And here we are on 31 December of 2006. Another year is ending and a bit too quickly for me. It is funny how that works. When I was young the new year always seemed exciting; now I'm just getting used to dating things 2006 and it is already 2007. Must mean that my projects are bigger and take more time to accomplish… or something like that.
The year was filled with war and injustice at all levels. It makes me sick to think about it all. But there were other events that allowed us to build for the future. It will take me some time to reflect on all this.
Meanwhile, our house is filling up. Mel Trinidad is organizing a gathering of youth ministry delegates from the Salesian provinces of North America. We may have some action for New Year's Eve!
Ah, 2006: it is time to say good-bye.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Friday, December 29, 2006
Ring out the old…
The temperature is down again today, and this morning our two sisters, Cecilia and Anne, left for Los Angeles and the Chinese community there for a few days of holiday. They'll be back on 8 January…
Our brother Michael Lee has been telling us that he is departing on 9 January -- but this morning he clarified (for the first time) that he is departing the USA on 9 January… he is leaving the community tomorrow early! He'll stay among Korean friends and say his goodbyes to them. Ah, blood is thicker than water, even Baptismal water.
In any case, we'll have a little going-away party this evening with dinner, even though less than half the community is here to say farewell to Michael Lee. Then tonight some folks connected with the Youth Ministry consultation will start arriving. Ring out the old, bring in the new -- even people.
Our brother Michael Lee has been telling us that he is departing on 9 January -- but this morning he clarified (for the first time) that he is departing the USA on 9 January… he is leaving the community tomorrow early! He'll stay among Korean friends and say his goodbyes to them. Ah, blood is thicker than water, even Baptismal water.In any case, we'll have a little going-away party this evening with dinner, even though less than half the community is here to say farewell to Michael Lee. Then tonight some folks connected with the Youth Ministry consultation will start arriving. Ring out the old, bring in the new -- even people.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
The unexpected little chores
This morning I was going to give a sweep to the entrance of our second building on Leconte before going off to correct more essays from my students. That was right after breakfast. When I went into the garage on Arch Street, however, I saw the garage door had been smashed open… the bottom half was in splinters, and the top of the door was askew… impossible to open or budge for that matter. I ran upstairs and out the front door to find that Mary Greenan was doing the same… One of the elderly priests had driven over Ralph Murphy to pick up Tom Prendiville, and somehow had driven through the garage door!
Okay, these things happen. No one was hurt. Tom and Ralph were laughing, and the priest told me to send the bill to the parish… and they were off, leaving it all to Mary and I to sort out…
Step one, I called Madden Doors out of Martinez: we have our accounts with them as they installed and maintained both our doors for years. The foreman there (Bernie by name) told me that it is a bad time: they have jobs booked for ten days and it would be difficult to come. I said that I appreciated that; I also said "God Bless You" when I heard Bernie sneeze, and expressed my concern when he told me that he's fighting a cold. Well, it turned out that he remembered us, that he himself had come out on a few jobs in years past, and so he said that he would put us on a priority response code. He'd try to have someone out by 1:00 in the pm, at least to remove the door.
Step two, Mary called Michael Touchstone… more details of what happened from Mary and what to do next from Michael. I told Michael that I'd called Madden to have the broken door removed. There was no way to get in or out of the garage, and besides the four cars locked inside, we would not be able to have the trash picked up, or the recycling seen too until we solved that problem. The elder priest has car insurance, of course, so why are we concerned about expense. This is not our budget problem.
Step three: bedrooms… Tom told us last night that an international delegation of youth ministry folks will be coming for meetings on 2-4 January. Some are to arrive tomorrow, and some are staying as late as 7 January. Altogether, there will be six guests. So, Mary asked if I'd go with her just to check what rooms were available.
We found half of the guest rooms in total disarray. That meant we had to wash linens, vacuum floors, and get the place in shape. I found junk in the guest rooms and so I began methodically to go through each one. The thermostats were all haywire too, so I had to program them in 14 different environments. Well, the long and short of it was that I was kept busy in that until 12.30…
After a quick lunch, I went to the phone to see if Bernie from Madden Doors would make contact. He did so at 1:20. He had a crew that was finishing a job in Walnut Creek, he said, and they would arrive in 30 minutes. I loaded up the washing machines with sheets from the guest rooms… then waited on the front porch. At 2.05 the men arrived. They noted that the door really needed to be completely removed. It was hanging by a wire, literally, and the spring was as taut as could be. They told me that the whole thing might snap and come down at any time… All of which made me happy I called immediately, and that the folks at Madden remembered us and put us on a priority response code.
