you gave me the gift of hope.”

The quotation above is from one of our clients at last month’s legal clinic. It was my best Christmas present ever.

Each year, the Irish Immigration Center helps more than 3,000 people with a huge range of issues – from applying for U.S. and Irish citizenship to helping stranded Irish visitors get back home.

It is your generosity that makes our work possible.

So please consider making a year-end gift to the Irish Immigration Center.

You will change the lives of the people we serve.

Thank you for being there for us.

Have a very happy new year!

Help support the work of the Irish Immigration Center

Click here to donate now!

I know, here at the Immigration Center, we have much to be thankful for. From our new meeting space to our new staff member Leslie, the Center continues to grow -

This is all thanks to you.

Thank you for your continued support.
For your donations; for your referrals; for your time.

There would be no Immigration Center without you.

Go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir!

And if you have time to join us for lunch tomorrow, please do!

Annual Thanksgiving Luncheon at Cawley’s – Wednesday, November 21 at 12:30 p.m.
Possibly one of my favourite events of the year – we will host our annual Thanksgiving Luncheon at Cawley’s this Wednesday at 12:30 p.m.

If you haven’t already done so, please RSVP to Leslie on 610-789-6355, as we need to give Sean and the gang an accurate count.

You’re also welcome to bring dessert. (The best part of lunch is always the homemade scone.)

And in other news from the Irish community …

The 124th Annual Donegal Ball
Saturday, November 24 at 6 p.m.

The Donegal Association will be hosting its annual ball at the Irish Center this Saturday. We have a few tickets to sell here at the Immigration Center, so give me a call on 610-789-6355 if you’d like some.

Make sure you join us for this fun event.

Wee Oscar Knox Fundraiser
Sunday, December 2 at 2 p.m.
The Philadelphia community has rallied round the cause of Wee Oscar Knox, a young boy from Belfast, who is suffering from neuroblastoma.

Please join us at Tir na nOg on Sunday, December 2 to help cover the costs of his medical care. You can buy tickets online through Irish Network-Philadelphia.

Hope to see you all soon!

Have a very happy Thanksgiving!

The predictive pepperoni picker Gastronomo has his say on the All-Ireland.

What say ye?

And don’t forget, the Irish Center will be hosting a pep rally tonight and showing the match on Sunday at 10 a.m.

But first, we have some other celebrations to announce.

Board members Joe Kelley Jr. and Tom Higgins to be honored – March 8, 2012
I am thrilled that two of our board members, Joseph T. Kelley Jr. of Kelley & Murphy and Thomas J. Higgins of PruFoxRoach were chosen to be in the Parade’s 2012 Ring of Honor, in recognition of their service to the Irish community.

Having worked with both Joe and Tom for the last two and a half years, I get to see first hand how hard they work and how much they care about the Irish community. It’s a honor for me to have such great board members and I’m delighted they will be recognised at the Parade.

Joe and Tom will be sashed at the annual Parade dinner, which will be held on Thursday, March 8 at 5:30 p.m. at the DoubleTree Hotel on Broad and Locust.

I hope you will be able to attend – to support Joe and Tom, to meet our Grand Marshall John Dougherty, and to support the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

Toast for John Dougherty – Friday, March 9
Please join the Irish community as we toast our 2012 Grand Marshall John J. Dougherty onFriday, March 9 at 8 p.m. at Finnigan’s Wake.

Toasts will be offered by Senator Robert Casey, Congressman Bob Brady, Congressman Patrick Murphy and Councilman Bobby Henon.

Tickets are $50 and if you’d like information on sponsorship, please contact Bobby Gormley on 215-906-2023.

It’s going to be a great night – I hope I will see you there.

And finally, what you have all been waiting for – the Parade!

St. Patrick’s Day Parade – Sunday, March 11 

All set for the Parade?

The Irish Immigration Center will be gathering at 19th and JFK at 12 p.m. this Sunday, March 11 to take part in the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

It’s going to be sunny, and maybe even warm, so a perfect day. I hope you’ll join us for the Parade and then for our after-party at The Bards, with IN-Philly, the Irish American Business Chamber and the Brehons.

See you on Thursday. Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig oraibh!

I hope you are all set for St. Patrick’s Day and the bazillion events to celebrate our national saint and all things Irish.

I’m going to be running around from now until March 18, so I’m bound to catch you at something.

