Home again! Good flight from New York last night. Think I must have slept since I have no recollection of opening a tin-foil dinner and I’m sure I’d have had a go were I awake. Have a few pictures in the camera and will take a look at them and maybe post a few but – not now!
Thanks to all I met while on holiday. Really enjoyed the time very much.
Time here is drawing to a close. Certainly I’ve been updating this blog much more than usual since different things are happening. It’ll be back to normal next week!
Had 11am Mass here today and met Kaye Breen (McLoughlin) and husband and a friend after Mass. I joined them in the Rockville Diner for a short while but had to get back to help with Communion at the 12.30 Mass. I headed into New York after that to meet Joe and Elizabeth Walsh and their son Kenan. Elizabeth’s sister, Anne, teaches in Monasteraden and is a very good friend. Through her I’ve met Joe, Elizabeth and Kenan and they too – it’s fair to say – are very good friends. I’m always glad to meet them.
Joe, Liz and Kenan
We went for lunch down around 14th Street and then walked to the Chelsea Market – hadn’t been there before – a very interesting place with all sorts of shops and markets. A real atmosphere about it. Will certainly go back there at some stage. Joe bought some “cup cakes” and though he offered to get me one, I declined since Iam so anxious to maintain my perfect weight (would be perfect if I were about 8 foot tall!!) but couldn’t resist making Joe feel bad when he emerged with three pastries …
Four into three goes ..... ??
Three happy campers!
We had some tea and my “companions” enjoyed their cup cakes
The proof of the pudding is ....
.... in the eating!
With Kenan and Joe
Enjoying Chelsea Market
Liz in one of the many speciality market shops
I got a message from my aunt (email – I’m addicted and checked WIFI on my phone) and she told me about a grand-uncle of mine, Michael Healey, who is buried in Brooklyn. She had told me about him before but I never got out to the cemetery. My grandmother, a young woman in New York in the early 1900’s, nursed her brother who contracted and died of the flu. She arranged to have him buried in Brooklyn. Shortly afterwards she returned to Ireland with the intention of coming back to New York but on the voyage home she met another Sligo woman and later this woman’s brother, John Shannon, and married him. She never returned to New York.
Mary Margaret had all the details of the Cemetery (Holy Cross in Brooklyn) and the grave number and location. I knew that I could ask Joe if it were possible to go there and I knew too he’d agree. So from Chelsea Market we headed for Brooklyn – “Kiltimagh to Swinford” as Joe said!
We arrived to discover the Cemetery closed at 5pm. It was now 6.45pm. There was a security man there and we spoke with him. He said the Cemetery was closed and that he should be gone home since 6.30pm. When I mentioned I would be going home to Ireland he asked if I knew where the grave was and I told him my aunt had given me exact details. He said he’d open the gates for us but asked that we’d just make a quick visit.
Ollie the Security Man
Holy Cross Cemetery
My aunt told me that the grave was in St Joseph’s section of the cemetry so Kenan kept an eye for the sign and found it quickly. The Grave location was given to us by Mary Margaret and again, thanks to Kenan and Joe we found the row easily.
St Joseph's section of Holy Cross Cemetery
Kenan and Liz were the first to spot the grave “Michael Healey, here it is”, said Kenan and there it was.
The inscription reads "In memory of my beloved brother Michael Healey Died Jan 6th 1918" Rest In Peace
Close-up of inscription
This is the grave of my mother’s uncle. I felt a sadness to think this grave has been there for so long with so few visits from anyone that might know where he came from. Were it not for Mary Margaret’s email today and the details she gave me, I’d not have known either. The headstone is in perfect condition and the grounds beautifully maintained. He’s at peace. What an effort it must have been for his sister to do all that back in 1917/18. May she too rest in peace. I never knew her but I was very proud of her today. “Mother” my mother calls her – to this day.
Cross on top of headstone.
I’m so glad I got Mary Margaret’s email when I did. The fact that Joe and Liz were with me made this visit possible and the kindness of the security man opened the gates for us. Please God, I will get back there next year and I’ll spend a bit more time.
Headed back to New York and Penn Station and another day came to an end. A good day. Thanks Mary Margaret for your email. Thanks Joe, Liz and Kenan for your friendship today and always and, of course, thanks Anne for widening the circle of friends.
That’s it for now!
Today’s Gospel, we are told, interrupts the regular programme of Mark’s Gospel and for the next five Weeks John speaks to us of Eucharist. There could all too easily be a response that “we’ve heard it all before” and, though we have, there is a call to listen with open ears, watch with hopeful eyes and speak with fresh voice. The feeding of the multitude is one of the better known miracles. Often, when presses are empty and stock is low and more have arrived for feeding than expected we wish and pray for the ability to multiply what we have so that more can be given and shared. It’s a noble wish and a Christian task to share with others even when there is little to be shared. We would do well this week to reflect on this passage in the days to come – we would do well to deepen our own desire to share and to express gratitude for those who share with us.
I might step into the crowd for a moment and, in so doing, invite you to step into the crowd with me. Yes, it’s a large and daunting crowd – a hungry crowd – a waiting crowd but only one of them is mentioned – that “small boy” who stepped forward and offered all he had. What drove him to do that? Good example from home? Most likely. A desire to feed and share? Certainly. Could he have imagined his offering making such a gigantic difference? Hardly. Yet he offered, his gift was accepted and the benefits to the wider community were immediately obvious.
