Tickets Available for Obama Adviser Robert Gibbs' Lecture at SXU

Chicago (July 13, 2011) Tickets are now available to see longtime adviser to President Barack Obama and former White House press secretary Robert Gibbs talk at Saint Xavier University. Gibbs will speak at 7 p.m. on Thurs., Oct. 20 in the Shannon Center at the University's Chicago campus, 3700 W. 103rd St., as part of the SXU Voices and Visions Speaker Series. 


General admission tickets are $20 plus service charge. A limited number of $200 priority tickets are available, which include priority seating and admission to an exclusive post-lecture wine and cheese reception with Gibbs. Tickets may be purchased online at www.sxu.edu keyword: voices or by calling 866.468.3401.


Gibbs has been an adviser and strategist to the President since the early days of Obama's 2004 Senate race and most recently served as White House press secretary. Gibbs is one of Obama's masterminds and he can speak with great authority and accuracy from a White House insider's perspective on many issues that have crossed the President's desk. His leadership of Obama's campaigns makes him a valuable commentator on the upcoming 2012 elections.

Gibbs joined Obama's 2004 U.S. Senate campaign as communications director in 2004 and held the same title at the onset of the 2008 presidential campaign until becoming Senior Strategist for Communications and Message during the general election. During the four years of intense campaigning and close contact, Gibbs became an integral part of Obama's team. According to The New York Times, Gibbs advised Obama on politics, strategy and messaging, and spent more time with him than any other adviser. Gibbs assumed the role of the Obama administration’s press secretary on January 20, 2009.

Gibbs also served as press secretary of John Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign and previously specialized in Senate campaigns, having served as communications director for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and for four individual Senate campaigns. Gibbs also was the press secretary of Representative Bob Etheridge. 


Prior to his lecture, Gibbs will participate in an exclusive classroom discussion with select SXU students.

The SXU Voices and Visions Speaker Series is sponsored by University Relations and in part by the Student Government Association. For more information about the event, please contact the Office of Special Events at 773.298.3748 or specialevents@sxu.edu.


Media interested in interviewing Gibbs should contact Executive Director of Media Relations Karla D. Thomas at 773.298.3937 or kthomas@sxu.edu.

Robert Gibbs

Media Contact:
Karla Thomas, Executive Director of Media Relations
773.298.3937 or kthomas@sxu.edu

More SXU news and video       Online faculty expert guide      SXU Web site

SXU Chicago Campus: 3700 W. 103^rd Street, Chicago, Ill. 60655 – (773) 298-3000

SXU Orland Park Campus: 18230 Orland Parkway, Orland Park, Ill. 60467 – (708) 802-6200

Founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1846, Saint Xavier University was the first Mercy college in the United States and is Chicago’s oldest Catholic university. Serving more than 5,000 students at its campuses in Chicago, Orland Park and its Loop location, the University offers 43 undergraduate majors; more than 40 graduate program options in arts and sciences, business, education and nursing; and a variety of program options in continuing and professional studies. Recognizing Saint Xavier’s excellence in education, U.S. News and World Report has ranked SXU consistently among the Best Colleges in the Midwest.

LIFE

It's easy to not try in life

You could just create strife

Doing all the things you know are wrong

Singing the same sad songs

In life karma is alive and well

It flows through our lives and never fails

To knock you off your feet

Ruin your stride and make you scream defeat

Cause what you reap you sow

Life is made up of an ebb and flow

Make the choices in life that create success

New opportunities arise that feel like a test

Keep striving to succeed and do your best

Be prepared to embrace up and downs

No worries you’ll be made out a clown

Cause winners never lose when they know the secret

To bounce back up no matter what

TOUR Historic Old St. Patrick's Church!

Old St. Patrick's Church 

Old St. Pat's Church, a survivor of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, invites the city of Chicago to a special tour on Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 6 p.m.  Come and get a closer look at one of the oldest public buildings in the city of Chicago. This sacred space is a masterpiece of Celtic Religious artwork, which is considered the greatest example of Celtic Revival architectural design in America.   


Come and meet the pastor, Fr. Hurley, and learn how the church grew along with the growth of the city. After the tour, we hope you stay and join us for light snacks and beverages. 


