Most Holy Trinity Church - Brooklyn, NY

I have recently begun to dig into my family's history and am actively working on researching my father's side. Most Holy Trinity Church in Brooklyn plays a big role in the history. The parish was merged with another local parish St. Mary but it still looks like a large active parish. Today the parishioners are latino and polish but in my family's time it was a German parish. My grandfather was baptized in this Church in the same year as the author of the book A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. The extensive website shows that much of the interior of the Church has been preserved - the high altar is the same as is pictured in the parish anniversary book I have from 1966. I hope to visit this Church someday and take some pictures, as well as the cemetery nearby where I imagine my ancestors are buried.

Pittsburgh

My nephew had his First Communion this past weekend so I got to visit with family in Pittsburgh. Besides playing Wii with nieces and nephews I also got to see St. Paul Cathedral, which is beautiful. If you ever go to Catholic Churches and wonder where all the great high altars are - they are all in this Cathedral. The only site with some pictures I have found is here. I saw a bit of the nearby Heinz Chapel - there was a wedding going on but I managed to walk down the side aisle and glance at the stunning 73 foot tall stained glass windows. Like the Heinz Chapel, the Cathedral of Learning is part of the University of Pittsburgh. I toured several of the Nationality Rooms in this building. These are museum like rooms that are used as classrooms - you peek through peepholes to ensure there are no classes being held and then go in to examine the artifacts.

It wasn't all high culture though, I also sat in a bar and discussed Ben Roethlisberger with locals and watched someone who bit into a ghost pepper on a dare and then proceeded to freak out. Good times.

Be it ever so humble, there's no place like Shea

My brother sent me the fascinating article linked above about the closing of Shea Stadium. I didn't get to a ballgame at Shea Stadium at all this year so I didn't get to say goodbye to the stadium that was a nice part of my life. I went there many times as a kid, with friends, with family and later as an adult with my wife (then girlfriend) and my niece. I can remember sitting in the upper deck (red seats) as part of the Mets fan club and then moving down to the better seats after a few innings. There were always plenty of unused seats pre-1986. Hopefully, I will get to see a game at the new stadium but it will not be the same.

From the blog For God, For Country, and For Yale, I discovered the website The Art of Manliness. One of the articles there "Rediscovering the Barbershop" describes my exact situation. Snip:

"Every time I go to the barber shop I just feel manlier. I don’t know what it is. Perhaps it’s the combination of the smell of hair tonics and the all-man atmosphere. But more so, it’s the awareness of the tradition of barbershops. Barbershops are places of continuity; they don’t change with the shifts in culture. The places and barbers look the same as they did when your dad got his hair cut. It’s a straightforward experience with none of the foofoo accouterments of the modern age. There are no waxings, facials, highlights, or appointments. Just great haircuts and great conversation."


I went to a barbershop with my Dad when I was a kid. I am not sure why but at some point I started going to a chain unisex salon and was usually unhappy with my cut. There was always a long wait, usually with few choices in reading material to pass the time -most of the magazines were for women, and the haircuts ranged from bad to ok, depending on what woman cut my hair, all for a high price. A couple of times I got my hair washed in a sink by a woman who had "European Style" armpits. Finally, I looked around and settled on a barbershop that turned out to be right down the block from where my grandparents used to live. What a difference! The magazines were for men, the guys doing the cutting were manly men, all from some indeterminate country where men are still men (I still can't figure out what country it is and don't really care). They shave my neck with a straight razor, trim my eyebrows so I can see, and slap a hot towel on my face which is awesome. Someday I will get up the nerve to have a real shave with a straight razor, which is a specialty of theirs. At Christmas time there was a small table set up with some complementary cookies, wine, and vodka! I will never go back to a salon.

In lieu of actually burying St. Joseph upside down:

St. Joseph please help my wife and me as we attempt the sale of our co-op and the purchase of a house. Let us do all this without driving each other crazy, Amen.

Work is just not cutting it these days, so I am officially seeking another job here on Long Island. I am experienced in customer service, AP/AR, supervising an office, and proficient in Word, Access, and Excel so if anyone knows of any good jobs out there please let me know, thanks.

We interrupt this blog to make the following announcement: The Mets are the National League Eastern Division champions! Yankees suck! Yankees suck!

Blogging today from Pennsylvania after the funeral Mass of my Uncle/godfather. He was a quiet, very decent and humble man, like my father. Rest in Peace.

Bleg

I have a 401k and have not done much messin' with it for the past few years. Recently, we have had an option added where we can pay an investment company (1.05%) to manage our funds for us. They would decide which funds to put our money into on a daily basis. They check out the situation in the morning and decide whether to be into stocks, or in money market funds. I am confused about whether to do this and whether the cost, which is considerable, is worth having them take over. Any readers out there know enough about this stuff to help me with some advice?

