BRONX NEWS: Square Goes Back to the 80’s

BRONX NEWS: Square Goes Back to the 80’s: Square Goes Back to the 80’s BRONX, NEW YORK (BRONX NEWS)- On September 26, 2015, the Westchester Square community and merchants paid homa...

Highbridge News: Inside #Pope's Visit to New York

Highbridge News: Inside #Pope's Visit to New York: Inside #Pope's Visit to New York (Pope Francis, courtesy of Antonio Spadaro, SJ, editor in chief of La Civiltà Cattolica.) B...

Inside #Pope's Visit to New York

Inside #Pope's Visit to New York

(Pope Francis, courtesy of Antonio Spadaro, SJ, editor in chief of La Civiltà Cattolica.)

By Bob Howe

Papal Reflections  from Joseph M. McShane, SJ, President of Fordham

Wednesday, September 23, 2015 | The White House, Washington, D.C.

I rose at 5 and was on line by 6:10. Although the ceremony did not begin till 9:15, the time flew by. How and why?

The crowd was remarkably upbeat. In addition, I ran into many people whom I knew (which was quite a surprise).

The crowd was diverse and spirited—and very, very gracious. Not a cross word was said by anyone in spite of the long wait. When the President and the Pope finally appeared, the already-high spirits of the crowd really soared. The talks were brief but substantive. The President and the Pope are clearly very fond of one another.

I was deeply impressed with the talks that both President Obama and Pope Francis gave. I was even more impressed, however, by the images that will remain with me forever: the images of two principled men of prayer and peace standing side by side before the whole world, the image of two Americans bearing the weight of the world’s sorrows and hopes on their shoulders, the images of a remarkably diverse and hopeful crowd on the lawn of America’s house, the unforgettable sight of the sun rising on a beautiful early fall day over the City of Washington. Most of all, however, I came away with the sense that the President and the Pope have forged a close friendship, a friendship that gives hope to the whole world.

One of the most interesting encounters I had was with a woman who approached me at the end of the Pope’s remarks and asked me if he had blessed the crowd.

Thursday, September 24, 2015 | St. Patrick’s Cathedral, New York, N.Y.

Reflections on this evening’s Vespers Service at the Cathedral. Father Scirghi [Thomas Scirghi, SJ, associate professor of theology and rector of the Jesuit community at Fordham] and I made our way to the Cathedral via Metro North. After making our way through the rather rigorous security check point, we were ushered into the Cathedral and found our way to our seats which were behind a massive pillar on the North Aisle. Alas.

During the three hours before the Pope’s arrival, we were treated to a concert by the Cathedral, a lecture on the history of the Papacy, a short presentation on the history of the Cathedral and the recitation of the rosary.

The recitation of the rosary ended at 6:25, at which time the television monitors in the Cathedral were turned on to keep us up to speed on the Pope’s procession down Fifth Avenue. As you might imagine, the mood in the Cathedral became electric as the Pope got closer. Finally, the great bronze doors at the Fifth Avenue entrance to the Cathedral swung open, the organ swelled, the choir began to sing the anthems that signaled the Pope’s entrance.

(007 Actor Daniel Craig)

Then, something rather strange happened: although the congregation initially burst into thunderous applause when the Pope began to make his way up the main aisle, the applause soon became muted. I was taken aback by the sudden change in the volume of the applause until I realized that people had taken out their cellphones to snap pictures of the Pope as he passed by.

When he reached the sanctuary, the applause swelled again. Then, the mood changed markedly as the Pope disappeared to vest for Vespers. Ah, the Catholic liturgical decorum reigned as the Pope led us through the opening rites of Vespers.

The Pope began his homily with a heartfelt prayer for the Muslim pilgrims who had died earlier in Saudi Arabia. In the body of his homily, he addressed himself to the priests and religious in the congregation. (As he did in St. Matthew’s Cathedral in Washington yesterday, he offered his support to the bishops and the American Church for the pain that they (and we) had suffered as a result of the abuse scandals of the past decade.) The high point of his homily, however, was the praise that he heaped on the religious women whose hard work had built the American Church.

He was interrupted three times with thunderous applause when he spoke to and about the nuns. As I looked around the Cathedral, I could not help but be struck by the affection that the whole congregation had for these heroic women. I was also deeply moved to see many of the nuns around me crying for joy at the Pope’s words and the applause with which his words were greeted.

Following the conclusion of the Vesper Service, the Pope made his way slowly through the Cathedral reaching out to the infirm, the young, and the many religious women in the congregation. Then, he climbed into his Fiat and sped away.

