Four Days at Maryknoll, NY |
Tuesday
Last night I got into New York City (from Michigan) five hours late, at 11:05 PM, because of air traffic delays caused by bad weather in the NYC area that stacked up flights to that destination across the country. I had planned to go to Bethany, the Maryknoll Lay Missioners headquarters, this evening but arrived so late that I diverted to the Maryknoll house in Manhattan where I snuck in unannounced and took over an empty bed for a few hours. Then this morning I continued my journey to Ossining and the Maryknoll Lay Missioners headquarters. |
| I woke up early in Manhattan, grabbed a bowl of cereal, and then headed to Grand Central Station where I got a local train to Ossining. Then I got a taxi to Bethany. It is so relaxing to travel on the Metro North Railroad to Ossining and then get a taxi without all the hassle and confusion and chaos of Phnom Penh. |
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| The Maryknoll Lay Missioners will be moving from their long-time head- quarters to the Walsh Building on the campus of the Maryknoll Priests and Brothers. Now every time I come back to Bethany, I take a few nostalgia shots, photos to remember a tired but proud building that has been home to 35 years of lay missioners. This is a view from Hwy 133 looking to the street side of a resi- dence wing added to the original country manor many years ago. |
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| Coming out of the main door of Bethany, one is faced with the parking lot and the Ossining water tower, situated atop one of Mary's Knolls. |
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| The property and the trees of Bethany are beautiful. As the seasons change, each day brings new vistas on the property that has been home to so many lay missioners. This evening, about 8:00 PM, the setting sun teamed up with dark clouds to create another scene of beauty. |
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Wednesday
Usually, shortly after I arrive at Maryknoll, New York, I make my way over to the main building--the former seminary--of the Priests and Brothers. I have many friends in residence there but can also use the library and other services. Today I had to deliver some mail I carried from Cambodia for one of the residents and then I visited some of my friends. |
| This building is the largest Chinese-style structure in the United States. It was constructed as a seminary but now the seminary operations have been moved to Chicago and this building is used for administrative and health service offices and for residence. |
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| This is the chapel wing of the main buildiing. |
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| This is the main chapel of whole complex. The flags are from the countries where Maryknoll missioners work. They do not fly all the time but are in place now because of the celebration of Maryknoll's anniversary on June 29th. |
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| This is the ambo or lectern of the main chapel. When first created about ten years ago, its design was quite controversial and the ambo lingered in storage until this year. Placing it at the opposite end of the main aisle from the altar has proven to be a comfortable and pleasing arrangement. |
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Thursday
Today was spent almost entirely in my "office" at Bethany, a third-floor solarium at the end of the wing, with windows on three sides. It's the TV room for those who watch television but I'm here by myself and for me it's a great place to work. I finally got my cell phone activated so I have access plus a neat place to work. |
| This is a view of the original family estate as it is seen when coming up the driveway from Somerstown Road in Ossining. The family long ago deeded the property to the Maryknoll Sisters who used it for a retirement home before it was given to the Maryknoll Lay Missioners. |
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| The original building has a certain 19th-century charm about it with all sorts of architectural nods to a bygone era, such as the entrance way for carriages at the left. |
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| There is a Marian medallion on the wall of the house by the driveway, next to the carriage entrance. Was that put up by the original family or by the sisters when they took over ownership? |
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Friday
This morning I washed clothes while writing two reports to funders for funding the Deaf Development Programme received in the first half of 2012. Then in the afternoon I went over to the seminary building for a special mass for the Maryknoll Priests and Brothers. |
| This was the 101st anniversary of the founding of the Maryknoll Society, the priests and brothers section of Maryknoll. A choir with Fr. Ed Szendrey (at lectern) and Fr. Mike Duggan (with music folder) prepared some special music with really good musical accompaniment. |
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| Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, presided at the liturgy. |
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| Following the liturgy a special supper was served in the seminary dining room downstairs. |
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