By 3:00 the crew had gone, and so had the door. I finished cleaning the entrance, sweeping the driveway, getting rid of all the splinters and bolts. Then I unloaded the dryers, folded the sheets and blankets… and now it's time to close off the day.
Never did correct those student essays.
Okay, these things happen. No one was hurt. Tom and Ralph were laughing, and the priest told me to send the bill to the parish… and they were off, leaving it all to Mary and I to sort out…
Step one, I called Madden Doors out of Martinez: we have our accounts with them as they installed and maintained both our doors for years. The foreman there (Bernie by name) told me that it is a bad time: they have jobs booked for ten days and it would be difficult to come. I said that I appreciated that; I also said "God Bless You" when I heard Bernie sneeze, and expressed my concern when he told me that he's fighting a cold. Well, it turned out that he remembered us, that he himself had come out on a few jobs in years past, and so he said that he would put us on a priority response code. He'd try to have someone out by 1:00 in the pm, at least to remove the door.
Step two, Mary called Michael Touchstone… more details of what happened from Mary and what to do next from Michael. I told Michael that I'd called Madden to have the broken door removed. There was no way to get in or out of the garage, and besides the four cars locked inside, we would not be able to have the trash picked up, or the recycling seen too until we solved that problem. The elder priest has car insurance, of course, so why are we concerned about expense. This is not our budget problem.
Step three: bedrooms… Tom told us last night that an international delegation of youth ministry folks will be coming for meetings on 2-4 January. Some are to arrive tomorrow, and some are staying as late as 7 January. Altogether, there will be six guests. So, Mary asked if I'd go with her just to check what rooms were available.
We found half of the guest rooms in total disarray. That meant we had to wash linens, vacuum floors, and get the place in shape. I found junk in the guest rooms and so I began methodically to go through each one. The thermostats were all haywire too, so I had to program them in 14 different environments. Well, the long and short of it was that I was kept busy in that until 12.30…
After a quick lunch, I went to the phone to see if Bernie from Madden Doors would make contact. He did so at 1:20. He had a crew that was finishing a job in Walnut Creek, he said, and they would arrive in 30 minutes. I loaded up the washing machines with sheets from the guest rooms… then waited on the front porch. At 2.05 the men arrived. They noted that the door really needed to be completely removed. It was hanging by a wire, literally, and the spring was as taut as could be. They told me that the whole thing might snap and come down at any time… All of which made me happy I called immediately, and that the folks at Madden remembered us and put us on a priority response code.
By 3:00 the crew had gone, and so had the door. I finished cleaning the entrance, sweeping the driveway, getting rid of all the splinters and bolts. Then I unloaded the dryers, folded the sheets and blankets… and now it's time to close off the day.
Never did correct those student essays.
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
The rains held till now
As we usually do at Don Bosco Hall, we hosted the Salesians from the Bay Area for Christmas dinner. Sr Mary Greenan engineered the five-course meal, while Fr Arthur Lenti prepared appetizers -- many, many, appetizers, Piedmontese style. Well, for those who know the Salesians in the Bay Area, there was nothing really different. The Don Bosco Hall community has been hosting the Christmas celebrations since 1974 (except for the three years when the house had been closed down by Rome between 1981 and 1984, but that is a different story).
We managed to keep cleaning as we prepared the meal, and with the help of Nick Reina from Richmond (who also lent us table cloths, plates and cutlery), we had almost everything cleared and cleaned by 9:00 last night. There were five loads of laundry to take care of, however, between table cloths, serviettes, kitchen towels and such: we finished off all this laundry this morning.
And now the days of rest. Three members of the community took off immediately after the dinner but the rest of us kept close to quarters today, since it has been stormy and cold. That's okay, there is a lot of Panettone and other delights to nurse us through the inclement weather. Now the 12 days of Christmas begin.
We managed to keep cleaning as we prepared the meal, and with the help of Nick Reina from Richmond (who also lent us table cloths, plates and cutlery), we had almost everything cleared and cleaned by 9:00 last night. There were five loads of laundry to take care of, however, between table cloths, serviettes, kitchen towels and such: we finished off all this laundry this morning.And now the days of rest. Three members of the community took off immediately after the dinner but the rest of us kept close to quarters today, since it has been stormy and cold. That's okay, there is a lot of Panettone and other delights to nurse us through the inclement weather. Now the 12 days of Christmas begin.
