Founders' Day

Billed as a time for "games and tomfoolery", Founders' Day kicked off the unofficial Centennial celebrations here at the Knoll today at noon. (I think this is the third unofficial kick-off so far.) In any event, the dining room was decorated with the flags of Massachusetts and North Carolina and the menu featured the favorite dishes of the Walsh and Price families, although absent a seance, I don't know how anyone could know this.

Seafood, Boston baked beans, "crowded" peas and pork chops filled our tummies as the folk duet of Gosslin and Masson played some of our founders' favorite ditties (see above comment about seances). These included ""When Irish Eyes are Smiling" and "Dixie", but strangely no "C'e la Luna Mezz' u Mare" which I know for a fact Tommy Price sang every evening at Vespers. (See above about tomfoolery.)

Then who made an appearance but none other than Fr. Price and Bishop Walsh, (a.k.a. Fr. Don Doherty and Fr. Ed McGovern, respectively.) They reenacted their now famous meeting at which Maryknoll was conceived, yet with an imaginative twist: show tunes! These included "Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better" and "Over There" and "The Impossible Dream." Ms. Lucille Naughton provided professional accompaniment on the electric keyboard. "Climb Every Mountain" was lead by Mother Mary Joseph who bore an uncanny resemblance to Fr. John Moran with a towel over his head.

Raffling off prizes such as gift cards for Target and Barnes & Noble, Dr. Claudia Koblenz-Sulcov spread the wealth among residents of the Center and St. T's. Claudia and John are members of the Wellness Initiative whose goal it is to "add life to our years". They succeeded.

The gathering broke up precisely at 1:00 with everyone filled with a spirit of convivial magnanimity, just in time for the monthly house meeting later this afternoon---the first since the notorious shoot-out at Ambo Corral. Stay tuned. Providentially, I have choir practice at that time.

P.S. John Moran answered the question on everyone's mind (No, not why he was wearing a towel on his head): Why is today Founder's Day? According to John, back in the day, FD was celebrated on November 21, when the men first received their cassocks. Since that falls on a Sunday this year (and we no longer wear cassocks, and the Founders are dead), today was the obvious alternative. Or something.