I think we are going to settle on St Sebastians in Queens as our "parish of choice." Although we plan to head back into Manhattan to go to Ascension parish this weekend to meet up with some friends. We ran into their ministry fair last weekend and they have quite a good number of things going on. The pastor also had a great homily on the late workers who were paid the same wage as those who had worked all day.
"Whenever I read this I want to yell "THAT'S NOT FAIR! I mean, this is how unions start!... But what we need to keep in mind is that we don't need to pay attention to who gets the credit, or who gets more than I did---instead we need to be focused on Jesus...are we pleasing God with our work? How are we bringing Jesus into the lives of others?"
We attended Our Lady Queen of Martyrs this weekend again. We were treated by the best homily I heard in months by Deacon Greg Kandra of the Deacon's Bench blog! And surprise surprise, I was even mentioned anonymously in his homily:
I had lunch with a friend who went to World Youth Day and he said that one of the Bishops said that "while all of us who are here are in the club, so to speak, there is something that keeps us from committing ourselves totally to Jesus."
I was that friend and those words indeed inspired me to look more deeply at my own life and helped me make the decision to pursue a vocation to the diaconate.
Deapite the great homily and even a fairly nice choir, I just didn't get a warm feeling from the place (Greg, if you're reading this do not include yourself as playing a part in these feelings). So we might head back for some inspiration from time to time but I don't think this will be our regular place of worship.
St Sebastians isn't all that warm either but I can see it warming up a bit more readily than other places and I see more of a role for me to get involved there.
We are going to try St Rapael's and St Teresa's also in the Woodside/Sunnyside area in coming weeks. But it's looking like St Sebastian's has the inside track right now.
I've taken it upon myself (and my wife) to do some research on parishes in Queens (a borough of NYC--if you've been to NYC and flown into JFK or LaGuardia-you've been there) to see if we can find any that appeal to young adults. So far we have these two to report on:
St. Sebastian's in Woodside: This is our neighborhood parish and it's the biggest one in the greater Queens area. The pastor, Msgr Hardiman is very welcoming and is a good homilist. There seems to be a lot of activities but I'm not sure how many people are very active. The parishioners tend to keep to themselves but to be fair, I haven't exactly put myself out there and said "hi" to too many people myself. Lots of Filipino young adults attend here and a large hispanic presence as well. The rest of the parish are mostly Irish-Americans in an area known for it's Hibernian flair. A strong dedication to supporting the armed forces exist here and the pastor is very vocal on life issues. They do have a young adult discussion group on the tenets of the faith and their 6PM Sunday mass is well attended. Mediocre music but I've heard worse.
Our Lady Queen of Martyr's in Forest Hills: For those of you who are fans of The Deacon's Bench, this is Deacon Greg's parish. Unfortunately, we didn't pick the mass that he preaches at--but we were treated to a rather good homily by the priest who did preside. The congregation seems middle-aged which reflects the area but they also seem very involved. Lots of parents who send their kids to their school of which Everybody Loves Raymond star Ray Romano is an alumnus. Generally speaking, I liked the parish. It didn't thrill me, but it was solid liturgy. Smells and bells galore and well-trained altar servers (which I thought was the best feature of the parish actually).
From now until Christmas I'll post on a few new churches in the Queens and perhaps Brooklyn area each Sunday or so. Stay tuned.
Dean Hoge may not be a household name to most. but in the field of sociology of religion in indeed was a legend. Hoge died yesterday after a long battle with cancer at the age of 71. Much of the work that we've done at BustedHalo can certainly be traced to many of his findings in the book, Young Adult Catholics: Religion in a Culture of Choice (written with Bill Dinges, Mary Johnson and Juan Gonzalez). That book gave us a lot of the sociological trends that indeed helped us gain a foothold on how to attack what clerics were then calling "the young adult problem."
Hoge was a wonderful pragmatist when advising people like myself on how we might want to address young adults. Always a "data guy" Hoge would always throw numbers back at you to dispute common misconceptions. He revealed and continued to hammer home the fact that "young adults indeed were not disaffecting from the church--but merely not regular attendees or participants. They are still checking off the "Catholic" box." He would often tell my colleagues and I to watch out for judgmentalism. "Hitting these people with every tenent of church teaching and telling them that they are bad will NOT work. In fact, that's what drives most of them away in the first place."