Friday, December 22, 2006
Christmas shopping
The last three and a half years since I completed my term as director at Don Bosco Hall have brought more changes than I realized. As director I used to do a lot of community shopping, as well as seeing to gifts and parties… hospitality and welcoming in short. Now the shopping is up to others. Besides, I've lived one year in Richmond and one in Rome … and much of my time in Berkeley is directed to the work of the grad students at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology. In short, I don't get around Berkeley for shopping purposes (Oh yes, I get around: at 5:45 in the morning when I'm doing my power walking. No shops open then to slow me down).
Okay, back to the story.
On Monday we chose in community (as is our habit) the name of another brother or sister, for whom we will get a gift for our Christmas Eve exchange. This year I chose ______ _______, whom I've known for many years now. And I knew just what gift would be perfect! So on Tuesday I ventured out to Bancroft and Telegraph… and the shop I always went to for such perfect gifts has evaporated! There's another store there!
Easy solution: turn around, head into Berkeley town center and walk up Shattuck toward Cedar. I always shop at an array of little boutiques along that main street that carry, of course, an assortment of "the perfect gift". No way! Those very shops had all evaporated too! I needed to stop in at Starbucks for a stiff cup of latte in order to calm my senses and plan a new strategy. That was Tuesday.
Plan B would be to go out to El Cerrito Plaza on San Pablo on the border of Albany and El Cerrito: there are a lot of good little places there. My plan was to go out yesterday (Thursday), but as it began to rain and pour fairly early, I put if off until this morning since sun and blue skies were forecast. And so I did. I took Bart ($1.40), and then walked through all the perfect stores and boutiques looking for the perfect gift… and after an hour was totally discouraged. Everything has changed in the time I've stopped doing all the shopping!
Well, I just turned around and visited all the stores again, getting ideas, paying attention to the people… and finally I made my selections. Yes, plural. It will be a mult-part gift.
As I took the BART back to Berkeley, I reflected that the good thing about Christmas gift-giving is that it puts us back into circulation, back into the marketplace, or into the neighborhood. It means taking time to think of what would be a good gift for each person, and what kind of world that person is now contending with. The finding of a gift pulls us out of ourselves, I thought. And BART quickly arrived in Downtown Berkeley, and I started back up the hill through the University of California to Don Bosco Hall… Mission completed, except for the wrapping!
Okay, back to the story.
On Monday we chose in community (as is our habit) the name of another brother or sister, for whom we will get a gift for our Christmas Eve exchange. This year I chose ______ _______, whom I've known for many years now. And I knew just what gift would be perfect! So on Tuesday I ventured out to Bancroft and Telegraph… and the shop I always went to for such perfect gifts has evaporated! There's another store there!
Easy solution: turn around, head into Berkeley town center and walk up Shattuck toward Cedar. I always shop at an array of little boutiques along that main street that carry, of course, an assortment of "the perfect gift". No way! Those very shops had all evaporated too! I needed to stop in at Starbucks for a stiff cup of latte in order to calm my senses and plan a new strategy. That was Tuesday.
Plan B would be to go out to El Cerrito Plaza on San Pablo on the border of Albany and El Cerrito: there are a lot of good little places there. My plan was to go out yesterday (Thursday), but as it began to rain and pour fairly early, I put if off until this morning since sun and blue skies were forecast. And so I did. I took Bart ($1.40), and then walked through all the perfect stores and boutiques looking for the perfect gift… and after an hour was totally discouraged. Everything has changed in the time I've stopped doing all the shopping!
Well, I just turned around and visited all the stores again, getting ideas, paying attention to the people… and finally I made my selections. Yes, plural. It will be a mult-part gift.
As I took the BART back to Berkeley, I reflected that the good thing about Christmas gift-giving is that it puts us back into circulation, back into the marketplace, or into the neighborhood. It means taking time to think of what would be a good gift for each person, and what kind of world that person is now contending with. The finding of a gift pulls us out of ourselves, I thought. And BART quickly arrived in Downtown Berkeley, and I started back up the hill through the University of California to Don Bosco Hall… Mission completed, except for the wrapping!
Monday, December 18, 2006
Exam week over and O Antiphons sung
Exam week at GTU was slated to be 11-15 December… It is the week when all the students have to get their papers completed if they do not have written or oral examinations as requirements for the end of their courses. In some cases, professors require both. Many classes do not meet during that week. Since I have not been giving examinations but requiring a paper and a class presentation, I usually do hold class during the final week of the semester.
It seems to me that all the class presentations went well in Church History. The Francis de Sales course also went very well, as the participation of the students was greater than I had ever experienced while teaching at DSPT and ISS. It reminds me of the great participation that I experienced last year while teaching at the UPS. In fact, I used the same style of presentation this year as I did in Rome last year, and it seems to have worked very well. But more of that later.
