By Angela E. Pometto
Herald Staff Writer
(From the issue of 7/22/04)

Religion is not important to them — but that’s good. Instead of letting religious differences divide them, 29 Catholic and Protestant interns from Ireland are spending their summer in the United States honoring diversity, gaining friendships and learning perspectives that will lay the foundation for a brighter future in their homeland.

"The Ireland of yesterday is gone," said Andrew McCann, a member of the management team for the Washington Ireland Program (WIP). "It’s all about unity these days.

"Religion is not the only source of identity," said McCann. "The religion question is not a very big factor for people in the program." He explained that Protestant-Catholic relations are still locked in the American mindset. By coming to America, the interns are witnessing that they are able to get along with people despite their religious differences.

"Faith tells us to love one another," said Padraigin Creen, an intern from Trinity College in Dublin.

WIP began in 1994 as an off-shoot of Project Children, a program that brought young children from Ireland to spend a summer in the U.S. WIP places youths in professional internships in the D.C. metro area. The majority of internships are on Capitol Hill, but others include the performing arts, legal studies, advertising and science.

"We take people out of their comfort zone and inspire them," McCann said. Along with the 2004 interns are four returning interns who now serve on the management team, including McCann, from Lisburn in Northern Ireland.

"Ireland’s politics are not as sophisticated as America’s," he said. The six weeks the interns spend in America include classes to study America’s leaders, exposing them to new methods and styles.

The program also benefits Americans who tend to focus on old stereotypes of Northern Ireland. "We want to dispel old myths and provide a new vision," said McCann.

"I never experienced or witnessed violence on the street," said Creen. In her hometown of Belfast in Northern Ireland, Creen said much has changed since the cease-fire. Creen hopes that the program will help shatter the old reputation and show Americans that the Irish are working to build a brighter future.

"The program is not in a vacuum," McCann said. The interns commit to 50 total hours of community service before and after their time spent in America. The alumni association in Ireland also helps keep the graduates connected.

Another important aspect of WIP is the host family experience. "There is always a huge amount of generosity with the families," said McCann.

Pat McBride, a parishioner at Holy Trinity Parish in Georgetown and host mother, had worked with Project Children in the past.

"I’m part Irish and love children," McBride said. "This seemed like a great way to pursue those interests." McBride, who hosts Creen, said she did not know whether her guest would be Catholic or Protestant, but it didn’t matter. She understands the program’s purpose in "celebrating differences as opposed to dividing."

"Faith tells us to love one another," Creen said. "We hope to bring this attitude back to Ireland." Creen said of all her experiences in America, the host family experience stands out as the best. "So much warmth and hospitality — I felt like a daughter and a friend," she said.

"It is wonderful to be around people who are hoping to do something in the world," McBride said.

This is the fourth year Tom and Megan Donnelly-Cyr have hosted, but the first year they have had one Catholic, Sean Cox, and one Protestant, Jonathan Chesney, together in the house.

"I’m the better half," joked Chesney. He explained that he and Cox openly tease each other to make light of the situation.

"I haven’t found it to be a factor at all," said Donnelly-Cyr, a member of St. Ann Parish in Arlington. "When they come over, they don’t bring whatever it is that separates the north from the south." She considers this her contribution to peace in Ireland.

"I know it’s only 30 people every year, but it can make a difference," she said.

The interns keep a busy schedule during their time in America. On July 18, they held a gala at the McLean Hilton to raise funds for the program. This was their first self-started fund-raising initiative and proved to be worthwhile.

They addressed the monthly breakfast of the Catholic Business Network of Northern Virginia on July 9. Among them was Bilal Zahid, the lone Muslim in the group, who joked about the fact that his name doesn’t sound Irish. He then told the story of how his mother immigrated to Ireland when she was 23.

"If she could move to a foreign country with no family and was a success, I can do anything," said Zahid, a student from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. "That’s the American story. Everyone’s birthright is to follow dreams."

"We are tired of people telling us that young people cannot make a difference," Cox said, also addressing the business network. He didn’t mean tired in a sleepy sense, but tired in a deeper sense. "We are tired of a society that judges on race and religion.

"There are two things you can do when you’re tired," Cox said. "You can go back to sleep, but when you awaken things will not have changed. Or rather you can get up, get out and get on with it. This is why I am here."