FATHER JOHN’S 2013

FATHER JOHN’S 2013

The annual Christmas recollection. And it was, by any measure, quite a year.

JANUARY – The year starts with a collation at the NY Athletic Club, an annual tradition that is a good way to meet friends and celebrate day One. A friend gave me a tv for a present and on the 2^nd day we picked it up and brought it home. Had a meeting of the ND NYC Board. We were in negotiation to sell the Xavier Society for the Blind building, and were going back and forth with the lead bidder on contract provisions, and suddenly there was another bidder. I treated myself to a router for my room, so I can work at my chair as well as my desk. I was supposed to go on retreat but because of the  building sale I decided to try to make my retreat at home so I would be available if decisions needed to be made. Nice try but not the best retreat I’ve ever had. Got a new cell phone – fun, and lot more interesting than my Blackberry. Ended up signing a contract with the second bidder for the sale of the building. (Of course for more money! Yay me!)

FEBRUARY – More negotiations with the film company about shooting at our building.Madison Square Garden came to town and we visited and went to a Broadway show.  Regular events each month include monthly meetings of the American Legion, the Notre Dame Club of NY, singing with Jazz at Noon and the Lambs Club, Catholic War Veterans meetings and saying Mass at St. Malachy’s – the Actors’ Chapel. There are also an increasing number of wakes and funerals, not nearly enough baptisms and weddings. And of course this was the month when Pope Benedict resigned.

I was a judge at an Oratorical film contest for the American Legion, and still doing physical therapy three times a week. And started looking for a new place to which the XSB can move. Some friends who had a dog in the National Dog Show at

At his first meeting with journalists, Pope Francis
blesses the guide dog of a blind newspaper man. 

MARCH – One of the interesting new things was understudying the guy who takes care of the boiler and heating systems in the community so that when he goes away I can supervise the system. Celebrated St. Patrick’s with a parade out in Southhampton the week before St. Patrick’s Day – great parade, and great parties. Lots of singing. Conclave in Rome to elect a new Pope and now we can watch the smokestack on the computer as we work.  A Jesuit Pope – will wonders never cease. (And we were especially pleased that he started making a point of talking about and being seen with blind people almost immediately.)  Went to the big St. Patrick’s Dinner of the Friendly Sons and marched in the parade with the Catholic War Veterans. Last year I had marched twice but was not able to get back to the Notre Dame group in time to do it again – heavy snow for the parade. I was invited to become the chaplain for Division 7 of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, and I said yes. Went to the Chrism Mass at the Cathedral – in all the years since I’ve been ordained, it was the first time I had ever been to that ceremony. Took a train on Good Friday to go to South Bend for a funeral the day after Easter. 18 hours on Amtrak. Talk about penance!

APRIL – The funeral was of a professor I had had in school, and I got to see the family and some old friends and it was a lovely time. Home (18 more hours) and the next day I went into New Jersey for the funeral of one of my favorite high school teachers who was a Sister of Mercy. Saw old friends and teachers from high school I had not seen since I left. Very nostalgic and slightly sad and very rich. Still looking for a new site, and that takes up a significant amount of time each week. Did a wedding ceremony – they were already married but they wanted to announce their vows in front of family and friends. Later in the month another wedding that I didn’t perform, so I could enjoy. The couple likes Star Trek (these are NOT teen-agers) so we had a theme reception with servers in uniforms and pointed ears, and StarTrek stuff on the walls and a theme cake (the cupccakes all had insignia and the top of the cake was a bride chasing the groom – great fun. Boston bombing – turns out I knew several people who were there, including one who was on tv helping others. Sang at a 25^th wedding anniversary party, and did the invocation for the Kelly Cares Foundation for Coach Brian Kelly of ND.

I did sing at the wedding anniversary party,
but here I was resting in between songs.

This was the cake at the wedding. 

I was invited to join the Senior Alumni Board at the University of Notre Dame, and I went out for my first Board meeting, and stayed for the Leadership Conference. I do love ND, and this was an interesting and stimulating week. This is a Board that works, and I left with a portfolio of things to do (although technically I do not start my term until July 1).

MAY – The film people took over one floor – Liam Neeson was a delight – but the crew invaded areas they weren’t supposed to, and stole a whole bunch of stuff, some of which we didn’t discover until after they left. Still looking at sites for the move, one of our staff left for a better job, and I broke my foot going down the stairs at a subway station. Surgery – back to Hospital for Special Surgery – three times in three years, the nurses are starting to learn my name – they put in a screw – and two weeks of not putting any weight on it. But although I was trapped for three days when the house elevator went out, I still went to a wake, a veterans breakfast in the Bronx, a concert at the Metropolitan Museum, an ND meeting in Fairfield, and to a conference in Cleveland. Makes going through TSA a whole new experience – and learning about how airlines do and don’t treat passengers in wheel chairs was also an experience. When I was able to walk a little (with the walker and a walking boot) I did the invocation at the Intrepid, and then out to Notre Dame for my 45 ^th reunion. Said the class Mass in the afternoon and had a great deal of fun including a long chat with Ara Parseghian who is an honorary member of our class.

Presenting the Xavier Award to Paul Winters

JUNE – The AOH (Ancient Order of Hibernians) does a boat ride every year to raise money for a charity, and it was a terrific trip. Flag retirement ceremony for the American Legion, and a trip to Rhode Island to visit an old friend from college. Went to the formal dinner celebrating Actors Equity’s 100^th anniversary. Renovations going on at Xavier High School so several from that community are coming to stay in our community for six or eight months. Did another flag retirement ceremony for Fox TV. Had the Xavier Award Dinner at the NY Athletic Club which went very well. Still wearing the walking boot, down to Orlando for the National Federation of the Blind convention, and then to the American Council of the Blind Convention in Columbus, where I got to celebrate Mass for the whole convention. Well, the Catholics.

