40 years ago

These three photos are flashbacks from 1984, each with a different story. The first one shows me next to my first car, a Toyota Tercel. I had just gotten the drivers licence in February, and after biking for 2 full years around the parish and all over Long Island, it was time to get sturdy on 4 wheels. It was also the time when I became infatuated with the New York Mets, the baseball team that would eventually win the World Series in 1986, and the jacket I am wearing was bought by my parents during one of their visits, and I still cherish it and wear it from time to time. The jacket is a precious collectible. My other cars were a Geo Metro, a Honda CR-V and a Chevy Equinox.

The second photo shows my Youth Group during one of our annual retreats, which was the highlight of our working year. I had a few chaperones with me and we planned the entire retreat ourselves, leading meetings, skits, discussions, games, and of course confession and the Mass which was the highlight of every retreat. This particular year we were on Enders Island of the cost of Connecticut.

The third photo shows the school production of the ‘Sound of  Music’ which was presented twice for our Catholic school community. I played the flute during the performance which was overwhelmingly received by parents and students, and other parishioners who were eager to attend and enjoy the immortal melodies. 1984 was a year of adjustment for me as I settled in the parish which from 6 priests, we came down to 3, a move which demanded more work from me and the other 2 priests, serving at Holy Spirit, New Hyde Park, NY.