Friday, August 27, 2010

Catholicism, we have a problem

Today's piece by M.C. Martino in NorthJersey.com titled "Islam , we have a problem" contends that the public perception of Islam suffers from not having an iconic representative:
"It would help if there was a recognizable American Islamic spiritual leader. Who is their Billy Graham? Their Cardinal Egan?"

Thursday, August 26, 2010

That's Entertainment!


MOTHER TERESA RALLY SPEAKERS

The following are confirmed speakers for Thursday's rally:
Bill Donohue, president, Catholic League
Comedian Jackie Mason
Attorney Raoul Felder
Dr. Uma Mysorekar, president, Hindu Temple Society of North America
Joe DioGuardi, president, Albanian American Civic League
New York State Senator Ruben Diaz
New York State Senator George Maziarz
Rev. Michel Faulkner, president, The Institute for >Leadership
New York City Councilman Vincent Gentile
New York City Councilman Peter Vallone Jr.
New York City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez
Esad Rizai, president, Albanian American Society Foundation
Beth Gilinsky, president, Jewish Action Alliance
Lionel, PIX news commentator
Deal Hudson, president, Catholic Advocate
NYPD Detective Steve McDonald
Deacon Kevin McCormack, co-host of "Religion on the >Line" WABC
Curtis Sliwa, founder, Guardian Angels

and dotCommonweal was there!

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Archbishop Timothy Dolan and Governor Patterson to meet re mosque issue

As I was hanging over my morning coffee this morning, I heard a news item on WNYC stating that Archbishop Dolan and Governor Patterson would meet to discuss the mosque situation downtown. As I am not a morning person, I looked for verification and it emerged in a brief item on Focus: Guardian: NY gov, archbishop to discuss mosque near WTC site.

The idea of offering an "alternate site" is mentioned. Whose? Where? How many $$$? The suspense is killing me. But that's just me.

The higher road on this topic is being taken by The Huffington Post and dotCommonweal.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Our Lady of Vilnius 'hood featured in NY Times Sunday Real Estate Section


Every Sunday the New York Times Real Estate Section profiles a neighborhood in its "Living in:" feature. This Sunday Hudson Square, formerly known as "The Printing District" is in the limelight. Here's the link: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/22/realestate/22living.html?_r=1.

Let's Pray that they don't enhance everything to smithereens.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Knights of Lithuania, Council 12, Join Transfiguration Procession

For the 16th year parishioners of Transfiguration Parish on Mott Street honored Our Lady with a procession through the streets of lower Manhattan on the Feast of the Assumption. Making their first appearance in this procession was a delegation from Council 12 of the Knights of Lithuania.


We joined hundreds in praying the rosary in 6 languages as the procession snaked through lower Manhattan, stopping in front of St. Theresa's, St. Joseph's and St. James to join parishioners of those churches in prayer.


The parish of Our lady of Vilnius was founded by Father Sestokas at St. Theresa's, above. Early "Ausros Vartu" parishioners attended Mass in the basement of this church for five years, 1905 to 1910, until the church on Broome Street.

We were happy to pray before the birthplace of our parish, to represent our organization and to honor our Patroness and commemorate her Assumption.

We are grateful to the parishioners of Transfiguration for their kindness and warm welcome. We offer an Our Lady of Vilnius "Valio!" to Father Nobiletti for the wonderful work he continues to do in this inspiring parish.


Thursday, August 19, 2010

Archbishop Dolan enters the Ground Zero Mosque Fray

That anti-Catholic rag to which I subscribe religiously, The New York Times, today features a news item about Archbishop Dolan's willingness to mediate between proponents and critics of the proposed mosque and cultural center near the World Trade Center site. Javier C. Hernandez's piece, titled "Archbishop Offers His Mediation for Islamic Center" provides background information into which the Archbishop's intriguing contribution is embedded:

"The archbishop said that it was his “major prayer” that a compromise could be reached, and that while he had no strong feelings about the project, he might support finding a new location for the center. "

I wonder what the Archbishop has to offer? Could we be seeing Archbishop Dolan and Governor Patterson laying church and state properties before the Cordoba Foundation like competing realtors? Saturday Night Live: a skit is waiting.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

96th Annual "Lithuanian Days" this weekend in Frackville, PA


Frackville, PA 96th Annual Lithuanian Days:

August 14 & August 15 2010

Saturday 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Sunday Noon - 4 p.m.
Schuylkill Mall, Route. 61 and I-81, Frackville, PA

The 96th annual Lithuanian Days, sponsored by the Knights of Lithuania Council #144,
will be celebrated on August 14 and 15 2010, at the Schuylkill Mall, Route 61 and I-81, Frackville, PA.

It is the longest consecutive ETHNIC FESTIVAL in the USA. The theme this year is LANGUAGE, MUSIC, AND DANCE. We are looking for people to recite poems, sing songs, or read in Lithuanian. Prizes will be awarded. So start practicing!

Delicious Lithuanian food as well as traditional arts and crafts,dancers, weaving and spinning demonstrations, (by the Spins and Needles Fiber Guild), along with a traditional museum display.

Special guests and appearances will include Brig. General Frank J. Sullivan and Robertas Kupstas, a prominent Lithuanian pop star of traditional and modern music.

Website:
http://kofl144.weebly.com/96th-annual-lithuanian-days.html

Tuesday, August 03, 2010

In (what's left of) the 'hood: Trump Soho in today's Times

An article in today's NY Times, Fifteen Buyers File Lawsuit Against Trump SoHo Project by Elizabeth Harris, reports that our towering near neighbor one block away at Spring and Varick is being sued for misrepresenting sales figures to prospective owners:
"According to the complaint, which was filed in Federal District Court in Manhattan on Monday, representatives of Trump SoHo said the project was “30, 40,50, 60 percent or more sold” — both in individual sales pitches and statements to the press — but after the offering plan became effective in May, buyers learned that just over 15 percent of the building, 62 of the 391 units, had been sold."
The article goes on to name defendants:
"Among the defendants named in the complaint are the Bayrock/Sapir Organization LLC, which is the project’s sponsor; Donald J. Trump; Alex Sapir; and Tevfik Arif, as well as people involved with sales and marketing, including Mr. Trump’s children, Ivanka Trump, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr."
I learned something new about the "condotel" concept from this piece:
"The Trump SoHo Hotel Condominium, at 246 Spring Street, is neither a standard hotel nor a straightforward condominium. Units start at more than $1 million for a studio, but buyers are limited to staying in their units for 120 days a year, and for no more than 29 days in a 36-day period. The rest of the time, the units are rented out as hotel rooms."

Our Lady of Vilnius hunkers down silently on Broome Street, waiting, as we continue to pray and hope for the resurrection of the parish in this fragile ecosystem of New York real estate.