The Irish standard., 1919-01-11
John 0'Dea on
The A. 0.

UG Hs VI ID
Philadelphia address of John O'Dea,
State<Secretary of the Ancient Order
of Hibernians at the New Years Re-
ception to Archbishop Dougherty, at
the Cathedral Chapel, 18th and Sum.
mer Streets, New Years Day.
AS State Secretary of the Ancient
Order of Hibernians 1 bring to Your
Grace-bring with traditional devo.
tion-the Fluctuations Of the Oldest
and most intensely Catholic organiza.
ton of the Irish race in existence.
The Ancient Order of Hibernians
traces it's origin to those Orders
which f1ourished in pagan Ireland, and
which exercised so potent an influ-
ence on the Celtic race. The Order of
Knighthood was the first of these ord.
ers to be founded. 1t existed from
| the earliest times, and is visible in
the annals of the nation, until the
Anglo ormans invaded the land in
the twelfth century In pagan Ire
land the Knightly Orders became pro-
vincial standing armies, and there are
many glorious pages describing the
feats of the Clanna Deagha of Nun
ster, the Clanna Norma of Connaught
the FEM of 1einster and the knights
of the Red Branch of Ulster. When
Ireland was Christianized, these
Knightly Orders were among the
staunchest supporters of the mission
airy priests, and were consecrated to
the service of the churches in The
sixth century, assuming the cross as
their distinctive emblem, and becom.
ing the defenders of religion. These
| ancient orders were revived to resist
| the penal code, and to be again, de
tenders of religion, at the Confedera
ton of Kilkenny in 1912, by Rory
| O'Moore, grandfather of Patrick Sars
| field, and were established in America
under the name of the Ancient Order
of Hibernians, in 1886. The order
pays annually, for charity, sick and
death benefits, and maintenance, over
$1,000,O00, and has donated, during the
last eighty years, about $20,00O,OOO to
works of beneficence, one of the larg-
est of it's gifts being for the endow,
ment of the Gaelic Chair in the Catho.
lie University of America, $4,000, and
one of it's greatest gifts to charity the
contribution of $4,000 to the suffer,
ers from the San Francisco earth.
quake. r..
The orders propaganda to dissent
nate a wider knowledge of Irish his
tory in America it believes to be one
of the most exalted duties of patriot
ism confronting the race in this con.
, tinent. 1t realizes that for almost
eight centuries a black cloud of tyr.
amy, injustice and destruction has
obscured the glory of the Irish race.
Suppressed by overwhelming might,
concealed by all the crafty articles of
inimical governments the, splendid
facts of Irish history, which once
doomed colossal to the rapt gaze OF
nations were fading into forgetfulness
just as the Ancient Order of Hibern.
ians awoke to the peril of inaction
We felt that without knowledge of
Irish history our race in America
would become alienated from Irish be.
liefs, and be lost in the march of gen.
erations through world of strangers.
For we know that our hereditary foe
once taught that the Irish were race
of assassins, and again that they were
race of clowns. Hence, therefore
the orders desire to have Irish his
tory placed on the curriculua of the
parochial schools of our country.
The greetings which the Ancient
Order of Hibernians bring Your Grace
on this, your first New Year as the
Archbishop of Philadelphia, are mel
lowed with the memory of ages of per
secution-persecutio that, we con
fidently believe, when the Peace Con
ference shall have closed its sessions
will have passed forever. This con
fdence in ultimate triumph is trait
of both race and creed since the frs
Christian Bishop raised the cross il
the valleys where paths have beer
trodden by the feet of forty genera
lions fastening to Catholic shrine:
and to Catholic affairs.
In felicitating Your Grace on this
occasion we recall with pafdonabl'
pride that you are son of the anci
ent race of which our order is com
posed, and we venture the hope tina
the power of our~intellect and tn
strength of your heart will be Ion,
spared to this archdiocese-a glory t.
| 1,our follow Catholics glory to al