Additional photos of St. Ignatius and St. Colman.

Hey Gang,
Thanks to Mike B. for sending his photos from the church tour last Saturday.
        ENJOY!!!

  Mike and I up on the choir and organ balcony of St. Ignatius.

        Looking out from the balcony.

        Pastor Troha and I climbing up.


         These are from St. Colman.

     Whoops this is St. Ignatius

   Mike's fav photo


       Gotta GoGo!
            Carey

Brunch Bunch & Church & More 2

Hey Gang,
Before I proceed lets back track to St. Ignatius. Right before  Father Troha left the organist walked in. Father Troha said take you time if you want to stay longer but I need to leave. Well that was the perfect opportunity to introduce myself to the organist and ask if he could play a song for us. He said certainly.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rzt8W1UbTaI

Thank you!

OK - hot dogs now St. Colman Catholic Church on West 65th Street. As I wrote in part one I was invited to stop in before Mass and look around. I wasn't too keen on that suggestion as it is a place of worship and I wouldn't feel right walking around snapping photos but since we were right there I decided to stop.

Church was in service so we entered as quietly as possible. I sat in the second to last pew and waited for the rest to follow but they didn't. I got up to see what they were doing. They were in the foyer taking pictures. It didn't matter as Mass was just ending. An older gentleman was the first to leave but before he did I tapped him on the shoulder. His name was John Carey. I said C-a-r-e-y? Yes. Well that's my first name.

John owns the funeral home on Lorain. He has been a member of St. Colman for 49 years. Did I ever get an earful from him when I asked I bet you have seen a lot of changes in this neighborhood. John had a list of grievances blaming most of it on politicians. Both parties according to him are whores. How true. He even mentioned how people seem to think they are entitled to things. And slavery, well his family came here in the early 1900's from Ireland, fought in both world wars, the Irish had it tough, so why complain to me about slavery when we weren't even here yet? John even mentioned the decline in his funeral service and the lack of reverence being afforded to burials. People don't care, if a loved one dies in a nursing home many times the family member tells them just mail the ashed to us, no respect given. 

I won't share to much more of what he told me because I am not sure if it was said in confidence so enough of that, besides this is about St. Colman. I asked John if he would do me a favor and walk with me through the church. He gladly said yes and I got a very informal quick tour of St. Colman. Wonderful.

Unlike St. Ignatius, St. Colman is airy and bright, so hard to even compare the two, both are gorgeous in their own way. You enter both and immediately feel you are in a place of worship. 

Both churches in the beginning had so many members attending they would have multiple Masses and both had churches in the basement holding service at the same time. Both are now sadly declining in numbers. In fact St. Ignatius was close to closing until word got out and they were able to raise close to a million dollars to keep it open. The following day the decision was made to keep it open a Muslim knocked on the door wanting to buy it to make it into a mosque.

We ended the day with supper at Minh-Anh Vietnamese Restaurant on Detroit Ave.

We went from a Polish church, (I think) to a Russian Church, to an American Diner, to an Irish Church to a Vietnamese Restaurant - almost a world tour in just a short drive.

  Gotta Go-Go!
   Carey

Brunch Bunch & Church & More

Hey Gang,

Saturday went FAB! Actually Beyond FAB!!

But first my peeve for the week or the day?

This is Cleveland. How many winters have we been through? Most of us have lived here a lifetime, no one actually moves to Cleveland. We all have seen snow before. So I don't understand canceling or staying home because of the snow. That's my peeve.

OK now back to my irregularly scheduled posting. So lets start all over and I'll say once more... Saturday went FAB! Actually Beyond FAB!!

The day started with breakfast at Flavors on the Avenue with the Brunch Bunch. The Brunch Bunch are classmates of Wickliffe High that meet once a month. It was started by Chuck S. and Mary D. helps with the announcements. I am really enjoying reconnecting with old friends and classmates. It's great!

Immediately afterwards I hurried home to meet those that said they would attend the church tour I organized. Only Mike was there and Jamie met us at the church. I was initially very disappointed that only two showed but it actually worked out for the best. I still felt bad though for Father Troha who made time for this tour and was expecting a larger group.

The first church on our list was St. Ignatius of Antioch on Lorain Avenue in Cleveland, it is beautiful! Father Troha is terrific. His humor and mannerisms make you feel so relaxed. What he said would be a 20 minute tour actually took over a hour. We just conversed back and forth and since there was no one else it was way more intimate. 

He took us up in the balcony where the organ is and the choir sings. What a view from up there. Father Troha didn't expect or want it but we blessed him with a small monetary gift and a copy of Hey Gang Ready to Go-Go? And YES before you say anything he wanted a copy.

Time was about four so off to the next place on my tour - St. Theodosius Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Tremont. This church was in the movie “The Deer Hunter”. Unfortunately we must have had our wires crossed because when we arrived the church was locked. No big deal we proceeded with plan 3 which was just lets see what we can find.

On the way out of St. Theodosius Jamie was telling us of a hot dog joint on Lorain Rd. A little bitty place that looks lost in time. Without planning it I drove in that direction and Jamie said hey there's the hot dog place, Old Fashioned Hot Dogs. So that turned out to be stop 3 for plan 3.

