Déjà vu all over again

SO MUCH has happened or is planned around the Knoll in the next couple of days that I am pressed to get this posted a.s.a.p.

The ballot for first assistant to the U.S. regional superior went out yesterday and is due by Nov. 17, 2009. If no one wins a majority, a second ballot....yadda yadda. You know the drill. (At this rate we could drag out electing the entire regional council all the way to May 2010 when we can take up the proposal to abolish the region at our assembly. Br. Wayne wisely thought it best to proceed with a vote and not presume members will select him for first assistant. Of course, we are presuming this is OK with Rome.

TODAY (Ignore the flyer that says Tuesday) from 3:30 ~ 4:30 p.m. we will have a RIVERKEEPER PRESENTATION in the Asia Room. Mr. Phillip Musegass, Hudson River Program Director of the Hudson River and its Tributaries, and To Safeguard New York City's and Westchester County's Water Supply (but I think his friends just call him "Phil") will speak to us on current projects to save the Hudson River.

YESTERDAY, Fr. John Casey gave a well-attended talk in our library on his work with inter-religious dialogue. He is now off to Japan and points east for various seminars and symposia on this topic and is due back in January.

TOMORROW archives is sponsoring a fun activity for Hallowe'en in which, if I understand the announcement correctly, we can have ourselves digitally inserted into photos of our favorite movie stars or scenes. Trouble is, I started out identifying with Luke Skywalker, now I am more Obiwan Kenobi but am rushing toward Yoda. Maybe I'll stick with Cher in Moonstruck...

And starting on Friday the rarely seen natural sculpture of the late Sr. Marie Pierre Semler will be exhibited in our Spellman Room.

Photos to follow!

Weekend Round-Up, Part 2

AS WE WAIT WITH BATED BREATH on our side of the road for the the results of the final (God willing) ballot for U.S. regional superior, the Sisters' Bazaar (Thanks to Carrie Seo, my only loyal reader who caught and pointed out my malapropism in the previous post) is off to a roaring start despite inclement weather.

Br. Wayne Fitzpatrick has returned from the Hong Kong gathering of Young'Uns, sponsored by his Office of Lifelong Formation. He made a cameo appearance during the house meeting Wednesday but has since retreated to an undisclosed location, much like Dick Cheney was wont to do but hopefully not for similar reasons. Father Romane St. Vil and Fr. Ed Szendrey have also returned. Fr. Dennis Moorman is due back this weekend.

Ed seemed a little tired (or could be just jet lag) of continued queries as to what transpired in Hong Kong, but he did say something that may alleviate members' frustrations at the apparent secrecy: "It was not a meeting; it was more like a spiritual renewal."

I mean, does anyone really what to read transcripts of our old Holy Land or Lourdes programs? Do we really want to read about the younger members' spiritual renewal? Still, perhaps just a simple list of topics discussed might lessen the ever-increasing generational divide that threatens to tear our Society apart into warring camps bent on mutual annihilation. OK. That was hyperbole. But it was fun to write and it's a hell of lot more interesting than my usual dreck.

Today is deadline to vote for U.S. Regional!

TODAY IS THE LAST CHANCE for members of the U.S. region to cast your vote for U.S. regional in this torturous and seemingly endless election process. If it is conducted like ballots past, the scrutators will count them tomorrow and the results "embargoed" until Monday. Why the delay? Far be it from me to speculate (yeah, right) but let's just remind ourselves that the vote is consultative and not deliberative. 'Nuff said.

But since it is the express purpose of this blog to report on the buzz around the salad bar or in the dining room, here are some nuggets:

• If Fr. Mike Duggan wins, how long before we can expect the Second Coming of the Ambo?

• If Fr. Bob Jalbert wins, what will become of the ambitious plans of our Centenary Committee?

• Will the Council immediately name Br. Wayne as First Assistant?

• Will the membership look outside our region for Second and Third Assistants?

As soon as the results are announced, I will post them here.