Indeed. What I liked most about Dean was his folksy charm. He was an "aw shucks" kind of guy who was always very humble while still speaking with valid authority. He was a true gift to all faiths and he was a faithful Christian, very active in his own Presbyterian church.
His longtime colleague, Bill D'Antonio had this to say:
“While he was first and foremost a scholar, I’d have to say that I don’t know of a person who was more a Christian throughout his life,” said friend and colleague, William D’Antonio, who worked in recent years with Hoge at Catholic University’s Life Cycle Institute. “He was a shy person, but treated others with an easy grace as he attempted to live the Gospel.”
I couldn't have said it better...Rest in Peace, Dean.
An excellent article on atonement and forgiveness has been written by Fr. Bill O'Malley who has taught at Fordham Prep for eons (no offense). Fr. O'Malley lived in my dorm at Fordham and always had a warm smile, an open door, and a quick wit for all of us.
Chris Russo is about to start his new radio show on Sirius and its been bringing up lots of memories of my former career, and especially of Russo on Saturday morning:
There was the famous "Back to back beer spots" story...where I was serving as the engineer and I played a Miller Beer spot and then a Budweiser spot right after it. ("Spot" is radio lingo for commercial for the unititiated). I had also been moonlighting for WOR Radio at the time and asked permission to work there before I did so and it didn't seem like a big deal to the powers that be. I thought otherwise after this moment. Russo comes right out of the jingle and yells "Back to back beer spots! Boy oh boy, WOR is doing a helluva job with Mike Hayes. No wonder they're losing money with the Giants. If ya don't know what the heck I'm talking about our intern engineer Mike Hayes played back to back beer commericals which he's not supposed to do. If I'm Chrysler and I buy time on WFAN I don't want you running a TAY-ota spot right after it. (giggles) Vinny from Queens...."
Funny...he was probably getting revenge for the tommohawk chop call. But it was then that I started to know that there were some bad feelings with me working for WOR at WFAN and I started to wind it down there. I liked working there but the pay was very low and the chances for promotion were slim. WOR offered me more hours and a higher rate and I got a full time job out of it after a year or so. I also was able to cover sports for Bob Papa--now the voice of the NY Giants.
In hindsight, I should've left both places much faster than I eventually did. I was holding on to something that just didn't fit. I didn't really have the passion for sports or even for radio--even though I like the podcast we do now and the video stuff I've done on the road as well and even filling in for Fr Dave on Sirius from time to time.
As we always say...It all comes out in the wash, doesn't it?
In case you missed it--and in case you've been wondering where I've been...and we know you have...
BustedHalo.com got a major facelift last month and I am busy expaning the new Googling God section for Faith Information.
We'll be calling stuff out each week that will expound on what the church teaches but we'll do that in an informative way that's also entertaining (using video, online powerpoints, audio and of course the dreaded article) and we'll also try to cover the pastoral element--merging the practical with the theoretical while remaining true to the intentions of the church's teaching.
First feature will be on October 1 and will be "something" on the upcoming election, so stay tuned.
At the Wheeling-Charleston Diocese's conference for Faith Formation where I'm tomorrow's keynote speaker, and I ran into this story (Hat tip to The Mets Police) on Bob Sheppard who still doesn't seem up to par two months after his intended goal of returning to the Yankee Stadium PA Booth.
As first reported here on Googling God on July 7th, Sheppard may in fact have trouble simply staying awake for 9 innings.
The solution as mentioned in the Newsday column might be to have Sheppard do the opening lineup and first few innings and then hand things off to Jim Hall who should get the permanent position anyway when Shep officially retires.
Mike Francesa and Chris Russo, better known as Mike and the Mad Dog have called it quits. Two New York Sports Radio Legends decided to part ways today with Russo reportedly having a deal already in place with Sirius radio.
I served as their engineer for about 5 years and loved working on the program. They are exactly the same way off the air that they are on the show. Mike is gruff and alwaqys gets right to the point. Chris is zany and always full of enthusiasm. They both did me tons of favors when I was just a young kid trying to break into the business. One of my highlights was being on their show as a reporter from (of all places) the Gaucho Gym in Harlem covering (of all things) Felipe Lopez's (the basketball one not the baseball one) press conference on where he was going to attend college (St. John's).