The congestion dispersed quickly—but with great joy. For my part, I would have to say that I was deeply moved by his miraculous pastoral touch and the obvious love that he had/has for the Church, and the equally obvious love that the entire congregation had for him.

It was an experience of the Church at her best: inclusive, joyful, eager to embrace and transform the world in imitation of the Lord Himself.

Friday, September 25, 2015 | The United Nations, New York, N.Y.

Pope Paul VI was the first Pope to visit the United States, and the first to address the General Assembly of the United Nations.

Pope Paul VI was the first Pope to visit the United States, and the first to address the General Assembly of the United Nations. (He did so on 4 October 1965, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. I remember that day quite clearly—for a number of reasons.

First, my father (who was the SAC of New York for the State Department of the United States) served as the federal coordinator of security for the Pope’s visit. Second, I was honored to attend the Pope’s Mass in Yankee Stadium. Third, Paul VI’s address to the General Assembly captivated the world (and continues to be one that I find myself returning to quite often. Finally, it was an unbelievably cold day, which made the pilgrimage to Yankee Stadium a particularly challenging one).

I guess that it was because my memories of that first papal visit to the United States and that first papal address to the General Assembly of the United Nations are so rich that I looked forward to today with such eager longing.

I rose at 4:45 and caught the 6:00 train to Grand Central. (I noticed that there was only one person awake in Campbell/Conley/Salice at the time that I boarded the train for Manhattan.) When I arrived at the rendezvous spot to which I had been directed by the Nuncio’s staff, I was escorted to the United Nations and whisked through security. (The ease with which I made it through security is probably due to the fact that I was with Cardinal Turkson from both Ghana and the Roman Curia.)

After just a few minutes, I was led into the Assembly Chamber where I found myself in remarkable company:

Daniel (007) Craig, Bill and Melinda Gates, Mayor Deblasio, Commissioner Bratton, Cardinal Bratton, Cardinals Dolan, Turkson, and Parolin, two Apostolic Nuncios, the editor-in-chief of the Pope’s newspaper, and the Pope’s press secretary (both of the last two are Jesuits)—and what we were told was the largest of the leaders of states ever to attend the opening session of this General Assembly.

From the moment that the Pope first stepped foot on the UN campus, the television monitors on either side of the speaker’s podium kept us apprised of his progress toward the chamber. When he was finally escorted into the chamber, the entire crowd erupted into applause. (I noticed that the often-photographed Daniel Craig turned into an eager photographer as he snapped picture after picture of the Pope as he made his way to the front of the chamber. James Bond was not the only one taken with the Pope. Far from it. Heads of State whipped out their cellphones to capture the moment forever. And the press corps dropped all pretense of being blasé. They cheered, snapped and stood on their tip toes with the abandon of Yankee fans—in a good year.)

When he was introduced and began to speak, Francis captivated everyone — from the most seasoned diplomat to the most fervent believer to the most wary critic. His address championed the poor and marginalized, pled for a complete ban on nuclear weapons, wove together the themes that he wrote of so eloquently in Laudato Si. He was simply extraordinary in all he said. For my part, I was thrilled that he spoke about Paul VI’s visit to the UN fifty years ago, and even more thrilled that he made Paul’s words his own.

Then, it was over. The crowd rose to applaud him. (He was typically quite humble in acknowledging the adulation of the crowd.) And once again, cell phones were whipped out and put to good use to record the event for posterity. (I snapped more than a few myself.)

Friday, September 25, 2015 | Madison Square Garden, New York, N.Y. Mass in The Garden.

Sadly, the evening began poorly because it took anywhere from two and a half to four hours to get into the Garden. (The lines ran all the way south from the Garden entrance to 23nd Street, west on 23rd Street to 8th Avenue and all the way north on 8th Avenue to 30th Street.) The back-up was due to the intense TSA security screenings that included hand-checking every bag, wallet and belt worn or carried by the twenty thousand worshipers who were making their way to the Garden. (Tempers became quite frayed around 4 p.m.)

Once inside, however, the mood of the congregation changed dramatically—and with good reason. The Garden had been transformed from arena to a peculiarly urban cathedral (New York style), with subdued lighting and liturgical furniture hand-crafted by local artisans. (The Garden didn’t disappear entirely, however: the concession stands remained open until an hour before Mass began, and the Archdiocese filled the three-to-four-hour period before Mass with a rich mixture of catechesis, entertainment by top-draw performers and a bilingual recitation of the rosary.)

The long wait came to a close when the Pope arrived ahead of schedule. Once he arrived, he took two turns around the court in an indoor Popemobile. As you might imagine, the crowd roared when they spotted him. Once again, however, the initial applause and cheering eerily ended as people whipped out their cellphones to snap pictures of the Pope as he circled the floor.

