"Journey to Anatevka" comes to Southington, CT

What was life like for Tevye and his family when they arrived in turn-of-the-century New York, America? Come and find out!

“Journey to Anatevka”

Picnic and Movie Matinee

Saturday, June 22nd, 2013 at

First Congregational Church , Main Street, Southington, CT.

Bring Soup, Salad, and/or Sandwiches to the  Picnic Potluck at 12:00PM followed by“Hester Street” Film at 1:30 with guided discussion by Rabbi Shelley Kovar Becker.

Hester Street is a 1975 film based on Abraham Cahan's 1896 novella Yekl: A Tale of the New York Ghetto and was adapted and directed by Joan Micklin Silver. The film stars Carol Kane, Steven Keats and Paul Freedman. In 2011, Hester Street was added to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress.

Hester Street, New York City, c. 1900

Hester Street tells the story of Jewish immigrants who come to the Lower East side of New York City in 1896 from Europe and who live on Hester Street in Manhattan. When Yankl first comes to the U.S., he quickly assimilates into American culture and becomes Jake. He also begins to have an affair with Mamie, a dancer. His wife, Gitl, who arrives later with their son, Yossele, has difficulty assimilating. Tension arises in their marriage as Jake continually upbraids and abuses Gitl, despite her efforts to assimilate.

Norfolk at Hester Street, NYC c. 1898

The film is noteworthy for its detailed reconstruction of Jewish immigrant life in New York at the turn of the century—much of the dialogue is   delivered in Yiddish with English subtitles—and was part of the wave of films released in the late 1960s and through the 1970s which began explicitly to deal with the complexities of American Jewish identity. In addition, Carol Kane's lead character posed a still-provocative synthesis as she discovers her own self-assertion on behalf of her right to maintain a traditional identity in an aggressively modern setting.

Now or Later: Drug Task Force Challenges Parents and Students to Look to the Future

Based on a Press Release from the Southington Drug Task Force.
 
The program will be presented on Monday, June 10, 2013 at the Joaeph A. DePaolo Middle School on Pleasant Street in Southington, CT. by the Southington Drug Task Force.

The 3-Screen film will encourage and challenge parents and students to proactively change their future. The program is open to the pubic. Admission is Free.

Members of several area community groups will be present to speak one-on-one with parents starting at 6:30 p.m. with a special movie from 7:15 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The program, made possible by a grant from the Substance Abuse Action Council, offers compelling information and stories, some tragic, on the hazards to which our young people are regularly exposed in today's culture.

Guest speakers, one-on-one meetings with parents and the film will address the cultural hazards that can negatively influence the future, ways to avoid and overcome Abuse of Prescription Drugs, Alcohol Poisoning, Cyber Bullying, Overcoming Obstacles and Bullying.
The goal of the Now or Later program is three-fold, according to task force member and program advocate, Trish Kenefick.

Encourage communication between parents and children.  Get children ready for school in the fall.  To keep kids safe! 

Popular Stories will include:

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"In a culture that is always promising and often delivering new and better ways of doing things, there are some things that cannot change, and others that should not change," Kenefick said in a press release. "Many rules are really only about timing: 'Is this a good thing for now or is this something that will be better later'?"

Should negative influences be the task of government and private agencies alone.  Or is it not time to provide our kids and parents the strongest case we can make for deterrence of endangerment of their future?

Noah's Incredibly Special Moment of Joy

Noah’s Incredibly Special Moment of Joy

Originally posted in The Parish Pad of the Church of Saint Dominic, Southington, CT.

Editor's Foreword

From the moment I read this remarkable personal account of Jennifer Philips, I recognized it as a deeply moving story of faith, spirituality and love.  I also knew it had to be shared with others and Jennifer enthusiastically agreed. Today is is posted in "The Parish Pad" newsletter of Saint Dominic Church of Southington, CT.   Visit the church website at www.saintdominic.church.com 

Jennifer's story is followed by an "Afterword" by her mother, Susan Piqueira, who has been a gifted occasional contributor to the The Parish Pad during its years as a printed publication from 1997-2009. Susan is also one of the first to have a story on the electronic version of the newsletter.

There's a poignant connection between a recent researched and  history of "Immaculata", the Statue of Mary in St. Dominic Church,  written by Susan Piqueira.  At the conclusion of this story scroll back an issue or two of The Parish Pad to the story of "Immaculata" -- E. Richard Fortunato

--------------------------------------------

“I just felt like praying in front of the Statue of Mary”

By Jennifer Philips

Statue of Mary
St. Dominic Church

It was about three in the afternoon on April 3, 2013, the Wednesday after Easter. I took my five-month old son, Noah, to church that day. I just felt like praying in front of the statue of Mary. There have been so many miracles surrounding this statue.

