An Our Lady of Vilnius "Sveiki atvyke! " to Archbishop Dolan

A Blessed Easter to All

"Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."

1 Corinthians 5:8

Agnus Dei

Agnus Dei - Francisco de Zurburán (1598-1664)

Cardinal Egan is ill and in need of prayers

The T.V. news gave me a jolt this evening when I saw that Cardinal Egan had been hospitalized at St. Vincent's Hospital last evening. The Associated Press put out a terse accounting of the facts. Rocco Palmo elaborates a bit in his "Whispers in the Loggia" post Ed on the Mend.

As Holy Week begins let us keep Cardinal Egan in our prayers.

Verbø Sekmadienis !

"I am not the one striking,
The Palm is striking
You are not in pain
The Palm is in pain
Soon it will be Easter !"

The forsythia is in bloom in New York and so are the devotees of Our Lady of Vilnius on Broome Street. The air is fresh and sweet today, even outside the Holland Tunnel where the Jersey-bound motorists will idle and wonder at the flags, American and Lithuanian that will whip around in the wind. They'll watch the small group of people, joyful despite being outside the walls of their spiritual home.

I am not able to be among them today, but as I attend noon Mass I will unite with them in prayer for the restoration of our home.

In Memory of John Paul II on the Anniversary of His Death

"Then there was Lithuania, another intensely Catholic part of the Soviet empire where the Church had been brutalized since the country's forced incorporation into the Soviet Union in 1940. Clandestine ordinations, an active underground network of clergy and nuns, and the longest-running samizdat publication in the USSR, the Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania (first published in 1972), had kept the Church alive under religious repression and cultural Russification. Now came a Lithuanian-speaking Pope, a cultural heir of the old Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, who shortly after his election dispatched his red cardinal's zucchetto clandestinely to the Marian shrine at Ostrabrama [Ausros Vartu] in Vilnius."

-Witness to Hope, The Biography of Pope John Paul II, 1920-2005, by George Weigel

Our Lady of Vilnius, pray for us!

CNN covers church closures in Cleveland

Roman Catholic parishioners in Cleveland, Ohio, are now facing the closure of their churches. CNN covers these events in an item, Catholic faithful face church closures, by Jessica Ravitz. The article states the facts, putting the closures in a context of similar closures across the nation and a decline in affiliated members noted by the recent Pew Forum Survey. The article includes remarks from Bishop Lennon of the Diocese of Cleveland, Sr. Christine Schenk of FutureChurch and Peter Borre of the Council of Parishes. Salient quotes:

""Too many bishops are treating parishes as if they were Starbucks franchises," said Sister Christine Schenk, a Cleveland-area nun who's been fighting for nearly two decades to institute change in the church through her organization FutureChurch.

"It's about more than money. It's about mission to the people," she said. "This isn't what Jesus would do."

The Rev. Bob Begin of Saint Colman couldn't agree more.

"The founder of our church started his mission by saying, 'I came to bring good news to the poor,'" said Begin, who described his parish as serving about 1,300 people in a community where the average income is below $20,000.

Saint Colman, which is slated to merge with another parish elsewhere, gets daily knocks on its doors from nearby residents, many of them immigrants from 25 different countries, who are in need of all kinds of assistance, he said.

"If this parish weren't involved in bringing good news to the poor, I would not spend a lick of energy trying to keep it open," the pastor said. "But because it is bringing good news to the poor, then I have a responsibility to guard and defend this mission against anyone who threatens it."

His parish and others affected by the recent announcement had until 5 p.m. Friday to file an appeal with the diocese. According to The Plain Dealer, which conducted a survey of the parishes, at least 11 had filed as of Friday morning. The diocese itself refused to comment on numbers."

The site also includes video of parishioners' responses:

Where All The Cats Join In

Well, I am one cat that didn't, and I regret it.

On Friday the 13th Vladas Borkovskis and the New York Cats gathered at Annunciation in Brooklyn to celebrate Lithuanian Independence, make music and help Our Lady of Vilnius raise money to cover legal expenses. Joining them in the photo, above, are Save Our Lady of Vilnius Committee members Rita Stelmokiene, Mindaugas Blaudziunas and Ramute Zukas.

A big "Aciu" and "Thanks" to Mindaugas and the other organizers, the band and everyone else who joined in. Thanks also to Leroy Thompson for providing the photo that I was not there to take. Aaaargh!

See the cats joining in, c.1946.

A sighting worthy of Scoopy's Notebook

Visiting numismatist George S. Cuhaj blogs a Manhattan stroll in his post Chance Observations in Midtown. An observation worthy of The Villagers's "Scoopy's Notebook.". In the past Scoopy has remarked on similar activities at Our Lady of Vilnius.

St. Brigid's Epilogue: Is the devil in the details?

Just as it seemed that everyone associated with the remarkable case of St. Brigid's was going to ride off contentedly into the sunset, a voice from the neighborhood pipes up with some concerns. The latest edition of The Villager contains an opinion piece, New St. Brigid’s must be more than a ‘vanilla box’ by Roland Legiardi-Laura. The author expresses his concerns about the scope and nature of the restoration. I think it bears reading.

Celebrating St. Joseph's Day, Lithuanian American Style

This is a photo of my Lithuanian/American father, Joseph, and his sisters, Helen and Ann, taken at a family wedding reception in 1985. They all attended Our Lady of Vilnius as children in the 1920's. Though they were born here, in Manhattan, their first language was Lithuanian. When my father was old enough to go out and play, he learned the language of his American neighbors: Italian. He did not learn English until he entered first grade.

In my family, we always celebrated my father's name day with a fresh loaf of Lithuanian bread and the traditional Italian sfingi and zeppoli.

How could I not love Our Lady of Vilnius, where both zeppoli and zeppelinai are part of the heritage?

Please Pray for Julia

In November of 2006 we celebrated the feast of Our Lady of Vilnius for the last time before the church was closed. I had the pleasure of sharing the table with a group of Portuguese women from the neighborhood. They placed their statue of Our Lady of Fatima on the table and shared their home made liqueur.

