On Saturday, Michael McInerney, a Pittsburgh eighth-grader, helped his uncle, John McInerney, lay a wreath on the grave of President John F. Kennedy.

The annual ceremony was part of a celebration of Irish American Heritage month and demonstrated the connection many Irish Americans feel to President Kennedy, the only Irish Catholic president of the United States.

But the event highlighted other connections: Mr. McInerney's Pittsburgh roots, the bond between nephew and uncle, and the passing on of traditions from generation to generation.

This is Mr. McInerney's 10th year of laying the wreath in Arlington National Cemetery, a duty he has observed since becoming president of the John F. Kennedy division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, based in Prince George's County, Md.

Founded concurrently in Pennsylvania and New York almost 175 years ago, the American Ancient Order of Hibernians is a national fraternal organization of Catholic Irish Americans.

The AOH sponsors programs that promote Irish heritage and supports a range of Irish Catholic issues.

Mr. McInerney, 69, lives in Largo, Md., but was born in Homewood and raised in Point Breeze.

He taught religion and journalism at North Catholic High School on Troy Hill, before running in the 1969 Democratic primary for city council.

"Got about 10,000 votes on a campaign budget of $250," he said.

But after he lost, he decided to try his luck in the Washington, D.C., area and has lived there since.

Since undergoing ankle surgery in 2005, Mr. McInerney has required assistance in the wreath-laying ceremony, and he said he's taken the opportunity to enlist the help of a younger generation of Irish Americans.

This year, he called on nephew Michael, 13, who attends St. Bede School in Point Breeze. Michael lives in Squirrel Hill with his parents, Ann and Jim McInerney.

"He pulled it off like a pro," said Mr. McInerney of his nephew, who also planted shamrocks on the grave of George Washington's adopted son, George Washington Parke Custis, as part of the celebration.

Like his uncle, Michael is interested in politics, public service and his Irish heritage.

"I'm kind of a political junkie," he said, adding that he hopes to attend Winchester Thurston School in the fall after he graduates from St. Bede.

He also looks forward to joining the AOH when he turns 16, and hopes eventually to attend the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.

His interest in politics, and his affection for his uncle, made participation in the ceremony that much more meaningful to him, Michael said.

"JFK was a really important president, and I was really happy to be able to do this with my uncle," he said.

Mr. McInerney said it was important for Irish Americans, especially young people, to remember that their heritage is more than wearing green on St. Patrick's Day.

"Growing up, my father taught me a little Gaelic," he said. "He learned it in Ireland, back when it was still illegal to teach it." English was the mandated language for all public education under British rule in Ireland.

Mr. McInerney added that his own memories of Kennedy make his yearly pilgrimage to the grave in Arlington, Va., particularly significant.

"I was in the seminary, training to be a priest, when Kennedy was inaugurated," he said. "I was inspired by his speech and thought, 'If this priesthood thing doesn't work out, I want to try a life of public service.' "

Mr. McInerney said that his work in education and with AOH evokes a common thread in his Irish Catholic heritage and the president's legacy.

"It's all about helping people," he said.

For more information about the Ancient Order of Hibernians, go to www.aoh.com.

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