Why is restoration of St. Patrick's Cathedral Organ necessary now? Not a rhetorical question, so please answer in the Comments.

Q.

Ten-eleven First Avenue was sold and, as regulars at St. Mary's know, parishes are reading the tea-leaves and praying for survival.  Is now the time to solicit contributions for this organ?  Again, not a rhetorical question.

In my old age I am ready to confess that nothing gives me more delight than singing hymns in church, especially as a member of a choir.  Singing with choirs has given me an appreciation of the usual accompaniment, the organ.  I stand in awe of organists:  the tiers of keys, the hands, the feet, the registration.  Lurking on Facebook as organists discuss the technical aspects has only deepened my interest, my respect and my love for this instrument and those who venture to play it.

What I don't understand is why the Kilgen organ at St. Patrick's needs to be restored at this time.  Recently Cardinal Dolan sent us 2 "updates" on the financial constraints facing the archdiocese.  Ten-eleven First Avenue was sold and, as regulars at St. Mary's know, parishes are reading the tea-leaves and praying for survival.  Is now the time to solicit contributions for this organ?  Again, not a rhetorical question.

The fundraising page for this initiative states,  "But the Cathedral’s own voice, its world-renowned Kilgen pipe organ, is in jeopardy of going silent after 96 years of service.  After nearly a century of constant work, the Kilgen is in dire need of renovation. It has a sound and an appearance that are totally singular and revered internationally. It rivals the world-famous pipe organ at Notre-Dame in Paris.”

However, the Wikipedia entry for St. Patrick's Cathedral references several renovations, the most recent beginning in 2012, and coinciding with St. Patrick's Restore campaign, and ending in 2015 with the organ being returned to the cathedral:  "Tonal modifications were made in the 1940s and 1950s, and additional renovations occurred in the 1970s and 1980s.^[307] In 1993, while John-Michael Caprio was music director, a major restoration of the organs commenced, and the old three-manual consoles were replaced with twin five-manual consoles.^[182] The Peragallo Pipe Organ Company removed the cathedral's organ for cleaning in early 1994.^[310] The next year, the Chancel Organ was restored.^[182] The restoration was completed after the Echo Organ in the triforium was restored.^[307] All the organs of the cathedral were removed from the cathedral during the 2012–2015 restoration, and were restored, cleaned and re-voiced by the Peragallo Company before being reinstalled in 2015.^[311]"

Is this a good decision for the "people of God" of the archdiocese?

Please help me out.

St. Patrick's Cathedral Kicks Off Fund Raising Campaign to Restore 96 Year Old Kilgen Organ

The organ will be dismantled and will return in late 2027.  Here's a link to their Kilgen Organ Campaign page: Renew the Living Voices of America's Parish Church

America's Parish Church.  I sincerely hope that America needs more than one.

P.S, (or maybe I should say "PR") A lesson learned:  Kick off your fundraising campaign with an enhanced holiday tradition and present the campaign before, during and after.  Case in point: A City Singing at Christmas

Do I think the restoration of this organ is a worthy cause?  Yes.  But at this time in history, I think the survival of archdiocesan parishes and churches like St. Mary's is worthier.

52 Main Street: They painted it PURPL, but it will always be St. Stanislaus to me

The latest issue of our local weekly, The Rivertowns Dispatch,  ran a story bidding a fond farewell to Purpl, the "creative space" that occupied the husk of St. Stanislaus Kostka after the parish was merged with St. Matthew's.  

The building, freshly re-purpled and re-opened in 2023, has been put back on the market following an earlier stint, after which it was withdrawn and re-opened.  I hope to God that it continues to stand and is never a tear-down.  The real estate listing is notated "In Contract."  If curiosity kills this cat, I hope satisfaction brings me back.

Read all about it:  Purpl puts period on chapter at 52 Main

The real estate listing: About 52 Main Street, Hastings-on-Hudson, Westchester County, NY 10706

Yes! There was a priest for St. Mary's this Sunday!

