THANK YOU - AND NOW.....

First of all, thank you - make that THANK YOU - to everyone who took part in our NFL Raffle, or our online auction, or the live party at the New York Athletic Club. As I write this we do not have the final figures, but it seems we raised more money than last year, which (given the current economic situation) is no small accomplishment. YAY!!!!



Of course, the need continues. The work continues. The salaries and the expenses and the costs continue. So - if you did NOT have the chance to contribute something to the Xavier Society for the Blind during our event, it's not too late. (Let's be honest - it's NEVER too late!!!) Donations are 100% tax deuctible and 100% needed and appreciated.



UPCOMING STUFF

On September 15, we will be hosting a Golf Outing at a wonderful golf course just outside New York. You get breakfast, 18 holes of golf, lunch and prizes and an auction and prizes during the round and presents when you get there. If you don't play golf, buy a ticket anyway, and come to the resort, and after brunch, spend the morning at the pool or the spa or the exercise room - and then join the golfers for lunch. You'll be on the road and home before the afternoon traffic, having had a GREAt day and supported the Xavier Society.



The ticket is only $150 for all the above. But there are only 60 slots available, and I get one, and sponsors get some and several people have already indicated an interest



SO DON'T WAIT TOO LONG!!!



AND - LAST BUT NOT LEAST



Visit the Holy Land with Father John. (That would be me.) From December 1 to December 10, I will be leading a group to the Holy Land. What better way to see that very special place than with a Jesuit priest who looks like a Jew.



Basic fare (double occupancy) is $2800. Figure a couple of hundred more for tips and taxes, and whatever you plan on spending for souvenirs and Christmas presents. (Christmas shopping in Bethlehem - how's THAT for a notion)



If you'd like more information about the trip, drop me a line, send me an email or ring a ding ding on the telephone.



OK - enough for now. More stories and adventures to come.

THINGS TO KNOW

WWW.XAVIERSOCIETY.COM

That's the web address for the Xavier Society for the Blind auction that is going on RIGHT NOW!! Go and see what GREAT stuff we have. Bid. Spend money (!)

MAY 19
That's the date of the Annual Benefit Reception at the New York Athletic Club. We'll have a silent auction, a raffle draw, door prizes, a terrific jazz guitarist to keep things moving - and drinks and munchies. Ticket - $100 ($50 of which is tax deductible.)

THE NFL RAFFLE
That's the one for which we will draw the winners on May 19th (See above). First Prize: two air tickets to Miami for the Superbowl, 4 nights in a hotel, 2 tickets to the Superbowl and two tickets to the NFL Alumni Player of the Year Award Dinner. (At least one Hall of Famer at each table.) You're not just here, you're the guest of the NFL.
Second Prize: $1,000
Third Prize: $500
Tickets - $100, and there are only 250 of them, so it's a one in 250 shot to win something.

SEPTEMBER 15 - Xavier Society Golf Outing. For $150, brunch, golf, lunch and prizes.

DCecember 1 - 10 - Fr. John leads a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Base price - $2,800. Includes air fare, hotel, at least two meals a day, guide, air-conditioned buses for touring. And of course, me. Brochure on request.

For more information on any of these exciting moments, or to book me for a concert, or just to give us money - hehehehe -
Phone (212) 473-7800
Email: johnrsheehan@Yahoo.com
or
xaviersocietyfortheblind@Yahoo.com
(I know - it's really long but it's also easy to remember)
or mail:
Xavier Society for the Blind
154 East 23rd St
New York, NY 10010

Thank you. As my grandmother would have said, you'll get an extra star in your crown in heaven.

And Now for A Couple of Pictures

They're not great pictures - they take in large sections of the stage and don't do much toward telling the story. But they all have the advantage of including me. Sort of like Waldo - where's Fr. John

Here are two more shots - that thing that looks like a flower growing out of my hat onto my face - well, that was a flower. And the picture of the gorgeous young lady - I got to spend most of my time on stage in the second act cuddling and schmoozing with her. One of the highlights of my theatrical career - second perhaps only to I DO, I DO when I actually got to kiss a girl on stage (other than on the forehead or the cheek or the hand). And she was a very good actress - she pretended she liked it every single night.