This week I need to complete the correction of the research papers even as our community at Don Bosco Hall spends most of the time decorating and preparing for the holiday. I really haven't completed the Fall Semester work, however, and I've tried to make that understood at the house. Even so, I participated in the house meeting this morning at 9.00 before going over to DSPT at 10.00 and downloading the research papers that my Church History students sent to me over the weekend as e-mail attachments.
Now to work.
Meanwhile, the liturgy keeps moving us to think of the coming feast of Christmas. I presided at the Eucharist this morning and we sing the second «O Antiphon» at Evening Prayer tonight: O Adonai!
It seems to me that all the class presentations went well in Church History. The Francis de Sales course also went very well, as the participation of the students was greater than I had ever experienced while teaching at DSPT and ISS. It reminds me of the great participation that I experienced last year while teaching at the UPS. In fact, I used the same style of presentation this year as I did in Rome last year, and it seems to have worked very well. But more of that later.
This week I need to complete the correction of the research papers even as our community at Don Bosco Hall spends most of the time decorating and preparing for the holiday. I really haven't completed the Fall Semester work, however, and I've tried to make that understood at the house. Even so, I participated in the house meeting this morning at 9.00 before going over to DSPT at 10.00 and downloading the research papers that my Church History students sent to me over the weekend as e-mail attachments.
Now to work.
Meanwhile, the liturgy keeps moving us to think of the coming feast of Christmas. I presided at the Eucharist this morning and we sing the second «O Antiphon» at Evening Prayer tonight: O Adonai!
O sacred Lord of ancient Israel,
who showed yourself to Moses in the burning bush,
who gave him the holy law on Sinai mountain:
come, stretch out your mighty hand to set us free.
who showed yourself to Moses in the burning bush,
who gave him the holy law on Sinai mountain:
come, stretch out your mighty hand to set us free.
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Birthday celebrating the duke
Duke (Le Van Duoc) turned 26 on 8 December, but with all the celebrations for the Immaculate Conception and for the closing of term, we didn't have a chance to celebrate him. Tonight, then, we had a birthday party for him.
Duke first starting coming around to Don Bosco Hall 8 years ago, when he was a senior in high school and a member of the Vietnamese youth group at St Anthony's parish in Oakland. When he began university, on scholarship at Cal Berkeley, he began to drop by more often, since our house is a block north of the University. He told us tonight how one of the young Salesians invited him to come for mass and dinner on December 8th that year. He had no idea that was a feast day, and was surprised by the party that we held that night… he never told us that it was also his birthday, because his family never celebrated Duke's birthday (they only celebrated his younger sisters and brother's birthdays). Still, it was the first time that he ever celebrated on his birthday, and was inspired to learn that he shared the day with the Immaculate Virgin Mary.
During his sophomore year at Cal he moved in with us at Don Bosco Hall… and we celebrated his birthday every year. "This is the place," he said tonight, "where I first celebrated my birthday, and I am grateful that it is with you that I can continue to celebrate year after year."
This may be his last birthday with us. Last month he finally landed a full-time and solid job, working in the computer support services of the University of California. He got his first good paycheck on the 30th of November. With this he will be able to pay of his family's debts within the next year, and start to put money aside to assure that his three younger siblings can go to college. He may not stay with us much longer. But Duke is a gentle presence, and we are happy that he can call Don Bosco Hall his home. He's welcome to stay with us as long as he wants to really.
Happy birthday, Duke!
Duke first starting coming around to Don Bosco Hall 8 years ago, when he was a senior in high school and a member of the Vietnamese youth group at St Anthony's parish in Oakland. When he began university, on scholarship at Cal Berkeley, he began to drop by more often, since our house is a block north of the University. He told us tonight how one of the young Salesians invited him to come for mass and dinner on December 8th that year. He had no idea that was a feast day, and was surprised by the party that we held that night… he never told us that it was also his birthday, because his family never celebrated Duke's birthday (they only celebrated his younger sisters and brother's birthdays). Still, it was the first time that he ever celebrated on his birthday, and was inspired to learn that he shared the day with the Immaculate Virgin Mary.During his sophomore year at Cal he moved in with us at Don Bosco Hall… and we celebrated his birthday every year. "This is the place," he said tonight, "where I first celebrated my birthday, and I am grateful that it is with you that I can continue to celebrate year after year."
