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Cora Flood – profile

Cora Flood has worked most of her adult life on immigrant related programs.  In her earlier years, she worked as an outreach coordinator at the Irish International Immigration Center in Boston.  A terrific organizer she had a gift for bringing people together from wide ends of the spectrum and was a highly popular member of staff.  She later joined the Irish Pastoral Centre, in 2006 and was given the role of getting our senior program off the ground.  In no time at all, Cora established a program which has become highly successful and is today one of the leading programs of its kind in the USA.

Today, because of her leadership and tireless efforts getting the program off the ground, over 500 Irish senior citizens are members of the IPC’s Senior Citizen program.

“Cora has been the heart and soul of the Senior Program since the beginning,” said Catherine Moloney, who is today working on the IPC Senior Program.

Indeed, Mr. Steven Greeley of the American Ireland fund was so impressed by Cora and her Senior Citizen Program that he and his organization donated funds for the purchase of a bus.  The senior shuttle bus is today used for the transportation needs of the Senior Programs members.

Each week there are senior citizen events in Dorchester and Brighton, and a monthly trip to the Irish Cultural Centre, NE.  The event in is so successful that the IPC has to limit attendance to 180.

The IPC Chaplain, Fr. John McCarthy said, “Cora Flood has been a work colleague for five years now and her dedication to the IPC and particularly to the Senior Program has been second to none.  Her personality, being a great team player, her good humor, and that great smile won over everyone she met.”

Because of her initial work and program development, today hundreds attend the annual mass at the Cathedral on St. Patrick’s  day and there is a year long program of fun trips from a day by the sea in Rockport, at a afternoon gaming at the casinos in Foxwoods.  Cora assembled a great group of volunteers to help her run and participate in the programs activities.

“She worked tirelessly for the good of our Centre and we will never forget the contribution she made to our Irish community in Boston,” said Fr. McCarthy, “We are so glad that Cora will be there to lend a hand with future programs even on a voluntary basis. She’s not getting away that easily!

Cora lives in Dorchester with partner Brian Crosse and their three children Orla, Killian and Conor.  We are delighted to recognize her for all of her work and support of our programs.

Check out the flyer: IPC – Irish Social Club

As we celebrate Mothers’ Day this weekend, the Irish Pastoral Centre wishes to extend blessings to all the mothers in our “parish without boundaries” and ask that God may continue to walk with you and your families.

Sr. Marguerite Kelly

Fr. John McCarthy met with Mr. Jimmy Dennihan, Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht  during his visit to Boston last weekend.   Fr. John availed of this opportunity to speak with the Minister about the important work of the Irish Pastoral Centre, ‘as the feet on the street’ ministry with the Boston Irish Immigrant community.

Irish Senior Connect News…from Susan Doody, Coordinator

This week we’re talking with seniors in the Boston area Irish community about our listening line and what makes it unique. Most help lines offer support, information and resource referrals. The listening line provides these things, but is a specialized listening service for seniors, especially helpful to those who may spend a good deal of time alone.

The listening line call is an opportunity to talk with another person in a safe and confidential environment, and focus on what the senior thinks is important and helpful to discuss.  It is a conversation between a senior caller and a trained volunteer who actively listens in a caring and understanding way.

The senior caller receives positive affirmation and acceptance of their feelings and thoughts. A caller might ring to say how their day is going, how they are feeling, to talk about an event that was upsetting, or was a good experience. It might be about decisions to be made or about a memory from the past or a plan for the future. How about those Red Sox? There are a lot of subjects to discuss on the listening line!

The service is an opportunity for daily conversation, with a caring person who will always be willing and able to listen to what a senior caller has to say.  If there is a request for additional services, we will provide an appropriate service referral from our list of area resources.

Please call the listening line, and say hello to one of our friendly volunteers today. Isn’t this a good time for you to make the listening line connection?

For further information, or to say hello, please call the Irish Senior Connect Listening Line at: 855-249-5146 or Email: seniorconnect@ciic-usa.org

Senior Notes

By Catherine Moloney, Social Services and Senior Program Coordinator

Email me at catherinemoloney@ipcboston.org or call 617 265 5300 x 12

We had a good turnout for the Cara Club as always. Kevin O’Sullivan gave us all a few laughs with his video of the Irish standup comedian Brendan Grace and a few other funny short movie clips including a 2 year old dancing to Elvis music! Afterwards we had our sing-a-long with some old favorites.