With Noah in his car seat, we were right in the front pew. No one else was there and the lights were off but there was still plenty of sunlight filtering in,

Of course, within five minutes, Noah started fussing so I took him out of his car seat and walked around with him. Standing in front of the statue, I had Noah touch Mary’s gown and her feet. Then, he looked up at Mary.

Noah Alexander Philips

Nothing could make him take his eyes off of her face. I was just watching his expression. Now, the bigger than life-size statue is high up. In order to see her face, Noah had to arch his neck way back. I figured that would become uncomfortable for him at some point. But instead, his eyes and mouth turned into a huge smile. He then acted shy and buried his head in my neck. But, right after that, he arched his head back and looked up at her face again. I never looked once looked up at Mary. I just watched him. Same thing. Huge smile and then he would bury his face in my neck. This went on as Noah repeated it about seven times.

Then, I took him to look at other parts of the church. When we came to the altar, his eyes immediately went to the crucifix. I then showed him the plants and flowers but, by that time, he was getting hungry so he was really fussing. I brought him back to Mary, and he immediately stopped fussing, looked up at her face, and another smile spread over his little face. Incredible. It really gave me goose bumps because you would think that this statue would just be an "object" to Noah, not a person. I never looked at Mary while he was smiling, but I do wonder what caused him to smile every time. And huge smiles. The kind he gives to us when he is waking from a nap and sees our faces. Just really beautiful. I just have not been able to stop thinking about that afternoon.

Afterword 

By Susan Piqueira

It’s important for you to know from me, Noah’s grandmother, that he’s going through a stage where he'll only smile for his mother and father. For the rest of the world, he “observes" and ponders whether he'll allow them to come close to him or not. It's like pulling teeth for anyone other than his parents to get even a tiny half smile from him. So, there is no way he'd let his whole face light up from ear to ear by just looking at an inanimate object - and then doing it over and over again … seven times!! I t would have been unheard of for our little Noah at the time to do that. My husband Phil and I believe that Noah was gazing into the face of Mary, in person! As our daughter says, “He's only five months new from heaven so he would definitely know her!“ It’s significant that Jenny never looked up to see exactly what Noah was seeing. Instead she was focused on his face in amazement. Although Jenny was part of this miracle, Mary was appearing for just Noah and didn't enable Jenny to see what he was seeing. This could all be just coincidence and if I didn't know Noah, I might think so as well - that we are making too big of a deal of this. However, for this little baby to crane his neck at a very uncomfortable angle while showing total joy in his face and to have repeated it seven times over is, well, surreal. We feel strongly that Noah experienced the presence of Mary in person - and wanted to share his miracle with all of you!

Editor’s Note : To understand the significance of this story to the fascinating origins of the statue, please scroll down to the recent story in the Parish Pad by Susan Piqueira, entitled “Immaculata”. There’s greater irony and mystery in the fact that Susan wrote her original story years before Noah was born!

Fr. Andrew M. Greeley, Catholic Priest, Author, Researcher, Social Iconoclast and Philanthropist Dies at 85

Rev. Fr. Andrew M. Greeley
1928-2013

Fr. Andrew M. Greeley was born in Oak Park, IL in 1928 and died Wednesday, May 29, 2013 quietly at his home in Chicago at 85 after being a victim of strokes resulting from an accident leaving a taxi a few years ago. 

His life's work as a parish priest, scholar, researcher, author of books, best selling novels, journalist, sociologist, philanthropist and at times as an iconoclastic critic social critic made him somewhat of a dissenter in the Church, particularly with those in hierarchical places.

Nonetheless, he is widely acclaimed for his significant influence in America, including by Catholics, as a uniquely vocal spokesman for social justice. A self-described "loud-mouthed Irish priest", Greeley once quipped, "May they carve it on my gravestone!" 

Obituaries in magazines and journals across the country today illustrate the different views of this maverick in the church.  An excerpt from the Jesuit weekly magazine, "America", reads as follows: The Rev. Andrew M. Greeley, who died on May 29, was a prolific writer and researcher who published his first article in  America in 1957. He wrote dozens of articles for the magazine over the years, and was presented with the Campion Award by America in 2006. Former editor Thomas J. Reese, S.J., shared this story with us: "When Thurston Davis, S.J., was editor of America, he received a call in the early 1960’s from Jack Egan, an influential Chicago priest, telling him about a young parish priest who just finished his doctorate in sociology. 'You should encourage him to write,' said Egan. Neither recognized that they were opening a floodgate of prose and fiction that would have such a profound impact on the church."

Here's the NYTimesGreeleyStoryToday.

Born in a large Irish-Catholic family in a a suburb of Chicago, the life journey and words of Fr. Andrew M. Greeley have traveled to many places far from his native home. May he R.I.P. 