ANOTHER REVIEW

I attended opening weekend of the Blue Hill Troupe's production of The Sorcerer. I enjoyed both 'opening performances' as the shows are double-cast.

Savoynetters in the show:
Rich Miller - Closing cast Alexis
Dan Rous - Closing cast Marmaduke
Carol Davis, Eric Peterson, Katie Holler and Matt Hughes, chorus.
Gary Slavin - Stage Director

I enjoyed viewing two slightly different interpretations of the characters in ways that all worked beautifully. Gary Slavin is open minded when he works with the principals, enabling them to develop their own subtle character interpretations, while maintaining continuity in the
characterizations to fit his vision for this opera.

I too was leery about the contemporary vision (for me, part of the fun of G&S is seeing or getting to wear 19th Century costumes, traditional appearances, etc.), but in this case I was very pleasantly surprised. The Sorcerer's plot is the kind that can work in any time frame.

I do not want to give too much more away, with the hopes that I can entice folks to attend one of the six remaining performances in New York City but here are highlights of the principals and chorus:

I have to repeat Jim's note about the chorus. I have NEVER (well hardly ever) heard an amateur chorus use so much diction. I heard and understood every word which is really important when performing a G&S that is not as well known to the general public. The vocal blending and
quality was outstanding.

In addition to Jim Cooper's positives about Craig Burmeister's excellent tenor voice and strong acting as Alexis, I equally enjoyed Rich Miller's realistic and energetic interpretation of the character and strong vocal quality. While Amanda Smith had a sweet, tender voice and truly delicate features that epitomizes Aline, I also thoroughly enjoyed Elizabeth Sanders' command of the role with her strong, glorious voice and her strength of character that worked well against Rich's Alexis. I laughed at the Aline's text messaging during Alexis' Act I monologue.

I particularly enjoyed both of the J.W. Wells – David Pasteelnick and Kevin Murray. Both used excellent diction during the patter and exhibited very believeable characterizations. I also liked the genuine displays of remorse in Act II generated by them both.

Both Constances - Kathleen Stetson and Dena Cubbin have outstanding voices and rather different, but equally effective interpretations of their characters. Both had me laughing out loud. Ditto with the Partlets - Lesley Berry and Suzanne Taylor. Both are strong actresses and I loved what Gary did with their characters, expanding their roles.

Now on to the 'parents'. The Sir Marmadukes - were played effectively, yet differently by Dan Rous and Alan Abrams. I love Dan's deep voice and his depiction of someone with a truly aristocratic nature. Alan Abrams exhibited a believeable character and several times had me laughing in the right places. The Sangazures were handled with aplomb by Leslie Middlebrook and Cornelia Iredell, both nailing their two intense and lengthy duets that round out their characters. The staging for both numbers with Marmaduke and Wells is exceedingly
clever.

Dr. Daly is one of my favorite characters (after Captain Corcoran, of course), and I had the pleasure of watching two wonderful actors, Win Rutherfurd and Ron Madden who brought such a genuine sensitivity to this character. The singing of Daly's two notable songs were beautifully done.

I was intrigued by the staging coordinated for the quintet. (Most of the time the actors are kept standing in a static group - which I gladly did not see in this case).

The principal parts are rounded out by a seemingly cold-ridden snuffy (but not so poorly dressed) Notary played by William Tost. He had me in stitches every time he was featured. The Hercules was played most effectively by Julian Rosenberg. I think this was his first on-stage
performance, but he had full command of the stage. His part was increased but I will not give away what his unique and engaging activities entailed.

The chorus members each developed a unique character in great detail (some of these characters are famous today). I was glad to see the show more than once to get to watch how all the chorus members were intricately intermingled. The Sorcerer is one of the best operas for chorus because it really gives each person a chance to do his or her own thing and make it work within the confines of the plot.