Julia was among them. She was one of the first people that I met at Our Lady of Vilnius and one of the warmest and friendliest. I saw her as a social leader, animated, vivacious and doing what needed to be done.

Since the church closed, I have not seen very much of her, partly because of ill-health. At present she is very seriously ill.

Julia needs our prayers. Pray to Our Lady, so beloved by the Portuguese community, and to Blessed Jurgis Matulaitis, who said Mass at Our Lady of Vilnius in 1926 and who, himself suffered illness for most of his life.

Thinking of Dalia Bulgaris

Not a day goes by that I don't think about Dalia Bulgaris. I remember seeing her in church and social events, always kind to me and frequently translating and teaching. Whenever I felt that my attachment to Our Lady of Vilnius parish was foolish or irrational, I would see it mirrored in her attachment as human and noble. I was surfing the net today in search of traces of Dalia and found this tribute to her sung by the Stuyvesant High School Concert Choir. Even in death, Dalia is very much with us.

REALLY Qualified!

Support OLV, celebrate Lithuanian independence and hear some good jazz!

Vladas Borkovskis and the New York Cats ...

play jazz for you at an evening dedicated to the anniversary of regaining Lithuania's independence AND to saving Lithuanian heritage in New York - Our Lady of Vilnius church.

Vladas Borkovkis- bass
www.myspace.com/vladislavborkovski
Bill Vare- vibrophone, keys
www.myspace.com/urbanvibesnyc
Jay Rodrigues- sax, flute
www.myspace.com/jayrodriguezmusic
Fabio Morgera- trumpet
www.myspace.com/fabiomorgera
Gintas J- drums
www.myspace.com/gintasj

Where: Annunciation Church, lower hall (the building across the street from the church) , 70 Havemeyer Str., Brooklyn, NY 11211

When: Friday, March 13, 2009 , 7:30pm

Directions: Take the L subway train to Lorimer Street in Brooklyn. Walk east on Metropolitan Avenue, make a right on 5th street, pass the church on your right and look across the street for # 70 Havemeyer .

Info: Danius Glinskis, Judita sedaitis - dglinskis@bcausa.com
Mindaugas Blaudziunas - mindaugasb@msn.com

Read all about it in Lithuanian!

I'm Qualified

We Still Need Your Help!

Thanks to everyone who contributed to our appeal for funds, whether via snail mail, e-mail or this blog. Our attorney met the February 23 deadline to "perfect" the civil appeal, but we are still trying to raise the balance of the money that we owe him.

February 23 has passed, but it is not too late to contribute. Visit http://www.ourladyofvilnius.org/ to donate via PayPal.

You may also contribute by check.
Checks should be written to The Lithuanian American Community, Inc. Please write "Save Our Lady of Vilnius Fund" in the subject line.

Please send all checks to:
Lithuanian American Community, Inc. - NY District
Save Our Lady of Vilnius Fundc/o Zukas/Jencius
19 Willow Lane
Great Neck, NY 11023

All contributions are tax-deductible.

"The Villager" covers our candlelight vigil

I forgot to put the battery back in my camera last week, but I am glad that Lincoln Anderson did not.

The current edition of The Villager features coverage of the vigil in a piece titled Soho church lacks an ‘angel,’ but they have faith in lawsuit and brings the readership up to date on events since the church first closed.

Mr. Anderson was also on the scene when the news of anticipated closure first broke and The Villager published "'Pretzels' and 'Provolone" may lose their church". I always think of this piece as "Our Lady of Vilnius 101."

St. Casimir, Pray for us!

Today is the Feast Day of St. Casimir, Patron of Lithuania. Ask him for his help and protection.

Today: Two Year Anniversary of Abrupt Closing of Our Lady of Vilnius, NYC

Join us at 7:00 PM in front of the church for a candlelight vigil. We will celebrate our survival, appreciate our past and pray for our future.

Two years ago today I tried to attend the noon Mass at Our Lady of Vilnius and joined the group of worshippers in front of the church, shocked and bewildered to find it locked. The video below brings back vivid memories of that day.



Our church is still standing thanks to civil and canonical actions. Please help us pay our legal expenses by visiting the Save Our Lady of Vilnius website to make a donation via PayPal.

Also Rans for the Next Archbishop of New York

Back on February 3, when speculation regarding Cardinal Egan's successor had reached a fever pitch, the Desperate Blogger came forth with a post, Colbert 'Top Candidate' for Archbishop of New York. This item was, in turn, picked up by Cathleen Kaveny at dotCommonweal. In the forum that ensued such names as Michael Bloomberg, General Petraeus, Eliot Spitzer, Al D'Amato and Mario Cuomo were bandied about.

My nominee would have been Leonard Cohen, my idol since the age of 12. He is currently circulating among us, having peformed a triumphant concert at the Beacon Theatre last Thursday. Alas, I could not attend because I gave my saved up allowance to the Save Our Lady of Vilnius Committee's legal expense fund. Today's New York Times article On the Road, for Reasons Practical and Spiritual describes Mr. Cohen's artistic and spiritual path.

An Our Lady of Vilnius "Valio!" for Archbishop Timothy Dolan

Today's New York Times devotes a good deal attention to both Archbishop Timothy Dolan and Cardinal Egan. In Laurie Goodstein's piece, New Archbishop Pledges to Look Out for His Priests and Increase Their Ranks" , Our Lady of Vilnius gets a mention thanks to Voice of the Faithful:

"On Monday, the New York branch of Voice of the Faithful, a Catholic reform group, called on Archbishop Dolan to re-evaluate three Manhattan parish closings ordered by Cardinal Egan: Our Lady Queen of Angels in East Harlem, Mary Help of Christians on East 12th Street and Our Lady of Vilnius in SoHo."

Maybe Archbishop Dolan would like to join us for some zeppelinai and a Svyturis.

It's as official as official can get: Archbishop Timothy Dolan of Milwaukee will replace Cardinal Egan

Archdiocese of New York makes the announcement in a press release.

Drumroll Please (Please! Please! Please...)

Last week, 2 normally prescient religious bloggers coyly implied that an announcement re Cardinal Egan's retirement and replacement would be made within 24 hours?

