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Santa is coming to St. Mark’s to visit the youngsters at their weekly meeting…

Mother/Toddler Group meets weekly from 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Come on by for a chat and catch up with other mothers

St. Mark’s Church *basement hall*

1725 Dorchester Ave, Dorchester, MA

~ Welcome new mothers/fathers to the area ~

Enjoy the photos from the days activities.

Over 200 people attended our event. There were arts and crafts for the children, a Mass, a pageant during Mass which told the story of St. Brigid, dinner and a dance. The music was wonderful and we were all reminded once again about what a great community we have. Thank you to all who supported to the event and to Westbury Farms and Greenhills Bakery for the wonderful stews, shepherd’s pie, desserts and rolls.

A huge thank you to Maureen McNally for organizing the event

Come and join the Irish Pastoral Centre for an evening of fun, food and music at the Black Rose in Boston.  This is the first in a series of events celebrating the IPC’s 25^th Anniversary. Doors open at 6 pm for what is  promised to be an exciting event. Old friends and new meet for a great and to celebrate two of the IPC’s great volunteers: Rita O’Leary Stones and Attorney Chris Lavery.

Kevin Doherty and Friends will lead us off with some traditional music. Be sure not to miss a great night of ceol agus craic!

Raffle, prizes.  Food provided.  See flyer attached for more details.

We will ask for a donation at the event.

For the past 25 years, The  Irish Pastoral Centre has provided immigration and social services outreach to thousands of Irish and Irish Americans in the greater Boston area. We are a 501(c)3 not-for-profit. All are welcome.

We hope to see you there!

A Lighted – hearted Lent?

Joy in Lent?  Sounds almost heretical, doesn’t it?  After all it’s the season leading up to the passion and death of Jesus, a time of serious soul-searching and somber sacrifices, right?

Not so fast.  The new English translation of one of the Lenten prefaces to the Mass includes these words: “Each year your faithful await the sacred paschal feasts with the joy of minds made pure.” The former translation was even more direct: “Each year you give us this joyful season,” it began.  Either way, Catholics might be forgiven for asking, “What’s so joyful about Lent?”

The rest of the new translation provides one answer. Christians are to become “more eagerly intent on prayer and on the works of charity, and participating in the mysteries by which they have been reborn, they may be led to the fullness of grace that you bestow on your sons and daughters.”  Our prayer and charity lead us to new birth in Christ.

Another way of saying it is this: during Lent we not only recall the passion and death of Jesus Christ, we also ready ourselves for his resurrection.  How would Lent be different if we thought of ourselves as preparing for rebirth in Christ, that is, for new life?

What would it mean to have a “ joyful” Lent?  Perhaps we might focus not so much on sacrifice, but on doing something positive – even joyful- for family and friends, coworkers, and especially the poor.

Can we share joy with someone who is sad?  Can we offer humor to someone who needs some perspective?  Can we laugh with someone who is lonely?  In this way we might find the “joy of Mind” that the Church encourages.

Living with Christ                                                        James Martin, SJ

Immigration and US Citizenship News

By Kieran C. O’Sullivan

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

Proving a valid marriage

After filing for legal permanent residency status, couples should begin gathering evidence of their valid marriage.  US Citizenship and Immigration Services (US CIS) look closely at all marriage based petitions to investigate fraud.  An applicant filing for status based on marriage to a US citizen must have everything in order.  Failure to prepare properly could result in long case delays.  Email me for a list of items which may be presented to USCIS as you prepare for your marriage based interview.

Expiring green cards

Several people contacted me in the past month with regard to the renewal of their legal permanent residency cards.  One person’s card was already expired and he had plans to fly to Ireland in the weeks ahead.

Lawful Permanent Residents who were issued an Alien Registration Receipt Card ( sometimes referred to as Form I-551 or “Green Card,”) with a ten-year expiration date on the front of the card and the card is either expired or will expire within the next 6 months are faced with renewing their cards. Other callers who were in possession of cards so old that Customs and Border Patrol were unable to recognized them from their old photographs on their cards were warned by CBP to file for replacement cards.

Background Check

We should remind green card holders that the USCIS do a full background check on all applicants including those filing for replacement green cards.  Anyone with a past arrest or conviction should attend our clinic for a free consult with our immigration attorneys before filing for a new card or for any other immigration benefit including US citizenship.

Free Legal Advice and US citizenship clinics

Today, any person applying for any US Immigration benefit whether a temporary or permanent visa should seek competent legal advice.  Our clinics are staffed by American Immigration Lawyers Association member attorneys Chris Lavery and Dan Harrington.  Our attorneys provide information to immigrants and visitors on the different visas available.  Our attorneys concentrate fully on immigration and citizenship laws, and represent clients before the US Citizenship and Immigration Service each week.