A group of 10 boys from Catholic Memorial School Middle School joined us at the coffee morning along with their teachers Mary Concannon and Chris Boyle. They organized a beautiful service for Mother’s Day and each one of them read a special intention and led a prayer. They brought along some lovely plants and distributed them to all of the women at the coffee morning as a present for Mother’s Day. Two senior boys from CMS High School came along also and helped the volunteers with the set up, giving out teas and coffees and clean up. Everyone really enjoyed their visit, the Mother’s Day service and chatting to the boys afterwards. They are a credit to their school and their families.

Ken Smyth and Pat Moran were missed at the coffee morning as both have been unwell. We send our best wishes to Ken and Pat and look forward to seeing them both again soon.

My Life, My Health

It was week 4 this week of the “My Life, My Health” course run by the ABCD Elder Services at the IPC in Dorchester. The course is going very well and is being enjoyed by all of those attending.  Mary Fitzgerald one of the attendees describes it as a very open and relaxed group. Each member of the group makes their own plan of action for the week, committing maybe to walk a couple of times a week, drink more water, or eat more vegetables. Having to report back the following week, Mary says, it means you are more likely to live up to your plan!

Music for Memory

We had a nice group at the Music for Memory and a very enjoyable evening was had by all. At times there was as much laughing as there was singing with the chat and the stories of times gone by being shared. The Music for Memory will continue to take place on the second Thursday of the month at the IPC.

Please feel free to call Catherine Moloney at 617 265 5300 x12 for more information on IPC Senior Citizen Outreach Program activities and services

By Sr. Marguerite Kelly

Email me at srmkelly@ipcboston.org

Know and give the love of Christ

At first hearing, Jesus command to his friends sounds too easy to be true.  Jesus tells them that they are to love.  But this is easier said than done and certainly more complicated than the list-specific “shalts” and “shalt nots” of the Ten Commandments.

If we try to learn love from watching television and movies, love looks easy.  Simply take pleasure in someone and, when the warm feelings fade, walk away.  If we learn love from watching and listening to Jesus in the gospels, our task is much harder.

Jesus love is total giving – life-giving, giving to the one being loved.  By our love we give joy to others without regard for our own feelings.  But even more deeply, love is a giving of our self. This is the beginning of laying down one’s life for another.

But if we are to give such love, we must first know love.  We must begin to grasp the depth of God’s love for us – for every part of us.  In the Sunday liturgy we gather precisely to learn, remember, and celebrate this love; and in celebrating we come to know it in the depth of our being.

Today, while basking in God’s abundant love, let us focus on the sign of peace.  Forget the timid wave – grasp a hand.  Make eye contact.  Look into the yearnings within the other person.  It is there that the love and peace of Christ will truly find a home.

Living with Christ                                                                 Margaret Bick

Immigration and US Citizenship News

By Kieran C. O’Sullivan – Immigration Counselor

Email me your immigration query or a topic you would like us to cover today:  Kieran@ipcboston.org

Billy Feeney, RIP

This past week we were saddened to learn of the death of Billy Feeney, a native of County Longford.  Irish immigrants will be well aware of Billy’s contribution to Irish culture, events and Irish organizations in New England over the past number of decades.  His successful company, Woburn Printing, was located in Woburn Massachusetts.

Whenever Billy learned of a tragic situation involving an Irish emigrant for whom benefits were being organized, he often generously donated his time and resources to the events.  Flyers, raffle tickets and event posters were often printed and donated to worthy causes at little or no cost.  A long time supporter of the GAA and banquets, Billy was a very popular man and his passing is seen as a great loss in the community.  To his wife Peggy and family, we offer our sincere sympathy.  May he Rest in Peace.

IPC Fundraiser May 19th, 2012

We invite readers and supporters to attend our fundraiser on Saturday night, May 19th at 8 PM in the Irish Social Club, West Roxbury.  Some of our long time volunteers Gerry and Maureen McNally and Kevin O’Sullivan will be recognized for their volunteer work with the IPC.   Cora Flood who was instrumental in getting the IPC Senior Citizen Program off the ground in Massachusetts will also be recognized for her years of hard work, and for her continued commitment to the program as a volunteer.

Secure Community Begins May 15th

Immigration and family petition cases, visas, arrests, and US citizenship topics are discussed each month at the clinics.  On Tuesday June 5th, we have a free legal clinic beginning at 6:30 pm at The Banshee, 934 Dorchester Avenue, Dorchester.  Leading US immigration attorneys including Chris Lavery and Dan Harrington provide free one to one consultations on a range of immigration topics from visas to US citizenship.

