It was to Smoky Treats that the football day was to be spent. He, from the Boston area, had a superrooting interest in the days games- the Patriots. That was the early game, and by the time Gf and I had broken out into the north side that game was over. But the late game was watched in th full - we all were kinda struck that the Giants won, but they deserved it. Lotta football type questions in the crowd there - since I was the reigning expert in football and pretty much do understand most of the weird little rules, I didn't mind -- err, liked -- to play Answer Man. Didn't seem to irritate anyone because it was in this case a service. I was in a talkative mood, not the taciturn turn which I usually am in. which is good.
Who was there? Hosts, Gf's, Sunshines, a family of three, Snowden for a bit, Chartman, and WR Heurst. No Guitars.
Although Gf and Id stopped @ Gilmart on the way up, I also chowed down on the brownies that Eden had made.
Half time Gf and I went to mass @ Mt. Carmel or something- it's on Belmont, just east of Halsted. It was a few minutes before half, and although we planned to take in the Loyola Univ. 2100h mass, thhis was way convienient. We marched in the fridgid cold the 3 blocks and worshipped. This mass is a different mass - Gf was, well, one of the very few women there- and in a pretty full church. Lotta men, shaved heads, etc... - y know the area. It's kool there's a mass like this, although they don't really publisize it in the regular bulletin. They have a bulletin all to this masses own special community. It's a nice mass, tailored just a bit to the congregents. Gf enjoyed it as well. I'd wanted to take her this nite- as said before - to L.U.'s mass, but I was happy to expose he to this sorta different thing. LU's sorta different thing some other day.
Again, pretty kool-and it's especially kool for me in a more mundane way: I went to this mass a few times in years past- the deep convienience of a 2100h/sunday nite mass rite off the Belmont El* back in my carless days was a powerful weapon in my quest to live a cityfull life sans voiture. I'd be watching something @ Treats, or simply be in transit across that 'hood, and popp in to the 2100h.
There were many other "masses of convienience"- the 7pm Espanish mass @ St. Jerome's on Lunt; Polish masses; Univesity masses @ St. Xavier's (lately) and DePaul as well as L.U.'s.,;well sung Vietnemese masses off of Lawerence Ave.; seven AM Easter masses- more than once- after having been up the entire nite. From a daily planner/calander I carried around all the time from '98-99, I find several regular places of worship written down so as not to be forgotten: in Holy Name Catherdral (Sun nite, 5.15p, rite off of subway stop) and St Mary of the Angels (near Jacksons crib and the entire Bucktown'hood). But then there are those I forgot about also annotated for future reference- from St. Andrews to St. Aloysius and St. Vincent to Holy Innocents. Then there's also Our Lady of Lourdes in Uptown. And what of St. Benedict's, where not only Big John and Kat got married but Blackie and I celebrated the Lord one Easter morning? St. Rita, the parish I grew up in, got a visit from me in 2001's Ash Wednesday - so's I could watch the USA take on Mexico in a World cup qualified later that nite. 2-0 USA.
St. Michaels near North ave I have two strong memories from. They have a ritzy congregation- yuppies, y'know, to nonlazysearchfor a better term- for their late sunday mass. First memory is when the priest had to read off his scripted pro-life letter they alays have to wice a year or so. I noticed several women- three or four- get and and storm off while he was reading it. Yikes!!! The other mmory is sadder, or maybe happier. It was two months after my Dad died in '93. I was early @ the 7pm mass, waiting in back 'cause Vito and his wee friend were expected. It was the second Sunday after Xmas, the trad. date the Three Kings (who we all know now are supposed to represent gentiles - oops, sorry !!!!) are celebrated, and the chior were doing- well, the best rendition ever of "Do you see what I see?". It was always a disregarded childs song to me up to that point, but overcome by the emotions of the catsatrophe that had befallen our family @ the loss of Dad , I had a good weep @ the beauty and grandeur of life. I met up with them rite after mass let out, but I will amidt that to this day I'm glad I had that time in the back of the church to myself. I just live for those moments, not just thoughts about my Dad but about.....everything, y'know. One of the reasons I still go to mass is bcause one can be just so suprised when these emotions rise.
Oh, and I've also heard the mass in French and Irish in my life, but not here in the States.
..................................................................................
*=I've always thought that it's funny that when one says "belmont El" they all know it's that stop and not the other El Belmont El stop on Kimball. I guess since it's in the subway there.
No comments:
Post a Comment