Very happy to enter St. Mary's today and see the rows of poinsettias on the altar and the creche ready to receive baby Jesus.  Even happier to see Father Brian McCarthy celebrate the bilingual Mass with apparent ease and comfort.  I hope he's a regular.

Chelsea News Covers Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Manhattan

Brian Berger at Chelsea News shared his appreciative take on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe in breezy tabloid style. One opinion we share in common, the paucity of press for something so fervent and beautiful: "Curiously, for such a large and impressive event, the only other press in attendance were from Telemundo and the Religion News Service (RNS) web site—a point worth remembering when this or that politician or commentator broadly opines about “Latino” culture in the city."

Read all about it: Thousands March from West Village to St. Pat’s Cathedral to Celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe

I was glad that he described the dancers. It seems that the whip-cracking jaguar that fascinated me at St. Mary's celebration in Yonkers must have been outside St. Patrick's Cathedral. The Cathedral's video of the event begins long before the start of Mass, when the procession was getting into formation and people were entering. I swore I heard the sound of that whip cracking, but I wasn't sure. For some reason it made me happy that the jaguar was present.

You can watch video of the Mass here: Misa de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe - el 12 de Diciembre 2024

Can a Flame Re-Ignite Faith in The Archdiocese of New York? - QUE VIVA LA GUADALUPANA!

Only if people see it.  Why aren't the media tracking the Carrera Antorcha Guadalupana the way they track the Olympic torch or Santa's progress from the North Pole? To me, this depth of faith and devotion is man-bites-dog news and people need to see it.

The Carrera Antorcha Guadalupana is an extraordinary act of faith.  Preserving a live flame on a road trip from Mexico City to NYC is a vast undertaking, involving time, money, personal sacrifice, stamina, faith and love.  In large part this extraordinary act of public witness is not made by people with deep pockets and leisure time.  It is made by people working hard jobs, sometimes 2 or more, who still pull contributions out of empty pockets and time from days overloaded with responsibility.

This faith may be contagious.  I've been attending Mass and saying the Rosary among the largely Mexican congregation at St. Mary's and, even at my age, find myself having insights about God, the Virgin Mary and the meaning of life.  

To all of this I can only say QUE VIVA! 

The torch has arrived in NYC.  You can watch the Guadalupe Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral here: https://www.youtube.com/live/yoZd7n-MZJU?si=tPNRuQL0IFNKvf16

Did We Attend Our Last Mass at Saint Mary's? Praying that I'm Wrong

After the glow of the Immaculate Conception/Guadalupe feast wore off, I began to feel uneasy about Father Anthony's departure and what it might mean for the fate of St. Mary's.  These are my concerns:

• The organist did not know in advance that this would be Father's last Mass at St. Mary's.  He heard the announcement with the rest of us.
• He likewise had no idea who would be saying the Mass this coming Sunday.
• In a parish merger, one church is designated the parish church.  Other churches are secondary.  In our case, St. Peter's is the parish church and St. Mary's is secondary.
• Canon law only requires that 1 Mass/year be said at the secondary church, on the Feast of its Patron, in the case of St. Mary's this was the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.  A second annual Mass may be required on the anniversary of the dedication, but only if the walls had been anointed with chrism.
• The unexpected last Mass of Father Anthony on December 8th satisfied the canonical requirement of celebrating Mass on the patronal feast.  The Archdiocese of New York has no further canonical obligation to hold Mass at St. Mary's in the near future.
• Preoccupation with the Feast of Guadalupe could serve as a distraction from these kind of suspicions.

And here is what I am praying:

• That the Archdiocese of New York continues to be kind to the people of God at St. Mary's and continues the weekly Mass.
• That a priest has been made available to say that Mass.
• That my fears that St. Mary's is one step closer to being sold and demolished are groundless.
• That when I arrive at St. Mary's on Sunday morning the doors will be open for us.