The orchestra was excellent and Music Director Zachary Schwartzman expertly kept everyone together, utilizing solid, realistic tempi (which is something I always notice) and kept the pace moving briskly.

The set and lighting are incredible. How so? Buy a ticket and find out!

I strongly encourage anyone available to be in NYC next week to attend a performance. The production benefits Inwood House, a charitable NYC organization that helps troubled teens.

For more information and to order tickets, go to:
www.BHT.org.


Wendy Falconer
Stamford, CT

THE SORCERER - A review

I am currently appearing as a humble chorus member (OK, a chorus member - I don't really "do" humble) in the Blue Hill Troupe production of THE SORCERER. I don't usually go out of my way to promote shows in which I am movable scenery - but this is a really good production, and the chorus has an unusual role in a most unusual staging. we opened on the 17th, and below is a review that appeared from the Savoynet, a group of folks interested in (fanatic about?) Gilbert and Sullivan. Better to let another voice to the talking:

THE REVIEW
Last night I went to see the Blue Hill Troupe's Sorcerer production with several friends, including Wendy Falconer, Vikki Willoughby, and 2 non-Savoynetters whom I've done G&S with for too many years (Rick Churchill and Marianne Barcellona).

Despite my misgivings about a version set in 2009 New York, it was a marvelous production: the sets were stunning, the lighting magnificently creative and the performances top drawer. Gilbert's lines take on different shades of meaning when done with intentionally American cadences. I saw the Opening Cast (they double cast their shows). I was particularly impressed with David Pasteelnick's JW Wells: I got every single word, and he delivered much of it while moving about with a hat and cane.

The set was mostly white with some black trim, and decorated with various Gobos and projected patterns during different scenes. The Teapot Brindisi was particularly effective with every cast member having a translucent teacup with dry ice steaming away, along with little electronic sparklers that appeared to be inside the cups.

The chorus diction was superb, and Craig Burmeister's Alexis lovely. I really enjoyed Aline's 21st century sensibility, she really stood up to Alexis and walked off stage in disgust during the 2nd verse of "Thou has the power" after refusing to take the potion. (He sang the second verse to a scarf she dropped) I think it makes the characters more believable.

They perform twice more this weekend and 5 more times next week. If in the NYC area, this is definitely worth seeing.

-- Jim Cooper
Webmaster and Past President, Troupers Light Opera

For a link to see more about the show and order tickets online
http://www.bht.org/download/emailinvite.html

NFL SUPERBOWL RAFFLE

As you know (and if you don't you have NOT been paying attention to previous postings) one of my jobs for the Xavier Society is raising money. Some might say it is the MAIN job.

So, in May we are going to have a fund-raising Benefit at the New York Athletic Club. There are several elements - the admission to the party (GREAT party, $100 a ticket) - and the Silent Auction at the event - this year the auction will go online starting on April 13, so people not in New York can take part (more on that in a slightly later post - I don't want to overload you) - AND the NFL Superbowl Raffle.

We are a designated NFL charity, and so we have 250 Raffle tickets to sell, at $100 apiece. The first prize is:
2 Tickets to the 2010 Superbowl in Miami
Airfare to and from Miami
4 Nights in a hotel
2 tickets to the NFL Alumni Player of the Year Award Dinner (with at least one Hall of Fame player at each table - tickets for this even alone are $1,250 apiece)

If (for some strange reason) you win and don't want to go - you can get a $5,000 prize instead.

Second Prize - $1,000

Third Prize - $500 (By my math, that's three chances in 250 to win something. Beats the Lottery.)

How do you get tickets? Send me a check for $100 (or multiples thereof if you want more than one ticket.) Make the check out to Xavier Society for the Blind - and I will send you your ticket by return mail.

If you win - it will be the trip of a lifetime. Past winners report that they are treated like visiting royally - you are not just at the game and all the festivities, you are there are the guest of the National Football League. And if you don't win - you have helped the Xavier Society for the Blind during tough times. Sounds like a win-win to me.