Here are a few of the upcoming highlights – starting this Thursday!

Theatre Fundraiser with Inis Nua – Thursday, Feb 9
Have you bought your tickets for Little Gem yet? 

Philadelphia’s Irish theatre company will present a new play from Dublin, and once again, they have generously agreed to donate a portion of all ticket sales on February 9 to the Immigration Center.

So, please buy your tickets today. Come see a wonderful contemporary Irish play, set in my hometown (Come on, ye boys in blue!), and help support the work of the Immigration Center at the same time.

See you on February 9th!

Vote early, vote often – Dancing Like a Star!

It’s only two and half weeks till the Delco Gaels’ fundraiser, Dancing Like a Star.

And because I can’t dance, I’m happy to announce that you can actually vote for me and Enda without even seeing us perform!

Taking a tip from Fianna Fail, the Gaels have opened uponline pre-voting, so do me favour, support the Delco Gaels and vote for me!

(I am also happy to accept brown envelopes Monday to Friday at the Immigration Center.)

I had a sneak preview of some of the dances on Sunday and I can promise you that it is going to be a fabulous night. You will be amazed!

I still have a few tickets for sale if you are interested, and don’t forget to vote early, vote often! 

The Delco Gaels are a great cause and I desperately need your support - I won’t be winning based on my footwork, I assure you.

And in other news from the Irish community …

Monday, Feb 13 – Enda Keegan and John Byrne play the North Star
My dance partner Enda Keegan and singer-songwriter John Byrne team up for a special show at the North Star Bar on Monday, February 13 at 8 p.m.

John and Enda are enormously talented, and this is a great opportunity for you to catch some original Irish music performed by some of my favourite musicians in the city.

Best of all, it’s free! But we will welcome all votes for Enda!

Sunday, February 26 – Fundraiser for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade
We’re in the midst of full-on fundraising for the St. Patricks’ Day parade right now. So if you love the Parade and want to make sure this tradition continues, please join us for a great event withJamison and the Bogside Rogues on Sunday, February 26 at 3 p.m.

Where: Insulators Hall, 2012 Horning Road, Philadelphia PA 19116

Tickets are $35.

Please contact Mary Frances Fogg for details: frassee4055@comcast.net or 267-228-0418

See you all soon!

I always know in my head that November is the crazy ball month of the Irish calendar, but yet, each year I am caught by surprise at just how many great events the Irish community can manage to fit into just a few weeks.

And it’s my birthday month too – awesome!

Winter Benefit – Sunday at 3 PM

I’m going to list a few of my favourite events in a minute, but first, I hope you have dusted off your dancing shoes and are ready for the Irish Immigration Center’s Winter fundraiser this Sunday.

We will be at Finnigan’s Wake on Third and Spring Garden from 3 o’clock on Sunday. The Bogside Rogues will be playing; there will be dancing; there will be singing; there will be tasty food.

And most importantly, all proceeds will go to fund the work of the Irish Immigration Center. So please, please come out to support us.

The Immigration Center helps over 3,000 people a year with a huge range of issues – from applying for U.S. and Irish citizenship to helping stranded Irish visitors get back home. And it is your support that makes our work possible.

So please take a moment to buy your tickets online or make a donation directly to the Center.

And see you on Sunday!

A few more great events I hope you will attend!

Friday, November 4 – Irish Network-Philadelphia is hosting a lecture on the future of Ireland given the current global crisis. It’s going to be a great event and I hope I’ll see you there.

While you’re at it, you should really become a member too!

Saturday, November 5 – the Mayo Association is hosting its 106th Mayo Ball. If you can only attend one ball this season, it has to be Mayo!

Sunday, November 6 - St. Malachy Parish will hold its annual Irish concert with Mick Moloney and friends. Proceeds support St. Malachy School, which has long been funded by the Irish community. Let’s keep that tradition alive.

And the best part is, you can support St. Malachy and then come over to Finnigan’s to support the Immigration Center. A perfect Sunday afternoon – well, for a non-Eagles week.

See you all soon!

This tragedy happened in New Zealand, but we have had similar cases here in the United States. Preventing this from happening in our community is a driving force behind the programs for seniors at Irish Immigration Centers around the country.

We host a weekly lunch program for seniors every Wednesday at the Center. We provide food, Barry’s Tea, choccie biccies, music and programs relating to senior care in our community.

But we want to do more.

