"... These Streets Will Make You Feel Brand New ..."

After arriving in New York, I enjoyed a few days of touring the Big Apple with two of our Old College seminarians. Chris Brennan is doing a summer service project at Our Lady of the Assumption right here on Staten Island. Ryan Ayala is doing a similar project in Lawrence, Massachusetts and he took the bus down to the city for the weekend. We were joined by another Domer, Joey Murnane of Siegfried Hall who is also serving on Staten Island this summer.

Before Chris and Joey joined us in Manhattan, Ryan and I spent an afternoon in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

I am always a big fan of spending time in the Egyptian collection, but my favorite section is the Medieval Treasury. At lower right you see a lovely statue of Our Lady Seat of Wisdom:

Ryan and I met Chris and Joey at St. Patrick's Cathedral where I concelebrated the evening Mass and then we enjoyed dinner together at a local Irish pub.

On our way back to Staten Island we spent some time taking in the sights and sounds in Times Square and at the South Street Seaport.

And the following day, after touring Battery Park, The World Trade Center, Old St. Peter's Church, and Wall Street, we enjoyed lunch at Katz's Deli and walked down into Little Italy, Old St. Patrick's Cathedral and Chinatown.

Somehow we survived the hazy, hot and humid conditions and had a good time. Saturday evening we were hosted for dinner by Dr. Bob Griswold and Mr. and Mrs. Joe and Nancy Delaney of the Notre Dame Club of Staten Island who sponsor these student volunteers each year. 

Ryan headed back to Lawrence on Sunday afternoon after joining us at Our Lady Queen of Peace for Sunday Mass. But Chris and Joey are on the Island for several more weeks, so we'll see what other attractions I can introduce them to during my visit home.