This may be his last birthday with us. Last month he finally landed a full-time and solid job, working in the computer support services of the University of California. He got his first good paycheck on the 30th of November. With this he will be able to pay of his family's debts within the next year, and start to put money aside to assure that his three younger siblings can go to college. He may not stay with us much longer. But Duke is a gentle presence, and we are happy that he can call Don Bosco Hall his home. He's welcome to stay with us as long as he wants to really.
Happy birthday, Duke!
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Things calming down
The last two months have been particularly busy for me, and this is because I have been teaching on weekdays and traveling on weekends to do workshops and retreats and other presentations on Salesian themes… It has been challenging but very enjoyable too as I have had a chance to share with a lot of people -- mainly religious and young adults -- on the Salesian spirit and mentality. And I learn from all these encounters as well.
Naturally, it has meant that when I'm back in Berkeley I have to work doubly to catch up on all the normal commitments, from class preparation to laundry! Now finally the journeys are over and I think I can try to pull things together for the final week of the Fall Term at both the ISS and the DSPT.
On the horizon now are publications: Aldo writes that Arthur’s three-volume historical survey, Don Bosco Builder, has received an enthusiastic reception at Salesian headquarters, at the UPS, and at the University press (the LAS). Locally, Tom Prendiville and Ralph Murphy are in the final stages of editing the 14th volume of the Journal of Salesian Studies. I've got an article in this next issue, so I'm excited about this.
Naturally, it has meant that when I'm back in Berkeley I have to work doubly to catch up on all the normal commitments, from class preparation to laundry! Now finally the journeys are over and I think I can try to pull things together for the final week of the Fall Term at both the ISS and the DSPT.
On the horizon now are publications: Aldo writes that Arthur’s three-volume historical survey, Don Bosco Builder, has received an enthusiastic reception at Salesian headquarters, at the UPS, and at the University press (the LAS). Locally, Tom Prendiville and Ralph Murphy are in the final stages of editing the 14th volume of the Journal of Salesian Studies. I've got an article in this next issue, so I'm excited about this.
Friday, December 08, 2006
Rainy days and Mondays
It is raining in Berkeley - and from what I can see through my accuweather widget, it is also raining in Rome. And it is the same temperature: 14°. How interesting is that?
We had the end of semester celebration at DSPT, with the Mass for the feast of the Immaculate Conception, and the dinner party afterwards. Eleven Salesians participated: almost as many as all the Dominicans present… and it was a nice gathering. That's thanks to Scott Connolly, who knows how to bring people together.
Now there is one more week to the semester. I need to think of how I'm going to approach the next semester, with taking 6 weeks in Rome somehow along the way. Maybe I'm taking on too many things and I'll have to cut back somewhere. Hmm… this will take some thought.
But tonight, as I get ready for sleep, I can hear the rain pounding on the aluminum windowsill and I know that Rome and Berkeley are at one, if not in thought, at least in climatic conditions on this 8th December.
We had the end of semester celebration at DSPT, with the Mass for the feast of the Immaculate Conception, and the dinner party afterwards. Eleven Salesians participated: almost as many as all the Dominicans present… and it was a nice gathering. That's thanks to Scott Connolly, who knows how to bring people together.
Now there is one more week to the semester. I need to think of how I'm going to approach the next semester, with taking 6 weeks in Rome somehow along the way. Maybe I'm taking on too many things and I'll have to cut back somewhere. Hmm… this will take some thought.
But tonight, as I get ready for sleep, I can hear the rain pounding on the aluminum windowsill and I know that Rome and Berkeley are at one, if not in thought, at least in climatic conditions on this 8th December.
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Ending first semester with prenovices
Got back from Bellflower tonight: the last of six classes in church history that I taught to the Salesian Sisters postulants and the Salesian prenovinces. Mary Greenan taught seven eight classes in the series.
The travel up and down the coast has been a bit much twice a month… but it has been interesting being able to interact with those in initial formation. After class today we had a very open and deep conversation.
But more on this later.
The Fall Semester here in Bekeley is coming to a quick close. My students in church history are already giving their class presentations, and we are wrapping things up in the course on Francis de Sales as well. I have a sense that both courses have been going well. Thank God!
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Advent is here
Phone calls to Edmonton, a lot of memories.
It is a little odd that I continue to write this blog about being in Rome when, in fact, I'm now back in Berkeley. Yet, I am still attached to the theology faculty at the UPS and I definitely will be returning to Rome in March and May to teach a six-week course. How will this all work out? I confess that I am confused about it, but at this point it seems important for me and for the community in Berkeley to keep the Roman connection vital.
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