“The cultural exchange is so important for finding commonalities and learning about differences, traditions and every day life, and you really become more immersed in the cultural than you would by just reading about it,” West said. “We have members from Iowa, Minnesota — people really want to support the connection to Ireland.”

Secretary Kerry acknowledged in his remarks on religion and diplomacy [...] "Religion today remains deeply consequential, affecting the values, the actions, the choices, the worldview of people in every walk of life on every continent."  The Secretary's words speak to the State Department’s recognition of a growing need to assess religious dynamics in world affairs and engage religious actors across a wide range of foreign policies.