Our next free legal clinic will be at the Banshee Pub, 934 Dorchester Ave., Dorchester, March 6^th, 2012 at 630 pm.

Confidential

Sixteen immigrants had one to one private consultations with our attorneys at our February.  Our legal clinics are confidential.  We do not share client data with any city, state or government agency.  Meantime if readers have questions, feel free to email me at my IPC address above.

By Catherine Moloney, Social Services and Senior Program Coordinator

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

Cara Club

Good fun was had at the Cara Club this week with Mary Logue running the ‘Brown Bag Auction’. We were all madly bidding our hard earned dollars on an assortment of gifts hidden in the brown paper bags! The proceeds of the auction were very generously donated to the Irish Pastoral Centre so a big thank you to everyone who brought in gifts and in particular to Mary for running the auction. We had a very enjoyable singing session lead by Mike Finnerty. Mike kindly stood in for stood in for Kevin O’Sullivan who is on vacation this week.

Dorchester Coffee Morning

We filled both rooms with a record crowd at the coffee morning this week. Welcome to all the new people who have joined us in the last few weeks. Word is getting out! It was a busy morning with Fr John giving the blessing of the throats, Teresa Kelly doing Arts and Crafts with a Valentine’s Day theme and Norah Lavelle offering Reiki Massage. Tom Leen brought in his guitar and entertained us with several songs. He was joined by Gregory Ash and Michael Bradley who sang a few numbers as well.

Seniors partake in friendly card games at the Coffee Morning.

St Valentine

Did you know that some of St Valentine’s relics are kept in Ireland? They are at Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church in Dublin South Inner City. The relics were donated to Whitefriar St Church in the 19th century by Pope Gregory XVI from their previous location in the cemetery of St. Hippolytus in Rome.^{[  ‘}Valentine of Rome^[7] was a priest in Rome who was martyred about AD 269. There a number of legends about the life of St Valentine. In one such legend, according to the medieval  ‘Legenda sanctorum/Readings of the Saints’ , St Valentine was persecuted as a Christian and interrogated by Roman Emperor Claudius II in person. Claudius was impressed by Valentine and had a discussion with him, attempting to get him to convert to Roman paganism in order to save his life. Valentine refused and tried to convert Claudius to Christianity instead. Because of this, he was executed. Before his execution, he is reported to have performed a miracle by healing the blind daughter of his jailer’. A later version which links St Valentine to romantic love portrays ‘Valentine as a priest who refused an unattested law attributed to Roman Emperor Claudius II, allegedly ordering that young men remain single. The Emperor supposedly did this to grow his army, believing that married men did not make for good soldiers. The priest Valentine, however, secretly performed marriage ceremonies for young men. When Claudius found out about this, he had Valentine arrested and thrown in jail’. Whichever legend you prefer, Happy Valentine’s Day from the IPC!

Source: Wikipedia

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

• Where are you from originally and what brought you to the IPC?
  • I grew up In Canton Massachusetts and attended Stonehill College. My career includes business and nonprofit management, with an emphasis on program planning and operations.  I came to the IPC in response to the advertisement for the Senior Helpline Coordinator position.
• What is the CIIC and how is it connected to the IPC?
  • The Coalition of Irish Immigration Centers (CIIC) is a national umbrella group for all of the Irish Immigration Centers in the US. The CIIC was established in 1996 to promote the welfare of Irish immigrants in the US at a national level. The mission is to represent immigrant organizations throughout the US who are committed to providing services to Irish immigrants. The coalition provides support and assistance to the various centers in their work through advocacy, education, and the exchange of information.  The Irish Pastoral Center (IPC) was chosen by the CIIC as the host site to carry out the initial or pilot program for the Senior Helpline. The senior outreach, pastoral, and social services, volunteer events and socials at the IPC form a strong foundation to integrate the helpline project. This program would then serve as the model for other Irish Centers throughout the United States.
• What interested you in the Senior Helpline Coordinator position at the CIIC?
  • I was drawn to the position due to my background in planning and directing human services programs, and, specifically, in developing and supervising helpline services. Also, I was very interested in working with Irish and Irish Americans due to my family roots being in Ireland.
• Why does the CIIC need a Senior Helpline Coordinator and what are the goals?
  • The position of Senior Helpline Coordinator was developed to establish a volunteer listening and information service for Irish and American Irish in the United States. It is based on a very successful program in Ireland. The goals are to provide a listening ear for any senior who would like to chat, or who needs help with a question or a problem. We will refer callers to staff at the IPC as well as to local area resources for services such as: legal, medical, mental health, cultural, social, housing, employment, food, financial, home help, and more. We hope the service also provides an important connection for those who may be feeling alone or isolated and who may just want to have someone to talk with and share what’s going on in their life.
• How is the position funded?
  • The project is funded through a grant from the American Ireland Fund. The initial funding is for one year.  Additional funding will be sought, based on outcome data collected and milestones met.
• What type of volunteers will you be looking for?
  • Volunteers are needed who enjoy listening and have empathy for others. Each will strive to maintain a non-judgmental attitude, provide information and referral, and observe boundaries by refraining from giving advice or sharing personal information.  A commitment for one year and shift coverage of two to four hours per week is requested.
• How will your position differ from Sr. Outreach Coordinator, Cora Flood’s position and Catherine Moloney, the Social Services Coordinator’s position
  • As Senior Helpline Coordinator, I will recruit, train, supervise and support Senior Helpline volunteers to carry out the helpline mission. I will participate in some IPC events and will work closely with both the IPC Social Worker, and Senior Outreach Coordinator to ensure optimal services for all seniors in the Irish community.
• What do you like to do in your down time?
  • In my down time, I like to see family and friends, watch the Boston sports teams, and read mystery novels.

