I write as deputy director of the Political Education Committee of the New York State Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH), an Irish-Catholic Order founded in New York City in 1836 to express our appreciation to Assemblyman Michael Benedetto for sponsoring in the state Assembly a bill to amend the hate crime law to expand the definition to include not just Catholic Churches but all religious institutions.
During those “troubled” times of the 1830-1840s, newly arrived Irish immigrants financially supported the construction of many churches which were under assault by the ‘know nothings’ to destroy the Catholic Church and spread their anti-immigrant, anti-Catholic beliefs and anti-Irish bigotry. In 1836, the Hibernians surrounded St. Peter’s Church in Manhattan and the men locked arms to protect the church from being torched by this hate group.
In recent years, many religious institutions have been robbed and statues desecrated in an assault by modern day “know nothings.” Catholic Churches alone were attacked more than 30 times in New York state.
Our Brotherhood sought to amend the state hate crime law to protect all religions institutions. In need of an assembly sponsor, I called Assemblyman Benedetto who was receptive and upon reading the bill stepped forward and agreed to sponsor the bill in the state Assembly while Sen. Timothy Kennedy is the sponsor in the state Senate.
While the bill did not pass this session, I am hopeful that the groundwork has been prepared for the next session in January.
In conclusion, progress would not have been achieved without Assemblyman Mike Benedetto’s willingness to sponsor the bill in the Assembly. The AOH appreciates his support of one of our legislative goals.
Bob Nolan,
New York State Political Education Committee Deputy, Ancient Order of Hibernians in America
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