Nu?

Last night every outlet in the world trumpeted an AP release stating that the Vatican would make the announcement today that Bishop Timothy Dolan of Milwaukee would be replacing Cardinal Egan at the helm of the Archdiocese of New York. Am I too jaded to be waiting with bated breath? Nah!

The Power of Prayer

I was attracted to Our Lady of Vilnius the way an iron filing flies to a magnet. I could present some reasons why, but they would not be sufficient to explain the experience. I believe in the power of prayer and I pray to remain an iron filing, pulled into the proper position by the power of Our Lord. If we all prayed so, our souls would be in unison, we would all be aligned the same way, like flowers leaning toward the sun. None of us would be alone or feel alone and we would sing our hearts out in a powerful chorus.

I believe that Our Lady of Vilnius is a powerful source and symbol of goodness and I pray for its restoration.

Please join us in this prayer.

Bloggers Suspect "Big Announcement" Tomorrow

Rocco Palmo of Whispers in the Loggia and Gary Stern, who "Blogs Religiously" for the Gannett Papers, report that all indicators point to an announcement re Egan's retirement and successor tomorrow. Mr. Palmo presents this in this afternoon's post Big One Digest: 15 Hours... or More

A friend from another closed parish is ready to break out the champagne.

What a long, strange, trip it's been.

An Appeal from an Artist: "Everyone Needs Miracles"

Artist Suzannah Troy lives across town from Our Lady of Vilnius. Last year she learned about our plight and expressed her empathy for our situation. Suzannah has been a strong public champion of the humanity and soul of New York City.

In response to receiving our appeal for funds, she made this YouTube video expressing support for our cause. Please look and listen.

Our Lady of Vilnius Needs Your Help

The Archdiocese of New York has moved to demolish Our Lady of Vilnius twice since February, 2007. The church has remained standing thanks to civil actions.

By February 23, 2009, we must file additional legal arguments and documents with the Appellate Division, in order for this case to proceed. If we do not, our case will be dismissed and the Archdiocese will almost certainly resume its efforts to tear down the church.

We need to raise $10,000 for lawyer's and court fees by February 23, in order to continue with the case. Otherwise, we will lose the building.

We think that there is still hope. St. Brigids Church in the East Village followed a similar path since 2004, surviving one hour of blows from a wrecking ball. Their steadfast committee preserved the church through civil actions until this past year an anonymous donor gave generously and convinced the archdiocese to re-open the parish. By following their example of faith and action we hope to restore Our Lady of Vilnius as well.

If you want to support our effort to restore Our Lady of Vilnius as a place of worship and as a cultural and community center, please send a contribution.

For convenience you may visit the Save Our Lady of Vilnius website, to contribute online using the PayPal account.

You may also contribute by check. Checks should be written to The Lithuanian American Community, Inc. Please write "Save Our Lady of Vilnius Fund" in the subject line. Please send all checks to:

Lithuanian American Community, Inc. - NY District
Save Our Lady of Vilnius Fund
c/o Zukas/Jencius
19 Willow Lane
Great Neck, NY 11023

All contributions are tax-deductible.

Any help you can give us will be greatly appreciated.

Yours truly,
The Save Our Lady of Vilnius Committee

Another Lithuanian Displacement

The man in the photo is Jonas Mekas, the face behind the name and obsolete address on an ancient and yellowed page of Our Lady of Vilnius parish mailing labels.

Though I have never seen him in our surrealistic blue barroom and despite being informed that his presence on the list is vestigial, I consider him part of our flock.

Today this image appears in the New York Times associated with the alert that an institution of artistic distinction is endangered. Larry Rohter's piece Distributor of Avant-Garde Films Threatened With Eviction describes how the 50 year old film archive received an eviction notice and must find a new home.

According to the article the archive, founded in 1962 by a group of experimental filmmakers including Mr. Mekas, the archive holds a collection of about 5,000 titles made by some 900 artists and rents these films to museums, universities, libraries and galleries in the United States and abroad.

Mr. Mekas' work "Lithuania" opened last Friday at Anthology Film Archive and received a thoughtful review from NY Times' Manohla Darghis who encapsulated his bio as follows:

"He and his brother, the filmmaker Adolfas Mekas, fled their Lithuanian home in 1944, spent time first in a German labor camp and then a displaced-persons camp, eventually sailing up the Hudson River in 1949 on a ship named the General Howze. Jonas Mekas went on to be a major avant-garde filmmaker, give us the Film-Makers’ Cooperative and Anthology Film Archives and become a national treasure. And years later he sat in his home and watched one world collapse, as another began."

I hope his camera is still rolling because we live in interesting times with much potential for collapse and resurrection.

Psst: There is an empty building at 32 Dominick Street rich in Lithuanian, American, New York and artistic heritage. The landlord, however, may prove difficult.

Secrecy: Shrouds and Cloaks

Gary Stern is the religion writer in my neck of the woods, and a very good one. Today I found a piece on the Gannett papers' website that puts the process of selecting bishops in historical perspective, Process for picking bishops mysterious, to which many of our saltier parishioners might say "No BLEEP, Sherlock."

In the article he harks back to the selection of Bishop Farley in 1902, traces the nature of the selection process through history and applies the historical insight to the selection of Cardinal Egan's successor.

Salient quote:

"Don't forget, the Holy Spirit plays an important role," he said. "People tend to forget that. People see this as something similar to politics. The church is something different than a political organization. It has existed for 2,000 years. What political system can say that?"

Father Eugene used to remind us very frequently of the matrix of divine mystery in which we move. Many forces are at work, forces that we judge as good and evil. No sooner do we invest someone with the white hat, then some tarnish surfaces. Likewise, good manifests itself from the acts of those we have branded as villains. No matter how hard we try to maneuver and control, mystery unfolds. Pray and remain open to the work of the Holy Spirit.

Drumbeat for Cardinal Egan's Retirement is Louder, Faster and Funnier

Posts about Cardinal Egan's impending retirement and replacement have been increasing in frequency over the past week. On Wednesday the New York Times addressed this phenomenon in its piece, Choice of a New Archbishop Is Near, Peaking Speculation Suggests Our Archbishop's piano has been under surveillance. Its whereabouts is akin to the puffs of smoke emitted from the Vatican during a papal election.

