Irish Pastoral Centre welcomes President McAleese to officially launch Senior Citizen Outreach Program

On May 27th, the Irish Pastoral Centre will host President Mary McAleese at a morning reception in Florian Hall, Dorchester where she will formally launch our Senior Citizen Outreach Program. Sr. Marguerite Kelly said “We’re delighted to host the President and her husband Dr. McAleese. It is an honor to have her come to meet with us, and the many community members; friends and supporters who we expect to attend. I think is a tribute to the growth of our organization and hard work of all the staff and volunteers that she is taking the time to visit with us”.

The Senior Program, operational for some time, now serves several hundred Irish seniors each month through a variety of initiatives all around the Greater Boston area. We remain committed to meeting the emerging needs of older Irish community members in Massachusetts. Through our Senior Program we strive to ensure that elders in the community have timely access to information, advice and advocacy. We work steadfastly to make sure that our seniors and their family members are aware of and participate in social and cultural opportunities and we place a strong emphasis on supporting our elders in times of grief and personal difficulty. The Irish Pastoral Centre at its core is committed to serving the most vulnerable in our community. We are staffed by Irish born people and those with strong personal connections to Ireland.

Centenarians to be recognized

While the age profile of the majority of our Senior program participants is 65 years to 85 years, we are also delighted to have two recent centenarians plan to join us for this special occasion. The ladies from Co. Kerry and Co. Fermanagh respectively look forward to joining us for the morning celebration and having the opportunity to meet with the Irish Head of State.

With refreshments and entertainment being provided by members of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann Music School and some of our own regulars, talented in singing and music we expect a rather festive time.

Cora Flood, Senior Program Manager points out how fitting it is for the President to attend the IPC breakfast, “President McAleese has for years been a strong advocate for Irish senior citizens both at home and abroad. She is patron of the Senior Helpline (a peer to peer listening line for older adults, based in Ireland it has just expanded to the USA). President McAleese has also taken a particular interest in the work done for prisoners overseas; she was one of the original founders of the Irish Commission for Prisoners Overseas (ICPO) and remains a strong advocate for Irish persons incarcerated abroad.

If you have questions about our morning reception with the President or would like more information about any of our programs please call Cora/Kathleen at (617) 479 7404.

Useful numbers and websites:

Senior Helpline USA FREE PHONE:                       1-877-997-5777

Centenarian Bounty Applications-Irish Consulate     (617) 267 9330

Irish & UK Pension Applications Assistance             (617) 479 7404 x 13