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Knights of Peter Claver, Inc. Celebrates 100 Years Of Service

The Knights of Peter Claver Inc. (www.kofpc.org) will celebrate its centennial in November of this year. The much anticipated event will kick-off this summer at the organization's 94th Annual Convention being held in New Orleans, home of the organization's headquarters, August 2-7 2009. The New Orleans Hilton will serve as the Headquarter Hotel with key events being held at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.

The celebration will bring Cardinals, Bishops, Priests, and Lay Catholics from all over the country. Over 3000 people are expected at the Convention Mass where the principal Celebrant is Archbishop Wilton Gregory of the Archdiocese of Atlanta. Other events, including a gala and masquerade ball have been planned as well.

The Knights of Peter Claver, Inc. is the nation's largest African-American Catholic lay organization. The Order was founded on Nov. 7, 1909 in Mobile, AL for Black men who were barred from other organizations in the Catholic Church. The organization's membership has since expanded to include the entire Catholic Church including Bishops and Cardinals from around the country. The Order is named after St. Peter Claver, a Jesuit priest from Spain who ministered to African slaves in Cartegena, Colombia in the 1600s. Peter Claver is said to have converted over 300,000 slaves to Catholicism.

The Knights of Peter Claver is a faith based fraternal order with units in 400 Catholic parishes in the United States and South America. The Order engages in a variety of national service projects and is a major supporter of the United Negro College Fund. The organization recently completed its National Environmental Health and Justice Literacy Project, a program designed to educate citizens of poor communities about environmental health hazards. The Knights of Peter Claver is a member of the worldwide International Alliance of Catholic Knights. 

 

 

 

Enjoy Yourself and Be Healthy Too

There is no need to deprive yourself of your favorite treats or abandon all the healthy habits you may have developed since New Year's Day. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) focuses on what you can do-as opposed to what you can't do-to live healthy and happy.

DO get more active. Some additional physical activity will help you expend some of extra calories and avoid weight gain. You don't need to buy special clothes or belong to a gym to get more active. Work it into your everyday routine. The easiest exercise you can do is to go for brisk walks whenever you can-- park further back in the parking lot, walk a little extra while shopping at the mall or go for a walk with friends or family members after dinner. Be sure to walk only in safe, well-lit areas. You can also dance, climb stairs, rake leaves, play some basketball or toss a football with a friend or family member- any activity that keeps you moving. Each week, try to aim for at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise (or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise such as hiking uphill or jogging) as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends.

Already get regular exercise? Good for you! Try not to let your busy schedule derail your workouts. If you get off track, add exercise into other parts of your day and get back to your regular routine as soon as you can. Any physical activity that you do will help you control your weight, maintain healthy bones, muscles and joints, and reduce risk of cardiovascular conditions and even some cancers, according to the National Cancer Institute.

DO eat healthy, nutritious foods. We know it's hard and let's face it; we're all going to splurge from time to time. We never really think about our risks for cancer or other disease when we're eating for enjoyment--but try these tips to keep your splurging in moderation:

  1. While you're at the dinner table, fill up on your vegetables and fruits first. According to the National Cancer Institute, people whose diets are rich in plant foods such as fruits and vegetables have a lower risk of getting cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, stomach, lung, and there is some suggested evidence for colon, pancreas, and prostate. By eating 5 to 9 fruits and vegetables, you are also less likely to get diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension, all major concerns for the African American community. This may sound like a lot, but one serving size is small (it fits in the palm of your hand).
     
  2. Share desserts with another friend or family member. This will help you enjoy more of your favorite things without so much of the fat. As you probably know, eating foods high in saturated fat increases the risk of many chronic diseases so it's best to do so in moderation. Occasional splurges can be fine, but get back on track with your normal eating habits as soon as you can.
     
  3. Use some healthy recipes for your entrees, appetizers or side dishes. Do honey candied yams, angel food cake with mixed berries, or garlic mashed potatoes sound good to you? For the recipes, call 1-800-4CANCER or visit www.cancer.gov/ncipubs to request a free copy of the Down Home Healthy Cooking recipe book.
     