"Authentic Power is Service" - Pope Francis

“Let us never forget that authentic power is service, and that the Pope too, when exercising power, must enter ever more fully into that service which has its radiant culmination on the Cross.” – Pope Francis

Pope Francis - His smile is love.

Mustard Seeds - Thought of the day!

This gentle and strong Pope is able to make everyone around him smile ... that is love.

God bless,

Fr Simon

Seniors Play Major Role in Paving the Way for Future Generations

As published in the Southington (CT) Citizen, Friday, May 24, 2013

By E. Richard Fortunato

Foreword

Calendar House Senior Center, Southington, CT.

The members of Southington's Calendar House Senior Center are real people, who are active, staying fit, learning and teaching others more about their own life experiences. They enjoy social interaction, travel, recreation and time to have fun,too. This is a special time in their lives.

Here's their story.

At the May 14th meeting of the Senior Advisory Commission, Town Manager Garry Brumback congratulated the commission  and the seniors who have worked together to forge viable new directions for the Calendar House Senior Center in the past nine months.

Brumback said: “The revitalization of our center is impressive. The enthusiasm of the member citizens and their willingness to volunteer their diverse life experience and skills have been a huge factor in the development of a new road to the future. They have defined specific areas to study and established concrete goals.”

Add captioC. Mark White at Calendar House 

Research gathered by C. Mark White, a Senior Advisory Commissioner and V.P. of Calendar House Membership Association is a part of the view of the term. “The 2010 census reported 13,364 people aged 55+ in Southington, 31% of the total population. Today, in 2013, it’s up to 33% of the town population who now eligible for Calendar House membership”.

Demographic forecasts show that “baby-boomers” will push senior population to 17,470 by end of 2027, or 41% of the town. This means seniors would outnumber parents of the town’s school children! White said: “The coming senior generation is of a different culture, and as it grows, it’s predictable that they will be vocal and have expectations of service as strong as current school parents.”

Peter Freeman, President of
Calendar House Membership Assn.

Peter Freeman, President of CHMA and member of the Senior Citizen Advisory Commission, said: “We’ve made great strides in past months working with the commission since it became an advisory body to Calendar House. A huge benefit is the formation of a Dial-A-Ride Bus Audit Team of Ed Pocock, Jr, Mark White and me. Scheduling transportation for seniors to appointments is more efficient. Office staff does the scheduling rather than bus drivers, freeing them to do what they do best: drive buses. Overtime is reduced and work allocated equitably. Since last August the team continues to meet every six weeks.”

Dial-A-Ride Bus

White added, “We’ve set up an electronic data system combining records of members and bus riders which will enable us to efficiently manage the service. GPS loggers now track bus operations, which will provide invaluable routing data.”

A tour with Secretary Cynthia Gilbert presents the recent updating of the facility’s interior, freshly re-painted with enhanced wall décor, upgrades in restrooms and kitchen and the addition of a warmly decorated new mini-lounge. There are two Internet-accessed computers for the use of seniors and a new electronic bulletin board displayed on a large monitor in the foyer. “Volunteers did the work; material was donated or purchased at deep discounts with minimal costs covered by budget.” Gilbert said, adding that another committee of volunteers has been working with her and Executive Director, Bob Verderame for a few months with an outside vendor on a newly design lively format for the center’s new monthly newsletter. First edition will reach all Southington residences and businesses very soon.

Cliff Snow, a commissioner and CHMA Board member drafted an updated set of by-laws for the Advisory Commission. Program Coordinator, Sharyn Murphy is working with volunteers researching newer ideas for activities and places to go for seniors who like taking such trips.

A most exciting undertaking, proposed by Brumback last fall, is a long term needs study. “We must have a vision that assesses the services and uses of our senior center today along with research that explores projections 5 to 10 years forward and a strategy for getting there and how to fund it. The staff, seeing that they are being held accountable, has stepped up their energy, enthusiasm and productivity in a positive spirit of cooperation with seniors and the commission.”

As the Town Council addresses the status of the Senior Citizen Advisory Commission next week, it is imperative that they understand and consider the outstanding achievements at next Tuesday's council meeting. In collaboration with Calendar House management, staff and the Senior Citizen Advisory Commission, Senior members themselves have energetically contributed to major changes in the past nine months. The results deserve nothing less than their sincere thanks and unanimous and swift action to empower the coalition continue to forge the way for future generations of the 55+ age group without delay!

An SOS on How to Help Tornado Victims of Moore, Oklahoma

Oklahoma Needs Help!

Just in ... article on Southington.Patch this morning... how social action groups, organizations and individuals can help support the folks in Oklahoma damaged by the devastating tornadoes.

Yes, we can help  ...

Click on the following link ...
how-to-help-the-tornado-victims-of-moore-oklahoma