The regulars at dotCommonweal are having a lot of fun with this topic in Cathleen Kaveny's post The Next Archbishop of New York. The jewel in the crown is Colbert 'Top Candidate' for Archbishop of New York. The ensuing forum is hilarious. David Nickol offers this video as evidence of Colbert's dynamism and spirituality.

Celebrating the Resurrection of St. Brigid's at Solas

Congressmember Nydia Velazquez, second from left, to the right of her, Edwin Torres and stained-glass artist Patti Kelly and friends celebrated with the Committee to Save St. Brigid’s on Sunday. Isn't that a Lithuanian on the far right?

The most recent edition of The Villager features coverage of the feast of St. Brigid, a party to celebrate the resurrection of a parish that many, especially the Archdiocese of New York, had written off as doomed. A contingent from Our Lady of Vilnius attended the celebration, which is vividly and accurately documented in Albert Amateau's Villager piece Committee celebrates the salvation of St. Brigid’s. It was a pleasure to be among this diverse and cohesive group of people who stood firm againsts all odds and kept the faith. It was inspiring to receive a warm welcome from Ed and Dolly, witness the fruits of their efforts and share their joy.

On August 24, 2006, I started this blog with a post about St. Brigid's, which I called "the canary in the archdiocesan coal mine." The post, called St. Brigid's - A Blessing for Another Church As Yet Unsaved was occasioned by the news of a judge keeping the TRO against demolition in place. The title of the post alludes to a 2005 piece by columnist Dan Barry, A Prayer for a Church Unsaved.

An Our Lady of Vilnius "Valio! Valio! Valio!" to the people of St. Brigid's.

I feel you, Chuck

Apparently our Staten Island groundhog is not as obliging as Punxsutawney Phil. Today's New York Times item, An Encore for Chuck the Groundhog, a Day After the Chomp describes the adventures of a misanthropic Staten Island groundhog when inopportunely roused to perform his ceremonial duties. Why am I so sympathetic toward this poor animal?

The Semiotics of the Superbowl?

Yaayy!

I thought I got a little wild with that last post, but someone else has delved further into the symbolism of this rivalry, going into the origins of the Steelers as the Pirates and associating pirates with the Knights Templar. Whew! Visit The Secret Sun to trace this circuitous path.

My current bedtime reading is The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury. Many people deplored the recent NBC miniseries (doesn't this word look like "miseries"?) , but I now wallow in movies with New York locations, many of which have been decimated by development, or soon will be.

Let us pray that Our Lady of Vilnius will not join them!

Superbowl XLIII: Who are we rooting for?

Speculation About Cardinal Egan's Retirement

And possible successor...

Today Newsmax states Pope to Announce New Archbishop of New York. Though this type of article has appeared episodically since the Cardinal submitted his retirement papers, the speculation has intensified and become more frequent. Let us pray for an Archbishop that is responsive to our cause.

Two "Realignment" Parishes Remain At Large

On January 19, 2007 the Archdiocese of New York held a press conference to announce which of the candidate parishes would close under their much-vaunted "Realignment" process. A press release was issued and duly posted as a pdf file to the press release page on the Archdiocese of New York website.

On the same day a press release about the impending closure of Our Lady of Vilnius quietly rolled off the fax in the Our Lady of Vilnius Rectory, informing us of the AD of NY's intent to close us as well. The release was never posted on the archdiocesan website.

Back at the beginning , before I had eaten so extensively of The Kugelis of Knowledge, I looked at St. Mary's as a model of resistance to closure: positive media exposure, a well-designed website offering directives for prayer, comportment and letter-writing, mult-ethnic, multi-racial artists, performers and community activists publicly endorsing the parish's value to the community and lobbying for its survival. What impressed me most was Father Scafidi's open support of his parish in the media. I remember seeing him interviewed by a major network on the steps of St. Patrick's Cathedral after the Chrism Mass in 2007.

Today Gannett's Time Herald-Record presents a follow-up story on the 2 parishes that have eluded a decision in the Realignment process, 2 Newburgh Catholic churches 'still under review', subtitled "St. Mary's, St. Francis carry on with support of parishioners." The brief piece reminds the reading public that all is not over and that 2 decisions remain while parish life continues as usual. A quote from the article:

"So will the archdiocese eventually make a decision? Ultimately, it's Cardinal Edward Egan's call.

Spokesman Joseph Zwilling would only say there's no timetable for rendering a verdict. For now, he said, the archdiocese will "continue to monitor the situation" in Newburgh.

"We want to make sure it's the right decision, both for the Catholic community in Newburgh and for the archdiocese," Zwilling said."

Two years later I wonder if decisions are really pending, or if their public "revelation" has merely been deferred. I chide myself for suspecting that St. Mary's was destined to stay open all along, a poster parish for the Archdiocese' tolerance for dissenting voices.

I hope that I am wrong. Please pray for my soul.

.

Real Jeopardy: Music to Think By

While pondering the course of events on Broome Street since 2005, and while trying to get an aerial view of the Monopoly board that is New York City, pause to refresh while listening to Shirley Bassey and the Propellorheads perform "History Repeating":

If the visual is too distracting, you can open a new browser tab and continue reading about Our Lady of Vilnius and San Lorenzo Ruiz. The band will play on!

Broome Street Chapel of San Lorenzo Ruiz: The Plot Thickens

According to a recent item in The Filipino Reporter,the Archdiocese of New York says that the Chapel of San Lorenzo Ruiz will not close (See my previous post Joseph Zwilling is Mistaken). In apparent contradiction, there is a movement afoot to save it. Today, an item in PR Inside Please help Save the Filipino Chapel in New York. The piece presents somewhat different information from the other articles and encourages members of the Filipino community to sign an online petition.

Joseph Zwilling is Mistaken!