Then, he disappeared and the mood turned liturgical-solemn. At least for a while. The opening hymn was properly festive; the readings were proclaimed with a quiet grace. And then, Francis walked to the lectern to deliver his homily. He drew the congregation in with a combination of wisdom, humility, a few savvy nods to the City and its moods and challenges and its quirky joys. The congregation fell under his pastoral spell and roared its loving approval as he preached. (He slyly looked up from his text. And he smiled. And that smile conquered the crowd.) Fortified by the crowd’s enthusiasm, the 78-year-old Pope grew stronger and more animated the longer he preached. Then came his capstone: the Pope assured the congregation that God lived in our City—with all of its challenges, its smogs and fogs, its joys, sorrows and moods (dark and light). That was all it took. The crowd very nearly swooned. They roared their loving approval of both the (papal) preacher and his consoling/challenging message. And the sedate urban cathedral once again became an arena—and arena of grace. What can I say? The soccer-fan Pope from Argentina hit a home run on a basketball court (the world’s most famous basketball court at that).

As the Mass continued, the arena once again became New York’s new cathedral. With a nod to the universal nature of the Church, the Eucharistic prayer was said in Latin, and the Lord’s Prayer was chanted Latin. A happy chaos reigned at the Kiss of Peace. Twenty thousand souls received Communion. Hymns both ancient and modern were sung with gusto or solemn decorum.

After Communion, Cardinal Dolan rose to thank the Pope for the graces of his visit. The crowd, however, was not going to let the Cardinal to speak for them. They interrupted his address with a series of raucous (hey, it was a New York crowd) standing ovations. (I don’t think it would be wide of the mark to say that they were delirious with joy. And they were determined to let their Father in faith know just how much they loved him. It was also clear that they simply didn’t want their moment of grace to end, and that they simply didn’t want to let Francis go.) As for the Pope, it was clear that he was touched and energized by the loving rapport that he had established with his New York flock.

All good things, however, must come to an end. Before he dismissed the congregation, the Pope departed from the solemn cadences of the Roman Rite and looked directly at his brothers and sisters (or were they his sons and daughters) and asked all of them (us) to pray for him. (At that moment, we were all transported back to the scene that unfolded in St Peter’s Square on the evening on which he was introduced to the world—and asked the vast crowd that had gathered when the white smoke appeared over the Sistine Chapel to pray for him. He need not worry. All who were in the urban cathedral known as MSG will pray for him, the Pope who hit a home run on a basketball court (and the most famous basketball court in the world at that).

I would imagine that the Knicks and the Rangers are jealous tonight. A soccer fan stole the spotlight in their home. And New York embraced a new star. Or basked in the love of a Father who called his sons and daughters to live with a new sense of purpose.

#Pope #PopeFrancis #Papal Visit #UnitedNations #MadisonSquareGarden #BronxNews #Fordham University

Highbridge News: Wild Card Hole Gets Deeper for #Yankees

Highbridge News: Wild Card Hole Gets Deeper for #Yankees: Wild Card Hole Gets Deeper for #Yankees (Photos by Gary Quintal) Yanks Lose to White Sox, 5-2. Where Will Yanks be in October? ...

Wild Card Hole Gets Deeper for #Yankees

Wild Card Hole Gets Deeper for #Yankees

(Photos by Gary Quintal)

Yanks Lose to White Sox, 5-2. Where Will Yanks be in October?

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK (SPORTS)- As only single digits of games remain for the Yankees in the 2015 regular season, if and where will they participate in the post-season? The answer has not been definitively decided. Yet, whether it brings disappointment or joy, their place 10 days from now is being made clearer each day.

The 5-2 loss to the White Sox on Friday night and the Toronto win over Tampa Bay dropped the Yanks 4 games behind the first place Blue Jays. Four games arealso what separate the Yanks from the Astros, who trail, for the first Wild Card spot. New York has a 5.5 game advantage to qualify for the second Wild Card position. The magic number or the Jays to clinch the American League east title is six and the number for the Yanks to obtain a Wild Card spot is five.

Thus, a fair guess would be that the blue Jays will win the A.L. East title and the Yanks will host the wild card game at Yankee Stadium. After Thursday night’s contest, Yankees manager Joe Girardi remarked, “I think it’s really important [where we will finish].” Many planning decisions can begin for him and his staff once that has become known. Girardi wishes to start deciding on who needs days of rest now, the roster, the starting rotation, and the starting lineup when facing a righty or lefty opposing starter.

