Galway Bay fm newsroom - Bishop of Clonfert, John Kirby is leading a pastoral mission to the United States to meet with Irish emigrants.
Bishop Kirby is the chair of the Irish Episcopal Commission for Emigrants and will meet with Irish emigrants, prisoners and their representatives in Boston and San Francisco.
The Bishop is leaving today for the 12 day trip.
The aim of the visit by Bishop Kirby is promote the relevance of Church outreach as a key support to emigrants and to recognise the work of staff and volunteers of the Irish Apostolate USA.
The Apostolate is a joint response of the Irish and United States Catholic Bishops to the needs of Irish immigrants in America.
Bishop Kirby will also meet with the ambassador and two of the Consulates General during the visit.
Speaking ahead of his departure for the U.S, Bishop Kirby said there is a large number of Irish emigrants living a twilight existence in the U.S and it's this vulnerable group' that he is most concerned about.
The Irish Pastoral Centre was set up in Boston in 1987 while the Irish Immigration Pastoral Centre in San Francisco was established in 1997.
In Boston, Bishop Kirby will meet people from the Irish Pastoral Centre as well as Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald, Irish diplomats, members of Boston's clergy and senior police officers.
In San Francisco he will visit the site of the Berkeley balcony collapse and will bless the trees planted by President Michael D Higgins to remember the young people who died there.
