My World of Religion, Politics, Entertainment and Social Issues

Dear Blog Visitors: Since I don’t meet the residency requirements for the mayoral race in Rochester, I am not a declared candidate. However, this is not to say that I don’t have ideas on how the City of Rochester should be run. After all, I have spent 23 years of my life in City Hall, and in the process of my assorted positions, I have certainly seen the ‘good, the bad and the ugly.’ As I near retirement on May 6 as a Civil Service employee with the City of Rochester, I would probably be entering my name amongst the several persons running in the special election for Mayor if I were a City resident. While I did in fact spend most of my years within city limits, I am currently a resident of the Town of Henrietta (south of Rochester), which disqualifies me from the current mayoral contest. Since the mayoral election is only a few weeks away (March 29), the media has correctly stated that candidates need to state their positions very clearly and SOON! Although I am not a mayoral candid...

Dear Blog Visitors: I want to take this opportunity to extend a 175th birthday greeting to the St. Mary's Church community in Rochester, New York. The older photo above was taken in 1896, when St. Mary's was only 62 years-old. At that time, the church was adjacent to a convent and school. The convent and school have since fallen victim to the wrecking ball. (Students from St. Mary's began attending Blessed Sacrament School in the 1950s.) The color photo was taken in recent years. When St. Mary's was in its infancy (built by Irish immigrants), it was one of the centerpieces of downtown Rochester, and was surrounded by thriving households. Except for its steeple, St. Mary's can barely be seen from a distance today, due to the fact that corporate office buildings now dwarf the church. St. Mary's was a huge part of my life, for I received the sacraments of initiation there. Sadly, some of the friends I had at the parish have since died. However, I have wonder...