San Lorenzo Chapel to stay open but under new director, an item in the Jan. 9 - 15 edition of the Filipino Reporter clarifies the status of the Chapel of San Lorenzo Ruiz, not far from Our Lady of Vilnius on Broome Street. Too good not to blog in its entirety:

"San Lorenzo Chapel to stay open but under new director

By EDMUND M. SILVESTRE

In a sudden turn of events, the Chapel of San Lorenzo Ruiz in lower Manhattan will not be shut down as earlier reported. But its director, Fr. Erno Diaz, will be replaced, the Filipino Reporter has learned this week.

The closure of the Chinatown-based Catholic shrine designated for the Filipino faithful was reportedly set on Jan. 31, 2009, and had been confirmed to the Reporter by sources privy to the move, including the spokesman of the Archdiocese of New York, Joseph Zwilling, who cited low attendance as the main reason.

But on Tuesday (Jan. 6), Zwilling, director of communications of the Archdiocese, backtracked and repeatedly apologized for his “error” in confirming the closure of the Chapel on Broome Street.

“I was misinformed last week and I wish to correct what I said to you last week,” Zwilling told the Reporter. “The Chapel is not closing...it will remain open for the Filipino community. I was incorrect when I spoke to you last week.”

“It was my error in confirming the story with you last week,” he said. “There had never been a decision to close it. We had discussions what the future would be. There had been discussion that it would close but, again, obviously I did not have the whole set of information when I spoke to you previously. So the only explanation is I was in error. I was mistaken.”

Another source told the Reporter the decision not to close the chapel came from the Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to the United Nations.

But Zwilling flatly denied it, saying the Apostolic Nuncio has “no authority” over the Archdiocese or any of its branches. When asked if the Vatican or the Apostolic Nuncio has anything to do with the decision to keep the chapel open, Zwilling said: “As far as I know, no. There was none.”

Zwilling said the decision was actually made by the vicar general of the archdiocese, Bishop Dennis Sullivan. “I was part of the discussion, but obviously I did not get the full story myself when we were discussing the future of the chapel,” Zwilling stated. “There had been a subsequent meeting which I was not present. There was more discussion of the situation and the decision was reached not to close the chapel, but a new director would be appointed.”

“As of Tuesday, the new director has not been named yet,” Zwilling said. “Fr. Diaz’s new assignment has not been decided yet, but those are in the planning stages.”

“It’s also under discussion if the new director will serve part-time or full-time,” he added, “because the person has not yet been identified so we do not know if the person will do this in addition to other duties, or if this will be a full time work.”

There is no word if another Filipino priest will succeed Diaz as head of the chapel embattled by poor attendance in the past three years since it was opened and dedicated to Filipino Catholics, the spokesman added.

Apart from serving as director of the chapel, Fr. Diaz is also coordinator of the Filipino Apostolate of the Archdiocese of New York, a position he’s holding since 1995 when the late John Cardinal O’Connor established the archdiocesan Filipino Apostolate.

In an interview with Zwilling last week, he repeatedly confirmed the Jan. 31, 2009 closing of the Chapel, saying it “never really served the purpose of serving the broader Filipino community.”

“In the feedbacks that we have gotten from parishes all across the Archdiocese, the Filipino community integrates and wants to be a part of their local parish community rather than travelling to as separate chapel or church designated for Filipinos,” Zwilling remarked earlier.

He continued: “Had there been more parishioners, financial support would have followed. But Filipinos didn’t leave their parishes in the Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, Westchester and elsewhere in Manhattan to go to San Lorenzo Ruiz.”

To know more about the chapel, visit www.chapelofsanlorenzoruiz.org "

The same edition of Catholic New York that features Court Stays Demolition of Our Lady of Vilnius Church also has a small piece on Father Erno Diaz. I could not locate this item online. It is on page 7 of the print edition and states that Fr. Diaz will receive a new archdiocesan assignment at the end of January.

By way of commentary, I can only say "Huh?"

Call and Response

God bless Barack Obama as he begins the work of his presidency.

Valio! Valio! Valio!

Archdiocese of New York House Organ Plays a Familiar Tune

Catholic New York conveys the story of our recent stay against demolition. Once again, the truth, but not the whole truth.

The Archdiocese never mentions that the sanctuary was closed for 3 years when citing the statistics for Mass attendance or sacramental viability. For the last 3 years of our parish life, Mass was held in the basement hall. Citing "no funerals" for the past 2 years is disingenuous, given that a coffin could not be brought into the hall with any appearance of decorum, if at all. The Archdiocese allowed the building fall into a state of disrepair and now presents this decrepitude as causality for closing the church.

Regarding the confidence expressed by Mr. Zwilling: there is no reason why the archdiocese should not win because they have much more influence and far greater resources than we do.

Unlike parishes closed by the realignment we have never had the opportunity to present archdiocesan officials with what we believe to be the special merit of our parish. Those who worship in Lithuanian were directed outside the archdiocese for Mass and sacraments. The rest of us were not mentioned.

Archdiocese of New York: Please e-mail me. I would very much like to speak with you!

Celebrating the Life of Martin Luther King

Satyagrahi Extraordinaire

SATYAGRAHA as explained by Gandhi:

"Its root meaning is holding onto truth, hence truth-force. I have also called it love-force or soul-force. In the application of satyagraha, I discovered in the earliest stages that pursuit of truth did not admit of violence being inflicted on one’s opponent but that he must be weaned from error by patience and compassion. For what appears to be truth to the one may appear to be error to the other. And patience means self-suffering. So the doctrine came to mean vindication of truth, not by infliction of suffering on the opponent, but on oneself."

He assumed a role that put his life on the line. By doing so he achieved near-miracles during his lifetime and will continue to do so long after. God bless him!

The Our Lady of Vilnius Diaspora: More Roamin' Catholics

Where are the scattered parishioners of Our Lady of Vilnius attending Mass? St. Patrick's Cathedral (Old and New), Our Lady of Pompeii, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Francis Xavier, the Monastery Church of the Sacred Heart, St. Peter's, Annunciation (Apreiskimo) and Corpus Christi to name a few. Because we can't attend the one we love, we attend the one that's near. We believe, we pray, we participate in the Eucharistic celebration, but few of us are committing ourselves wholeheartedly to immersion in a new parish family.