  4. Use healthy cooking techniques. Put away that deep fat fryer-boil, roast, bake, grill, braising or stir-fry instead. Use low-fat or skim-milk while cooking, add more herbs and spices instead of salt, and steam your vegetables whenever you can.

Visit www.cancer.gov or call 1-800-4-CANCER to learn more about how more physical activity and a healthier diet may help reduce your cancer risk. Small changes can make big differences. This season, try to adopt some new, healthy habits and start a new tradition for you and your loved ones. After all, living healthy and happy is always a "do."

The National Cancer Institute is the nation's lead federal agency for cancer research. For more information about cancer research and resources, visit www.cancer.gov or call toll-free 1-800-4CANCER.

 

 

 

 

LOCAL

 

John Murphy

Recollections of John Murphy from his childhood years in 1921 the black and tans together with the regular British military were active in the parish They were ambushed at Kilmeaney where Mick Galvin was killed, the IRA and were forced to retreat, After the Gortaglanna shootings to terrorize the people the British soldiers planted machine gun at the top of the hill near the grave yard and fired many rounds, the sound was louder than thunder people who lived nearby ran for shelter as our house is but a few fields from the hilltop, I remember father and mother and two servants rushing from the Cow house into the kitchen with terror in their eyes it seemed to then that the tans were advancing towards the house all was quite again after a while but more excitement was to come, into the yard a good friend of ours driving his two cows, was to be followed by his wife and son in the jennet car and with some provisions in the car. As their house and field was beside Gortaglanna the tans were constantly passing to and fro so they decided to stay with us for the few days as we were far in from the main road. The refugees were Jim and his wife Nell Leahy and their son Taig. The constant conversation was the raids the burning of Brosnan's Pub, Moyvane the burning of the great house in Kilmorna and the killing at Gortaglanna, shooting of Jack Sheehan . The Exciting and a tragic month of May gave way to June and all that summer endless days of sunshine. The only motor car in North Kerry was owned by Knockanure born man the tailor John Kennelly whose business was in Listowel regularly he used to drive through Knockanure on a Sunday to visit his family in Gortdromagowna . People who were looking out at this vehicle, little did they think that in time this would replace the horse, donkey, the Jennet and the bicycle. Came July There was peace and Tans had gone I was taken to Mass the first time on entering the church I saw something that fascinated me it was a coffin I took it to be a beautiful ornamentation kind of table my mother did not mention its purpose. Come August and to my surprise a crowd of men had gathered in the field next to the yard and they were playing a football and erecting goalposts at each end of the field the following Sunday morning they were erecting a paling of thorny wire all along one side of the field , after dinner at huge crowd arrived I was taken out to watch my first football match, this match was memorable since the young Con Brosnan was on the Newtown team which was beaten on the day by Dromlacht , from then on I followed the football career of Con, he won six all Ireland Medals and was the best in Ireland . As my sister now Sister Declan was already going to school I knew that the time had come for me too and so in the first week of September I walked into what I expected would be a place of joy forever , when I was about three weeks there things began to happen , I could hear from 10am to 3pm slapping convulsing about 150 children . I got slapped for Irish, sums, spelling and prayers etc. As time went this was something that had to be endured just as our parents did before us , as I was left handed , I get a fair share of wallops before I could write with the right hand , what joy was the Christmas vacation and so ended the historic year of 1921.