In order to offer you our best hospitality, please R.S.V.P. by calling 312.648.1021 no later than Tuesday, June 7, 2011.


We look forward to having you join us!

Old St. Patrick's Church, circa 1800's

A Prayer for My Family and the World

God wrap a protective shield around my husband, children, parents, brothers, cousins, in-laws and friends. Make that shield strong enough to carry us through all the difficult journeys we’ll face as human beings in this world. Give us strength to get through the hard times and the sense to enjoy the lighter moments that surface. Love our flaws and help us dear God to get through the challenges we face each day.

God, send your love and strength to those dealing with illnesses, lost love, and fear of change. Help us to welcome change into our hearts and travel on the journey of the unknown with us as you give us courage and strength of character to face our fears.

Thank you God for all the blessings bestowed upon us each and every day. The breathe of life is so wondrous and thrilling; just such a gift I’m happy to receive.

Pray for the children who don’t have love, food and protection. Wrap your loving shield around them each and every day that they may grow to be strong and courageous. Continue to love our crazy world, and continue to show us your love each and every moment of our lives.

Amen. 

Level Playing Field Awards Scholarships To Five Deserving Taylor Business Institute Students

Pictured are 2011 Level Playing Field (LPF) Scholarship winners along with
LPF Board Members and TBI Faculty

Level Playing Field (LPF) awarded Scholarships to five deserving students during an official ceremony held on Tuesday, May 10 at Taylor Business Institute (TBI) located at 318 West Adams Street. All of the winners were TBI students who submitted 250 word well-written essays explaining how the Scholarship would change their lives. Each student was graded on grammar, spelling, thoughtfulness, clarity, and coherence. 


The LPF Scholarships ranged from $1,000 to $750 with the following students garnering the awards: Sharleatha Green, awarded $1,000 and majoring in medical billing/coding; Juanita Johnson, awarded $1,000 and majoring in Criminal Justice; Ashley May, awarded $1,000 and majoring in Criminal Justice; David Herrera, awarded $750 and majoring in Criminal Justice; and Carla Rodriguez, awarded $750 and majoring in Criminal Justice. 


"Each quarter I'm inspired by the essays we receive as well as the determination and hard work each applicant exhibits. We Hope Level Playing Field is doing what the name suggests, leveling the playing field for everyone willing to put in the hard work." said Lonnie Jenkins, president of Level Playing Field. 

Founded in 2002, Level Playing Field is an outreach resource for Taylor Business Institute and its students. Level Playing Field has awarded over $750,000 in scholarships to more than 300 students since its inception. These students have gone on to pursue both higher education and successful careers, achieving a level of accomplishment that wouldn't have been possible without assistance offered by LPF Scholarships that are awarded each quarter to deserving students. 


"We are so proud of our students. Although many of them face challenges in their personal lives, they are not letting that stop them from getting the education they deserve. They are becoming role models for their families," said Janice Parker, president of Taylor Business Institute. For the first time in TBI's history, the president of the school's Alumni Association, Ollie Sims, as represented by the TBI faculty, staff, and students, presented a check for $500 to the president of Level Playing Field during the ceremony. These funds will be added to the Scholarship money currently available.


The money was raised by TBI hosting a Rummage Sale for over two-weeks where TBI students, faculty, and friends purchased gently used baby and adult clothes for only $1. For more information about Level Playing Field and Taylor Business Institute, please go to their websites at http://www.tbiil.edu and http://www.lpf-chicago.org/or contact Karla D. Thomas at 312.543.5505.

Pictured is Keely Denneberg (far left), executive director of Level Playing Field and
Lenny Jenkins (center), president of Level Playing Field, holding a $500 check 
presented to him by Ollie Sims, president of Taylor Business Institutes 
Alumni Association.

Pictured is Janice Parker, president of Taylor Business Institute, posing with
Sharleatha Green, winner of a $1,000 LPF Scholarship

A Prayer for Our World

Let us pray to the Lord for our brothers and sisters in Alabama as well as numerous Southern states affected by the recent devastating tornadoes. Pray for the homeless, the addicted, the lonely, the mentally ill, for those living with violence in their neighborhoods, this country and around the world, and for those who struggle with their health.