JAZZ AT NOON

I have talked about Jazz at Noon before - a group of musicians who have been gathering each week to play since 1964. Now new members have been added but two are from the original group. Les Lieber is the leader - plays sax and is something like 96 years old. He's one of the few people in the world who has shot a regulation round of golf and shot less than his age. He played with Paul Whiteman among others. The singer, Mike Cantor, has also been there since the beginning and is around 92. The picture above is me and Mike singing a duet at a recent Jazz at Noon event.

And for those who are Facebook folk, yours truly is on Facebook. I figured, since I've got a face...

And I just received the video of my Florida concert. It was only a one-camera shoot, so he didn't get all of the talking but did get most of the singing and a lot of the talking.

EATING OUT - WAAAAY OUT

I have long and often said that my greatest asset is my friends. I often get credit for events and experiences that would not be possible were it not for the generosity and outgoing qualities of people who let me hang around. This past week I had another of those wonderful moments.

I have a friend who is a member of what I call the Escoffier Society (but what is technically Les Amis d'Escoffier Society of New York, Inc.) and who invited me to join him one night for dinner. Now let me apologize right up front since I was NOT taking notes and after eating and drinking, some of the technical points may be a little fuzzy or may have disappeared altogether. But what I do remember - I herewith share.

The event was held at the Intercontinental Barclay, one of the oldest and more elegant hotels in NY. The Director of Catering and the Executive Chef were in charge of preparing and coordinating the evening. We were perhaps 50, certainly no more. (A few tried to sneak in and were politely but firmly escorted elsewhere. They certainly did not eat with us. Come to think of it, there were a few coats lef tin the checkroom... ah well, whatever.)

In the interval between arriving and formally beginning, there were wines and drink available at the bar and passed hors'd'oeuvres. There was duck breat, with chipotle and a blueberry sauce served on an edible spoon, a wild mushroom mixture on a slice of toasted bread (or was that a cracker?), scallops, salmon tartare served in a cone made with squid ink, and a piquant tomato in a glass with a dollop of creme fraiche. Well, talk about diversity of flavor and texture. Most of the people in the room are in the food industry and almost everyone knows everyone, so I met a lot of people who came to introduce themselves because they KNEW they didn't know me. I did know a couple of people besides the folks I came with but not many.

WINES - the wines were carefully selected to balance and complement the meal moments and they were wonderful. The Moscato was breath-taking. You read Moscato and think sweet - well, this wine (A Gallo Twin Valley offering) had about five different flavors going on and hitting the tongue in several different places. Some thought it too strong for the dessert but I thought it provided a counterpoint rather than an accompaniment. But that was my favorite.

Although the Malbec was a delight all by itself. I am only a moderate wine drinker (outside of church., of course - and altar wine is usually awful. (I once was saying to a group of people that I was surprised how few people took advantage of receiving Holy Communion under both species, and one woman spoke up, "Well, Father, if you had better wine...") So when I drink wine, I want it to be really good. This was. Really good.

The opening wine was very nice, but the appetizer was so extraordinary that nothing could have shone with that taste event going on.

FOOD
Ah yes - the food. Why we were all there, after all. The chef is apparently very well-known for his risotto. If this was an example, I can well see why. The risotto was firm and the texture consistent. Presentation was simple, a generous serving in the center of a potage bowl with the sauce around and a small lobster clas resting on the center portion. Lots of lobster bits within the dish itself and a rich flavor throughout. The stock had been well rendered down,the shells braised or baked (?) but the result was magnificent.

But at an event like this one keeps raising the bar and the entree was way up there. The veal was a large serving, and the zest was between the bresaola and the meet, with some other spices or elements that were not identified on the menu. The general feeling at my table ran to a Chinese pepper of similar spice since there was a tang more than the zest would provide. Turned out to be a chipotle - which surprised pretty much everyone. A good reminder that there is a range of chipotle - flavor, texture and certainly strength. It took a serious effort not to suck on the bone.