February 2012 Senior Calendar

Don’t forget to call ahead for events – where reminded to do so.  It helps us serve you better.

February is getting ready for March Madness

The IPC looks forward to the St. Brigid’s celebration on February 4^th. Children, parents and grandparents are welcome for an afternoon of arts and crafts from 3 to 5, St. Brigid’s pageant and Mass 5-6 followed by dinner and dancing. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door. Children under 5 are free and children over 5 are $5.00. Westbury Farms will provide Irish stew, shepherd’s pie, lasagna, chicken nuggets and hot dogs for the children.

Senior Notes By Catherine Moloney, Social Services and Senior Program Coordinator

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

CARA CLUB

Janelle Liljstrand, Intern Social Worker, joined us at the Cara Club on Monday. She showed a DVD of a one act play called “Talking with Dolores”. The play addressed the difficult subjects of aging, depression and suicide. The main character was an older man who was struggling with thoughts of suicide. The dialogue was at times very sad and at other times very lighthearted and humorous. Janelle had a short discussion with the group at the end about the importance of being aware of the issue of elder suicide.

If you ever feel depressed, if you ever have thoughts of suicide or are concerned about someone else don’t be afraid to talk to someone or to ask for help. You can get help from a counselor, therapist, or mental health clinic, a family member or friend, a family doctor, a member of the clergy, a teacher, guidance counselor, or coach, an emergency room, The Samaritans at 1-877-870-4673. You are also welcome to call us at the IPC. We would be happy to listen and to offer whatever help and support we can.

DORCHESTER COFFEE MORNING

We had a lively crowd at the coffee morning who enjoyed chatting, refreshments, cards and an episode of the comedy “Faulty Towers” on our new Television and DVD player which were very kindly donated to us recently by Jackie and Kevin McCarthy and Helen Henry.

A special thanks to Dave Flannery of Dave’s Auto Services at 636 Hancock Street, Quincy. He very generously replaced the alternator on our minibus, providing the part at cost price and the labor for free.

“Senior drivers should follow universal vehicle safety practices, and take some extra precautions designed to compensate for their changing driving abilities.

Plan and Prepare

Winter driving experts agree — don’t drive in bad weather if you can avoid it. But if driving in inclement weather is absolutely necessary, take these steps to help make the challenge as safe as possible:

* Avoid rush hours, but stay on well-traveled roads. Don’t try taking back roads or “short cuts” thinking you’ll avoid traffic. Fewer cars on back roads may mean those routes are the last to be plowed or maintained and are not likely to be heavily patrolled by emergency services.

* Pre-plan your route and get the most up-to-date information on traffic and road conditions.

* Travel with a companion whenever possible. There is safety in numbers, and a vigilant travel companion can help you navigate slick roads, wintery weather and traffic challenges better than you might if you were alone.

Source: ARA content

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

A stitch in time!

Have you ever wondered how to sew a hem, replace a button or repair a tear in your child’s clothes? Would you like to learn how to make a fairy skirt for your child or the basics of stitching by hand or perhaps how to embroider items.  Rosemary O’Koren will offer sewing lessons at the IPC on Friday mornings beginning February 3^rd from 10 to 12. Price for 4 weeks is $50 and a portion of the proceeds will benefit the IPC. Call  Alicia to reserve your spot. 617-265-5300 ext. 15.