THE FAMINE (AN GORTA MOR) AND THE CHURCH

THE FAMINE AND THE CHURCH

by

Timothy J. Meagher, Archivist

Catholic University of America

The memories of Ireland’s Great Famine (1845-49) would echo through Irish and Irish American history. Many Famine exiles turned their energies to building up the Catholic Church in America. Indeed, the power and influence of such Famine survivors in American Catholicism was remarkable.

Just a rough count reveals that at least 16 of the 89 bishops of the United States in 1890 had grown up in Ireland during the Famine. The first three rectors of the Catholic University of America, John J. Keane, later Archbishop of Dubuque; Thomas J. Conaty, later Bishop of Los Angeles; and Denis O’Connell, later Bishop of Richmond, had also grown up in Ireland during some or all of those bleak Famine years.

This group of Famine survivors among the Catholic Church’s hierarchy also included the two most important and powerful men in the American church at that time, or at any time in its history, for that matter:  Cardinal James Gibbons of Baltimore and Catholic University’s first chancellor, and Archbishop John Ireland of St. Paul. John Ireland was 8 years old when the Famine hit his native Kilkenny. Hunger and disease carried off his aunt and uncle, forcing his parents to take in a brood of young cousins. Eventually, Ireland’s family, the cousins included, emigrated to America.

Gibbons suffered even more from the Famine’s havoc. His father, Thomas, died from Famine fever in 1847. and two years later Gibbons sister also died. Young James was so distraught at her death he refused to eat for several days.

How did these paragons of the American church remember the Famine? John Ireland did his best to forget – at least publicly. America and the future, not Ireland and its past, became his passion.

Gibbons, too, loved America, but he did not forget the Famine. For Gibbons the Famine could only be understood as part of God’s “mysterious providence.” To him, “the Famine had been sent to send the Irish upon a mission to America where they would build the church in the greatest republic in the world.”

Ireland’s suffering had produced America’s salvation, perhaps, but the pain of the sacrifice of people never really went away.

Jewish Sam Miller on Catholics

Excerpts from an article written by non-Catholic Sam Miller -- a prominent Cleveland Jewish businessman:

Why would newspapers carry on a vendetta on one of the most important institutions that we have today in the United States, namely the Catholic Church?

Do you know -- the Catholic Church educates 2.6 million students everyday at the cost to that Church of 10 billion dollars, and a savings on the other hand to the American taxpayer of 18 billion dollars. The graduates go on to graduate studies at the rate of 92%.

The Church has 230 colleges and universities in the U.S. with an enrollment of 700,000 students.

The Catholic Church has a non-profit hospital system of 637 hospitals, which account for hospital treatment of 1 out of every 5 people -- not just Catholics -- in the United States today.

But the press is vindictive and trying to totally denigrate in every way the Catholic Church in this country. They have blamed the disease of pedophilia on the Catholic Church, which is as irresponsible as blaming adultery on the institution of marriage.

Let me give you some figures that Catholics should know and remember. For example, 12% of the 300 Protestant clergy surveyed admitted to sexual intercourse with a parishioner; 38% acknowledged other inappropriate sexual contact in a study by the United Methodist Church; 41.8% of clergy women reported unwanted sexual behavior; 17% of laywomen have been sexually harassed.

Meanwhile, 1.7% of the Catholic clergy has been found guilty of pedophilia. 10% of the Protestant ministers have been found guilty of pedophilia. This is not a Catholic problem.

A study of American priests showed that most are happy in the priesthood and find it even better than they had expected, and that most, if given the choice, would choose to be priests again in face of all this obnoxious PR the church has been receiving.

The Catholic Church is bleeding from self-inflicted wounds. The agony that Catholics have felt and suffered is not necessarily the fault of the Church. You have been hurt by a small number of wayward priests that have probably been totally weeded out by now.

Walk with your shoulders high and you head higher. Be a proud member of the most important non-governmental agency in the United States. Then remember what Jeremiah said: "Stand by the roads, and look and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is and walk in it, and find rest for your souls." Be proud to speak up for your faith with pride and reverence and learn what your Church does for all other religions.