The potatoes were simple and elegant, decorating the fava bean and fontina puree, which added another texture and a surprising taste to the mix. The cheese was felt on the tongue before the flavor snuck through. A nice balance to the veal.

I confess by the end of the entree I was starting to slow down. The conversation was fascinating, since we had several food people at our table, including the head of the Escoffier Society. As dessert was being served, the chef came out from the kitchen, pulled up a chair and sat at our table. (That's how I know about the chipotle.) The baked apple was a small apple, firm and sliced for easy handling. The gelato was wonderful - perhaps a little strong for the plate but a wonderful back and forth between the two. There was also a curled chocolate swirl (of white and milk chocolate) that I left alone. With the other flavors going on - and the wine (!) - I couldn't really find a place for it. But what do I know?I'm an old dinner theatre manager.

Now the ticket for this soiree is not at McDonald levels. But I have to say, I think we received far more value than was paid. (Note the clever cpmstruction which makes clear to the observant reader than I did not actually pay for this.)

Service, of course, was spot on, efficient without being annoying. Wines were poured, glasses and plates cleared, and if one needed anything, pretty much an indication of the head and there it was, whatever "it" was.

All in all the sort of evening that delights the taste buds and confounds the waistline.

EATING, DRINKING, SHOOTING AND SINGING

If you are in New York, and someone offers to take you to dinner at Tira a Segno (which roughly translated means "target practice", say yes. And hold them to it.

I went on Friday with a bunch of folks, and the place is delightful. Old school, very charming, WONDERFUL FOOD - if you like Italian cooking, and if you don't, well, there's no hope for you anyway - and after dinner, they asked me to sing. (Which, of course, I don't mind a bit.) I did O Sole Mio, Libiamo and Questa e quella. (It IS an Italian club.) And then went down into the basement for some work on the range. Yes, it is a shooting club and they do have a shooting range in the basement. Drinks not allowed, which I think is a rather sensible house rule to enforce. It's somewhat downtown - McDougall between Bleeker and Houston - but well worth the trek. I don't think I'm allowed to join - something about your name ending in a vowel, and I suspect I couldn't afford it anyway. There are a couple of priests on the membership list (so the chaplain thing is probably covered - any club with guns really needs a chaplain) and the Cardinal and several Bishops are Honorary Members. Terrific place.

And then on Sunday I went to the Harvard Club. Never been to the Harvard Club. Most of the furniture is older than I am. (Say it with me - And better looking. Right.)

The Blue Hill Troupe (of which I am a member) was singing an afternoon concert in a large room, with floor lamps with turtles as the base and elegant large old painting on the wall, high (high!) ceiling and woodwork pretty much everywhere. A nice crowd, and an age range that went from about six to somewhere pretty close to dead. Almost everyone stayed awake, and the applause was loud and sustained. It was a short concert - only about an hour, all Gilbert & Sullivan stuff, but stitched together in a mish-mosh with something loosely passing for a script. The music was pretty good - one of the things I do enjoy is that these folks can sing. The script? Well, one can't have everything. It verges on embarrassing but doesn't quite get there. But on a spring-like Sunday afternoon (the temperature crossed into the high 50's - might even have made the 60's while I wasn't looking) it is rather fun to get dressed up in the tuxedo with the plaid bowtie and the red vest and sally forth to sing. Especially when one is only singing in the chorus - no solo work, no apprehension, no sweat.

We have two more concerts this week - Wednesday at the Tennis & Racquet Club (Or is it the Racquet & Tennis Club? I'm so unschooled in these things) and then next Sunday at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Wednesday gig has an afterglow following the concert - that's the society way of saying "drinks" I gather. I've sung longer for less, so that should be fun too.

Onwards. If you're in town on February 15th,come by the Metropolitan Museum and listen to us do our stuff. (Hey it's worth the admission price to see me in the plaid bow tie!)

