH Hannan and won a narrow vic- in their committee Gibbons Divisions tory over John Fitz- discussions, and all morris III, an in- participants re- Meeting structor at Holy solved to work in Thursday, Cross College, who Unity to bring the had been nominated Order to all those September 22, 2011 from the floor. The newly elected State Board stands in the sanctuary of who wish to cele- Kenneth Farrell, St. Patrick Church. From left to right, Financial Secre- brate their Irish ST. DOMINIC PARISH head coach of the tary Matthew Ahearn, President Joseph Casler, Vice- Catholic heritage CAFETERIA New Orleans Jest- President Kenneth Farrell, and Treasurer Bernard J. and faith and defend 6326 Memphis Street “B.J.” Eckholdt. The Board plans to move the Order ers Soccer Club, that same heritage forward throughout the state, increase membership, and 7:00 p.m. won the position of develop plans for a Hibernian Hall. and faith from igno- Vice-President over rance and attempts Lawrence Uhde III, an event plan- and vowed to continue their work to undermine it. ner, while retired accountant for the good of the Order. The State Convention con- Bernard J. “B.J.” Eckholdt and The new Board takes over lead- cluded with a Mass celebrated by INSIDE THIS ISSUE: independent contractor Matthew ership of the Hibernians during a Division 1 Orleans Chaplain Fr. Ahearn ran unopposed for Treas- time of transition as younger Neal McDermott, O.P. followed FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 2 urer and Financial Secretary re- members continue to come into by a banquet to celebrate the good spectively. the Order. As part of his plat- work of the Order. MESSAGE FROM THE NEW STATE 3 Despite a spirited campaign, form, Brother Casler has pledged Brother Casler’s call to all PRESIDENT good feelings and unity reigned to involve more Hibernians in the Hibernians: “Get involved. Make NEW ORLEANS RUGBY TEAM 4 supreme as the election focused conduct of the Order’s business, the Ancient Order truly the fore- WINS CHAMPIONSHIP on the issues confronting the An- especially through the Committee most Irish Catholic organization in PRAYERS AND INTENTIONS 5 cient Order. After the election, system. the State of Louisiana.” both runners-up pledged their In addition to the elections, the support for the new State Board State Convention mapped out an NEW ORLEANS LAUNCHES IRISH 6 NETWORK The AOH is going “Green!” ANNUAL IRISH NIGHT 7 Let us know if you want us to continue to mail you the newsletter or if you HISTORICAL MOMENT 10 would rather get via e-mail. Just let us know at [email protected]. PAGE 2 THE CRESCENT HARP FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: THE CRESCENT HARP PRIDE IN ONE’S CATHOLICISM Editor-in-Chief John Fitzmorris III In 1985, Mel Mermelstein, a Hun- obstruction of the investigations the ever-present threat of jail and Editorial Staff garian-born Jew, U.S. citizen, and a into sexual abuse. And if the Irish even torture were not acts of pride John T. Browne survivor of Auschwitz, sued the nation, long the keeper of the but acts of tremendous faith. The Stanton McNeely Institute of Historical Review for Catholic flame even in the darkest willingness to sacrifice life and limb Ex-Officio breach of contract. The Institute, of days, now publicly criticizes in the face of Know-Nothing thugs Joseph Casler an anti-Semitic organization that Rome, darkness may be an under- to protect the Church was not an State President denied the Holocaust offered statement for the times. act that bespoke superiority but Harold Burke $50,000 to anyone who could prove And yet, our history and tradi- courage and love. John Fitzmorris Jr. it had indeed taken place. Mermel- tion shows that in times when many As Hibernians, it is our sworn Mark Foley stein offered his own testimony and perceived the Church in its greatest duty not to erect barriers and take Martin Kearney photos and other documents as crisis, the Church not only survived the offensive against those critics Dennis Quinn proof, but the Institute continued its but flourished. The Church will who for whatever reason appear to Division Presidents benighted denials. In the process of withstand the poison of the abuse be attacking the Church. Instead, getting a United States Court to crisis and the subsequent cover-ups our job is very simple. take judicial notice for the first time because the it is more than just Practice the faith. that the Holocaust was a fact, Mer- priests and bishops, no matter how Let us all be examples of Chris- melstein underwent a demeaning important they may be. Pope John tian Charity in both word and deed. deposition conducted by the Insti- XXIII called the Church “The Peo- Let us all gather to celebrate the tute’s attorney in which he was ple of God,” and it is these people sacraments as family men and as asked if he was “proud to be a Jew.” who will hold the Church together Hibernians. Let us all take a mo- Mermelstein responded that he and make it flourish. ment and reach out to a young man was neither proud nor ashamed to However, the instrument who we discern might be hearing be a Jew, it was simply a matter of through the Church will survive and the call of the Lord to serve the fact and that he would be the same prosper will not be pride. The offi- people as a priest. Let us remember person inside whether Jewish or cial definition of pride is “that which with profound gratitude rather than not. excites boasting or self- pride the risks and sacrifices made While the story is certainly congratulation; the occasion or by our ancestors to preserve the compelling on the human level, it ground of self-esteem, or of arro- Catholic faith. Let us return that “Let earnest truth, stern also holds an important lesson for all gant and presumptuous confidence, gratitude by raising proper young of us who adhere to our Catholi- as beauty, ornament, noble charac- men and women in the Christian fidelity to principle, love cism. ter.” The eighteenth chapter of St. ethic. Of late, a series of e-mails, text Luke’s gospel contains a direct con- Let us remember that both the for all who bear the messages, Facebook posts, and even demnation of those who set them- Archbishop of New Orleans and the articles in Catholic publications have selves up as better than others. In Bishop of Lafayette have called upon name of Irishmen, sus- been rallying the Catholic faithful to addition, most Catholics know full us to remember the victims of the tain, ennoble and im- express “pride” in their Catholicism. well that pride is among the seven crimes and that they are deserving In a time in which the faithful of the deadly sins. of our sympathy and compassion. mortalise [sic] this Church have endured the depreda- It has been the sin of pride—the Let us remember that our ad- tions of sexual abuse by a small mi- belief that somehow we as Catholics herence to a creed or doctrine does cause. Thus shall we nority of the clergy and the resulting are superior and are set apart from not set us apart or make us a overly media coverage, many have used the rest of our fellow humans by our special. Let us remember as Hiber- reverse the dark fortunes “pride in Catholicism” as a bulwark creed and rituals—that has in part nians that all of us—all of us—are of the Irish race, and against the so-called biases of the contributed to the problems con- special because God has created us “anti-Catholic” media. fronting the Church. Accusing oth- and made us in order to practice the call forth here a new Brother Hibernians, there is no ers and the media for resenting us love and charity so essential to our doubt that the Church is in a period because of our position is not in existence. nation from the ruins of of transition if not outright crisis. keeping with the Catholic tradition When we do so, we eschew the Less and less young men are an- and in fact resembles many who sin of pride that leads to events like the old. swering the call to the priesthood. claim Christianity yet hardly prac- the Holocaust or church burning or - Thomas F. Meagher Many of the Catholic faithful are tice it. terrible abuse and to groups and indeed abandoning the religion of The Hibernian tradition...its people who deny that such events (1823-1867) their ancestors either from a sense entire foundation...rests not upon ever happened. of pain or a sense of disgust at the pride but upon the courage that was current events.