When the Archdiocese of New York closed Our Lady of Vilnius, they did not designate a parish to receive the the displaced parishioners. The AD of NY press release stated that those who needed to worship in Lithuanian could attend Mass in Elizabeth, NJ, Maspeth, Queens or Williamsburg, Brooklyn. No comment was addressed to the rest of us: those fluent in English who attended Our Lady of Vilnius because the unique culture of the parish made God's grace more accessible to us. No provision was made to keep the family intact.

Until the fate of Our Lady of Vilnius is resolved, I will join the ranks of roamin' catholics everywhere, sitting in any available seat at God's table, but always as a stepsister to my brethren. I will leave the table nourished but vanish like a ghost, unnoticed and unremembered by those with whom I have just eaten.

A Page from Our Lady of Vilnius History

"Our Lady of Vilna, New York, N.Y. - The first Lithuanian parish in New York City was founded in the basement of Our Lady of Sorrows in 1885. At this time there were about 2oo Lithuanian families residing in the city. In 1886 the pastor, Father Vanagiris, suddenly left for another city. Since there was no Lithuanian priest to minister to the people, the congregation dispersed and attended the various Churches within convenient reach. Such was the state of affairs in 1905 when Rev. Joseph Shestokas took charge. Father Shesktokas organized a congregation in the basement of St. Teresa's Church , where Mass was said until March 5, 1911, when the Church of Our Lady of Vilna at 568 Broome Street was erected. The church, a beautiful specimen of Roman architecture, is of yellow brick, seats 600 and cost, including furnishings, $70,000. A brick rectory was bought in November, 1912, for $10,500."

The Catholic Church in the United States of America Undertaken to Celebrate the Golden Jubilee of His Holiness, Pope Pius X. V. 1-3 ... By Catholic editing company, New York

Further East on Broome Street: New York's Filipino Chapel Faces Uncertain Future

Today I was alerted to an article about the uncertain future of the Chapel of San Lorenzo Ruiz, located at 378 Broome Street. An article in Asian Journal, New York’s Filipino Chapel to remain open, for now describes how

"The chapel’s uncertain future allegedly came about due to the supposed lack of Mass attendance, despite the vibrant community life in the Chapel with its various activities."

Sound familiar? So does the rest of the article. Here is an inspiring quote from Fr. Erno Diaz, the chapel's director.

"Our home is facing a struggle. We are facing an uncertain future but we can pray for divine intervention. As they say, prayers can move mountains"

So let's take Fr. Diaz' words to heart and pray for divine intervention for all congregations that are facing the loss of their home and the scattering of their parish family.

Brooks of Sheffield Blogs Our News

Kindred spirit Brooks of Sheffield noticed our City Room item and blogged it on his site, Lost City. We are fortunate enough to be creeping up on our third year in residence on his list of places doomed to oblivion. Thanks to Brooks for putting us before his readers and his mission of letting us know what is slipping away and eulogizing what has been lost.

Photo courtesy of Cornerstones of New York

Commemorating January 13, 1991

An inspiring message of commemoration from Liuda of the Yahoo Friends of Lithuania Group:


"Sveikinimai Jums Draugai!

I am taking this opportunity to share as I do each year the livingreflection of what took place 16 years ago at the TV Tower in Vilnius,Lithuania. Some memories fade, but for all Lithuanians who cherish freedomof mind, soul, spirit and country, memories of those events leading to theIndependence of Lithuania never fade.

The Lithuanian National Anthem ("Lietuvos Himnas") is usually sung atLithuanian gatherings throughout the World. There will be no better day thantoday to perhaps rededicate ourselves to the ideals set forth inLithuania's "Lietuvos Himnas". I know of no other Anthem as beautiful andlyrically more meaningful than is ours.

"Lithuania, my homeland, land of heroes!
Let your sons draw strength fromthe past.
Let your children follow only the path of virtue, working for thegood of their native land and for all mankind.
Let the sun banish alldarkness from Lithuania, with light and truth always guiding our steps.
Let the love of Lithuania burn in our hearts And for the sake of our country,let unity blossom."

Translated from the original by Vincas Kudirka

Kudirka in his poem depicts Lithuania vividly as "land of heroes. "Throughout time, there have been many "heroes" in Lithuanian history. However, just eighteen years ago, on this day, some ofLithuania's greatest "heroes" sacrificed their lives so that their countryand our homeland could be free. There were thousands of people at both the TV Tower and also the Parliament. They went and gathered there to protect these buildings from Russian aggression, knowing that Russian tanks would come. Personally, I know one man who was there with his young son sitting on his shoulders; that youngson is now an adult, living and working in a Free Lietuva.One young man, Rimantas Juknevicius, was asked by his Mother, "Why are yougoing there?" Rimantas replied without waver, "Kas kitas jei ne as?" (Who else if not I?)

Fourteen "heroes" died in the siege, many young people and some under thetreads of tanks. Rimantas died at 25 years of age. Today, let's take time to personally remember and commemorate the ideals ofthose who died on today's "Defenders of Freedom Day", only seventeen yearsago. And, as you focus upon each name below, quickly mentally calculate the age of each.

Loreta Asanaviciute (1967 - 1991)

Virginijus Druskis (1969 - 1991)

Darius Gerbutavicius (1973 - 1991)

Rolandas Jankauskas (1969 - 1991)

Rimantas Juknevicius (1966 - 1991)

Alvydas Kanapinskas (1952 - 1991)

Algimantas Petras Kavoliukas (1939 - 1991)

Vidas Maciulevicius (1966 - 1991)

Titas Masiulis (1962 - 1991)

Alvydas Matulka (1960 - 1991)

Apolinaras Juozas Povilaitas (1937 - 1991)

Ignas Simulionis (1973 - 1991)

Vytautas Vaitkus (1943 - 1991)

Vytautas Koncevicius (1941 - 1991)"

The New York Times reports: Court Stays Church Razing

On page A17 of today's New York Times, in the "aslo online" section, is a small picture of our Sunday "steps" gathering. The accompanying text invites readers to visit the full post at the New York Times City Room blog, Court Stays Demolition of Lithuanian Churchby Sewell Chan. Text of the page A17 squib:

"The Archdiocese of New York announced in 2007 that would close Our Lady of Vilnius Church, a historic building in SoHo that served the Lithuanian community for more than a century. Now an appellate court has blocked the demolition of the church."