OH FLORIDA - LAND OF WARMTH AND COLD

I was really enjoying telling people that I was going to Florida in the middle of January to sing a concert. (The "sing a concert" part also had a little bit of boasting, but the "going to Florida" part was just mean, rubbing in that THEY would be staying up north, in the cold weather, while I would be sitting around in shorts. Outside. Maybe next to a pool.

God doesn't like it when you do that. Sooooo - I arrived in Florida, unpacked my suitcase and settled in at the rectory of the church where I would be doing this concert. And the temperature dropped. Coldest week they've had in years. And when I say cold, I am not talking Florida cold (what in NY would be called perhaps chilly). I'm talking night-time temps in the 20's.

Now the people were wonderful - the parish is beautiful (see picture) and the concert was great fun. We had perhaps 400 people - the collection was encouraging (all the money went to the Xavier Society for the Blind, of course) - and there is even going to be a video. But the weather? Bah, humbug!

And of course, the day I left to return to New York, the temperature climbed back up to 75.

Next time I travel, I'm keeping my big mouth shut!

To the right is the picture of the young lady was was my accompanist in this adventure in southern singing. I did a show called "From Broadway to God," answering at least in part the oft-asked question, "How did you get from being an actor to being a priest?"

And here I am after the show with a very nice man who wanted to know the name of one of the songs I had sung as an encore piece. He said he was planning his funeral, and he very much wanted to include that song. The song was "Bring Him Home" from Les Miz.

Me, I want Dixieland at MY funeral.

An Odd Bit of Fun

The Christmas Letter is coming - but in the meantime, someone sent me this and I thought it worth sharing - click on the link and you get a digital pic of the recent inauguration that lets you zoom way in or way out - just amazing technology.

http://www.gigapan.org/viewGigapan.php?id=15374

Check back soon and the Christmas letter should be here.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

With everything going on, I have not yet written my Christmas letter for this year - which will end up looking a lot more like a New Year's Letter for Next year. Below are two photos from the gig I had singing as part of a quartet at the Warwick Hotel in Midtown Manhattan. (Standing as I am amidst some really good-looking people, you can tell they hired me for my voice.) New Year's Eve I will be singing Eisenstein in a production of Fledermaus. And for that, I will be modifying my beard into a more European trimmed look.

There definitely will be a long narrative and more pictures upcoming - in the meantime, have a blessed and peace-filled New Year's and - watch for more stuff.

“NOW I CAN TURN YOU OFF”

A number of people kept telling Fr. John he should make a recording and so in 2001, he did. In fact, he did two together and issued them together. When the first CD’s were published, Fr. John sent a set to his sister, who wrote back that she was thrilled and had actually been waiting for something like this for years. “Now I can turn you off,” she said.

Now there are three - one of sacred songs, one with a wide range of songs from operatic arias to show tunes to the song that Father's own father sang at his wedding breakfast, and the third of recordings made when Father was singing live concerts in a number of different locations.

We trust that you will not want to turn him off when you hear these beautiful songs. Each disc is $12, and may be ordered on line at : www.lulu.com. Type in the disk # or the title of the disk, and you should be taken to Father John’s page on the site.

All proceeds from the sale of these disks goes to the work of the Xavier Society for the Blind. If you send Fr. John an email when you have ordered a disk, he will send you the full booklet that was made for each disk when it was originally published.

Lulu item #1387771

Lulu item #1391166

THE SEVERAL SIDES OF FATHER JOHN
Lulu item #1313461

ANOTHER WAY TO GIVE

HELP THIS POOR LITTLE BOY!!!!


For those of you who would LOVE to help support the Xavier Society for the Blind (see SHAMELESS BEGGING LETTER below) and yet don't have the ready cash to make those huge contributions - there is another way.

The Xavier Society for the Blind has enrolled in the Goodsearch Program. This means if you search on the Internet using the Goodsearch program, or shop through Goodshop, the Xavier Society receives a small amount for each search and a percentage of each purchase. Please encourage your friends and family to sign up for this easy way to support our work. Doesn’t cost anything, and the more people who use it, the more money we will receive.

