One thing I could remember for next performance is to thank the audience for the accompaniment. Thank you, you are a great audience!
And before they reset my compuserve password, my new answer to the secret security question, "What's your favorite band?" is
"Urban Barnyard."
Today, May 20th, Mary Help of Christians closed to become a Chapel of Convenience. Father Mark sees himself next in Ohio. The R&B guy who moved with the weekend flea market from the MHC yard to the public high school yard said the MHC yard was sold to NYU.
Howard said the funeral home on A and East 12th is not selling.
The parochial school with the Chico Mural will become college dorms?
At least keep the church as a Turino landmark.
The church has steep steps, a tradition in Manhattan. During the packed service, some attendees were pulling the bell rope. At first one of the priests was doing it. You couldn't hear anything. I thought, wow, that's a sound proof entrance, but then some of the bigger fellows came along and, yes it rang and rang until the rope broke. I went upstairs. Howard had gone from the alter to the top floor by the organ. We went to the bell tower, one of two. I climped up to the rafter and attached the frayed horse-hair with my usual knot that pulls against the lower knot, and slipped the rope, which begins as a ribbon through one hole, then downstairs through another then looking from downstairs tieing a little knot in the ribbon, through a hole in the crawl space then someone pulled from below, pulling the length of the rope down. That's a heavy bell.
Cardinal Eagen's name came up today.
Try to remember you have a beautiful jewelbox over there (East 12th Street between 1st and A). The interior colors are a pale gold beige with light blues, it's such a light fresh air church. It's your chapel of convenience. Anyway, I, understatement, recommend you allow for the maintainenance of this charming legend. It never looked more beautiful than today, and thanks, Salesians, for being friends to the friendless. Good point about the batteries that look the same but only some power the flashlight.
Howard heard me play war-is-over songs on WBAI last month. Bob Fass must have rebroadcast his Phil Oches tribute.
Today's service incorporated many beautiful musical moments. They played a lovely recording, "si signore" and during "The Lord's Prayer" sang what I believe was the "our father" words in Spanish to the tune of "Sounds of Silence."
One of the attendees, who usually attends the church on 12th between Avenues C & D said that Bishop Sullivan, who led this service, was a priest to watch.
Mary Help of Helpseekers!