Be proud that you're a Catholic.

List of Prison and Jail Locations throughout the Cleveland Diocese

                        Diocesan Ministry to the Incarcerated

CUYAHOGA COUNTY

Rev. Frank Godic, Pastoral Care Services and Health Affairs
7911 Detroit Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44102, 216-431-5900.
For general jail and prison resources, please call:

Parish Life Office, 216-696-6525, ext.3500

St. Edward Church, 419-289-7224
Cuyahoga County Jail

1215 West 3rd Street

Cleveland, OH 44113
216-443-6000

Rev. Mr. Martin Thiel, 216-443-6182; 216-749-0414
Parish Life Office, 216-696-6525, ext. 3500

Rev. Neil Walters, 216-581-2852

North Royalton City Jail
14800 Bennett Road
North Royalton, OH 44133
440-237 -8686

Euclid City Jail  

545 East 222 Street

Euclid, Ohio 44123
216-289-8522

St. Christine Church, Euclid, Rev. Patrick Henry, 216-261-1410

Sr. Elaine Theresa Burrows, SIW, St. Thomas More Church, 216-749-0414

Northeast Pre-Release Center

2675 East 30 Street

Cleveland, OH 44115
216-771-6460

Rev. James O'Donnell, 216-566-0531
Mrs. Linda Catanzaro, 216-348-4119

Cuyahoga County Detention Home

2209 Central Avenue

Cleveland, OH 44115

216-443-3300

Rev. James O'Donnell, 216-566-0531

Cuyahoga Hills Juvenile Correctional Institute
4321 Green Road

Highland Hills, OH 44128

216-464-8200

Rev. James Masek, 440-842-5533

ADULT FACILITIES:         

Ashland County Jail

1205 East Main Street
Ashland, OH 44805
419-281-9009

GEAUGA COUNTY

Geauga County Jail
13281 Ravenna Road
Chardon, OH 44024
440-286-4031

St. Helen, Newbury, Rev. Mr. Will Payne, 440-564-5805
St. Edward, Parkman, Rev. John Burkley, 440-548-3812
St. Lucy, Middlefield, Rev. John Burkley, 440-548-3812

Geauga County Youth Center
13300 Aquilla Road

Chardon, OH 44024
440-285-2222, ext. 5340

MEDINA COUNTY

Medina County Juvenile Detention
655 Independence Drive

Medina, OH 44256

330-764-8408

St. Francis Xavier, Rev. Mr. Dan Norris, 330-725-4968

Medina County Jail

555 Independence Drive
Medina, OH 44256
330-725-0028

St. Francis Xavier, Rev. Mr. Dan Norris, 330-725-4968

Grafton Correctional Institute
2500 South Avon Belden Road
Grafton, OH 44044
440-748-1161

Rev. John Seybold, 440-926-2364
Rev. Mr. John Rivera, 440-327-4426

LAKE COUNTY

Lake County Youth Detention Center
53 East Erie Street

P.O. Box 490

Painesville, OH 44077

440-350-3159

St. Anthony of Padua, Fairport Harbor, Mary Rininger, 440-354-4525

Lake County Jail

104 East Erie Street
Painesville, OH 44077
440-350-5601

St. Mary Parish, Painesville, Marty Hillier, 440-354-4381
St. Anthony of Padua, Fairport Harbor, 440-354-4525

LORAIN COUNTY

Lorain County Detention Home
9967 South Murray Ridge Road

Elyria, OH 44035

440-326-4040

St. Agnes Parish, 440-322-5622

Lorain Correctional Institute

2075 South Avon Belden Road

Grafton, OH 44044

440-748-1049'