Alright I'll play too:

10 things I have done that my reader's probably haven't-

10. Been quoted in a book on Catholic young people
9. Been teased by Fr. Mitch Pacwa about my Long Island (Lawn Guyland) accent
8. Fainted while serving Mass – right at the Kiss of Peace
7. Drank Rolling Rock and shot pool in a Monastery
6. Got completely lost hiking in the woods, along with my entire Boy Scout troop
5. Been offered drugs in the hallway of a former Episcopal Church (Limelight Club)
4. Delivered a Pennysaver (free paper) to Jerry Seinfeld
3. Helped Fr. Benedict Groeschel unload stuff from his car twice
2. Accidently made Congressman Peter King spill coffee all over his hand
1. Had lunch a few times with a serial killer (Joel Rifkin)

Question for readers: What do you do when someone you work with (say, an assistant) wants your job and will do anything to get it - lying, conniving, etc.. What do you do when you have thick bosses who fail to see this, or don't care as long as this person does not take their jobs? I have seen articles online about what to do but they all give the standard - put everything in writing, talk to your bosses, etc.. and these things have either been done or are of no use.

LET IT SNOW LET IT SNOW LET IT SNOW

I'm "stuck" inside with relative visiting for the weekend including my 5 year old niece and 3 year old nephew. Outside is a good 8 inches of snow and it is still falling fast. This has been a fun weekend so far - I got to play lots of fun games - my niece beat me at Go Fish 4 times.


Updated: 12 inches of snow!

Yesterday I went to Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral and then to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. It was a nice way to start off Advent.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

November 15th, 2000

My Dad died exactly 4 years ago today. He was a typical man of the greatest generation: quiet, unassuming although he did amazing things in his lifetime, family-oriented, good, masculine, decent, loving, selfless, and kind. He worked for a bank for 35 years, collected stamps, read more history books than most people, and absolutely lived for his family. He was simply the most decent man I have ever known and sometimes it feels like the world went to hell after he died. He faced evil in the world without ever becoming mean, nasty or angry and I wish I could learn how he did that. His whole life was his family and I could never be as selfless as he was. The eight months he had cancer were some of the most grace-filled times of my life. He died with as much class as he lived. I hope before I die I can be half as good a man as he was. Rest in Peace, I love you.

As a Mets fan, and therefore a Yankee hater, I am very pleased to find Boston winning!!!! Nice to see those Bronx Boors shot down, and I hope that Boston finally wins the World Series. I like to think my support helped - I took a trip to Boston this summer where I got to see a game at Fenway, got beer spilled down my back, and participated in a "Yankees Suck" chant. Anyway, I hope this year will make up for the last 86 years, especially 1986 when my Mets beat the Sox in the most amazing World Series game ever.

22-0

For a Mets fan those are beautiful numbers!

Bob Murphy memorial service at St. Patrick's Cathedral

RIP

Mets announcer Bob Murphy died - I have great childhood memories of summer ball games on the radio with Murphy's "It's a beautiful day for baseball!". He was a great radio announcer who actually described the game rather than spout out opinions like many of the announcers do today.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

The year 2003 saw the War with Iraq, which was probably not a just war but one which removed an evil regime and started millions on the road to a better life. The War on Terrorism had some successes during the year and the heat has been kept on the fanatics within Islam. I hope this will continue into 2004. Locally, the release of the Suffolk County Grand Jury report on the Diocese of Rockville Centre proved that Bishop McGann was not good at keeping corruption out of the local Church, and was in fact part of it. The report did not have much effect since all of the incidents were from years ago - but at least most Catholics are more educated when it comes to the Diocese. The economy has improved in the U.S. and hopefully this trend will continue. The "Great Enema" (Mark Shea's term) of the Church calmed down a bit but thankfully continued. At least now, when bishops such as Grahman in Dallas pull stunts, they have a lot more media attention focused on them. Here are some of my hopes for 2004:

*That the War on Terrorism will continue especially with a focus on the hatred preached in mosques throughout the world.

*That the governments of Cuba, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Sudan, and China will be overthrown

*That the Catholics in Sudan, China, Saudi Arabia, the middle east, Africa, Cuba, and Indonesia will continue to grow in numbers and faith despite persecution and that all people will support them

*That the USA will reform its culture so that it will prosper and influence the world to the good

*That the purge of bad priests, bad bishops, bad theologians will continue in the Church and the New Evangelization will take hold

*That the so called "Catholic" Universities and colleges will either reform or go out of business and the real Catholic Universities and colleges (Steubenville, Ava Maria, Campion, etc..) will grow and succeed

*That the generation of heretics, haters, and fools will retire from positions within the Church so that younger people can once again grow up with a Catholic upbringing

*That the vocation crisis in communities such as the Nashville Dominicans, FSSP, and Franciscan Friars of the Renewal be solved with more space for their new members

*That all religious vocations are supported and nourished

*That Catholic seminaries are reformed or shut down

*That good priests are supported and dissenters ignored

*That the US will open new relations with countries of our own hemisphere and forget about "old Europe"

*That "old Europe" will be dominated by the "new Europe" such as Poland, etc..

*That developing countries continue to develop so jobs, water, roads, education are all more accessible to people

*That Liturgical reform takes hold so abuses in many dioceses end and that Ecclesia Dei is respected in all dioceses

*That Catholic groups such as Adoremus, Catholics United for the Faith, and Roman Catholic Faithful grow and are successful in their apostolates

*That when Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ movie is released it is a critical and commercial success