Please visit the site, read and add your sentiments to the lively forum that is developing around this issue. Hmm...why did I say "developing"?

Steve Earle, City Winery and Our Lady of Vilnius Living in a City of Immigrants

And within blocks of each other!

This morning I rolled down the parkway listening to the jaunty strains of Steve Earle's song about New York, "City of Immigrants". I thought of how our little church embodied that song and, in many ways, embodied our city. Steve Earle lives here now, probably within shouting distance of Our Lady of Vilnius. He should come down some Sunday and have a bowl of soup or a dish of kugelis with us.

Tonight Steve and his wife, Allison Moorer, will be performing 2 short blocks and 1 turned corner from Our Lady of Vilnius at the City Winery on the corner of Varick and Spring. See details here.

Here's a clip of Steve Earle singing "City of Immigrants" on the David Letterman show:

Livin’ in a city of immigrants
I don’t need to go travelin’
Open my door and the world walks in
Livin’ in a city of immigrants

Livin’ in a city that never sleeps
My heart keepin’ time to a thousand beats
Singin’ in languages I don’t speak
Livin’ in a city of immigrants

City of black, city of white, city of light, city of innocents
City of sweat, city of tears, city of prayers, city of immigrants


Livin’ in a city where the dreams of men
Reach up to touch the sky and then
Tumble back down to earth again
Livin’ in a city that never quits

Livin’ in a city where the streets are paved
With good intentions and a people’s faith
In the sacred promise a statue made
Livin’ in a city of immigrants

City of stone, city of steel, city of wheels constantly spinnin’
City of bone, city of skin, city of pain, city of immigrants


[All of us are immigrants
Every daughter, every son
Everyone is everyone
All of us are immigrants
Everyone]

Livin’ in a city of immigrants
River flows out and the sea rolls in
Washin’ away nearly all of my sins
Livin’ in a city of immigrants

Meanwhile, in New Orleans

This morning's New York Times informs us of 2 Arrested as Police End New Orleans Church Protests . Parishioners in 2 New Orleans churches had been keeping vigil since October. The article states that Church officials tie the closings to a severe shortage of priests. Again, the truth, but perhaps not the whole truth. Salient quote:

"One of the protesters, Harold Baquet, a photographer, dismissed the priest-shortage argument, saying that Our Lady of Good Counsel had been making good use of retired priests. Mr. Baquet, who was not arrested, decried both the closing of his church and the forced entry on Tuesday.

“We turned that community into something ethnically, racially and culturally diverse,” Mr. Baquet said. He added, “Breaking down the old cypress door was abominable, anti-Christian, anti-justice, anti-peace. It’s a drastic overreaction. We weren’t trying to hurt anybody. We were just trying to maintain a Christian community.”

The article mentions the vigils that continue outside New York City churches as the 2 year anniversaries of the closures approach. These arrests echo what happened more precipitously 2 years ago in the Archdiocese of New York with the arrest of the passionate and principled parishioners of Our Lady Queen of Angels in East Harlem. The New York Times chronicled this event in their February 13, 2007 piece, After Vigil to Protest Church Closing, Six Women Are Arrested.

Below, parishioners from Our Lady Queen of Angels stand for their principles outside of St. Patrick's Cathedral.

The Inspirational Vigilers of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini

Yesterday's New York Times article was accurate, informative and moving, but you've got to view the audio slide presentation. See and hear the vigilers as they proceed with what has become their lifestyle. We are not alone and they are not alone. What an epiphany!

Parish Closures: An Epiphany

The Three Kings arrive and The New York Times revisits a parish closing in 2004.

In Quiet Rebellion, Parishioners Keep Faith by Abby Goodnough examines the 1,533 day-and-counting vigil held by parishioners of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Church in Scituate, MA.

Molly Wilson O'Reilly addresses the story on dotCommonweal in her post Peaceful Occupation. The post is followed by a lively forum of 23 comments by the usual suspects and some other voices. Please visit, read, join and comment!

Kudos to the National Desk for not letting this issue fade into oblivion. Now if the City Desk would turn its gaze to struggles in the Archdiocese of New York.

Powerful Enough to Evict God?

Cant't He refuse to leave?

Some recent views of the interior of St. Stanislaus

One of the first questions in the Balitmore Catechism asks "Where is God?" The answer provided is "God is everywhere". I am not knowledgeable about canons and rituals other than the Mass and major sacraments, but I surmise that a ritual of "deconsecration" has taken place. This ritual seems to legitimize the removal and sequestration of the more valuable contents and the transformation of the remaining contents into garbage, now devoid of all value, especially sentimental value and garden variety familiarity.

I have not seen the interior of St. Stanislaus since the church was deconsecrated and dismantled. To me it is sad and unsettling; my visceral response is nausea.

My only hope is that He has refused to leave both St. Stanislaus and Our Lady of Vilnius. No matter what words were said and gestures made, I cannot believe that He is gone from these places were so many people have prayed and felt His presence in the silence.

Archdiocese of New York puts St. Stanislaus Kostka Church and Rectory Up For Sale

Of the "Realignment":

"This process, established by Edward Cardinal Egan, was designed to identify the religious, spiritual and education needs of the Catholic faithful throughout the entire archdiocese, and determine how those needs could best be met."

Egan said the decision-making process - which included "emotional" sessions with churches marked for closure - was not finance-related. There are no plans to sell church property, he said."

- from "Parishes to Perish, The New York Post, January 20, 2007.

Last Friday, as I was getting a ride home from the A&P, I saw a man on the steps of Saint Stanislaus Kostka taking photographs of the front door. He then took a shot from the front and then the side. "Stop the car!" I said and ran across the street and spoke to the young man. He told me that he was a member of a Latino congregation that was interested in purchasing the church and that some members of the congregation had seen the building earlier in the day with a realtor. He looked wary, then said perhaps he had the wrong church.

