I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year. Our next meeting will be held on Friday, January 25 at 8pm.Welcome aboard to new members Bill Horan,Matt Miller, and Kieran Murphy.

Thanks to all our volunteers for making our Christmas parties so special and to Bill & Trish Lee as well as all the volunteers who made our Pot O’Gold final drawing such a success. Don’t forget your tickets for John McElligott’s Valentine’s/Mid Winter Dance on January 26 and the Emerald Ball on February 23rd.

Dan Callanan reports the following Good and Welfare news…Congratulations to Ray Gallagher whose son Chris and his bride Maureen recently presented him with grandson Patrick William. Please say a prayer for the repose of the souls of Frank Rowley’s dad James,Charlie Cremeans’ brother-in-law Reverend Daniel Ryan, and George Jones’ brother Bill. Quentin Van Wynen’s bride Liz is recovering well after foot surgery.

Sean Devery is recovering at home in Suffern and would appreciate visitors, please call 845-368-4665. Ray Gallagher did another fabulous job depicting St. Nick at both of our Christmas Parties and then, at the behest of Peggy Roche, did it again in a real show of ecumenism for the kids at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church.

All of you should take a bow for your generosity to the annual USMC Toys for Tots program and Mike Lynch, in particular, from his CHQ headquarters at Toys R Us, our annual Families in Need Christmas fund raiser, and for the very gracious generosity to the Larry McKeever fundraiser. Please keep up the donations as they are needed and greatly appreciated.

Please remember in your prayers the innocents of Newton, Ct. as well as the firefighters ambushed in upstate New York and, as always, our wounded warriors.

Yours in Friendship, Unity & Christian Charity,

Dermot O’Connor Moore, President