Part 73 - Sarah Mellows and Fr. Dominic O’Connor at the grave of Fr. Albert Bibby in Mission Santa Inés

Black and white print

A photograph of Fr. Dominic O’Connor OFM Cap. and Sarah Mellows standing at the graveside of Fr. Albert Bibby OFM Cap. in Mission Santa Inés in California. Other individuals in the group include Fr. Stephen Murtagh OFM Cap., Rev. Paul Dillon, and Mary McWhorter.

Mary McWhorter, from Illinois, was a prominent Irish-American campaigner for the republican cause. She was President of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Ancient Order of Hibernians from 1916-21. During this period the organisation had over 75,000 members. The Ladies AOH was founded in 1894. McWhorter held a meeting with American President Woodrow Wilson to make a case for Irish freedom. She presented a petition with over 600,000 signatures to President Wilson, demanding an Irish Republic following the end of the Great War.