Disclaimer: Please note that the information contained in it is provided to inform generally, and is not intended as a substitute for individual advice.  Immigration law is subject to frequent changes and individual circumstances can affect the application of certain legal provisions.  For individual legal advice, please contact the Irish Pastoral Centre directly regarding upcoming legal clinics or consultation with an immigration attorney.

Irish Senior Connect is coming to you! We’re telling everyone we know about the listening line, which is a volunteer based service located at the Irish Pastoral Centre in Dorchester.  It is sponsored by the Coalition of Irish Immigration Centers, and funded by the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and the American Ireland Fund.

You will soon be finding our flyers and brochures in your favorite places, describing the concept of a listening line, and how many seniors it has helped connect and support over many years in Ireland. The U.S. program is based on the Irish model, and seeks to ensure that no senior is left to feel isolated or alone.

Once you know a little bit about us, and how we are here to be helpful to Irish and Irish American seniors, we hope you will pick up the telephone and call us. Perhaps you will want to just say hello or tell us how your day has been going, or how you are feeling.  You also might have a worry or concern that needs a listening ear, or calls for information that we can provide from our resource files. Please call us today at 855-249-5146 or email us at senior.connect@ciic-usa.org

Immigration and US Citizenship News

By Kieran C. O’Sullivan

Immigration Counselor

Email me your immigration query or a topic you would like us to cover today:  Kieran@ipcboston.org

Support May 19th Fundraiser.

On May 19th, we are having a fundraiser at the Irish Social Club in West Roxbury.  We’re asking all our readers, service users and supporters to consider attending the event.  IPC volunteers will be celebrated at the event including Maureen and Gerry McNally, Kevin P O Sullivan, and Cora Flood who was instrumental in the development of our very successful senior citizen program.

Praise for IPC legal clinics and services.

This week we want to share with our readers some positive letters we have recently received complementing the IPC legal clinics and services.

Marie from Dublin now in Boston wrote a letter including the following about their recent arrival in the US -

“We have both gained employment through people they have put us in contact with and at the present moment are filing for our Green cards will the help of the Attorneys that give their time free of charge to the IPC, this to us is so helpful as we could not afford to pay attorney’s fees at the present time.

The staff at the IPC are a pleasure to deal with, Kathleen Rohan, Susan Doody, Catherine Moloney and of course Sr Marguerite as well as Fr. John are a great asset to the community. Nothing is too big or too small a problem for them to help deal with. As well as practical advice on everything from employment, immigration, health issues and senior citizen issues, these people selfishly give their support and sometimes just a quiet ear that listens and understands. Their help is there for both legal citizens and the undocumented alike without prejudice or judgment, their help and support has been invaluable to my family. Of course there is also the spiritual help and advice that Fr John and the lovely Sr Marguerite offer to all those within the community.”

IPC Success Stories

Mai from Brighton wrote to us after her husband became a legal permanent resident.  Her letter of thanks included the following remarks.

“Gerard and I attended our first clinic at the beginning of August and were immediately impressed.  What a great and wonderful service the IPC offers those who need immigration help and advice, and for free.  We could not get over how the two attorneys and IPC members donated their time and were genuinely concerned and interested in helping us.

Not only did the IPC help us on Gerard’s paperwork, but it was also important to us that we understand the immigration process, and by attending the legal clinics and speaking to everyone there we really learned a lot.  By December 5, 2011, Gerard and I had our immigration interview and a week later received his green card.

I really cannot tell you how thankful we are for your wonderful work, your time and every bit of effort and guidance you gave us during our immigration process.  Thank you for every answered email and telephone call, for every clinic you had and for every bit or reassurance that we needed when we were nervous.”

IPC is here for you

Whether it is finding a job or an apartment, clarifying a visa issue, thinking about citizenship, nervous about an elderly relative or dealing with depression because of immigration status issues, the staff at the Irish Pastoral Centre are only a phone call away.  Our pastoral carer Sr. Marguerite Kelly, and our chaplain, Fr. John McCarthy are available at any time to talk to people in a confidential setting.  Our next free immigration clinic will be on June 5th.  Call us for more details.

Disclaimer: Please note that the information contained in it is provided to inform generally, and is not intended as a substitute for individual advice.  Immigration law is subject to frequent changes and individual circumstances can affect the application of certain legal provisions.  For individual legal advice, please contact the Irish Pastoral Centre directly regarding upcoming legal clinics or consultation with an immigration attorney.

IPC – Irish Social Club