GoodSearch.com is a new Yahoo-powered search engine that donates half its advertising revenue, about a penny per search, to the charities its users designate. Use it just as you would any search engine, get quality search results from Yahoo, and watch the donations add up! You can easily and quickly add the Goodsearch option to your toolbar so it automatically credits the Xavier Society each time you make a search.

GoodShop.com is a new online shopping mall which donates up to 37 percent of each purchase to your favorite cause! Hundreds of great stores including Amazon, Target, Gap, Best Buy, ebay, Macy's and Barnes & Noble have teamed up with GoodShop and every time you place an order, you’ll be supporting your favorite cause.

Just go to www.goodsearch.com and be sure to enter Xavier Society for the Blind as the charity you want to support. And, be sure to spread the word!

See? And it doesn't hurt a bit!

The poor little boy at the top is, of course, mine own (and much younger) self, visiting my Great Aunt Mary and Great Uncle Hen at their house in Red Bank. I thought I looked pretty sharp that day, and all these years later, I don't know that I was too far off. Compare that picture with one of me today, and you'll see why I need all the help I can get.

Many thanks - and as we say in the trade, God bless you.

SHAMELESS BEGGING LETTER

There is a letter going out from the Xavier Society for the Blind - appropriately entitled Shameless Begging Letter #1 - which might suggest there will be OTHER shameless begging letters. I discovered that some of my friends no longer have snail mail addresses in my records. I may have lost them, they may have moved - and we are using internet communications so much it's the kind of thing I might not notice.

Soooo - in case you (noble reader) did not get a Shameless Begging Letter, I did not want you to feel left out. And so I post it here. If you are an Iternet wanderer and have stumbled on to this little corner of the world while looking for something else, please consider this personally addressed to you. (And sending money is a perfectly acceptable way of responding to such a personal note.) And if you are a long-time friend who did NOT get such a letter, it could be I do not have your snail mail address and you should thus and therefore get in touch.

Many thanks for what I assume will be your astounding generosity in these difficult financial times.

And just for the record - in case my paltry words move you to the point of actually sending something:
Web site: www.xaviersociety.com
Mail: 154 East 23rd St
New York, NY 10010



Shameless Begging Letter #1
31 July 2008
Feast of St. Ignatius Loyola

Dear Friends of Father John,

WAIT!!! This is NOT a scam letter that is going to ask for money or tell you that you have just inherited a legacy in some African country. (Well, it IS going to ask for money but that comes later, and it’s for right here in New York City. No inheritance.)

As you may know (and if you don’t, check the Blog – www.frjohnsj.blogspot.com) I am now the Chairman of the Board of the Xavier Society for the Blind. (The technical title is President, but I was first appointed as Chairman – complicated legal stuff – and I’ve never switched over to President, unless I’m filling out a bank card or a grant application.) This note is just to catch you up on that and a couple of things and to remind you – should you hit the lottery, find money under the sofa or decide you’re going to give it all up and enter a monastery in the hills of Tennessee – we REALLY need financial help.

In case I haven’t been keeping you up properly and completely, when I finished my mini-sabbatical and sang a concert here in New York (…if you can make it here, you’ll make it anywhere, and so forth) the Provincial asked me if I would go to the Xavier Society for the Blind and see if I could be of any assistance. The Jesuit Executive Director had died unexpectedly in September (he was 66) and at that point there was no replacement on the horizon. I did and enjoyed the operation and the staff.

The Xavier Society for the Blind was founded in 1900, and incorporated in 1904. It was founded by a group of Catholic laywomen, with a Jesuit as the “spiritual advisor.” He also functioned as Executive Director and was with the Xavier Society until his death in 1941. I am the 9th Jesuit to be Executive Director – and as soon as I got the title, I submitted a new set of By-Laws, separating the job of Board head and Executive Director, and we now have the first lay Executive Director, who is also a woman. She’s been with the Society for 16 years and is terrific. She has an MBA, and is probably more capable than either of the current presidential candidates. Well, close anyway. So that went well and we’re working together famously.