We all know older members in our community living alone.
We all know people who need some help with their messages or small chores around the house.
We all know people in hospitals or homes who would love a visitor.

And we are determined to provide those services.

I’ve just made an offer to a full-time social worker, who will start at the Immigration Center in November. Leslie’s first job will be to figure out how we can ensure  the vulnerable members of our community are cared for.

To help fund this expansion of our services, we are hosting a Winter Benefit at Finnigan’s Wake on November 6.

I hope you will be able to join us and help ensure all our seniors have a happy Christmas!

Irish Winter Celebration

Thanks to the generosity of Mike Driscoll, the Immigration Center will be hosting a winter celebration on November 6 at Finnigan’s Wake to raise money for our senior services.

It’s a Sunday – no Eagles game – and the perfect chance for you to get together with some friends to enjoy some live music, raise some glasses and raise some money for the Center.

Tickets start at $30. Kids are welcome!

And you can find all the details and buy your tickets here.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me on 610-789-6355.

It’s the last day of 2010, which has really been an excellent year for the Center.

Thanks everyone for all your support – from your donations of time and, of course, money and to all the fabulous ideas you have on how we can work together to strengthen the Irish community here in Philadelphia … and beyond!

We have lots of great plans for 2011, including:

• a special celebration of Little Christmas at the Irish Center;
• establishing a genealogy group here at the Immigration Center;
• building partnerships with organizations like IrishPhiladelphia.com and the Sunday Irish Radio Shows to serve you more effectively;
• promoting Philadelphia as a J-1 destination;
• and more!

So stay tuned for all our news and plans.

And the very best wishes for a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year!

Athbhliain faoi mhaise daoibh go léir!

P.S.  Our partners at IrishPhiladelphia.com just launched their new website. It’s full of all the best pictures and stories of 2010 – check it out.

P.P.S. You still have time to make a last minute donation to the Immigration Center – go on, make my year!

Over the last year, the Center has grown in leaps and bounds. We’ve hosted authors and musicians; we’ve helped dozens of people apply for U.S. and Irish citizenship; we helped raise money for the Commodore Barry Club; we even survived our first gala.

And I owe all of this to you and the incredible support you’ve given me over the past year.

So thank you everyone! I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.

And in the spirit of thankfulness, I wanted to share the beautiful prayer Fr. Mac wrote for Anne O’Callaghan at our recent gala. Many people in our community will be unable to spend Thanksgiving with their families – this poem is also for them.

The undocumented     the uninsured     the un-franchised

(neither Democrat nor Republican)

Unnoticed    unless we bother to look

Seasonal workers     straw hats bobbing in the fields

on our way to the ocean

or with baseball caps and bicycles

quietly and early off to work

cleaning the restaurants and hotels that host us

We see them at “servicios” storefront money wiring agencies

sending their few new dollars home to their distant family

Refugees and immigrants     fleeing from God knows what

to God knows where  -  well, here!

Women learning English at welcoming centers.

Babies in arms    or at home with others

working a different shift

More recently living in fear of the authorities

the police    Homeland Security

El Salvadorans   (and Irish of course)

Eastern Europeans    Liberians    Ethiopians

Haitians and Cambodians

Fleeing tsunamis    earthquakes or hunger or oppression

Mercy Lord      have mercy

Thank you for Anne and her workers

and her Welcoming Center

She helps us with a hospitality required of us all

by way of nothing more than sisterhood and brotherhood

And who is my neighbor?

A wounded healer     herself knowing the perils of migration

Bless all the peoples of these historic migrations

these wanderers     give them Good Samaritans

Which is to say make all of us welcoming

Bless Anne     Bless her workers

Bless the food we share

May we share food and more with those

who have so much less

Amen!    Amen!

John P. McNamee

This season, six Philadelphia theatre companies will be performing eight Irish plays as part of the Philadelphia Irish Theatre Festival, which kicks off on Wednesday, November 17 with a special reception for Fiach MacConghail, director of the Abbey Theatre in Dublin.

As part of this festival, Inis Nua Theatre Company will make a donation to the Immigration Center for every ticket sold at two select performances of their upcoming plays: Pumpgirl and Dublin by Lamplight.

That’s right – if you buy a ticket for Pumpgirl on January 13 or Dublin by Lamplight on April 28, you can see a great new Irish play and support the Immigration Center’s work.

So, buy your tickets today and support two great Irish organizations with a great night out!