Bishop John Kirby leads pastoral mission to the United States to meet with Irish emigrants

• Bishop Kirby will visit the site of the Berkeley balcony collapse to bless trees planted by President Higgins in memory of the young people who died and were injured

Today Bishop John Kirby, the chair of the Irish Episcopal Commission for Emigrants, departs for the United States of America for a twelve-day visit to meet with Irish emigrants, prisoners and their representatives in Boston and in San Francisco.  Bishop Kirby will be accompanied by the bishops’ emigrant officer, Mr Brian Hanley.

The purpose of the visit is to underpin the relevance of this Church outreach as a key support to the lived experience of Irish emigrants of different generations and backgrounds, as well as to recognise the Trojan work of the staff and volunteers of the Irish Apostolate USA.

The Irish Apostolate USA is the joint response of the Irish and United States Catholic Bishops to the needs of Irish immigrants in the United States.  There are six member centres of the Irish Apostolate, as well as a Presentation Sister working with Aisling Irish Community Center in New York, who works specifically with the bishops’ Irish Council for Prisoners Overseas.  2017 marks the 30^th year of service to Irish emigrants of the Boston centre, and the 20^th year of service of the San Francisco centre.

The centres and their chaplains work closely with the Irish embassies and consulates across the United States, and Bishop Kirby will be meeting with the ambassador and two of the Consulates General during the visit.

Before departing for the US Bishop Kirby said, “The Church in Ireland has a long tradition of supporting our emigrants, both pastorally and practically.  It is heart-breaking to see our people leave but our strong family and parish ties are a valuable support network for our emigrants.  However there are a large number of undocumented Irish emigrants living a twilight existence in the US, and it is this vulnerable group that I am most concerned about.”

Bishop Kirby continued, “Each year special collections are undertaken in a number of dioceses for emigrants and these funds provide financial assistance to Irish centres in the US, the UK and elsewhere so as to develop key services and supports for the more vulnerable members of the Irish community abroad. The generosity of parishioners at home shows a keen awareness of the challenge emigration poses to our culture, both historically and up to the present.  I hope to convey this positive message of support to the staff and volunteers in our centres in America.” 

ENDS

Notes to Editors

• Bishop John Kirby is Bishop of Clonfert.
  
• Boston:

The Irish Pastoral Centre – Boston was founded in 1987 in direct response to the large increase in Irish immigrants in the Greater Boston area and is located in Saint Brendan’s Parish in Dorchester, Massachusetts.  It offers a comprehensive range of caring and culturally appropriate spiritual, family, social, legal, and educational services to more than 1,300 vulnerable and at-risk immigrants of various ethnic backgrounds of all ages who are in need and living in Greater Boston. 

During his visit to Boston Bishop Kirby will meet a cross section of Irish emigrants: parents and emigrants of all ages.  Bishop Kirby will also meet with An Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation Ms Francis Fitzgerald TD, Minister Brendan Griffin, Ireland’s Ambassador to the United States His Excellency Mr Daniel Mulhall and with other Irish diplomats, members of Boston’s clergy, senior police officers and with Mr Ray Flynn, former mayor of Boston and US ambassador to the Vatican.

• San Francisco:

Bishop Kirby will visit the Irish Immigration Pastoral Center to meet staff and volunteers.  Founded in 1997, the mission of the IIPC is to provide a home away from home for Irish immigrants in the Western United States.  In essence, it is a parish without boundaries offering spiritual, social, medical, educational, legal, and financial guidance and advice to Irish who are thousands of miles away from home and family.  The IIPC helps to lessen the feeling of loneliness, isolation and frustration experienced by newly arrived Irish immigrants, as well as by providing practical assistance to members of our community.

Bishop Kirby will join Immigrant Chaplain and President of the Irish Immigration Pastoral Center, Father Brendan McBride for a series of events to celebrate the 20^th anniversary of both the IIPC and Immigrant Chaplaincy in San Francisco.  Bishop Kirby will celebrate Mass and meet with 150 members of the IIPC Active Retirement Club; followed by meetings with the Archbishop of San Francisco Salvatore Cordileone; Consul General of Ireland, Robert O’Driscoll and the board of directors of the Irish Immigration Pastoral Center.  Bishop Kirby will also meet with Irish-born priests and religious serving their ministry in the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as members of the undocumented Irish community.  Bishop Kirby will also visit the site of the Berkeley balcony collapse and bless the trees planted by President Michael D Higgins in memory of the young people who died and those who were injured.  Bishop Kirby will close his trip with the celebration of a Mass for the Irish community at Saint Philip’s Church, 725 Diamond Street, San Francisco to mark the 20^th anniversary celebration on 11 November. 

From July 2016 to August 2017, the IIPC fielded an average of 488 queries a week.  The programmes offered are: Wellness Program; Pastoral Care; Active Retirement Program; Immigration and Legal Services; Immigrant Support; Community Building and Outreach. 

• Location of the six members of the Irish Apostolate USA:
• San Francisco: Irish Immigration Pastoral Centre 5340 Geary Blvd., Suite 206 San Francisco, CA 94121
• Seattle: Seattle Irish Immigration Support Group P.O. Box 75123 Seattle, WA 98175
• Chicago: Chicago Irish Immigrant Support 4626 N. Knox Avenue, Suite 301 Chicago, IL 60630
• San Diego: Irish Outreach San Diego 2725 Congress Street, Suite 2G San Diego, CA 92110
• Boston: Irish Pastoral Centre 15 Rita Road Dorchester, MA 02124
• Ocean City: Irish Outreach Ocean City, MD.                                                      

For media contact: Catholic Communications Office Maynooth: Martin Long 00353 (0) 86 172 7678 and Katie Crosby 00353 (0) 86 8623298