Sister Rosemary

Sister Rosemary Connelly is often referred to as the “face” of Misericordia, but in truth, she is the heart and soul of this marvelous institution.  Sister Rosemary has been profiled many times in the press, but People Magazine may have said it best when it included her in its “Heroes Among Us” series.

In the profile, People spoke with resident Terry Morrissey, a 45 year-old man who was born with a genetic disorder and who has been a resident at Misericordia since infancy.  “I have my mom and dad,” said Morrissey, “but this place is family.  And Sister Rosemary is wonderful.”

That sentiment is felt throughout the Bums community.  We just love Sister Rosemary and if we had a vote, she’d be canonized tomorrow.

Monday, JUNE 14, 2010

Tee Times: 8:00 to 10:00 and 12:30 to 2:30

FLOSSMOOR C.C.

12:00 SHOTGUN START

BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DOOR PRIZE, LIVE AUCTION, COCKTAILS AND STEAK DINNER AT OLYMPIA FIELDS

CONTRIBUTION:

INDIVIDUAL, $600

FOURSOME, $2400

AVAILABLE SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES:

DINNER SPONSOR: $10,000

COCKTAILS IN 73RD HOLE: $7,500

LUNCH: $5000

HALFWAY HOUSE: $2500

FLAG SPONSOR: $1000

HOLE SPONSOR: $300, or $200 with foursome purchase

CONTACT: KEVIN CONNELLY, 773-273-4167 or via email kevin@misericordia.com

THE BUMS COMMITTEE

Tom Arundel
Michael Burton
Pete Castellarin
Kevin Creevy
Tim Gallagher
Chris Gleason
Bill Kingore
Terry Lavin
Ron Miniat
Pat Mulchrone
Paul Napleton
Joe Offerman
Mills Rendell
Michael Rooney
John Scully, Jr
Pat Scully
Frank Stone

Dan Houlihan

Dan Houlihan is a recently retired lawyer and Legislative Counsel for the Illinois State Bar Association.  A former Illinois State Representative from his childhood neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago, Dan was also in the private practice of law from 1967 until 2009.  Dan and his wife Mary Alice now live in Wilmette where they raised their six children and where they now dote on their many grandchildren.

Like most of the Bums, Dan has had a long and complicated relationship with the game of golf.  Lured in by the game’s addictive qualities and it’s endless possibilities for socialization, Dan has been a committed hacker for his entire adult life.  As a result, he remains a frustrated sportsman, still searching for that one swing thought that will remedy his troubled game.  Dan’s friends will tell you that he is always ready to play, no matter how hallowed the grounds or how horrible the weather.  He’s sort of like those guys sitting under a rain shelter on the USGA television commercial, always convinced that the weather will break and allow the game to begin.

Dan has used his considerable legal skills to Misericordia’s benefit over the years.  He has donated countless pro bono hours to the cause and has spent hundreds of hours at Misericordia, working with the capable staff and interacting with many residents.  Dan has served on the Misericordia Board of Directors since 1998.  In 2006, Misericordia opened the Daniel J. Houlihan Home, located on North Kilpatrick Avenue across from Queen of All Saints Church, to recognize his wonderful contributions over the years.  Six adult men between the ages of 22-40, along with a live-in staff person call the Houlihan CILA home.  They come from the Heart of Mercy Village as well as the community and all work at various on-campus jobs or elsewhere in the neighborhood.  Because of the Houlihan family’s incredible generosity, these high functioning individuals now live a much more complete and independent life that is also seamlessly complementary to the campus.  Dan, his wife Mary Alice and his children have truly made a difference in the lives of the children and adults of Misericordia.

His dedication to the Bums Outing is also obvious, since he hasn’t missed the event in over 20 years.  You can always find Dan in the company of his many friends, including Chicago Alderman Ed Burke, Dave Decker, Peter Nolan, Dick Ciccone, Senator John Cullerton, Frank Giglio and others.

Dan Houlihan is an important part of the fabric that is the Misericordia Bums outing and the Committee is happy to honor him as 2010 Bum of the Year.

