The garden is coming along.
Just a flashback to an earlier state (but not the earliest, which was even more frightening.)
Then it got a good scrub down on May 3.
Not too shabby, and better things are on the way.
Month: August 2011
Martello Castle
The heat’s on, french fry, and as usual at this point in the summer, it’s managed to wear me down a bit.
Here are some recent linx:
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I enjoy Fr. Jim’s blog, very inspiring; I’m perpetually behind, in keeping up with him, in posting my Homilies.
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Fr. Michael Berry, is on assignment at World Youth Day.
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I first noticed Christopher’s Apologies awhile back via Twitter, and now he’s a regular draw for me.
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The other day I discovered Martello Castle, also known as Tower Dupre. It’s a crumbled fortress, and a part of the fading coastline which fascinates me. That led me to this now defunct blog.
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Nola.com is having a Blighted Homes Photo Contest. I don’t think it gets more maudlin than that.
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And, because all I think about is food, I stumbled across this piece on how horrible bleached/white flour is for us.
There are many more blogs I check out, and am going to make it a point to redo my pertinent links in the not too distant future. It’s just that, you know, life goes on fairly nicely without doing so, and I’m tending to some spiritual house cleaning. And… the heat’s got me down, I tell you. Down I say!
It’s time to wrap this up and go make an examen.
Lord, now you let your servant go in peace;
your word has been fulfilled:my own eyes have seen the salvation
which you have prepared in the sight of every people:a light to reveal you to the nations
and the glory of your people Israel.
May God bless you this night, and always.
Amen.
The Middle of the End of the Road
I don’t know why I’m so intent on writing up this little road trip I took, but I am. The land has changed so much in the last few years, and actually seeing it surprised me.
(Here’s a great site on Visiting St. Bernard Parish, which is a part of the drive I took. However, I followed the course of the river, and wasn’t visiting St. Bernard per se. And here is a nola.com series on Louisiana coastal erosion.)
Because today is the Feast of the Assumption of Mary, and one of the first days of school, we’re actually on the busy side of things.
But let’s just get through this exercise, and then we can get on with all of the other very important things about which I blog.
Because you see, this actually does have a point. But we’re getting bogged down in … well. Chalmette.
I’m sorry Chalmette, it’s nothing personal. It’s just, you were a throughway in my ultimate quest to reach the end of the road. My pictures of you are bland, unimaginative and lifeless and don’t do you justice. I know. And, if you watch the video referenced from the US Parks website which discusses the amount of water and damage the Chalmette Battlefield suffered in Katrina, the announcer keeps pronouncing Chalmette (which sounds pretty much how it looks,) as… ‘Shallmay’.
Shallmay, just to the south of New Orleans.
Shall we go to Shallmay?
May we stay in Shallmay?
Let us be off to Shall-May ….
So far we’ve driven through the Marigny, Bywater and the Lower 9th Ward. And Arabi, too.
Chalmette Battlefield, Cemetery (by Debora Rubi) from Our National Parks on Vimeo.
Here is the video where the poor parks spokesperson keeps referring to Chalmette as Shallmay. I feel sorry for her.
The Beauregard House is a main attraction at the battlefield, and generations of New Orleans schoolchildren and scouts visit it and learn about it regularly. It’s a part of the Jean Lafitte National Park system.
I especially admire the cool lyres which form the lightening rods.
You’ve probably been able to parse out that the battlefield is not a highlight of most visits to the New Orleans area, on most days. It does have it’s moments. But the blazing hot, steamy, torpid afternoon I visited was not one of them.
The Beauregard House has its moments…
The three feet of water during Katrina have been cleaned up nicely.
When I was a child, you would visit here and there would be women in ante-bellum dresses greeting you at the doorways and telling you all about the place. I thought they were a little strange when I was a kid, and didn’t really want to talk with the ladies.
At some point in your life, you have to go to Rocky and Carlo’s. You just have to. And bring a healthy appetite. Just go. Do it! You just have to; it’s fun.
“De La Ronde Ruins. The remains of what was once the finest mansion in the Chalmette vicinity. The British used it as a hospital in 1814—15.”
From the Visit St. Bernard site, which explains the Battle of New Orleans and the pivotal role this location played in it.
And then it’s off to continue down the river, under this memorable spread of oaks, as you leave behind the wondrous land of Shall-May, and continue on to road’s end.
To be continued…
The St. James Society in South America
I found a great article on Cardinal Sean’s Blog discussing the work of the St. James Society in South America.
Cardinal Sean also wrote a very informative and moving piece on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the Society of St. James.
In the summer of 2000 I spent two and a half months in Chimbote, Peru with Fr. Jack Davis who was then a member of the Society. My life changed, I realized how ignorant I had been about learning a new culture, and about how the Church works amidst the poor.