Give all those that suffer the strength to get through their challenges and face each day with courage. God bless President Obama for his intelligence and shrewd decision-making, God bless the Navy Seals, Marines and the Military for their bravery, and help us all dear Lord to continue to make the right decisions for our own individuals lives.

Amen!

Learn the In and Outs of P.R. and Marketing

As a public relations executive in an industry where the media landscape continues to change, you must stay ahead of the trends. I read industry magazines, online blogs, and tons of newspapers each and every day to stay on top of shifts and changes. I also continue to keep nurturing my relationships with media contacts on a regular basis. They are always looking for a story, and you’ve got to be the person ready to supply them with one. However, you can’t waste anyone’s time. Each time you contact a TV or radio producer, TV anchor or news reporter, you must have a pitch ready that will really capture their attention. That’s the most difficult part of my job when you work in cause-related marketing because sometimes the media isn’t always looking for a feel good story. They’re looking for information that is sometimes sensational. The story that might interest them would include a celebrity mention and involvement, or just anything they might feel their readership, viewers or listeners would be interested in knowing.

When I first got in this field over 20 years ago, keeping professional memberships current was easy. However, as a veteran P.R. professional, mother of multiples, wife and businesswoman, keeping up with those memberships have become pretty hard. I have many hats to where and not enough time to where them. Therefore, I must pick and choose what associations to join that will provide the best benefits to me because I have to stay ahead of the trends in order to offer the best services to my clients or employers.

I always create a P.R. and marketing strategy uniquely tailor made for each client or employer I work with in order to appropriately promote them. One client might need to boost their presence on Facebook initially and later start building their presence on additional online sites such as Twitter, YouTube, and their very own Web site. Another client might need to sell tickets to a concert, which would require gathering all music lists deadline dates to make sure your clients events are included. Well-timed articles in various newspapers and magazines will also build brand recognition, so a good P.R. professional should always be thinking about how to get their clients best achievements into great pitch letters and/or press releases that will hopefully turn into newspaper articles, TV and radio interviews or numerous magazine exposure. You might even be asked to write the articles for some small magazines, and small newspapers sometimes use your press release word for word. The more P.R. skills you have means top notched promotional campaigns. Clients and employers rely on you to get the word out utilizing multiple skills while you work on various projects that might involve social media as well as writing speeches, releases, articles, white papers, and many marketing materials.

Upon taking on a new client, you should always do a thorough inventory of all marketing materials as well as P.R. hits in the past to ascertain the clients true needs as well as perception out in the marketplace. Perception can be more powerful than reality, so you need to understand what you’ll be dealing with prior to getting started. When reviewing marketing materials you have to ask yourself if a consistent message is present. If not, you need to overhaul all materials and get the client up to speed on brand messaging and consistent designs starting with the company logo. Is the company logo working or does it need to be redesigned? What marketing materials do they really need? How many marketing pieces should you create? Answers those questions and move on accordingly. As far as P.R., as I said above you need to know what the current perception of a company is prior to writing any releases, speeches, articles or pitch letters. I am a firm believer in plenty of research to know what the objections to your pitch might be. If you’re prepared you’ll be ready to respond appropriately in order to secure the right media hits for your clients or employer. I could go on, but I can’t give away all my trade secrets. However, if you’re interested in learning more about my services and how K.T. Communications can help you build awareness and build your brand, please contact me at ktcommunications45@gmail.com so we can discuss your P.R. and Marketing needs.

REALLY I CARE

Looking into eyes so crystal clear
Seeing deep within your soul
I know your feelings of fear
But don't despair, for my love is here
Here, deep within the cobwebs of my heart


Sometimes I may carry on
Make you think my love is gone
But here it is flourishing everyday
Here it is taking your blues away


Really I care, really I do
Really I know all the pain you've been through
But I've had my ups and downs
Don't want to be made out a clown
Just trying to look out for myself
Just wanting us to hang on
Keep trying real hard to make our love strong


Now and then I may throw a funk
But really I just want what I want
To be loved by you and only you
To be respected, not neglected
Really I care, really I do
Really there's no one quite like you

