What an enlightening, honest commentary on the hierarchical structure of the Catholic Church. It’s misogyny lead me to leave the Catholic Church in the late 70’s. I continue to try to reconcile my faith with the disillusionment of organized religion. Recently, I have come to realize the profound support the Catholic Church offered my parents as first and second generation Irish Catholic immigrants. In fact, I have this Irish American Magazine to thank for that realization. Though the Catholic Church gave me a strong ethical foundation and a love of Jesus Christ, it did not support me, my femaleness, my worthiness, nor my inquisitive mind…I applaud James Carroll’s call for reform within the Catholic Church. This interview gave me some hope for speaking the truth.
The surnames Gleeson and Gleason developed from the Irish name O Glasain, which originated in East County Cork. The Gaelic prefix “O” means male descendant of, and Glasain derives from “glas,” literally meaning “green” in the sense of inexperience as opposed to the color. There are many variations of the name, including Gleason, Glisane, Glison, Glyssane, O’Gleasane and O’Glassane.
The Gleesons belonged to the ancient territory of Mac Ui Bhriain Aradh’s country, the area between Nenagh and Lough Derg in North County Tipperary. The name is still prominent in the area, but it has been carried all over the world.
let me finish tonight with this. the irish have taken over the calendar, certainly mine. i was in new york on wednesday for irish american magazine. last night was the american ireland fun gala in washington with the big tribute to vice president joe biden. earlier today was a breakfast at the vice president s residence and this evening it s president obama s reception for the irish at the white house followed by a party given by the irish embassy. see i ve got on my green shamrock tie now and thinking after the years in the distant past when i first discovered this irish thing i could lay claim to. one of the great advantages of the catholic school system, i never once doubted how fortunate we are to be born exactly who we are. i love being irish. i took incredible claim to it. anyway, it means something. it doesn t mean everything, but it means a lot. we have a clear sense of where we came from. while it s not something especially posh, it is something to be proud of. make that very
thanks to irish american magazine, i spoke of having grown up in a family that represents all three sides of the trinity, the catholic of my mother s family, the shields of the conroys and the protestant irish side. an english immigrant grandfather in my family. i grew up with another grandfather who never had a drink in his life because he saw the damage it had done to our people. what i didn t get to today in my acceptance is how the love of us, the children of this union, protestant and catholic united all of us, how we found not just peace but love in a family that came from irish traditions. this is why i was so happy to cover the good friday agreement that ended the troubles in ireland. i m still hopeful for peace in ireland and in god s good time unity. i can t thank the folks enough
ask your doctor if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take viagra if you take nitrates for chest pain; it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. side effects include headache, flushing, upset stomach, and abnormal vision. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than four hours. stop taking viagra and call your doctor right away if you experience a sudden decrease or loss in vision or hearing. [ cellphone beeps ] this is the age of taking action. viagra. talk to your doctor. irish american magazine named its hall of fame class this year and i m thrilled and honored to say i made the list. past inductees include bill clinton, joe biden. so i m in great company. i ll be inducted next month in new york city. the motto for the irish hall of fame is remember the people to who you came. for those who join me on hardball each night, you know my pride and where i came from. we ll be right back. honestly? my kids were always on my la