Local monuments are tributes to faith and determination of Irish ancestors

By John Shaughnessy

Kevin Murray views the monuments as tributes to the faith and determination of his Irish ancestors.

He also sees the monuments as reminders to present and future generations of people who share Irish roots—to remember their heritage of working, sacrificing and even fighting for causes greater than one’s own life.

It’s for both reasons that in 1990 the Indianapolis chapter of the Ancient Order of Hibernians commissioned a Celtic cross to grace the grounds of St. John the Evangelist Parish in Indianapolis—a faith community that many of the first Irish immigrants in Indianapolis made their spiritual home.

For similar reasons in 2000, the Indianapolis Hibernians also dedicated a Civil War memorial at Holy Cross Cemetery in Indianapolis to the soldiers of the First Irish Regiment of Indiana.

And it’s also why the Hibernians are in the early stages of planning a memorial to Holy Cross Father Peter Cooney, a priest at the University of Notre Dame who served as the chaplain of Indiana’s troops during the Civil War.

Paying honor to the past gives direction to the present and the future, Murray believes.

“For us, the faith and determination of our Irish forebears have led directly to our fine lives of today,” says Murray, a member of the Indianapolis chapter of the Hibernians and the steering committee that is planning the Father Cooney memorial. “The sacrifices they made on the battlefield and the factory floor should never be forgotten. They put their faith and family first.

“When we dedicated the Celtic cross in 1990, it was with a challenge for all of us to continue with that faith and determination.”

Still, that’s just one part of the challenge that descendants of all immigrants face, Murray says. As another St. Patrick’s Day nears, the monuments should also serve as a reminder of the prejudices that immigrants often had to endure when they came to the United States, he says. They should also challenge people to welcome new immigrants.

“As Americans, Hibernians appreciate that we are part of a mosaic quilt that is always going to be a work in progress,” Murray says. “We have moved up the ladder, but there is room for all of us to rise together. The Hibernians connect the two—the reality of a harsh and difficult past with the glory of today.

“In sum and substance, it is about knowing where you are going because you know where you began. I think that is why we erect markers and monuments.”

(For more information about the Father Cooney memorial project, contact Murray at 317-237-3855 or by e-mail at kmurray@fbtlaw.com.) †

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