One of the graces of being here this year was to meet your newly ordained priest, Fr Greg. Seeing him and watching his joy at being a priest brought me back to my own becoming a priest more than twenty years ago. Fr Greg’s happiness is so evident and his hunger for Ministry refreshing. Seminary days prepared him for this but there’s nothing to equal standing in the crowd and knowing that you have something you want to give – like the small boy of the Gospel, you may not be fully sure what it is, how useful it may be or what difference it might make but you want to give.
That small boy in the crowd – that small boy or girl still present in each one of us must not get lost. When we are hesitant, unsure, frightened, feeling less than worthy, this is the time to find the small child in our own crowd of 5000. This is the time to remember our innocence. This is the time to recapture our enthusiasm. This is the time to speak loud our prayers. This is the time to step forward having found the child within. Does this mean we become childish? Maybe it does! Maybe it means we don’t worry so much about what others might say but rather desire to do our best by and for people. The boy put no cost on his offering but he knew it had value.
Another point that might be worth the making today is this. Our Church must not lose sight of our young and their giftedness. Sadly there have been mistakes, too many for the numbering and too hurtful for the remembering in some of our dealings with the young but this must not frighten the now and the future in us – children are at the heart of our church – they are at the centre of married life – they are, quite literally, our future and we must- absolutely must – recognise that today. The talents and giftedness of that young child was spotted in a crowd of 5000. We cannot close our eyes to that same blessed talent alive and active in the young boys and girls, men and women, of today’s church. It is from these Fr Greg is found. It is from these our cantors, readers, acolytes, Ministers of the Eucharist, male and female religious, husbands, wives and parents are found.
Let us look among the crowd. There’s a wonder to be worked with five loaves and two fish!
The Wedding Mass has just ended. Heading to the reception in a while. Thought I’d post a few (the only few I have) photos. Ceremony went well. Different to home in some ways but the same in the central ways so was comfortable enough.
Sarah waits in car before the ceremony. Ahead of time! That's different to home!
Bestman James and Groom Ben wait in sacristy before Mass
Altar Servers ready for the moment
Soon to be blessed and always to be worn
The procession begins
Cathedral View
Husband and Wife - Ben and Sarah Barbarotto
Greeting Guests
The Robbins Family (Sarah's aunt, uncle and cousin)
With Ben and Sarah after Mass
Three Grandmothers and one Grandfather were there. Sarah’s Grandmother was married for sixty-five years – her husband died about two years ago. Ben’s paternal grandparents will be married sixty years next month so all points towards a long and happy marriage.
Later in the day I went to Ben and Sarah’s Wedding Reception. A very lively affair – music and dancing accompanied the food throughout. People wanted to dance and they did! I met a good number of the guests and it was good to have some time with them. Among them, I met more of my cousins and was at table with Barbara McDonnell, her daughter Teresa Ganly and her daughter Jennifer. Also at table was John and Diane Gaffney, Diane’s sisters, mother and brother-in-law. Certainly I felt I was treated as family. Borrowing from the movie title of some years ago, John referred to me as “my cousin Vinny”!!
With Barbara McDonnell
Theresa, Barbara and Jennifer
John and Diane
Ben and Sarah - enjoying the moment
Sarah's Grandmother
John and Lauren
"Dance with my father"
Let's dance
Hello again! Just after baptizing seven children here in the Cathedral. Very special occasion. Enjoyed the experience a lot.
Yesterday I went to NYC and visited the APPLE STORE on 5th Avenue. What an experience. Talk about worshipping – pasased St Patrick’s Cathedral on my way to Grand Central and there didn’t seem to be as many around there. Interestingly, as I write, it strikes me that I “passed” it but did not go in – hmmm! Maybe I need to think about that and when I do there might be a sobering thought there for myself! I have cousin’s wedding in less than an hour so I won’t dwell on Apple and St Patrick’s just now. I enjoyed the visit to Apple and, No I didn’t buy anything.
Went to Crestwood to visit Noelle McInerney, husband Tom and children, Neil and Niamh. There too was my cousin John McDonnell and his wife Teresa, Noelle’s sister Kaye Breen and son Kevin with his wife Deirdre and their daugther Nora. Tom’s parents Gene and Ellie were there as well and their daugther Ellen and her daughter Katie. A fine crowd and a very enjoyable evening.
Nora - assessing the situation!
feeling a smile might work!
We had a lovely meal (Thanks Noelle and helpers) and a very pleasant evening. John McDonnell is my father’s first cousin and a few months younger than him. They went to school together in Coolavin.
John McDonnell
Niamh and Neill’s cousin (Katie) was visiting from North Carolina. They enjoyed each other’s company but spent a bit of time with us as well. Glad to meet Katie and her mother Ellen.
Katie, Ellen and Noelle
We had a good chat – from Sligo to Virginia and I was able to tell them about Gunston Hall and George Mason – they were impressed. Since I was fifty percent of the tour audience in Gunston I seem to have taken in more than I had realised.
Kevin and Deirdre
Kevin and Deirdre headed home when Nora finally gave up the ghost and yielded to sleep. It was lovely to see them and I must make a better effort to visit them next year. (Be warned!)
Travelled back to Rockville Centre with Kaye and really enjoyed the evening with Noelle, Tom and family in Crestwood. As I said before; “people make places”.
Niamh, Noelle, Ellen, Ellie, Katie, Kaye, Neil, Gene and Tom
Wedding time!