Father Anthony Omenihu Said His Final Mass at St. Mary's/Immaculate Conception Last Sunday

A very sad note was slipped into the festivities at St. Mary's last Sunday.  The last of the final announcements was made by Father Anthony Omenihu, who revealed that this had been his last Mass at St. Mary's.

He explained that he had been on a 5 month assignment that was now (technically) over.  First he would go on retreat and, after that, vacation, serving the rest of his 5 month term in absentia.  He expressed his gratitude and love for his people, then processed down the center aisle to fall in behind the sacred image of Our Lady of Guadalupe for the celebratory procession through the streets of downtown Yonkers.

Father Anthony Ekanem had been the pastor of "Immaculate Mary" for 5 years, following the tenure of Monsignor Corrigan, who had served the parish since 1987, hosted the parish centennial in 1992 and wrote a most excellent history of the parish (Msgr. Corrigan’s Book Is a Piece of History). Father Anthony Omenihu began to say Mass at St. Mary's in July when the parish was merged with St. Peter/St. Denis and Father Ekanem was reassigned.

I had very little personal contact with Father Anthony, but I regard him with a great deal of respect.  His love and respect for the people is palpable, obvious in how he addressed us and conferred the special blessings at the end of the Mass.  Especially endearing was the fatherly way he addressed the young people, aware of how important their faith will be for the rest of their lives and the life of the Church.

He also deserves credit for his linguistic ability, addressing us in English and Spanish with an accent that revealed that he was not a native speaker of either.  Most of all he walked an archdiocesan tightrope with grace: obedience to his Ordinary on one end and affection for his flock on the other: a flock who did not want their parish to close and are trying to hold on to their church.

If the people had known that this was his last Mass they would have organized a reception to express their love and gratitude.  They would have given him a festive celebration that pushed the sadness of separation aside, at least for a while. 

I hope that some of his close associates took him out for a nice dinner and all of the accolades his humility could tolerate,

Kucios at Apreiskimo in Brooklyn this Sunday

You don't have to be Lithuanian to enjoy Kucios.  My Italian/American friend loved it, even though the thoughtful host had PB&J on hand for him just in case.  The jars were never opened.  Come to Williamsburg for a taste of Lithuania,

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15th AT 10:00AM:

 LITHUANIAN TRADITIONAL

“KŪČIOS”

IN NEW YORK

 On Sunday, December 15th at 10:00AM, immediately after Holy Mass in the Lithuanian language in Annunciation Church, the New York “Maironis” Lithuanian school, the New York Lithuanian Scouts, and Annunciation parish will sponsor a traditional Lithuanian Christmas Eve meal (“Kūčios”) at the Our Lady of Mount Carmel upper parish hall.

The holiday event will include traditional Lithuanian Christmas Eve foods, a presentation of the Flame of Bethlehem by the NY Lithuanian Scouts, a holiday program by the students of the Maironis Lithuanian School, Christmas wafers (“plotkelės”), Christmas carols, and an appearance by Santa Claus.

We ask our guests to please bring some traditional “Kūčios” food to this event. Please register the type of food you will bring by using this link:

https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/30E0E44A4AB2AA4FB6-53115692-niujorko

Please come join us with your friends and family, enjoy the children’s program and support our Lithuanian events in New York and our Lithuanian traditions.

Annunciation church address: 259 North 5th Street, Brooklyn, New York 11211 (near the “L” and “G” Lorimer Street / Metropolitan Avenue subway station).

Mount Carmel parish hall address: corner of Havemeyer Street and North 8th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211.

 Annunciation parish website address: www.katalikai.nyc

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A Baltimore Catholic Visits Churches Selected to Close, Later Learning That One is His Own

This opinion piece an excellent article.  It is honest, perceptive account of encountering a heartbreaking phenomenon now being shared by many Catholics across the nation.

My pilgrimage through closing Baltimore parishes