The first anniversary of the Gortaglanna murders was held on a weekday in May in 1922 an immense crowd assembled at the scene from all parts of North Kerry and West Limerick they marched from the Cross ,there were about four bands Knockanure Fife and drum, Pipers band from Newcastlewest and the Listowel brass band and another one I cannot remember. There were fiery speeches of defiance against the British interlopers among the speakers was Mary McSweeney of Cork, her brother died in jail at the end of 73 days of fast ,there was already rumors of a civil war as a result of the treaty this war broke out about two months later. . One evening, I saw smoke belching into the sky just below Ballygrennan Hill it was that burning of the workhouse, the Barracks and the Courthouse in Listowel, when the republicans where if forced to retreat many bridges were knocked including Gale Bridge, and Jet Johnny Stacks Bridge now Dillon's. Later when the Free State soldiers took control, I remember waking up one night to see a soldier over my bed, when they visited they poked their rifles under the bed and everywhere searching, this was one of the many raids that took place Temporary Bridges were erected which were very treacherous, however the split did not harm the custom of the Meitheal that is neighbors helping each other in time of need . In the spring and harvest in the old days I remember our cousins and relations coming over four miles with bikes and even walking to help at the cutting of the turf setting and digging of the potatoes, the cutting and thrashing of the corn. 1923 Civil War still ranged with much bitterness and we had Ballyseedy, the Clashmealcon Caves, Countess Bridge, Killarney, Knocknagoshel mine trap where soldiers were blown up. When the Civil War ended many were jailed including the Goulding brothers and our teacher Paddy Callaghan who was replaced by Tom Callaghan of Newtown. one morning as I approached the school I saw smoke belching from the large boys room men and women were trying to quench it and to no avail, some mounted ladders to save the girls school they succeeded they also saved the boys small room .The boys and girls were told go home so we all cheered as we went on our way. In two weeks 30 of the boys were put into the girls' school, they had hoped to evade school . It took a year to repair the boy's school. About this time the Knockanure Fife and drum band got broken up perhaps the Civil War split had a lot to do with it when I remember seeing them, parading through the Village after Mass and they entertained the crowd at the sports on the 15th of August. Some of the players were: on flute Danny Woulfe, Jack, Tim and Bill Flaherty, Jack Dunne, Hugh Goulding and on the big drums was Bill Keane also known as Cray or Pailse, Tall Tom Murphy my uncle. Kettle Drummers were Mickeen Kelliher , Mick Madigan, they were top class musicians who were trained by Taylor from the limerick side and Fr Keane PP. I went to a house dance held at Mick Barry's Gortdromagowna on a summer afternoon in 1924 where I saw four flute players, three concertina players and a fiddle player the Craic was mighty. In these years no event was looked forward to more than the sports. The center of attention was Tass Ahern the announcer walking to and fro through the crowd ringing his bell , he would declare the next event as he could not pronounce "r" so he would shout get eddy get eddy for the hunded yads or ye can kick my bum. The old time sports ended in 1929, they were revived again in 1943 and continued for another 20 years. Rambling on a Sunday in the summer afternoon was a great pastime for young men and teenager's often we would walk to Kilmeaney to view the Great House which was recently burnt, the wonder of its one Groves and woods, flowering shrubs ,Lime trees along the wayside, walks, the long avenue, the Monkey Tree, the 21 acre field where an old graveyard existed in the past and the Feale winding gracefully. In spite of poverty it was good to be alive.

 

1. You may sing or speak about Easter Week or the heroes of Ninety-Eight
Those Fenian men who roamed the glen for victory or defeat
Their names on history's page are told, their memory will endure
Not a song was sung of our darling sons in the valley of Knockanure.

 

2. There was Walsh and Lyons and the Dalton boy, they were young and in their prime.
They rambled to a lonely spot where the Black and Tans did hide
The Republic bold they did uphold though outlawed on the moor
And side by side, they fought and died in the valley of Knockanure.

 

3. It was on a neighbouring hillside we listened in hushed dismay
In every house, in every town, a young girl knelt to pray
They're closing in around them now, with rifle fire so sure
And Lyons is dead and young Dalton's down in the valley of Knockanure.

 

4. But ere the guns could seal his fate, young Dee had broken through.
With a prayer to God, he spun the sod as against the hill he flew
And the bullets cut his flesh in two, still he cried with voice so sure
Oh, revenge I'll get for my comrades' deaths in the valley of Knockanure.

 

The summer sun is sinking now behind the field and lea
The pale moonlight is shining bright far off beyond Tralee
The dismal stars and the clouds afar are darkening o'er the moor
And the banshee cried when young Dalton died, in the valley of Knockanure

 

 

 

 

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