Holy
spirits
A
priest, a nun, and a lay person walk into a bar…
           My Roman Catholic memories are
Draconian at best. Though I grew up in the liberal ’70s with nuns flying under
radar in lay clothes, the majority of sisters still ominously roamed my
impressionable pre-teen earth. Catholicism gave me a firm foundation of
fundamental beliefs which I, of course, soundly rejected at puberty’s onset.
But the foundation’s still there, like it or not. And I’m not alone.
           Roughly two years ago, the Roman
Catholic Diocese of Rochester began Theology On Tap, a church-sponsored happy
hour where young adults gather and discuss timely issues of faith with various
speakers. And it all takes place in relaxed environments like Johnny’s Irish
Pub.
           “Going to where the people are makes
sense,” says Shannon Loughlin, the Diocese’s Director of Young Adult &
Campus Ministry. “You’re part of the wider community.”
           “I think this provides a place that
people feel might be neutral ground,” Loughlin says. “It’s a place where they
can ask questions and feel comfortable and open to ask things they wouldn’t
feel comfortable asking in church, no matter how open their church may be.”
           Sex, fidelity, morality: Theology On
Tap has tackled the delicate topics.
           “I think sexuality is a great aspect
of it,” says Suzanne Stack, director of faith formation at Guardian Angels
Church. “We’ve done several talks here on the whole issue of relationships,
dating, and sexuality.”
           Weekly topics like “Can God Fit In
My Briefcase?” and “Becoming A Faithful Family With The One You’re Stuck With”
are followed by Q&A sessions where folks are allowed to casually mill
about, sip beer, and grab refills. After all, this is a bar — no religious
icons in sight, with the possible exception of a few candles on the tables.
           “We believe that the people here are
the living witness, the living signs of the church, so you don’t need to have
crosses or anything else,” says Loughlin. Yeah, like those scary nuns.
           Theology
On Tap happens in programs of six sessions. The last session for the current
program happens Wednesday, November 5, in Johnny’s Irish Pub, 1382 Culver Road,
at 6:30 p.m. The topic: “Is There a Patron Saint for Bartenders?” Info:
328-3228 x1375.
—
Frank De Blase
Cleared
air
For
the past two weekends, fans of Artistry in Jazz, Tom Pethic’s
Saturday and Sunday morning radio show on WGMC 90.1 and 105.1 FM, have tuned in
to find the show gone. Pethic, whose shows featured an hour of Charlie Parker’s
music on Saturdays and guest hosts from the local jazz scene on Sundays, was widely
considered one of the most knowledgeable and dedicated jazz DJs in Rochester.
The station had no comment on the show’s cancellation.
           “It’s a personnel matter,” says
Station Manager Jason Crane, who would not elaborate.
           “It was unfortunate that I wasn’t
given a chance to say goodbye to my listeners,” says Pethic, who hosted jazz
programs at the station for 21 years. “I’m hoping to find another home for my
show.”
Old
pothead’s wisdom
Poet
and professor Sam Abrams, who teaches and otherwise makes literary things
happen at RIT, gave a quiet reading at Writers & Books October 28. He
declined to stand at the podium, preferring a seat among comrades in the
audience. But the selections he read from his new book, The Old Pothead Poems (Creative Arts), cranked up the volume on healthy subversion.
           The book bills itself as “a
50-year-long set of improv-collaborations between two old friends, Miss Mary
Jane and her man, Sam.” Taste the “Old Pothead’s Experimental
Method,” a short poem that set the tone at the reading: “I once got
high turned on by / a detective lieutenant / at the home of the dean of
students,” it begins. It concludes with the undeniable truth “that
narcs have the best shit” and trails off impishly with a mini-scat
“doobie doo.”
           And don’t forget the poem’s academic
setting, because Abrams is making a point about some nonsense at RIT: the
administration’s torpedoing of the school’s chapter of Students for a Sensible Drug Policy a few years back. The RIT
chapter was first in the nation. For extant chapters, including some local
ones, visit www.ssdp.org.
           In fact, Abrams is making more than
a rhetorical point. He promises to give a share of his book proceeds to SSDP.
(Copies of TOPP are available for $15
at Writers & Books.) All this is in the best educational tradition, of
course. So, persuaded by the simple good sense at the reading, we expect RIT
head — er, president — Al Simone to whip out his checkbook. And maybe he
can prevail on “best bud” George Tenet of the CIA to follow suit.
Monumental
treaty
Long
before there was an Armistice Day or Veterans Day, there was another reason to
commemorate November 11: the signing of the Canandaigua Treaty that day in 1794.
           The signatories were representatives
of two sovereign governments: the already ancient Six Nations of the
Haudenosaunee (People of the Longhouse or Iroquois Confederacy) and the
fledgling United States. The treaty was meant to establish “a firm and
permanent friendship” between the two entities. And despite many ups and
downs — from the taking and flooding of Seneca Nation land at Allegany in the
1960s to very recent differences over taxation authority — the treaty has
held.
           The Canandaigua Treaty Committee will
mark the anniversary with a full day of events Tuesday, November 11, in the
city of Canandaigua. The schedule begins with a 10:30 a.m. welcome gathering at
the primary school, 96 West Gibson Street, followed at 1:30 p.m. by a parade to
the Council Rock at the Ontario County Courthouse for a 2 p.m. public ceremony.
Later events: a 4:30 p.m. dinner and a 6 to 8 p.m. social gathering at the
primary school.
           For more information, or to make a
donation, contact the Committee, PO Box 1131, Canandaigua, 14424;
canandaigua-treaty.org.
A
measure of hope
The
most effective tool in finding a missing child is a photograph, according to
Pam Weaver, coordinator of community education at the Rochester chapter of the
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. One in six missing children
is found thanks to a current photo.
           The photograph is the key part of
child safety kits — a private record of children’s personal profile
information. The kits are filled out and kept by families, and turned over to
police when necessary.
           Parents might not be able to give
accurate information in a panic situation, Weaver says, so the kits are
important in that regard. DNA and fingerprints are important should the
unthinkable happen.
           “Most often, the reality is, they’re
used to identify the remains of the child,” Weaver says.
           State Senator Jim Alesi is offering child safety kits through his Monroe
County office. He presented 7,000 kits to the Rochester Children’s Nursery on
South Avenue recently.
           Alesi says his office will
distribute 25,000 kits to families in the Greater Rochester area.
           The kits, Weaver cautions, are not a
preventative tool. Parents “need to empower kids” with safety skills to prevent
abductions.
           The kits should be updated yearly
for kids older than age 1, Weaver says. Babies kits should be updated at 6
months of age and again at age 1.
           To request a kit through Alesi’s
office, call 223-1800. The Center also gives out its own kits. Call 242-0900 or
visit www.missingkids.com. To report a missing child or cyber crimes against
children, call 1-800-THE-LOST.
Correcting
ourselves
In
our October 29 issue, the analysis of the proposed 2004 county budget (“Are You
Mad Yet?”) contained a significant error. The budget for police services for
suburban towns is $14.57 million, not $32 million. The budget for the entire
police bureau of the sheriff’s department is $32 million, which includes such
items as airport security, fleet maintenance, debt service, and the Victim
Assistance Program.
This article appears in Nov 5-11, 2003.
