Knollstock & Town Hall Meeting

The weather FINALLY. cooperated to allow our annual Employee/Maryknoller picnic to take place in the space between the Price & Walsh buildings. Many dug deep into their closets to take tie-dye threads out of mothballs and put flowers in their hair. For some (like me), the 60s are only a top drawer away.

The "Rocking Knoller" band (Frank Enzerillo, Janice Singer, Bill Gordon, Holly, Cindy Lynch, Eddie Gonzales, Dave Agosta, Anthony Giadoso, Paul Lonce) put on a great performance of Joplin, Grateful Dead, Chicago and Guthrie tunes that got people, including Super G Fr. Ed Dougherty, complete with love beads, dancing to the beat.

Alas, I could not find the necessary ingredient for my special brownies (where can you buy chocolate at 11:00 p.m.?) so we made due with delicious, homemade flan and other desserts.

Following the picnic, the crowd migrated to the Asia/Africa Rooms where Fr.Dougherty held an open town hall meetting. For the first half hour, he reported on Centenary events. Doc announced the Closing Ceremony for the Centenary will be Monday, December 12 (Our Lady of Guadalupe) with Mass at 4:15. A special exhibit in the Spellman Room will exhibit artifacts and souvenirs of our year from around the world.

The recent edition of the St. Anthony's Messenger had great coverage of our centenary written by former Maryknoll Lay Missioner Mike Lavery.

Doc had great praise for the missiological paper prepared for this anniversary by our theologians.

Doc then recited a litany of the various Centenary celebrations around the country, as well as in Rome, Asia, Africa and Latin America. And we look to the big Mass at St. Patrick's on October 30.

Maryknoll has gotten several inquiries from Africa to help with the various refugee situations. The Guadalupe Fathers, (Mexican missionaries founded by Maryknoll Bishop Escalante, have become our heirs in the mission fields.

The results of an emplyee survey were alluded to. Ms.Adriane Glass, head of HR, reported that, among other things, employees have a clear understanding of Maryknoll's mission. A desire for clearer communications (sound familiar?) was expressed.

HR is always looking to compare and improve employee health benefits.

At this point, the special brownies that I didn't eat started to kick in, so I spent the rest of my conscious time concentrating on the fascinating pattern on the drapes. Oh wow.

I woke up for the Q & A. A request was made to set up computer kiosks for those individuals who don't have access to email at work. Another inquired about the compressed, four-day week introduced by the last council, that many see as disruptive and counterproductive. A committee will look at alternatives. One asked that voicemail be used to reinforce communications.

Doc then gave everyone the rest of the day off.

As soon as this happening ends, I'm crashing up in my pad.

(WAY too) Moveable Feasts

KNOLLSTOCK, the four-times postponed Maryknoll employees and members picnic, was once again postponed till tomorrow when, for the first time in WEEKS, there promises to be sun and NO RAIN! Yay!

The picnic goes from noon till 2:00 p.m. and has a Woodstock theme. People are encouraged to wear 60ish style clothing, although truth be told, I couldn't fit one leg into my bell-bottoms from that era.

Of raised-eyebrow interest is the invitation to bring "themed deserts". I have threatened to bring my "special" brownies.

Then it was learned that following the picnic, we will have a Town Hall Meeting with our superior general, the general council and as many employees and members who care to attend. In this case, I think my special brownies should be mandatory.

This evening at 7:30 p.m. at St. Theresa's church in Briarcliff, NY., Fr. James Martin, S.J., will have a conversation about his latest book: Between Heaven and Mirth——Why Joy, Humor and Laughter are at the Heart of the Spiritual Life.

The author of ten books, including The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything. Fr. Martin is all the rage in the Catholic speaker circuit and has appeared numerous times on Stephen Colbert's show, The Colbert Report on Comedy Central.

When Jim spoke here at Maryknoll last year, he packed (and then brought down) the house.

Which brings up a great proposal by Mr. Ken Woodward, of Newsweek magazine, who hosts this speaker series. Given that so many attend from Maryknoll each time, and given their limited space at St. Theresa's, the suggestion is that we move the venue here to Maryknoll in the future.

I think this is a great idea, IMO, and will be great for all involved as well as good stewardship of putting our facility at the service of the community.

More news from the Knoll

On this great and glorious feast of St. Therese of Lisieux (the Little Flower) and one of Maryknoll's patron saints, I have some news to report.

First, the case of the mysterious motion-activated camera down in our lower woods seems to have been solved. Apparently one of the six outsiders who have special permission to hunt here with bow and arrow each fall set up that camera without the permission or knowledge of either Fr. Dick Callahan or Fr. John Hudert, who attend to our property. The camera is now gone.

But I heard from another Maryknoller that PETA has been known to raid our woods and destroy the aluminum ladders the hunters affix to the trees to better view their prey. Seems like everywhere's a battleground around here.

"Knollstock", the 60s-themed picnic for MK employees and members, (postponed twice already) has been postponed again till this coming Tuesday. We have been asked to dress in our best Hippie outfits, find long hair and sing protest songs. An e-mail also invited us to bring "themed desserts." The mind reels at the possibilities, but I guess that's the point.

Finally I am happy to announce we have finally hired a new music director. Mr. Chris Reilly will direct our Christmas concert, as well as lead music here on Sundays, for funerals, ordinations, jubilees etc. even as Ms. Lucille Naughton wraps up her remarkable career with us spanning four decades. Her last official duties are directing the music for our Centenary Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral on October 30, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. and our Centennial Closing liturgy at Maryknoll, NY, on December 12, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Best of luck to both Chris and Lucille!

Your guess is as good as mine

So there I was, walking Hopi through the path in our lower woods yesterday afternoon as is our daily wont, when a flash caught my eye. There, affixed to a tree about 20 feet from the path, was a motion-activated camera. Odd place for a security camera, I thought to myself, since no one had reported stolen leaves or tree limbs. So I called physical plant.

Mr. Al Vitiello arrived on the scene and once again, the camera flashed. He didn't know who had put it there or why. A call to our security office quickly ruled them out as the owners of the camera. Two remaining suspects, as it were, would be Fr. John Hudert who is known to frequent this sylvan glade throughout the year, whether to trim the undergrowth or cross-country ski; or our former chef who is an avid bow-and-arrow huntsman this time of year and may be staking out a position for future prey. In any event, 24 hours have past and we have yet to identify the camera's owner. (Could THIS be the Scotch tape on the door of a latter-day Watergate?)

Meanwhile, continueing my walk Hopi and I happened upon this sight in our lower cemetery:

My first guess was that this is a grave for someone's pet boa constrictor. But Al explained that after 30 some-odd years, it has been decided to put in proper drainage for this level. (Talk about "Ewwww" factor.) We aways knew the water table at this section was inordinately high, but with recent rains, and several more days of deluge expected this week, it was agreed that this unintended burial at sea need no longer put a damper on things, so to speak. (For the curious and less squeamish among you, Google "saponification.")

In other news....

Tomorrow's much hyped KNOLLSTOCK (Employees & Knollers picnic) which this year, as the title suggests, has a 60s theme, complete with bellbottoms, long hair and tie-died shirts (although I suspect other more, shall we say, psychotropic aromas shall be regrettably eschewed) HAS BEEN POSTPONED TILL NEXT THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29th, due to the aforementioned heavy rains. This is particularly ironic, since the original Woodstock was, in fact, held in the pouring rain with everything and everyone covered in mud.

Then again, maybe the 60s theme is simply acknowledging that we aging hippies are now in our 60s.

You know what they say about the 1960s: if you can remember them, you weren't there.