My Journey of Friendships, Career, Marriage and Aging Gracefully

I've always been a size 4 or 6, but never really fit or toned. Keeping my weight down without exercising was easy in my youth. I’ve never been an emotional eater or indulged in snacking on potato chips, but I’ve also never been a consistent exerciser. I’ve only been able to lose about five pounds in my entire life, and that was due to just not eating very much. In short, I basically half starved myself, which isn’t healthy. Now, however, I need to lose about 20 pounds to stay in my current clothes and age gracefully. I’ll be 45-years-old in five months, and I want to shed some weight, continue to grow my business as a P.R. professional and freelance writer while also juggling the next big full-time career opportunity. At the same time, I need to keep nurturing my 17-year marriage and raising my soon-to-be 8-year-old twins. I know I have a full plate filled with many blessings. As full as it is though, I just don’t think God would have put all of this before me if I wasn’t suppose to learn how to handle it; therefore, I will.

One big tip I can share in maintaining my 17-year marriage is the importance of communication. No matter how painful a conversation may be with my husband, we keep talking and spending time together — even when we’re mad. Frankly, the key to any relationship is honest communication and a deep desire to keep working it out and trying to understand one another. You also need to keep the “punching below the belt” comments and actions to a minimum or not at all. I’ll explain “punching below the belt” comments and actions in another article. As I said, communication is the key. Frankly, communication is also the key to understanding yourself. I’ve consistently kept a journal for over 26 years. Honest reflection of your decision-making through journaling and poetry will definitely yield a deeper understanding of your motivations and life choices. My life is a testament to that.

After giving birth to twins through a c-section, I’ve struggled to maintain my figure as I age. I'm more of a size 8 or 10 right now, but can still wear a tight size 6. I’m not into tight clothes though. My style is for clothes to hang on me, look well put together, but be comfortable. I'm 5'2 and embarrassed to say, 140 pounds. But since I’m happy to be alive having survived a few health issues, I’ll proudly state my weight and size any day. I want to be 120 pounds and slightly muscular in the tummy and legs. I don’t want to wait until I’m obese to start focusing on my health. Losing these 20 pounds is hard enough. My heart goes out to those struggling with obesity because that’s got to be tough. I carried twins and know how uncomfortable extra weight can be. Today, I’m ready to transform myself into a fit working mom juggling all I’ve mentioned above — and winning, as Charlie Sheen would say.

I just read this incredibly well-written article about how some women hate women who are fit, skinny and toned – basically different. It was the most honest article about women and weight I had ever read. It really motivated me to share my story because I do believe there is a link between ambition, weight, and friendship for a lot of women. I believe because I’ve always been skinny, professionally driven to achieve something in life, and not constantly angry with men because of something I allowed them to do to me, some women have found me to be so different and hated me for this. I do believe you train people (particularly men) how to treat you. I never apologized for who I was, and I’m not going to start now. I’m sure some women aren’t happy with the fact that I’m dealing with my weight issues before it becomes a huge problem, but I really don’t care.

I feel proud that I abstained from sex well into my mid-twenties, I got a college degree when most of the women I grew up with were dreaming of getting married. It shocked me that my girlfriends didn’t want to know what they could accomplish in life other than snagging a man. As I secured more P.R./marketing jobs, maintained my weight, never got pregnant, and dated a lot but claimed few men as serious boyfriends, my friendships disappeared. I had a girlfriend I’d known since the age of 10 that point blank asked me why I was so different. She actually said it in an angry tone, and decided to say it around other women I didn’t even know well. That was the day I knew she really wasn’t my friend. She also asked me why people stared at me so much…go figure. I chalked it up to just another stupid question from a person who wasn’t my friend. Today, kids call that type of behavior just haters. She was the only friend bold enough to ask me such questions, except for one other crazy friend. She said she could be jealous of me because I was smart, pretty and drove a jeep (my Dad’s car at the time) but instead she said she’d use those energies to better herself. At the time, I thought her honesty was refreshing and never thought anything of it. But in the end, I stopped being friends with her once she said I’d fail in life because I graduated from Columbia College with a B.A in Broadcast Journalism. She couldn’t figure out what type of job in Communications I could ever get. I became a P.R./Marketing pro, something I’m sure she’d just be jealous about instead of supportive. This field hasn’t been easy, but I love the work. I never stayed in what I considered a “bad relationship” very long with a man or any fake girlfriends. However, misery does love company. To this day, I’ve maintained one friendship for 17 year’s because she’s a cool person who is driven to achieve, attractive and doesn’t have a jealous bone in her body. I treasure our friendship. I’ve had girlfriends off and on, but no other solid friendships except that one. I had no more than three serious boyfriends with my husband being the third. The circle of women I grew up with just thought I was too different for words, and when I become a successful P.R./marketing professional at the director level as well as a happily married woman who was still a size 6, then I lost the last of two girlfriends who could not have ever really been my friends at all anyway.