I hate hot dogs so ordered a hamburger. It was OK, not good, not bad, OK but the retro diner feel was a high 10. We had some laughs, the owner put up an ad for the book Hey Gang Ready to Go-Go?, Mike picked up our tab of 11 bucks for 2 hot dogs, 1 hamburger, 1 coffee and 1 cola – not bad and out the door we went.

Earlier in the week I tried to schedule a tour for St. Colman's which is not far from the hot dog house. I was informed tours were only during the week but we could stop in before Mass and look around. I wasn't too keen on this suggestion as it is a place of worship and I wouldn't feel right to be walking around snapping photos. But I headed towards there anyways.

To be continued...

Something to think about.....  I asked a few people if they wanted to come along and the answer was not me in a church! Well if there is no God according to you and its all a myth then whats the problem? Why does it bother you? If anything you should have came just to enjoy these masterpieces that are never to be duplicated again. A lost art in a culture that is close to being lost.

Book signing mishap

Hey Gang,
There I was at work, readying a condo in Cleveland for the new owner when one of the other tenants walked in to take a look at the newly finished unit.

I spoke with this gentleman and his wife before in this same building. I told him besides running a janitorial service I am an author and recently released a book.
He said next time I see you I want to buy a copy.

So when he walked in I reminded him if he still wanted to buy a book?

He said yes, do you have one with you? It just so happens I do.

I asked if his name was with a C or K? It was with a C so I proceeded to sign the book when suddenly the unthinkable happened, I was horrified.

Um Marc excuse me but you can't have this copy and sorry its the only one I have right now.
He asked why?
Well as I was signing it the pen suddenly ran out of ink, this is a family book, look what is says, you just can't have this, not like this.

It read: Marc and Emily, Pleasure me

He laughed and agreed he wouldn't want it.
I thought I lost a book sale when Ruth frantically rummaging through her purse said HOLD ON, I have another pen.

WHEW! I finished the signing and saved the book sale.

It now read: Marc and Emily, Pleasure meeting you, Enjoy the book! God Bless, Carey Masci


Gotta Go-Go!!
Carey

Gone With the Wind - Lions Lincoln Theater

Hey Gang,
Well I finally got to see it – the epic movie “Gone With the Wind”. It was playing in Massillon at the restored Lincoln Theater built in 1915.

It is one of those films that I would never sit through but when I saw it advertised on the Lincoln website I had to go.
Seeing a classic movie on the big screen at an old theater added to the movie and almost made it seem like a new release.

http://www.lionslincolntheatre.com/

I was hoping to arrive in Massillon in the mid-afternoon which never happened because of the blizzard I awoke to. My drive had to be shoveled so I could pull out - that was delay one.
 And then the ride down to Massillon was a real slow go. In fact a few times I thought my van would be literally gone with the wind as it was that windy and snowy. Traffic barely got above 45 and in some spots slower. We passed a car overturned on 271.


Sunday I read a news story of a car that had flipped on this same route killing someone I knew. But it was just a coincidence because the accident I read about happened on Friday evening.

 Ruth and I finally arrived in time for the movie but minus any additional time to shop or find a good place to eat.

Anyway.... What was my thoughts of “Gone With the Wind”?

Well I found out it wasn't a musical.
It is a long movie.
The special effects of the movie may have been top notch for its day but today is well...
I thought the movie was very well acted and in fact almost made me feel sad for the south.
The first part of the movie was best, it could have ended there, the war scenes were great.
Its a really long movie.
Scarlet O'Hara though I realize was the main focus but there was to much emphasis on her, it was a bit much.
All those tragedies and people dieing wow. I mean this movie was probably the inspiration for all country music songs. War, love, cheating, drinking, dieing lots of dieing more dieing and a sad hearted man shoots a horse and in the end everyone is lonely.
A really really long movie.

But I liked it and would actually sit through it again, it is well acted and I got to see the scene, the most quoted scene of all time, I waited for the scene and waited for it and thought one of my two bathroom breaks made me miss the scene that I waited for... the scene – those famous words – everyone still quotes it- when I saw it it sent shivers up and down or is it down and up my spine, those often mimicked words by Clark Gable but you know what -
I will just shut up now because frankly my dear I don't think you give a damn.

Gotta Go-Go!!
Carey


About the theater... Because of the weather only 6 others were in attendance.
I was at the snack bar talking to the husband and wife manning the concession stand when the projectionist, Scott, came up to me and said are you ready, I am going to start the movie. I said that was the first time anyone asked me if it was OK if they could start the movie, thank you. Made me feel special.

Afterwards Scott asked my thoughts on the movie and the theater. I replied I was disappointed, I thought the movie was too short, wish it would have been longer.


I like to thank Scott and the couple at the concession stand and the rest of the staff of the Lions Lincoln Theater for a great time. I will be back.



ps: Hey Gang anyone want to plan a group outing to see one of the classic old movies playing at the Lincoln, let me know.