If s one and done Wild Card game is what the first play, Girardi’s most important decision will be is who will be his starting pitcher. Each of his starter’s upcoming starts will affect that choice. On Friday, CC Sabathia made his second start since returning from the disabled list on September 8. During the first six frames he gave up two hits and single run in the second and third. In his final inning, the seventh, he surrendered two solo home runs, one by Mike Olt and one by Gordon Beckham.

The two four baggers were the difference in the result as the game had been tied at 2 going into the seventh inning. Sabathia pitched well and without pain through six. He commented on the
improvement since wearing a knee brace, “I can go through my delivery and not feel any pain.”

The pain Sabathia and the Yankees felt in the seventh was not physical. Although he had only given up two home runs in his last seven starts, home runs have been quite damaging to the veteran starter this year. He is tied for second highest in the A.L. with 28 homers. Although he is generally more effective against left-handed batters, both home runs were hit by righties. Sabathia’s record fell to 5-10.

Adam Warren will start on Saturday and rookie Luis Severino will start on Sunday.

#Yankees #WildCard #CCSabathia #YankeeStadium #BronxNews #Sports

Highbridge News: #Yogi Berra Will not be Forgotten

Highbridge News: #Yogi Berra Will not be Forgotten: #Yogi Berra Will not be Forgotten  By Howard Goldin BRONX, NEW YORK (BRONX NEWS)- “It’s not over until it’s over.’” Unfortu...

#Yogi Berra Will not be Forgotten

#Yogi Berra Will not be Forgotten 

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK (BRONX NEWS)- “It’s not over until it’s over.’” Unfortunately, the life of Yogi Berra is now over.

The beloved former baseball great passed away this week at the age of 90. Berra was born to an immigrant couple from Italy on May 12, 1925 in St. Louis, Missouri. He grew up in an Italian neighborhood, the Hill, in his native city. One of his childhood friends, Joe Garagiola, also reached the majors as a catcher, but was better known as an outstanding baseball broadcaster.

As a teenager, during World War II, Berra joined the U. S. Navy, he was assigned to a navy gunboat and took part in the D‐Day invasion on June 6, 1944. He earned several medals for his service including a Purple Heart and the distinguished Unit Citation.

In 1946, Berra became a member of the New York Yankees. His yearly success from 1946‐1963 earned him many honors. He was elected to 15 consecutive American League All‐Star teams, 1948‐1962. He was among the top four candidates for the American League MVP Award for seven straight seasons and the winner in 1951, 1954 and 1955.

In addition to earning individual honors, he was a major contributor to his team’s success. In 18 seasons with the Yankees, the club won the American League pennant 14 times. In 10 of those years, the Yankees were World Champions.

Although his offensive skills led him to a lifetime batting average of .285 and 358 home runs, Berra was an outstanding catcher. He is remembered as the catcher of Don Larsen when the latter through the only perfect game in a World Series. He also caught the two no hitters thrown by Allie Reynolds in 1951. On Yogi Berra day on July 18, 1999, Berra and Larsen and 42,000 fans witnessed the perfect game thrown by David Cone at Yankee Stadium.

The accomplishments of his playing career led to Berra’s election to the baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown in 1972, his second year of eligibility, and to the retirement of his and Bill Dickey’s #8. Not very well known is that Berra wore #38 in 1946 and #35 in 1947. Twelve years later, he and Dickey each had plaques in their honor placed in Monument Park at Yankee Stadium.

Berra’s leadership qualities led to him being named a player/coach in 1963. The following year, 1964, he managed the yanks to the American League Championship.

In 1965, he travelled to Queens to be a player/coach although he only played in four games. He remained a coach with the Mets through 1971, and succeeded Hodges in 1972 after the latter’s untimely death. He took the Mets to the national League Championship in 1973 and managed them until the middle of the 1975 season.

The next year, Berra returned to the Yankees as coach from 1976‐1983. He succeeded and was succeeded by Billy Martin as Yankees manager from December 16, 1983‐April 28, 1985.

Berra’s innate decency, sense of humor and sparkling personality has made him a much admired individual in households where baseball is not even followed. This year, more than 100,000 persons signed a petition to qualify Berra for consideration to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

A statement by Hal Steinbrenner, the Yankees Managing General Partner, represents the feelings of multitudes of people regarding Berra, “Yogi Berra’s legacy transcends baseball. Though slight in stature, he was a giant in the most significant ways through his service to his country, compassion for others and genuine enthusiasm for the game he loved. He has always been a role model and hero that America could look up to...His imprint in society stretches far beyond the walls of Yankee Stadium. He simply had a way of reaching and relating to people that was unmatched. That’s what made him such a national treasure.”

R.I.P. Yogi.

#YogiBerra #Yankees #YankeeStadium