Friendship shouldn’t be based on your waistline, marital or career status, it should be because you just get along and enjoy each other’s company. My experience is that most women thrive on drama. I did have brunch with my friend of 17 years who had invited a few of her other friends. All of the women around the table were beautiful professional women who shared their journey in their careers while enjoying a delicious breakfast. It was such an inspiring afternoon to be around career-oriented women who were not catty, but kind and conversational. Needless to say, forming new friendships hasn’t come easy to me. And today, my priorities are totally different. I need to put that energy into my marriage, my children, my full-time career, and my side business as a writer and P.R. pro. Other than my 17-year friendship, I have no interest in any other female friends primarily because I have no time and I don’t trust easily. If I think you aren’t a friend, I will leave you alone quickly. I don’t want a bunch of fake girlfriends just to say I’ve got friends in my life. All of it has to be real or not at all.

Yes, I’ve always been different. The experiences of my youth and as I grew into an adult have prepared me for the life I lead. Today, I thrive on those differences and welcome them. I express who I am with confidence and understand that my journey is unique and just as it should be. Yes, the road gets bumpy. My marriage and business are definitely a work in progress, but the journey is made all the more sweet by the struggles I’ve overcome, the loneliness I grew to enjoy during my single years, and the challenges that surprisingly made me stronger as a wife, mother, and professional.

I want to age gracefully, drop 20 pounds by my 45^th birthday, secure a senior level position at a University and put an African-American owned college on the map while staying true to family commitments and business relationships. I have faith in God that I’ll do it all with grace and style…at least, that’s the plan.

Old St. Pat's 27th Annual World's Largest Block Party

Join Old St. Pat's Church on Friday, July 15 and Saturday, July 16 for the 27^th Annual World’s Largest Block Party, a summer tradition in Chicago. Over 20,000 people will mingle, dance, meet new people, listen to great music, and enjoy delicious food while partying with a purpose from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. each night. Tickets are $40 in advance; $45 at the gate, if the event is not sold-out. There is also a two-night pass available for $70. The price of admission includes five FREE beverages that include a choice of beer, wine, soda or bottled water. Funds from the Block Party support numerous outreach programs on the Old St. Pat’s campus. For more details, go to www.worldslargestblockparty.com.

Guests will enjoy two stages of live music, two nights filled with fun, and two blocks of great food. Past performances include: Barenaked Ladies, Spoon, Train, Ben Folds, Counting Crows, Collective Soul, Los Lobos, Rusted Root, Gavin DeGraw, and Ben Kweller, plus many other great bands.

The entry gate is located at Madison and Des Plaines in

Chicago’s West Loop.                       

Proceeds support the church and the Center for Social Concerns on the Old St. Pat's campus that houses the following outreach programs:

• Horizons for Youth; 
• Career Transitions Ctr of Chicago; 
• Harmony, Hope and Healing; 
• Global Alliance for Africa.

Old St. Pat's Prepares for the New Roman Missal: Theological and Pastoral Reflections

What will you hear at Mass starting Advent 2011? The Church has made some significant alterations to the language and words of the English translation to the Mass. While the "rites" will stay the same, the words we say at Mass are going to change. There are many questions being raised as to why and what does this all mean for us as a Catholic community. Please join us as Fr. Edward Foley, a professor of liturgical theology at Catholic Theological Union in Hyde Park and a weekend presider at Old St. Pat's, hosts a three-part series on the new Mass. 