Today, en route to a friend's house for a gathering, I saw the realtor's sign outside the St. Stanislaus rectory: Houlihan & O'Malley. If you visit their website and use the MLS search, you can learn more about these enticing properties than the average parishioner ever knew. The asking price for the church is $825,000. The rectory is on the block for $1 million.

But it's not about the money.

Christmas Eve 2008

There is nothing to do but watch breath rise in prayer
Upon the icy winter air
A hope slimmer than the wisp of smoke rising from this votive light
lies in potential spaces:
Between the sheets of a child's bed,
in the sac that holds the heart.

As we hurtle through a blackened universe pricked with light,
we are alone,
we are together,
we are many,
we are one.

GLORIA IN EXCELSIS DEO!

Sad News Closer to Home

Though, as a Bronx native Brooklyn is terra incognita to me, I always read the Annunciation Parish (Apreiskimo Parapijos) newsletter with great interest. More than a parish newsletter, it is a primer of Lithuanian culture and spirituality. Since the closure of Our Lady of Vilnius, Annunciation has become the mainstay of keeping the faith, Lithuanian style, in the New York metropolitan area. I was saddened to open my "Zinios" and read that Vladas Sidas had passed on. Though I have only met Pat, the writer of "Zinios" a few times, she and Vladas have become a part of my life through the "Zinios". The details are below.


Tuesday, December 9, 2008 Parish Lithuanian Affairs Committee Chairman Vladas Sidas

Walked home to the Lord after suffering a massive heart attack.

His wake will be held at Hillebrand Funeral Home, 63-17 Woodhaven Boulevard, Rego Park, NY. Sunday, December 14, 2-5 pm. Rosary and Farewell Speeches at 7pm.

Funeral Monday, December 15, 10 AM Annunciation Church.

Burial will be at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make a donation to the Building Maintenance Fund of Annunciation Parish. Aciu.

May he rest in peace in the arms of the Risen Savior!

The above is excerpted from Pat's newsletter. May we echo her prayer for Vladas and honor him as requested.

Cardinal Dulles, Bettie Page and Our Lady of Vilnius

Yesterday I was saddened to hear of the passing of Cardinal Avery Dulles, with whom I literally had a nodding acquaintance. Later in the day I heard of the passing of famous pin-up girl, Bettie Page.

This morning, in a juxtaposition worthy of Our Lady of Vilnius, the two noteworthies each command half of the same obituary page in the print version of The New York Times.

Yes, gentle reader, this is kind of how it looked. These are the photos that illustrated each obit.

And this is the setting where I imagine their meeting of the minds:

And in my imagination, Cardinal Dulles sits across the table from Bettie Page, now modestly attired in a trenchcoat. They are sipping coffee or tea from paper cups and talking quietly and earnestly. Dorothy Day is walking across the room to join them. Avery Dulles is wearing the same bemused smile we see in the photograph.

Our Lady of Vilnius is the place where I could see most clearly that we all have our places in the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In it's shabby display of history accumulated rather than preserved, it provided a setting for all possibilities, a place where no work of the Holy Spirit would be too surprising.

Let us pray for the motley crew of souls who departed this earth yesterday, so much like us. And let us ask them to help our community and its unique spiritual heritage survive.

We'll Be Your Mirror

On Sunday, when Eugene Sirotkine conducts the Hudson Valley Singers, he will have his back to you, but we'll be his mirror. The choristers will have no scores to hide behind and all eyes will be on Eugene as he channels Mozart and Weber, bringing to life choruses and arias from Der Freischütz, La Clemenza di Tito, Idomoneo and more. A roster of excellent soloists will be headed by Olga Makarina, soprano, and John Bernard, tenor. At the piano will be Caren Levine, accompanist, coach and person extraordinaire.

Date: Sunday, December 14, 2008
Time: 3:00 PM
Place: Larchmont Avenue Presbyterian Church
60 Forest Park Avenue at Larchmont Avenue
Larchmont, NY

Words on Truth and Falsity from Thomas Merton on the Anniversary of His Death

Thomas Merton died on December 10, 1968. Robert P. Imbelli commemorates his death and that of Karl Barth in a post on dotCommonweal.

Included in this post is an excerpt from Merton's New Seeds of Contemplation that may offer Our Lady of Vilnius supporters some solace:

"Trees and animals have no problem. God makes them what they are without consulting them, and they are perfectly satisfied.

With us it is different. God leaves us free to be whatever we like. We can be ourselves or not, as we please.

We are at liberty to be real, or to be unreal. We may be true or false, the choice is ours. We may wear now one mask and now another, and never, if we so desire, appear with our own true face. But we cannot make these choices with impunity. Causes have effects, and if we lie to ourselves and to others, then we cannot expect to find truth and reality whenever we happen to want them.

If we have chosen the way of falsity we must not be surprised that truth eludes us when we finally come to need it!"

This Tuesday Only: Vilnius on Fulton Street (Tallin, too)

Every road in my life leads to Our Lady of Vilnius, or at least passes through.

This Tuesday evening, "Tuesday Evening Hour, Inc." will present a slide show lecture by Engineer/Naturist/World Traveler and Photographer, Vlassios Pyrpyris.

Topic: ESTONIA & LITHUANIA - Tallin & Vilnius
Date: Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Time: 6:30 PM
Place: St. Margaret's House, 49 Fulton Street, New York, NY 10038
Suggested Donation: $2.00

What are the OLV connections to this event other than the obvious? I was alerted to this event by OLV parishioner, Ellen Halloran. I was subsequently invited to it by friend and former St. Stanislaus Kostka chorister, John W. John, an avid and fine photographer whose feet have touched the hallowed ground of the OLV basement, knows Mr. Pyrpyris through the Sierra Club photography group.

In addition, Marjorie Grimm, the Director of the series, was once one of the iron filings drawn to Our Lady of Vilnius in the 1980's. Though not Lithuanian she made the trip from Brooklyn to Broome Street because she liked the community.