Rev. Charles Ryba, 440-236-5095

Mrs. Rita Bowen, 440-322-5622, ext. 17

Lorain County Jail

9896 Murray Ridge Road
Elyria, OH 44035
440-329-3718

Rev. Albert Krupp, 440-322-5622

Mrs. Rita Bowen, 440-322-5622, ext. 17

Lorain/Medina CBCF

9892 Murray Ridge Road

Elyria, Ohio 44035

440-323-3233

Rev. Albert Krupp, 440-322-5622

Mrs. Rita Bowen, 440-322-5622, ext. 17

North Coast Correctional Treatment Facility

2000 South Avon Belden Road

Grafton, OH 44044

440-748-5000

Fr. Charles Ryba, 440-236-5095

Mrs. Rita Bowen, 440-322-5622, ext. 17

LUCAS COUNTY

Mohican Juvenile Correctional Facility

1012 ODNR Mohican 51

Perrysville, OH 44864

419-994-4127

St. Peter Parish, 419-994-4396

WAYNE COUNTY

Wayne County Jail
201 West North Street
Wooster, OH 44691
330-287 -5770

St. Mary of the Assumption, Wooster, Rev. Steve Moran, 330-264-8824

SUMMIT COUNTY

JUVENILE FACILITIES:

Boys Village Ohio, Inc. (Smithville)
2803 Akron Road

Wooster, OH 44691

330-264-3232

St. Mary of the Assumption, Wooster, Rev. Steve Moran, 330-264-8824

Summit County Jail

205 East Crosier Street

Akron, OH 44311

330-643-2113

Mr. Dell Rogers, 330-688-6412, ext. 467

Summit County Juvenile Detention Services
650 Dan Street

Akron, OH 44310
330-643-2960/330-643-2962

St. Martha Parish, 330-376-5144

Youth Development Center
996 Hines Hill Road

Hudson, OH 44236
330-656-2282

St. Mary Parish, Rose Gordyan, 330-653-8118, ext. 227

St. Helen, Newbury, Rev. Mr. Will Payne, 440-564-5805 

PLAQUE HONORING WWII HEROES RESCUED

PLAQUE HONORING OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL’S WWII DEAD RESCUED


The Greater Cleveland Veterans Memorial (GCVM) was created as a living memorial to honor those Greater Clevelanders who lost their lives in wars of the 20th Century. They are memorialized at the GCVM website http://www.clevelandvetsmemorial.org/.

Recently a plaque honoring the parishioners of Our Lady of Mount Carmel who lost their lives in World War II was rescued from possible oblivion when it was announced the church was being closed. It is currently in the office of Frank Piunno, NCR, Inc., Mayfield Hts., Ohio. He is the nephew of Michael J. Piunno, who is among those listed on the plaque. A smaller reproduction of the plaque is pictured here held by Russ Davis.

Davis and JC Sullivan, Vietnam War U.S. Army veterans and members of the Italian American War Veterans Post 34, have taken up interest in the names on the plaque. They discovered a number of gaps in information at the GCVM memorial site. They are asking the Italian-American community of greater Cleveland if they can help. Missing from the memorial site are:

BARBERA, SALVATORE. No photo or unit information. Died in No. Africa, 1943.
CALCO, WILLIAM M. Died in Italy. No photo or other information.
CELLURA, ANGELO T. No photo.
ELLIS, EDWIN. Non-battle death at Alexandria AAF, LA. No photo or other information.
FUSCO, RALPH A. No photo.
LONGO, JOSEPH A. No photo.
NOTARO, ANTHONY. No Photo
PIUNNO, MICHAEL J. No picture or unit information.
SWEENEY, JOHN R. No photo
TODARO, FRANK. No photo or unit information.
PETRARCA, FRANK J. No unit information. Medal of Honor information has been sent to the website.

The following parishioners are not listed on the website:

CINKEVIC, ANTHONY; D'ANGELO, JERRY; IAVENNA, JAHN; IOFFREDDO, JOSEPH; KABALA, CHARLES; RIZZOLLO, MICHAEL; SANTELLI, ALBERT; SCARVELLI, SAM; VAIRETTA, STEVE.

If any readers can help fill in the blanks please contact Russ Davis (usprep1987@aol.com) or Sullivan (osullivan9@roadrunner.com).