The Series began on Sunday, Feb. 20 from 10:45 a.m. to noon in the Old St. Pat's Church hall, and continues with the next session detailed below. 


Session Two:
"What Was The Process and What Is At Stake?"


Sunday, March 27 ~ 10:45 a.m. - noon
Old St. Pat's Fr. Jack Wall Mission Center, Room 25 ABC
711 W. Monroe Street in Chicago.


Our second session will provide an historical overview of the long process (more than 25 years) that has led to this change. It will also examine some of the theological and ecclesiological issues at stake this and every vernacular translation of the Church Liturgy.


Session Three:
"Our Pastoral Response"
Sunday, May 1 ~ 10:45 a.m. - noon


Old St. Pat's Church Hall
700 West Adams in Chicago. Please R.S.V.P. by Wednesday, April 27.


In our final session, we will explore how this new translation provides an opportunity for faith communities to reconsider how Liturgy is at the very center of the life of a faith community. This "pastoral response" will include strategic suggestions for the exploration and implementation of the new translation of the Roman Missal.


About Fr. Foley 
Edward Foley, Capuchin is the Duns Scotus Professor of Spirituality and Professor of Liturgy and Music at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. With 19 books to his credit, he is currently serving as general editor for a scholarly commentary on the new Order of Mass to be published by the Liturgical Press. We, at Old St. Patrick's Church, are delighted Fr. Foley is a regular guest presider and preacher at our Sunday Liturgies. 

A Mother's Love Lost

Rain falls softly on window panes
Leaves follow the current of the wind
Her heart is in so much pain 
As the preacher speaks of the beloved
She knows nothing will ever be the same
The end of a spirited life filled with so much love
A mother's soul has risen and gone on
On into the depths of heaven, on into the clouds
Through space and time to rest beside our maker
Her laughter has become nothing more than a memory


Her daughters feel the pain of loss deep within their souls
As they try to cope with losing a Mother's love
Tears stream down saddened faces
Mouths curl up to scream 
The heart bleeds for the beloved that will never be seen again. 


Rest my friend, your suffering is over; pain you'll feel no more 
She touches her cold hands 
Knowing she'll never see or touch her  again
She bends and softly plants a kiss on her lips
Tears stream down her face 
As she says good-bye to a Mother's Love
A Mother's Love is lost; her smile is gone
Her life is mourned, her laughter but a memory

Old St. Pat's 2011 Lenten Speaker Series: Reflections on Compassion, Justice, Forgiveness and Communion

Old St. Pat’s invites the city of Chicago to experience the 2011 Lenten Speakers Series as four individuals share their life’s work and the motivations that drive them towards a life of compassion, justice, forgiveness and Communion. Please join us in March and April at Old St. Pat’s Church, 700 West Adams, for this (free will donation) Speakers Series, which takes place from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. as we hear from Fr. Gregory Boyle, Avis Clendenen, Fr. Michael Pfleger, and Eboo Patel listed below:

Fr. Gregory Boyle, S.J.
Tuesday, March 22

 Fr. Boyle, a pastor working in a Los Angeles neighborhood with the highest concentration of murderous gang activity, created Homeboy Industries. This organization provides jobs, job training, and encouragement to young people as they also learn the importance of working together and learning more about the mutual respect that comes from collaboration. Homeboy Industries is recognized for its unparalleled success as a gang intervention and re-entry program. Moved by the “power of boundless compassion,” Fr. Boyle’s work and words inspire us to more deeply embrace the common human longing for hospitality and to stand with and find room for all those who are left out.

Avis Clendenen, Ph.D.
Wednesday, March 30

 Avis Clendenen, a professor of Religious Studies at Saint Xavier University, she draws from profound personal experiences of loss and offers transformative wisdom into the mystery of human and divine forgiveness. Her article “Accidental Killers and Their Long Lament” published in the Journal of Pastoral Care and Counseling is a chapter in the forthcoming book Forgiving God: Healing Fractures in the Divine Human Relationship, co-authored with Troy W. Martin. Dr. Clendenen teaches courses in the area of pastoral and practical theology.  She is co-author with Sister Irene Dugan, r.c. of Love Is All Around in Disguise: Meditations for Spiritual Seekers, editor of Spirituality in Depth, and co-author with Tory Marin of Forgiveness: Finding Freedom through Reconciliation. She is a regular contributor to the journal Lectionary Homiletics and is currently completing a study, Experiencing Hildegard: Jungian Insights into the Spiritual Vision of 12th Century Hildegard of Bingen.

