Weekend tidbits

Here are a few odds-and-ends:

• Seasonal flu shots will be offered to MKers at the Center beginning this week. This will not include the H1N1 (swine) flu vaccine because, according to Nurse Mary Ellen Jablon, that vaccine is targeted toward younger people who are more adversely effected by the disease. H1N1 vaccinations will be available for us oldsters a little later. So until then remember—sneeze into your sleeve and sanitize with Purelle. (Suppressing the Handshake of Peace at Mass is usually the first sign flu season is upon us.)

• The Centenary Committee has postponed its gathering yet again and will not meet until December, ostensibly because members must fly in from around the Maryknoll world. Yikes. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. (Why do I fear we will end up just having a huge cake with 100 candles?)

• Our combined U.S. Region/Retirement retreat begins Monday evening (because all MK events begin with Happy Hour). Br. Jim Zullo will direct our reflections on the Emmaus experience. (Usually "our hearts burning within us" has more to do with eating kimchi.)

• Thanks to Fr. Dennis Moorman's Facebook page (which guys at Maryknoll cannot access unless they have an iPhone) the Young'Uns in Hong Kong had a wonderful visit to Macau, including the St. Francis Xavier church, and the Holy Spirit Seminary in Hong Kong. Sunday off and then two more days to wrap up their meeting.

Young'uns (?) Gather in Hong Kong

STARTING TODAY THE MEDIAN AGE of Maryknollers living here at the Knoll will spike upwards dramatically as members who took final oath after 1993 join their fellow "young'uns" from around the Maryknoll world and migrate to Hong Kong for a special reunion, of sorts. Not so much age-related as it is aimed at uniting newer members, the group includes late-bloomers to the Society like Br. Ed Redmund (China), Fr. Tom Goekler (China/Honduras), Fr. Rick Bauer (Namibia) and Fr. Mike Bassano (Thailand/Tanzania). Among other things, the gathering affords guys who have few if any classmates an opportunity to meet and bond with other 'singular' guys such as themselves.

From the Knoll, Fr. Dennis Moorman (Vocations) slipped away Tuesday, joined by Fr. Ed Szendrey (Internal Auditor) and Fr. Romane St. Vil (MEP) today. Br. Wayne Fitzpatrick (Lifelong Formation) is attending as facilitator. Fr. Ed McGovern is also in that group and will head to Hong Kong after the quarterly meeting ends in Rome. Fr. Paul Masson will attend on behalf of the general council. Newly ordained Fr. Stephen Taluja will interrupt his studies in Chicago for a week to attend. The meeting begins this Monday and goes till Oct. 13.

Of the 23 men eligible to attend, 20 are making the trek to Hong Kong, although, due to H1N1 concerns and quarantine threats, the guys will not visit mainland China as had been originally planned. Absenting themselves are Fr. Jim Lynch, Fr. Lo Dam and Fr. Joe Everson.

This is the second such gathering of newer members. The first was held in Rome in 2007 and was lauded by all participants as a great success. While not privy to their agenda, I suspect Marykoll's future and their part in it will be a large part of their discussion. Let's just pray the vitriolic health-care debate doesn't put any ideas of euthanasia into their heads!