So I’m in San Francisco. I spent all day on an airplane with a brief stopover in Las Vegas. The check-in offered me an upgrade to First Class for $200, and I was seriously tempted. I had a middle seat and for a big guy like me that’s torture.
The in-flight movie was “Fever Pitch,” which was a cute movie for a Red Sox fan. There were some funny inside jokes for fans, but I’m not sure anyone else but perhaps Cubs fans would enjoy it as much.
It is nice to see everyone at Ignatius Press and there are some new faces here since the last time I was in town. The press’s offices themselves are unassuming for the headquarters of Pope Benedict’s American publisher. It’s actually a converted house about 100 yards away from St. Ignatius Church, the huge church connected to the University of San Francisco. It’s a beautiful church in which some funky liturgies go on. But there is a nice Carmelite chapel across the street that should be nice for Mass.
I took a few buses downtown to Fisherman’s Wharf for a whole crab, some chowder in a bread bowl, a few oysters, and a nice glass of California merlot. Then I walked around a bit, picked up some souvenirs for Melanie, and had an ice cream. It was fun to see the human show going on all about.
Then it was back to where I’m staying where jet lag is catching up to me. I should have some pictures to post when I get back (I forgot the correct cable at home). I’ve been looking for St. Francis in public places in the city. Not a whole lot so far, but a few.
Whatever the politics and prevailing spirit of San Francisco it is a generally beautiful environment though. Lots of parks and pretty vistas, especially at sunset. I hope to head down to the beach tomorrow night to see my first sunset over the ocean.
I hope that tomorrow I can blog a few news items. I’ve got a buffer of things building up, but if I wait too long they get too old and there’s no sense blogging about them then. Anyway, enough rambling.
To bed, to sleep, perchance to dream.
I blogged on this a couple o’ days ago. Since then I’ve been thinking that maybe D’Alessandro’s screed in the Globe might have been a nifty way to write off part or a great part of his vacation in Rome.
the same old oversimplification of why parishes are closing. Itrish open and desperately want to, the diocese ought as a general rule to look at other things, like paring back its bureaucracy, before it closes them up. Parishes are the lifeblood of the Church and mean more than many of the “outreach programs” and “liturgy committees” that modern Churchmen are so fond of.
Interesting point, Jeff. My personal opinion is that long before another parish closes the Religious Education Office of the RCAB needs to be closed.
If Dante were writing today, I wonder what circle of the infernal regions would be populated with ‘lapesed catholics’?? WOuld it be just above or just below the money-grabbing lawyers??
You can’t go down to the cape, look west, and watch the sunset over the ocean?
While visiting Ignatius Press please shed some light on the Ave Maria Naples situation. I support Tom Monaghan’s move to Naples as well as their 1st graduating Class honorary Degrees. Bishop Burke, and Paul Bremer. When questioning a Toledo, OH friend about Monaghan I support that after making a presentation to my old High School (CCHS) he asked the principal where their Nuns were ? He then asked where were their habits. When the principal was non commital, Monaghan supposedly said, ( “If you are looking for funding from me, you are looking to the wrong guy”. Please tell the NOR people and Michael Rose to let up on their critcism of Ave Maria Naples.
Enjoy your visit. One cool thing, if it is still there, is down near Fisherman’s Wharf there is an old WWII submarine that you can tour. And the food is great no matter where you eat. But, in general, I don’t care for San Francisco- too much tackiness, too cold, and not enough greenery outside of Balboa Park.
CSprague,
No you can’t. The Cape is not long enough. The mainland coast is just there.
OX,
Ave Maria University and Ignatius have no connection except that Fr. Fessio is the chancellor of the former and founder of the latter.
Well then, just go to Nova Scotia. Or San Francisco
Speaking of Ignatius Press and higher education. What happened to the supporters of Campion College, which Ignatius Press established as a successor to the Saint Ignatius Institute, which Fr. Fessio founded at the University of San Francisco to provide authentically Catholic and Jesuit education in contrast to the educational and religious “shennanigans” at the rest of the University?
After some time the University ousted Fr. Fessio, because the Institute’s Catholicity was an embarassment to the rest of the University. Fr. Fessio was replaced with someone favorable to his views, and the Institute continued with his Catholic vision, although later the University replacedthe director, John Galten (favorable to Fr. Fessio’s position and that of the Church) with someone unfavorable, who changed the Institute’s religious and ecuational orientation.
Subsequently Ignatius Press established the two-year Campion College in the Press’ facilities to continue the religions and educational program of the Saint Ignatius Institute. The Jesuits forbid Fr. Fessio to have any connection with Campion College, but the former director of the Institute became the director of the College.
After two years and the first graduating class, Ignatius Press suddenly shut down Campion College in mid-summer, leaving students, prospective, students, faculty, and staff “high and dry.” For example, the director was on a fund-raising and student-recruiting drive on the east coast when he heard of the closing.
Welcome to the Golden State Dom! I hope you enjoy your time in SF. Perhaps some day you can make your way down to LA. If you get the chance, tour around to some of the great old churches in old SF. And don’t think that you have to see ALL of China Town – two blocks is all you need to see everything as after that you see the same stuff over and over.
As for Champion College, I talked to a priest (forgetting names is the curse of my life) who was a prof. there. He said that they just ran out of money.
Even if you couldnater glory of God and given to the Church on that basis. D’Alessandro’s proposal would have that precious artwork end up in the hands of private collectors who would squirrel away our cultural heritage.
The fourth reason is the most telling. The treasures of the Vatican are not the property of the Church in the US, but belong to all Catholics. How do you think it would appear to the average African Catholic, say, when we told them that we were selling off the Vatican’s artwork in order to help some Catholics in the richest country in the world keep open parishes that are less than a couple of miles apart from each other, when that African has to travel 50 miles to the closest parish and the church he worships in is at best a mud hut? It takes a special kind of arrogance for people who are wealthier than 98 percent of the world’s population to demand that the rest of the world pay for churches that he’s not willing to pay for himself.
But then again, who is David D’Alessandro to lecture the Church on how to run things when he identifies himself as a lapsed Catholic to begin with?
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I’d be willing to allow D’Alesandro to auction these works on two conditions:
1. The Vatican sets the reserve.
2. D’Alessandro personally enters the parishes holding these works, removes them, and places said works on the auctioneer’s wagon, in front of the parish faithfull.
Like I said, I don’t know the translation for ‘cojones’, but I’ll bet both lungs D’Alessandro ain’t got the guts to follow through on my proposal. I’d love to see the paisanos and paisanas reactions to D’Alessandro! Typical CTA/VOTF response: Bulldog bark backed up by a Pekinese arse.