Tuesday, December 6, 2011

MEPD National Meeting

Every Maryknoll mission promoter, educator, and assistant from around the country has been involved in a series of all-day meetings that started yesterday and continue till Friday.

The wonderful result is that we have a full house of energetic and creative mission promoters who are talking about things other than recent ball games and medical procedures (not that there's anything wrong with that.)

The priests and deacons among them are taking turns presiding and preaching at our daily 11:30 liturgies. (Although, truth be told, Koreans attending the English Masses offered at the church in Queens seem to have adapted to the new translation of the Missal better than our guys.) Despite having cards with the new words, you still hear guys making the wrong response, or trying to finesse it into the new response. Thus, "Lord God of posts" combines power and hosts.

In other news...

Since December 1, the Spellman Room has had an exhibit of all the artifacts, gifts and programs that have come in from around the Maryknolll world to commemorate our Centenary. Of special note is a small book on a stand in the middle of the room inviting everyone to write a "message to the future." This book of greetings, prayers and good wishes will then go into the NEW time capsule that will be reset into our cornerstone to be opened circa 2061. (When, presumably, the Chinese Buffet and Casino that will occupy this place will struggle to find someone who can translate from the dead language of English into Mandarin.)

Btw, the contents of the first time capsule from 1953 that Fr. Dougherty opened last month have been put on display in the Founders Shrine in the middle of the First Floor M Wing.

Things are looking great for our Christmas Concert this Fruday, Mission Sending Ceremony on Saturday, Centennial Closing Liturgy next Monday (Dec. 12), employees Christmas party on Tuesday the 13th and Advent Day of Reflection on Wednesday, Dec. 14, with Capuchin Father Jack Ratschmidt (of MST fame) offering us his thought.

Phew.

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