It was interesting being behind the scenes with those guys. Bob Gelb was their longtime producer and he was a great guy too. We saw all the fights between them and their disagreements with those in the sports world. They broke tons of stories. It was exciting to be there when Magic Johnson told the world that he was HIV positive and every Fall Saturday and Sunday when they were by themselves, there was no better place to be during Football season...well, except Friday night when they made their football picks together.
One memory stands out. Chris was a really good natured guy and we used to tease him about being a San Francisco Giants fan. Because I had interned at WFAN and was later hired by them, he'd tease me and say--"Have they promoted you from intern yet?"
Anyway, the Braves were playing the Giants in a crucial game and Russo was touting the Giants all day long on the air. We'd play Giants highlights everytime something good would happen because he'd be in the newsroom screaming at us for them. So we got revenge. The Giants had two men on and were down a run. Russo yelled to me, "I want the next highlight on the air ASAP, Mikey!" I had just about had it with him, to be honest--but it was hard not to like the guy's enthusiasm for his team. So when the next play was a 6-4-3 double play--I did exactly as he asked. That double play for the Braves was on the air as fast as possible followed by the Braves theme song--the Tommohawk Chop.
Later in the evening the Braves were pretty much in commmand and I called Russo at HOME and played the chop song down the phone line!
He immediately hung up on me.
Next day on the air:
Russo: "Everyone's killing me. You're killing me. Gelb is killing me. Spitz (executive producer) is killing me. That dope intern Mike Hayes is killing me calling me up and playing the tommohawk chop down the line last night. I can't win!"
I think this is a good move by Russo who will bring hundreds of sports fans to Sirius. If Mike is smart he'll sign an NFL deal with them too.
Than you are missing out. Go to her website here. For the uninitiated, she's a Scottish singer who is a bit folky, a bit rocky, a bit country but a whole lot of fun. My wife and I caught her in Atlantic City last night and she rocked. We had mezzanine seats at The Music Box which is a small intimate theatre (translation, we were up high and there were "floor seats" down the stairs from us. So there isn't a "bad" seat per se. But regardless, KT said the following during the show:
"So either the people in the back are very shy, or the people up front have imaginary friends sitting next to them. There's plenty of seats up here so why don't you all just come on up! They should do this on an airplane!
So we went from row V (10 rows up the stairs plus the 10 rows of floor seats) to row EE (5th row). Awesome. She rocked! I snapped some shots with my camera phone--here's the best one.
A wonderful summer retreat at Mt. Paul Retreat Center. 43 people took in the lakefront and had a fab time.
The retreat team did an outstanding job--some of the better talks I have heard. They made me look good especially since I was away for awhile in Australia.
Blogging will be sporadic as I am down at the Jersey Shore taking some rest at our uncle's house.
So John Paul II was Pope as Rock Star, I think Pope Benedict is more of a Pope as Audiobook. People love to listen to him and he gives really good theological discourse which is always challenging to listen to in the freezing cold with 150,000 noisy pilgrims. I think that one of the problems with World Youth Day is that it provides great emotional resonance and people fall in love with the Pope (and hopefully Jesus)--much like a Promise Keepers revival stirs up the same kinds of emotions. However, it does little for the intellect. Even the Cathechetical sessions with the Bishops just skim the surface.
Here's my proposal for Young Adults (20s and 30s) to engage with the Pope: Offer a one week course on a topic of the Pope's choosing to teach to young adults online. 250 young adults will get a trip to Rome to sit in the Pope's classroom and 50 will have lunch with him each day and celebrate a mass with him in a more intimate setting.
Nonetheless, great theological insights were shared with the crowd. Rocco gives you the text of the Vigil homily. I'm not sure if the teens heard it. Regardless, a good night to all who sleep outdoors. I'm in my nice warm hotel bed.
I haven't had the chance to tell you a bit about the folks I'm travelling with. I'm with a group of women from Charis Ministries in Chicago--which runs retreats for young adults in Chicago and elsewhere. BustedHalo has been in a partnership with them for 8 years now and I'm really happy to be considered a friend of this ministry which is very close to my own heart.