One of the most iconic views in American Golf

The Misericordia Bums, a dedicated group of social golfers who are committed to the mission of Misericordia Homes, have announced that Dan Houlihan is the 2010 Bum of the Year.  Dan will be presented with the honorary Bum hat at this year’s golf outing which will be held on Monday, June 14th.  We will have tee times at both courses at Olympia Fields and a noon shotgun start at the newly refurbished Flossmoor Country Club.  As always, all participants are welcome to the lavish steak fry on the patio at Olympia Fields, under its historic clock tower.

The Misericordia Bums outing, started 36 years ago by a group of stalwart Chicago friends, including Jack McNamara, Brian Shannon, Ron Miniat and Petey Lyne,  has become a fixture on the Chicago golf charity circuit.  Annually headed by Hall of Famer Mike Ditka, the outing regularly features over 500 golfers who have raised more than $5,000,000 for Misericordia.   In the early years, the outing was a decidedly low-key affair that was staged at a public golf course, but it quickly morphed into an outing that was held simultaneously on three to five golf courses in the South Suburbs.

Brian O. Shannon was fond of saying that “a bum is no good with money in his pocket”, which led to the idea of calling the group the “Bums” who gladly emptied their pockets to help the worthy cause that is Misericordia.  Many participants over the years have a direct relationship with Misericordia in the form of family members who have been residents.  All of the participants have gotten the opportunity to see the good work of  Sister Rosemary who has long been at the helm of Misericordia.

This year, the committee changed past precedent and announced the Bum of the Year in a March meeting, as opposed to the past practice of surprising the recipient at the dinner.  We believe that the early announcement will give the well-deserving honoree an opportunity to make sure that his friends and loved ones are able to attend.  From a selfish standpoint, the Committee believes that the early recognition will lead to a sold-out event, which would obviously assist the most deserving charity in Chicago.

Dan Houlihan is a recently retired lawyer and former state legislator who has attended the Bums outing for decades and who has been very active in Misericordia over the years.  Please look at the profile of Dan on the first page of the new Bums website.

This year’s Bums auction will feature Brian Doyle-Murray as the celebrity auctioneer.  Murray is the co-writer and co-star of the famous movie Caddyshack, which was not so loosely based on his days as a caddie with his brothers at Indian Hill Club in Winnetka.  Murray is an alum of The Second City comedy troupe and Saturday Night Live and is currently a co-star in “The Middle”, a sitcom on ABC.  Murray played the caddiemaster, Lou, in the iconic film Caddyshack and, as co-writer of the script, is responsible for some of the most often repeated lines that one hears on golf courses, including “Your honor, your honor” and “Be the Ball”. In the movie Groundhog day, he played the mayor of Punxsutawney, PA and auctioned off an evening with his brother Bill Murray.  He has appeared in more than fifty feature films, countless television programs and is a regular voice on animated programs like “SpongeBob SquarePants”.  The Bums Committee would like to thank Brian for his generosity in agreeing to act as our guest celebrity auctioneer and we hope that this starts a new tradition at our outing.

This year’s auction will feature the following items:

Golf Trip for 8 with Private Jet to Crystal Downs in Frankfort, Michigan

Golf Trip for 3 with Vienna Beef President Jim Bodman on his private jet to play Arcadia Bluffs, ranked #26 by Golf Magazine

4-8 ND/Army Tix at Yankee Stadium

6 ND/Mich Tix on the 50 yard line

4 Front Row Tickets to a 2011 Chicago Bulls Game

4 Lower Level Tickets to a 2011 Chicago Blackhawks Game

6 ND/Pitt Tix

White Sox Skybox – August 15 – Detroit

One week trip to Steamboat – 1^st week of January

Unescorted Foursome at the Dunes Club

36 holes at Olympia North/South with lodging

Four Club Level U2 tickets at Soldier Field

Unescorted Foursome at Rich Harvest

Bulls Locker Room Experience – you and three guests will get a pre-game behind the scenes tour, sit courtside during player warm ups, enjoy dinner for four in the Ketel One Club and then watch the Chicago Bulls from four lower level seats