In 1911 the Jesuits were formally invited to manage the Xavier Society, which they did with an all-Jesuit Board until the early 1950’s. Then, for a variety of legal and practical reasons, they went back to a Board that was both Jesuit and lay, as it remains today. In 1948 they bought the building we are in today, on 23rd Street between Lexington and Third Avenues. It is a 7-story building (well, 1600 stories if you count the books in our library – hehehe) and we currently have around 15,000 square feet.

We are essentially a small publishing house. Without going into all the things we have done in the last 108 years, right now we print and distribute braille, large-print and audio recordings of books, magazines, prayers, Mass readings and Mass Propers, and articles to blind and visually-handicapped clients all over the U.S. and Canada. We have somewhere in the neighborhood of 10,000 clients and a staff of thirteen, plus a large group of dedicated and varied volunteers. We have never charged for our services – and mail to the blind is free, fortunately – but that means we have to raise all our operating and program funding each and every year. That, of course, is one of my jobs. Runs in the neighborhood of $2 Million a year. (It’s actually a little less than that but in these times, I’m going to shoot high.)

I am also the Chaplain for the New York Athletic Club and the Huckleberry Indians, and for the Notre Dame Club of New York. I say Mass regularly at St. Malachy’s Church – the Actors’ Chapel where I am also head of the Evangelization Committee. I sing regularly with Jazz at Noon at the National Arts Club, and I am an active member of the Lambs Club. I am a paid-up member of Actors’ Equity (in case a Broadway show suddenly needs a replacement) and a member of the NY Gilbert & Sullivan Society, the Mario Lanza Society (an audition is NOT necessary to join), the Episcopal Actors Guild, and the Cornell Club. I recently did a small concert in July for a Jewish group here in the city, at least one and maybe two concerts in January in Florida, and I am talking with another group in Florida about a concert or two. (Any money raised goes to the Xavier Society for the Blind, of course. Make the check out to us and it’s tax-deductible.) AND my three CD”s are now available on line – go to www.lulu.com and type in “Sheehan” and you should get the chance to order as many copies as your heart desires. The more you order, the cheaper each copy is and we get more money per disk.

But my main job is the Xavier Society for the Blind. I’ve started a very basic web site (a larger and much more sophisticated one is on the drawing board as part of our computer renovation project, currently underway ), we’re in negotiation about selling our building, and I’ve re-vamped the structure of the organization to make it more efficient and responsive. We are shortly going to be getting rid of our audio tape operation and moving to a strictly digital distribution. (In time that will mean our clients can download material directly from the web site, as well as having it sent by mail). And each day we spend at least some time thinking about, worrying about and going after – money. ( So much for that vow of poverty thing, huh? But of course I don’t get to KEEP any of the money we raise.)

So if you have any bright ideas about places to look – please share them. (Hey, I’m even buying two lottery tickets a week, just in case – you can’t win it, if you’re not in it.) If you know any people with “extra” money (whatever THAT is) or generous impulses – put them in touch with us.

If you are suddenly and irresistibly moved to send a check, the address is back at the beginning. Check and see if your company or employer does matching gifts - and they tell me (for those who have stock) that sometimes there can be tax benefits to donating stock rather than direct cash. I have NO understanding of this, but mention it just in case.) Our web site is open and while still very basic gives you some idea of what we do. And of course, I am always available to answer questions, make speeches and sing concerts.

And since several people have asked - let me share one of our standards bits of information:
Xavier Society for the Blind (our full legal title), located at 154 East 23rd Street, New York, NY 10010, is a 501(c)(3) organization, incorporated in 1904 under the laws of the State of New York, meeting the charitable guidelines of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the National Charities Information Bureau and the Better Business Bureau. It is listed as an agency in the Official Catholic Directory under the Archdiocese of New York.

All donations to XSB are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by the law.

Even if you can’t send money, you know you are regularly in my prayers and will always be. (Actually this is just a sneaky way to keep in touch and have someone else pay for it.)

Love and hugs and prayers to all,