Here's a little video or two of some of us:
Lauren Gaffey (in the Notre Dame hat) is a Charis employee who is leading the trip--no daunting task--is the only person that I had met and spoken with for any real length of time. We worked together a bit on the BustedHalo Pod Retreat which Charis "experimented" for us. She's been doing a great job despite the obsticles that inevitably get thrown in your path when leading a pilgrimage like this. Her number one rule for the group is simple: "Nobody can die."
So far so good.
Our other friends who I've gotten to know include:
Lexi (in the bar video, blowing a kiss at the end), a twenty something year old Creighton University graduate who has a real heart for singing. In fact, she sings everything--and warned me about that fact when we started hanging out on this journey. She's also someone who enjoys going out and spending time in the city that we've come to really like. Lauren, Lexi and I went to The Bourbon for happy hour last night while we awaited our friends who had been doing some additional sightseeing on our "off night."
Melissa (next to Lauren with the reddish hair) is someone I had met briefly at a Young Adult Conference in Chicago some time ago. We've spent some time hearing about her nieces--something that I love to talk about as well (my nieces, that is). We are bit closer in age to each other as Melissa is unbelievably in her 30s (flaterry will get you everywhere). Like me, she's been thankful for some of the one on one time she's gotten to spend with the folks here on the trip. Hopefully, we'll get to know each other better over the next few days.
Lori (with the camera in the video), also in her twenties, is straight out of my book as a millennial Catholic who gravitates toward the beauty of Catholic teaching. Yet, Lori is no "holy roller", she enjoys a clever retort, and since she said that in her opinion, our website BustedHalo talks about "useful situations of everyday life," she's launched herself into someone someone I'm convinced has impeccable judgment.
Brianna (with the WYD headband and tattoo) is Charis' development coordinator. We had a chance to sit and talk a few times the past week. She was asking me if I miss my wife and how tough was it to be apart. It has been hard, but we've been busy and they all have been keeping me laughing and on the go constantly so I've had less time to really think about how much I truly miss my wife and my dog--especially on nights when I mess up taking videos or when things don't go exactly well.
Ana (not pictured) is from El Salvador but now living in the U.S. I've been particularly touched by how much she's shared about her family in our evening reflection group (which I confess, I accidentally slept through tonight). She asks for prayers for her sister who has cancer. I'm always amazed at the people who struggle to be here at World Youth Day and at how much it means to them to just be in the presence of the Pope and to hear him talk in their native language. I think Anna was the first one to scream when Benedict spoke in Spanish today.
Chrissy (also in the bar video with the red jacket) is very sweet and kindhearted and had the line of the day yesterday when I quipped that the band we were listening to was very "disney-like." Without missing a beat, Chrissy replied, "You're right...they almost sound like the Chipmunks!" Never a truer statement was said.
There are a few others with us as well that I hope to get to know a bit more as the week goes on. But suffice it to say, this journey has been made all the lighter by the presence of these, and I'll use the word, not lightly here, HOLY WOMEN.
Let us pray that Mary, the mother of God, will continue to inspire us all on this pilgrimage and remind us of the goodness of God.
So today young adults got a "teaching" from one of the Bishops from around the world. Our Bishop, the Most Reverend Raymond Field, was from Ireland and was very engaging. His topic: The Holy Spirit--which he compared the Holy Spirit's role in the trinity to "the software that makes a computer run." Agreed.
I ran into some young adults today including Hamish who was one of the animators at the Catechetical session. It seems young people suffer from an "it's embarrassing to be Catholic problem. Certainly understandable...but they also have great hungers in their faith.
Your humble blogger is Mike Hayes, a well-known expert in the world of young adult ministry (20s and 30s) in the Catholic Church. Mike is the author of Googling God (Paulist, 2007) where he explores both the chaotic world that young people live in and their religious reactions to that world. He also explores the age of instant gratification and how churches can respond to the needs of the young adult age by using technology alongside more traditional ministry methods.
Mike founded the award winning BustedHalo.com® in 2001 and continues to contribute to it as the editor of their catechetical section appropriately named Googling God.
Recently, he left BustedHalo® to focus on more direct ministry with young people at St Joseph University Parish as a Campus Minister for the South Campus at the University at Buffalo.
He has only two loves: his adorable wife, Marion and a nine pound chihuahua named Haze, who still find him amusing enough to let them live in their home.