A few years later, my great friend Fr. Jimmy Jeanfreau joined the Society and served for 5 years, during which I visited him three times. Again I was very humbled by the work both of the Society and of my friend.
I’ve always maintained a somewhat quiet desire to be a member for 5 years, and recently had a conversation with our Bishop about the matter. To my great surprise, he said that he would support me in it, if that is what I would like to do. There’s a ways to go in the discernment of that; but we’ll see what the Lord will do.
From Cardinal Sean’s Blog was back in 2007:
The St. James Society, as it is commonly called, was formed 49 years ago by Cardinal Richard Cushing in response to the call of Pope John XXIII for priests and religious from North America to aid faithful of South America.
The archbishop of Boston is the titular head of the society, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary next year.
In those years, over 300 priests have served in the Andean countries of Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador through the Society. There are approximately 40 priests currently serving. Those who participate learn Spanish and incorporate themselves into the St. James Society with the commitment to serve for at least five years in Latin America. From the beginning, Cardinal Cushing envisioned this as an association of diocesan priests not only from Boston but from other parts of the English-speaking world. Today there are Americans, Irish, English, Scottish, an Australian and two Philippinos in the group.
Boston is, I believe, the single diocese with the most priests presently serving the Society in Latin America. However, by nationality, I think there are more Irish than Americans there at this point. It is interesting to note that many of the Irish there are actually priests of the Archdiocese of Boston, though they never served here. Cardinal Cushing ordained them for the archdiocese so that they could serve in the St. James Society.
We hope that in the future, more priests from the archdiocese will be able to participate in this mission. We are very glad that diocesan priests from other dioceses are joining because that makes it possible for the wonderful work of the St. James Society to continue.
The countries in which these priests serve have far too few priests to serve their large Catholic populations so the presence of these additional priests has made a significant impact. They have been particularly involved in some of the most difficult and the poorest areas of these nations. In fact, they have made a special effort to target their ministry to those areas.
Yet, the benefit of their work has not only been seen in Latin America. Many of the Boston priests who have served the Society in Latin America have returned to work with the Spanish-speaking Catholic community here in the archdiocese. That’s the case with our recently ordained Bishop Robert Hennessey as well as many other priests.
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The parishes in which these priests minister are huge by American standards. Many have a central church and then many chapels. One priests I met there, who is not part of the society but is from Westminster, England, told me that his parish consists of 150 chapels which he visits by mule. The rural parishes are like that: very large areas with many small communities of people who have no means of transportation.
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It’s definitely worth reading the entire blog entry.
And, one cannot help but note that Cardinal Sean’s Blog is a photoblog. Perhaps I’m on the right track after all.
Back into the day, first — off to pray…
End of the Road – Part 2
Well, it’s back to our dramatic, exciting and revealing tale of life along the mighty Mississippi.
In case you had forgotten all about it, or are just tuning in, we’re travelling along the river, to the south of New Orleans.
When last we met, we had just passed up Jack Dempsey’s on Poland Avenue. Right across the street from Jack’s place, is ‘The Joint‘.
Never heard of it.
But it certainly looks like a fun time. Kind of.
It’s never a good idea to take pictures while you drive.
But, since there was no one behind me for miles I stopped and took a picture of the old bridge across the Industrial Canal. It helps to get the feel of the rickety nature of it all.
And this brings us to an important point. The main reason you never drive along River Road outside of New Orleans and downriver from it, is that there is no River Road to the South of New Orleans. So to see the River front you have to do some driving in and out of various neighborhoods.
It’s an interesting trip. But it’s not for everyone.
The grand view from across the Industrial Canal. Ahhh, magnifico!
Maybe not. But looking to river’s bend and the city, one wonders why those two ships on the right are sitting there. Lord only knows. They’ve become a permanent fixture. (I think I do know, but am not 100% sure.)
The Holy Cross School was located here until Katrina flooded it out. They have an unbelievably beautiful new campus in the city proper, in an area which was also flooded out. One wonders what will become of this old place.
Here are some of the new houses being built from the designs fostered by actor Brad Pitt.
A view from this part of the levee back towards the old school, also captures one of the homes which is built to look like a river boat.
Driving along, the road ends once again and you have to go up to the highway to make a few detours. Here is a part of Jackson Barracks, used by the La. National Gaurd.
One of the last places on the along this stretch of intermingled neighborhoods and industries is the Domino Sugar refinery. Where would we be without that?
Part plantation, part factory, it looks like someplace we should have visited on a field trip as children yet, for some reason, I don’t believe we did.
Well.
That wraps up Part II of this exciting tour. I know you’ll be holding your breath waiting in anxious anticipation for Part 3. But that will have to debut sometime in the coming week.
Until then enjoy life, pray greatly, and give thanks to God for His abundant goodness and mercy.