JULY – Had breakfast with Carl Augusto, head of the American Foundation for the Blind, which led to further meetings and ultimately the location where we moved and are now located (spoiler alert). Did one tour, and when I got back to NY had dinner with an old friend from college. Great cocktail party out in the Hamptons, and tried out the driving range for the first time. Not terrible. Lots of visits planning the move and making other arrangements

AUGUST – Lots of trips last month and this for ND club events around the region. There are ten clubs and I am supposed to get to know each of them and help them with projects and plans. I’ve driven to south Jersey for dinners and lunches, gone up to Connecticut for meetings and Masses, several minor league baseball games to pass out fliers about prostate cancer and out to Staten Island for a club meeting and a golf outing. Went to Houston for the national convention for the Catholic War Veterans, where I was named National Chaplain. Back to NY to work on the details for a sublease with the American Foundation for the Blind, and then off to South Bend for my first Notre Dame Senior Alumni Board meeting as a full member. One of the perks is that our meeting is scheduled around a home game, so I saw the first game of the season.

With Bishop Higgins,
Bishop Protector of the CWV.

SEPTEMBER – Had a brief appearance at Regis Philbin’s new sports show, and went down to concelebrate the Fr. Capodanno Mass at the National Shrine in Washington with Archbishop Broglio. 9/11 remembrance at the Intrepid, bout of malaria and a Mass for an ND group in Connecticut. Sent a letter to every bishop in the US about our work and our need for support from each diocese. Celebrated a Field Mass at a cemetery for the Catholic War Veterans, working on the lease for the new place,

With the National  Commander
of the CWV at the Field Mass

several funerals.

OCTOBER – The month started out with a double funeral for two vets - the Catholic War Veterans have a program to bury and provide a resting place for indigent veterans. Signed the lease – moving day set for November 16. Father General visiting the States and so I went to a talk and a reception at Fordham. Conventions this month in Albany for both the National Federation of the Blind and the American Council of the Blind. I was active at both, and the ACB group gave an award to the XSB.  Drove down to Virginia for the national board meeting of the Catholic War Veterans. Drove up to Connecticut for lunch with a couple of friends and said a special Mass at Mary Manning Walsh home. Interviewing lawyers for the next step in the process of re-creating the Xavier Society. I was invited to do the invocation for the Heisman Foundation Dinner, so I sat next to Johnny Lattner and Mike Rozier, and had the chance to chat with Pete Dawkins, Don Criqui and Joe Bellino. If you don’t know who they are, trust me, this is a big deal. The next day I celebrated a special Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedra in the Lady Chapel (where my parents were married) for the Marines on the anniversary of Tarawa and the bombing at Lebanon.

A plaque given to me by the Marines. 

Concelebrated the first Mass with the new organ at Our Lady of Refuge in Brooklyn. Working on the 2014 calendar.

NOVEMBER – Started the month by heading out to Notre Dame again, this time with the Ancient Order of Hibernians for the Navy game. Great lunch with both Cardinals at Cipriana’s for the Inner City Scholarship Fund, and the next day down to Washington for a reception hosted by Archbishop Broglio, Military Vicar. And two days later back to DC for the Veterans Day celebrations – breakfast at the White House, front row at the presidential wreath laying, box seat for the ceremonies, and I got to present the wreath for the Catholic War Veterans at the Tomb of the Unknowns.

We had a volunteer day at the office to help with packing – 14 Jesuits, 40 Junior ROTC cadets and 2 other high school students, all working on the same day. Among other things, they packed over 1,000 boxes of braille books and other stuff. Preparing for the move, and then moving day, which went very smoothly. Moving in and settling and working on next year’s budget and calendar proofs and the first Board meeting in the new location. AFB had a welcome breakfast for us, which was a nice way to start off. Memorial service at the NYAC – I walked in and was asked to do the invocation. Spent Thanksgiving at home – there were 4 of us for dinner, nice and quiet.

DECEMBER – Still working on settling in, invocation for the Naval War College Foundation Dinner, a day-long Notre Dame regional meeting, another dinner at NYAC where I was asked to say the invocation (again with no prior warning), and the usual Christmas parties and dinners and occasional Masses.

This picture was taken with all the lighting and design
done by a crew of blind people. The picture is taken in darkness,
and flashlights and pieces of cloth provide the light. 

Drove up to the Catskills for the wedding of a god daughter, where we had 10 inches of snow. I was supposed to drive down early and concelebrate a Mass with Cardinal Dolan, but I lost so much time shoveling out the car I missed the Mass.

Some friends took me out to dinner.

AOH had a party where part of the take went to the XSB. Another very good Board meeting, helping to set the direction of the future of the XSB. Christmas concert at St. Malachy’s, meetings with bankers and lawyers, publishers and news networks. Community decorating and staff lunch and before you know it, Christmas and New Years and time for new calendars. (If you didn’t get yours and you would like one, drop me a note and we’ll send it out. No charge.)

I suppose my wish for 2014 would be for less excitement and less travel, but it already looks as though there will certainly be more of the latter, and I seem to attract the former. If you’re reading this you probably know me, and so I am praying for you. I didn’t do much singing last year, turned down several roles in operas, but I am doing a small role in a production of La Boheme in March, and I’d like to clear my schedule at least a little so music could be more a part of what I do.

Hugs all around,

Fr. John