With Mary, Mother of Our Savior Church in the background and the Great Hunger memorial in the fore, the Men’s and Ladies’ Ancient Order of Hibernians of Oneida County assemble following their annual Memorial Mass. (Photos courtesy Tom Loughlin Jr.)
Oneida County’s John C. Devereux Division #1 of the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Oneida County Ladies’ Order of Hibernians “Ladies of Knock” held their annual Memorial Mass at the newly renamed Mary, Mother of Our Savior (formerly Our Lady of Lourdes) on Sunday in Utica.
The Mass is held in homage to deceased AOH members and to victims of “An Gorta Mor,” the Great Hunger that devastated Ireland in the 1840s. Father Joseph Salerno presided at the Mass.
The Great Hunger monument at the church is surrounded by bricks naming former members and local individuals of Irish descent. The Hibernians are a fraternity/sorority for practicing Roman Catholics of Irish descent or Irish born.
