Centenary Committee M.I.A.?

AS YOU ALL KNOW our 100th anniversary is less than 16 months away and although the Grapevine has it that there is indeed a Centenary Committee (so we can all relax?), no one seems to knew if or when they've met or what the plans are. For all the official solicitation of ideas we are encouraged to submit to said Committee, results have not been encouraging.

Case in point, one Maryknoll Brother (who shall remain anonymous, but who lives at the Center, has an incredible knowledge of Maryknoll history and who has worked both in our archives and library) said he submitted no less than sixty (60!) pages of suggestions to the Mystery Committee and has yet to receive even an acknowledgment of receipt.

Rumor has it that they will indeed meet sometime in October and all will be well.

The problem is that certain things take a great deal of time and planning to pull off. Luckily the previous Council (See? I can say something nice about them!) had the foresight to commission none other than Michael Joncas (of "On Eagel's Wings" fame) to compose a Mass in honor of Maryknoll's 100th. This prestigious connection was made through Lucille Naughton, our erstwhile music director. It promises to capture the overseas nature of Maryknoll's mission work. Who knows? If it is half as popular as "On Eagle's Wings" this particular piece of music may well expand the reputation and interest of people in Maryknoll and mission far beyond our usual group of loyal supporters.

But such things take time to turn out right. My concern is that it may already be too late to plan such things as traveling photo exhibits, famous speaker's nights, coordinated overseas celebrations, school presentations, missiologists panels, book tours, catechetical posters, Maryknoll history presentations, international food and culture festivals, not to mention a great many cattle. (Just wanted to see if anyone read this far and recognized the ending of the Book of Jonah.)