Tuesday, April 5
Fr. Michael Pfleger

Fr. Pfleger, a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago and pastor of St. Sabina Parish on the south side, has lived and ministered in the African-American community on both the west and South Side of Chicago. In the course of his extensive and active ministry, Fr. Pfleger has been recognized for his commitment to equality and passionate stance against injustice. His life calling and work are the subjects of a recent documentary film by Bob Hercules, Radical Disciple: The Story of Fr. Pfleger.

Eboo Patel
Wednesday, April 13

Founder and president of the InterFaith Youth Core, Eboo Patel works to advance the vision that religion is a bridge of cooperation rather than a barrier of division. He’s inspired to build this bridge by his faith as a Muslim, his Indian heritage, and his American citizenship. Eboo Patel was appointed by President Obama to the Advisory Council of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships and serves on the Religious Advisory Committee of the Council on Foreign Relations.

For more information on the Old St. Pat’s 2011 Lenten Series, please call 312.648.1021 or visit www.oldstpats.org. Follow us on Facebook at

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Old-St-Patricks-Church/11066008345.

The Irish and African-American Shared Struggle for Equality

They were not allowed to teach their children nor could they hold public office, vote or practice law. They couldn’t enter into mix marriages or own weapons. If you think I’m referring to the treatment of African-Americans in this country, you’re wrong. I’m referring to the Irish in their own country of Ireland.

During the Terror of Britain’s famed Oliver Cromwell and the Proclamation of 1625, there were over 300,000 Irish political prisoners sent overseas and sold as slaves to English settlers in the West Indies. Irish Catholics experienced the same struggles with slavery, discrimination, social class issues and negative stereotypes similar to that of African Slaves and African-Americans. The Irish saw themselves as slaves of the British; therefore, supported the abolition of slavery in the United States.

Where there is slavery and racism, there will be brave souls to stand up for freedom. Frederick Douglas was such a soul. During his five-week tour of Ireland, he met his Irish counterpart in the freedom fighter and nationalist Daniel O’Connell. O’Connell almost singlehandedly launched the Catholic Association and campaigned for Catholic Emancipation, which was finally achieved in 1829. O’Connell referred to Douglas as “The Black O’Connell.” When Douglas spoke, thousands of Irish men and women packed halls to hear his fiery antislavery speeches in Dublin, Wexford, Waterford, Cork, Limerick and Belfast where he expressed the shared parallels between the Irish and African-American slave experiences. Those who heard him were so moved they signed a petition declaring the following: “Treat the colored people as your equals, as brethen.”

During the Civil War, the Irish fought on both the Union and Confederate side with the largest majority joining the Union side of the war. Old St. Patrick’s second pastor, Rev. Dennis Dunne, formed the 90^th volunteers who were an all Irish Brigade that fought on the Union side. It’s estimated that over 150,000 Irishmen fought on the Union side of that war. However, there reasons for fighting in the Civil War were quite varied. It’s noted that some fought to help free slaves while others fought to free themselves from the sometimes crude treatment that confronts some new immigrants when they make it to America.

As Irish immigrants in America, they were referred to as “White Niggers.” Storefront signs often read, “No Black, No Irish” and weird forms of Darwinism persisted claiming the Irish and Blacks were more like apes than Anglo-Saxons. The Irish were forced to take lower paying jobs and at times competed with free blacks for jobs as waiters and longshoremen as well as with African slaves. Oddly enough, some free blacks even joined in the constant Irish jokes about their laziness or stupidity. All of this competition and Irish joking created lots of tension between the two groups that manifested into riots and violence. While the Irish in Ireland seemed to sympathize with the plight of African slaves, and the former slaves sympathized with the Irish’s continued struggles in Ireland, it appears that Irish immigrants and African-Americans turned hostile towards each other in America at certain times in history. Even Daniel O’Connell scolded Irish immigrants for their racism, stating: “It was not in Ireland you learned this cruelty.”

