Saturday, September 13th will be the fifth annual to be held in Cleveland’s Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood. The husband-and-wife duo Noelle Sayles and Nick Noyes will host the annual event at their Stone Mad Pub & Restaurant (W. 65th & Pete Leneghan Way).
The Run/Walk is organized by the Leneghan Family and held in memory of Cleveland businessman Pete Leneghan. Come and have a fun Sunday morning.
The 5k race and 1 mile walk start at 9:30AM. Funds are used for scholarships and other promotion of Pete’s entrepreneurial spirit in our community. $30 fee, call Hermes Sports & Events: 216-623-9933 or roadracing@hermescleveland.com.
Nun Stories
Sr. Susan Durkin, OSU (center), with leaders representing dozens of Women’s Religious Orders as they launch their new Heritage Center.
More properly, The Women Religious Archives Collaborative (WRAC), recently broke ground for a new Heritage Center. “The new state-of-the-art facility will preserve the history of Catholic Sisters and share the stories of their enormous contributions and impact throughout the United States.”
Sr. Susan Durkin, a proud Irish American and an Ursuline Sister of Cleveland, is leading the important project. With the rapid aging of our American Sisters, WRAC will ensure that these stories and history will not be lost and their examples of service and faith, are passed onto future generations.
Sr. Susan shared, “Women Religious have significantly impacted this country since their arrival in 1727 through tireless efforts in spiritual formation, education, health care, and social service.” Seventy-Five Congregations are expected to use this new facility as the central repository of the papers and materials which tell their story. Sr. Susan’s team has raised almost $20 million for the project, yet a few million more is needed to finish (hint, hint). The WRAC and Heritage Center will be located on Sr. Ignatia Way (E. 22nd St.) in downtown Cleveland, on land donated by the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine. Let us honor the self-sacrifice and dedicated labors of these women that shaped our Nation and nourished our Faith.
Whiskey and Art
The Irish American Archives Society will be presenting a fun evening to raise dollars to fund on going research into the history of Irishtown Bend on the western bank of The Cuyahoga River. Work is under way stabilizing the site with major reworking of the hillside. It is critical that research be finalized soon to be ready for the Irish Heritage Site which will a core piece of the new Park and public space.
Whiskey & Art will be held Thursday, September 17, 2025 at The Conway brothers’ Great Lakes Brewing Company in Ohio City. Reception @5:30PM with design preview of IrishTown Bend Heritage Trail from 6:30 to 7:30PM. Opportunities to acquire limited editions of Tim Callaghan’s painting of IrishTown Bend (our front cover this month) and limited production of IrishTown Bend Whiskey (aged in Great Lakes Brewing casks) will be presented. See IrishArchives.org.
Takeover
Shortly after his inauguration, Donnie dTrump fired all the democratic members of the non-political John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts governing board and proudly announced, “We took over the Kennedy Center.” Shortly after stacking the board with only Republican members, he installed himself as chairman of that board.
Not sure who he took it over from, but regardless, his loyal lackies in the Republican House of Representatives have passed out of committee a bill to follow his dictates and remove President Kennedy’s name and rename the iconic performing arts center, “The Donald Trump Center for the Performing Arts,” and to rename the Opera Theatre after his third wife, Melania Trump.
The legislation is named, “The Make Entertainment Great Again Act.” Rep. Bob Onder, the lead sponsor of the bill, shared his reasoning: “You would be hard pressed to find a more significant cultural icon in the past 40 years than President Trump.”
Not everyone is in agreement: President Kennedy’s grandson, Jack Schlossberg, stated, “Trump is obsessed with being bigger than JFK, with minimizing the many heroes of our past, as if that elevates him, it doesn’t.” This effort is a major affront to the memory of the slain 35th President and an insult to the Irish American Community.
Jobs Not Jails
That is the motto of the Home Boy Industries, founded by Irish American priest, Fr. Greg Boyle. S.J. Boyle recently spent the week on the shores of Lake Erie as “Preacher of the Week” at Ohio’s Lakeside Chautauqua.
In the Irish tradition, the Jesuit is a notable storyteller and an inspirational faith leader. Boyle was well received at his second summer at Lakeside. He travelled with two of his “homies,” part of the now 800 employee strong Home Boy industries.
One of his Homies shared that Lakeside was the most welcoming place of their outreach travels (likely a trip to Cedar Point helped). Boyle’s ancestors hail from County Antrim in the Six Counties.
Home Boy industries is a commercial success, earning millions of dollars, which fund the help centric ministry, which promotes, “the transformative power of compassion, forgiveness, and second chances, empowering hundreds of thousands of individuals to break free from cycles of poverty, violence, and incarceration.”
Boyle was presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2024 by President Joe Biden. Boyle is also the recipient of the University of Notre Dame’s prestigious Latare Award and too many other honors to mention. Check out his most recent book: Cherished Belonging, The Healing Power of Love in Divided Times, and go to Shophomeboy.com to learn more about all the services and ministries, as well as take the opportunity to donate or buy some of the Home Boy merch.
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with the Cleveland Guardians
On Tuesday, September 9th, The Cleveland Guardians and the Dolan Family ownership will present Irish baseball fans a chance to celebrate the halfway mark to the High Holy Day with a Irish themed menu and giveaways, raffle items and more at the new Paul Davis Pennant District, which is located above right field (E. 9th St. side). This private party venue area is designed for just such an event as this Irish Night.
The Guards will be playing the Kansas City Royals, gates open at 5:30 PM, first pitch at 6:40 PM. Go to mlb.com/guardians/tickets, use Code: StPatrick2025. Each ticket is around $51.00 and includes admission and loads of great eats. This offer expires on September 7th. For questions call: 216-420-4487.
