The Sound of Music

The three biggest names in Catholic liturgical music in the (endangered) Post Vatican II Church in the United States will be in our main chapel (Queen of Apostles) this coming Sunday, May 20, 2012 from 2:00-3:30 p.m. for a "Festival of Music for Worship."

MARTY HAUGEN ("Eye Has Not Seen", "All Are Welcome", "Gather Us In", "Taste And See", "Shepherd Me, O God," "We Remember") will team up with

DAVID HAAS ("You are Mine", "The Servant Song", "We Are Called", "We have Been Told", "Wherever You Go", "Magnificat") and last but certainly not least

MICHAEL JONCAS ("On Eagles' Wings", "We Come to Your Feast", "I Have Loved You", "Come To Me", "We Come To Your Feast" and of course, the Missa Ad Gentes commemorating our Society Centennial).

This celebration is part of the Maryknoll Sisters' Centennial and is open to the public and free of charge, although free-will offerings will be accepted.

More than 600 people are expected to jam our main chapel, as well as the Lady Chapel and Spellman Room to hear these giants of contemporary Catholic worship together in ONE PLACE.

Channel 15 will be recording this for guys at St. T's or for those with agoraphobia in their rooms here and hopefully we will soon have a DVD available for others.

Speaking of which, (how's this for a segue?) Today, more than 200 Society employees gathered in the Asia/Africa rooms for a "Thank You"party for all the good work they did to make our own Centennial celebrations a success last year.

Ms. Leah Mahnken has put together a most excellent 5-minute DVD presentation of all the celebrations last year around the world with voice overs from Fr. Dougherty and Cardinal McGarrick. She showed this to the assembled employees. The DVD will also be shown next week at our U.S. Regional Assembly and Fr. Bob Jalbert says he hopes to also have it posted to our Maryknoll Society website in the near future.

Deck chairs at Maryknoll

Fr. Leo Shea addressed a monthly house meeting which was moved up a week because of Holy Week. Eighty events are scheduled around the world. On June 29th, the actual Day, will see all entities of the Maryknoll Movement in attendance. September 15-18 is Alumni Weekend, is being prepared by Mr.Dave Brown. More than 1,000 people are expected. Fr.Eugene Kennedy will be among the speakers.

Mr. Bob Short (MEPD) put together a PowerPoint display shown by Leo of the Maryknoll journey nigh these past 100 years. Portraits of Maryknollers, past and present, reminded us how young and thin we once were. A montage of our Opening Liturgy last January 25 helped those of us with short-term memory loss.

Excerpts from Superior General Ed Doughtery's opening homily celebrated the past and pointed toward the future of mission in Maryknoll.

A new site went up today on our Maryknoll.net page with a banner announcing upcoming events. Check it out.

Fr. Bob Jalbert described the CTU Mission Symposium in Chicago on October 6-8. Mr. Greg Darr and his staff have been working hard to put together this theme of Mission Ad Gentes. Cardinal Francis George will be the keynote speaker on the U.S. Church in Mission Ad Gentes.

Br. Wayne Fitzpatrick described the daunting tasks faced by the Committee for the October 30 celebration in St. Patricks, which may be streamed live over the Internet as well as Channel 15. Maryknoll will bring flags, flag bearers, ushers, choir and concelebrants. Buses will take people back and forth between Maryknoll and Manhattan. Fr. Peter LeJacq heads this committee of 20. Two archbishops and two cardinals and ten bishops will be in attendance. A reception sponsored by the brother of Fr. Joe Healey will be held for the hierarchy following the Mass.

Ms. Colleen Brathwaite (marketing) explained the Youth Gathering in Indianapolis in November 17-19, expected to draw 20,000 young people. Maryknoll will have four booths there.

Fr. Ed Dougherty described his recent trip to China with Vicar General Father José Arámburu a few months ago. He also talked about the speech he made earlier this month to the Pontifical Mission Societies in Seattle that included an apology for any insensitivites or misunderstandings Maryknoll may have caused in the past. No mention of any elephants in the room.

Meanwhile, back at the barricades, Call To Action announced a phone-in for this coming Monday, April 18, asking its 24,000+ members to call our main switchboard to advocate reconsideration of the decision to dismiss Fr. Roy Bourgeois from the Society in the coming weeks.

Iceberg? What iceberg?