Yet, there are still many parallels between Irish freedom fighters, African slaves and African-American freedom fighters struggling for equality. Even in political contexts the link between the Irish and African Liberation surfaced when Marcus Garvey named his headquarters the New York Liberty Hall, similar to James Connolly’s Liberty Hall in Dublin. Garvey even justified the inclusion of green along with black and red in the international African flag of the Universal Negro Improvement Association in order to symbolize the Irish struggle for freedom. Garvey continued to support the Irish fight for freedom, and always pointed out Africa’s similar fight for freedom.

Irish and African-Americans have either stood with each other or influenced one another throughout history. When Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. struggled throughout the 50’s and 60’s to achieve equality for black Americans as well as poor people during the Civil Rights Movement, civil rights leaders in Northern Ireland were inspired and utilized his tactics and strategies for their own fight for equality.

Today, you still see the Irish standing up for African American causes as well as causes for other races and populations including their own continued struggles in Northern Ireland. Sadly, the biggest issues in the black community today aren’t racism (although that still exists) but black-on-black violence. Who is standing up against violence in the black community? You guessed it, an Irish Catholic priest named Fr. Michael L. Pfleger. With a congregation that is 100% black, Fr. Pfleger joins with African-Americans in speaking out on violence in the black community through Voices Against Violence and other initiatives. His church has also tackled the over saturation of drugs in the black community as well as the blight and constant liquor billboards everywhere. Fr. Pfleger continually leads numerous peace walks through violent neighborhoods and has been recognized for his compassionate stand against injustice.

During the 2008 presidential campaign the most famous Irish family from Boston, the Kennedy’s, supported President Barack Obama’s run for the presidency over Hillary Clinton. There support as well as the incredible Iowa win (and Oprah Winfrey’s support) put Obama over the top and brought about a historical moment my family never thought we’d see in our lifetime – an African-American president. Large percentages of Irish Catholics supported Obama’s presidency, and I was proud to see those alliances surface during such a historic time in the history of American politics.

The Irish and African Americans share a unique experience of fighting for freedom and peace throughout history. Sure, this history hasn’t always been pretty. In fact, at times it has been incredibly tense and violent. Yet, the ideals this country was founded on: “all men are created equal” is an ideal that has captured the hearts of many people around the world. We are all aware of the hypocrisy of our Founding Fathers owning slaves as they wrote those words. Yet and still we hold true to its sentiment and different groups throughout history have turned those words into their own reality.

As we approach St. Patrick’s Day (St. Patrick, by the way, was a Celtic slave), we should celebrate with our Irish brothers and sisters and continue to remember the similar struggles we share. A grab for power, money, class and control can happen to any race and fuel tensions that generations of people must fight. Northern Ireland continues to struggle for their freedom, just as African-Americans continue to struggle for equality in this country regardless of subtle or overt forms of racism – while also struggling with the legacy of slavery through the inner demons in our own minds. Obama’s presidency proves that regardless of racism, if you work hard and continue to educate yourself you can achieve great things in life. Therefore, if we work together with all races, we’ll create a place on Earth one day where all of us are free. A world where we are free to love who we want to love, practice the religion of our choice, and be who we feel we are. If we do these things, then one day we’ll truly win against those who’d like to divide us by focusing more on skin color, religion and social status rather than character, kindness and heart. 

Our Special Wedding Day and the Love We Share

Our wedding day was five days away
And I couldn't wait to be your wife
Lovin' you for the rest of my life
No more waiting, no more planning
Our wedding day was finally near 
Filled with all the wedding day frills.


Together, we both stepped forward to seal the deal
To love each other until we're old and gray
To always kiss our blues away


We continue to travel the journey of life
Proud to be husband and wife
Fifteen years ago I walked down the aisle
To my sweetie pie and pal
Feeling our love burst into bloom
As we made that important step on a sunny day in June.


Happy Valentine's Day to my hubby and friend of 15 years!
We truly have faced all our fears
Health issues, job challenges, soul searching and more
Marriage is a journey filled with the ups and downs we endured
It's a journey like no other that wouldn't have been quite right Without someone just like you that I promise to love 
For the rest of my life.