Our annual Brendan Murphy Memorial Communion Mass and Brunch is always a special event and a favorite for so many because of the generosity of our supporters and friends in the Yonkers community. Thank you for your support and Sláinte!

Guest Speaker Denis Mulcahy, co-founder of Project Children

This year’s guest speaker made the event even more special. We were honored to hear from Denis Mulcahy, co-founder of Project Children about his inspiring life story.

Arriving from County Cork in New York as a 17-year-old, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he was trained in bomb disposal. He then joined the NYPD in 1969 and served with the Tactical Patrol Force, Street Crime Unit, and the 28th Precinct Detective Squad, before joining the elite Bomb Squad in 1983. He retired in 2002 as a First Grade Detective after 33 years of dedicated service.

His expertise in bomb disposal stood out when he joined the NYPD, and it was during his service that he decided to co-found Project Children in 1975.

Throughout the 40 years of the program over 23,000 young Catholics and Protestant children travelled to the US for summer holiday respite from the everyday violence and strife of their homeland.

The Project Children story is told in the award-winning documentary How to Defuse a Bomb, narrated by Liam Neeson. A must see!

Among his many humanitarian honors, he received the Bene Merenti Medal from his Holiness, Pope John Paul II, the Private Sector Initiative Commendation from President Ronald Reagan and the AOH National JFK Award. He was also nominated for two consecutive years for the very prestigious Nobel Peace Prize and was runner up to Nelson Mandela and Mother Teresa.

James McGinty Hibernian of the Year William Regan

It was a privilege to honor our Brother William “Bill” Regan. A lifelong resident of Yonkers and long-time Hibernian, Bill has dedicated his life to public service and the community. Bill served honorably as a Marine in 1966 at the height of the Vietnam Conflict.

Bill spent 40 years in local government as Deputy Mayor of Yonkers, Village Administrator in Bronxville, and North Tarrytown. He now serves as Vice Commander at the Charles Bajart American Legion Post in Yonkers, as an Executive Board member of the Yonkers St. Patrick’s Day Parade, and is on the Board of Directors of the Aisling Irish Community and Cultural Center.

Special Thanks

Bishop Massa, Fr. Richard Veras, all the Seminarians and staff at St. Joseph's Seminary, Dunwoodie, our division Chaplain Fr. Matthew Fernan, Legislators David Tubiolo and James Nolan, Liam Geer, Kevin Fitzgerald, Ms. Lauren Tuffy for her beautiful voice, Ms. Hailey Thompson for playing the harp, our sisters at LAOH, Yonkers, Division 19, AOH National Officers and Brothers, AOH New York State Officers and Brothers and AOH - Division 17 New Rochelle Officers and Brothers.