A day of memorials - hot and humid in New York

If I had wanted to start my holiday in the best way possible, how could I do better than start it with Mass this Sunday morning. This wasn't planned we looked for the best dates for our holiday based on the other commitments we had. But this is how it turned out.
Getting to Mass in New York, unlike some of the places later in the holiday, was no challenge at all. At home I normally travel 4 miles to Mass on a Sunday morning, in New York there are 30 Catholic Churches within 4 miles of the hotel!

I was also blessed with a range of times I could go, so having woken early on Sunday morning I decided to go to the 7.00 a.m. Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral. The Cathedral was only two blocks west and ten north of the hotel, so I arrived at 6.30 in time for a nice period of quiet prayer and reflection before Mass started.
It is at time like these that I realise how lucky I am, when so many people are challenged by poverty and hunger, God has blessed me with the resources that allow me to enjoy a holiday like this. I remembered the last time I was in the US back in 2009, just having been appointed Head of CELT before taking up post on the 1st of October and thinking then of the challenges I would face and whether I would be up to them. Well looking back over the two years I am able to celebrate now the success and positive outcomes of these times. Could I cope with the challenges I asked in 2009, here in 2011, thanks be to God, it seems that I can - Comments welcome below from those colleagues who want to offer an alternative perspective :-)
Mass was prayerful and pleasant, focusing on the gospel of Peter seeing Jesus walking on the water and going on to the water too. Looking at Jesus he kept on top, looking at his feet he began to sink. A timely reminder than all that I have, and all that I can do in work, at home with my family is gift from God, and I must never forget it.

I met Drew after Mass and we went to Blooms for breakfast, this is an old haunt of ours, I eat there first back in 1999 and Drew and I both visited in 2002 and 2004. I had Corned Beef Hash with three eggs (over hard), toast and fried potatoes, washed down by orange juice and coffee. Drew opted for bacon and three eggs (over easy) also with toast, pots, OJ and coffee.
By 8.30 we were on the bus (M103) downtown. I love the experience of travelling on New York buses, the range of people getting on and off and the mix of tourists and locals (the majority) makes people watching fascinating. The bus also allows you to see the various areas unlike the darkness of the subway, which could be in any city in the world. So it was bus down Lexington and 3rd to China Town, where we got off for a little stroll and then on to Centre Street for the Court Houses and City Hall.
From City Hall we walked over to St. Paul's Church which has really memories for me. Back in 2002 when Drew came to New York for the first time St. Paul's was still full of dirt and dust caused by the events of 9/11 - the world trade centre is hardly any distance from the Church. Now the church is clean and includes a memorial to the people who gave their lives that day and the days that followed.

Rising from the ashes in hope

The attack on the World Trade Centre meant a lot to me, only two years before (December 1999) I had spent a great day at the top of the building in the observation tower, working my way through the history of the communities of New York - with descriptions of the various parts of lower Manhattan from a vantage point that let you look over them. I've great memories of that day, so the attacks in 2001 seemed almost personal to me. It was therefore with mixed emotions that I visited the 911 Memorial Preview Site where the preparations are in full swing for the formal memorial opening on the 11th of September 2011 - just a month away.
The site itself is so much better than it was when I last saw it in 2004 - now instead of a large hole in the ground, buildings are emerging. In a real sense in less than 10 years the site has moved from one of pain and hurt to one of promise for the future.

After stopping and remembering those who died in 2001 we walked on along Vesey Street past the World Financial Centre towards the Hudson River. Again we came across a memorial, one I'd never seen or heard of, the Irish Famine Memorial this mix of modern and old was a poignant remembrance of a previous generations sadness. Like New York, my part of South Wales was influenced and shaped by the events of that famine. And while I do not have Irish blood (Australian, Cornish and Welsh in my case) the catholic community in which I grew up came to be because of the large numbers of Irish people who came to work in Iron and Steel in those times.. The modern element had quotes from the period, and above it was a grassy area populated with grass and plants from across Ireland and stones to mark each of the 32 counties - images of 16 of them are in my Flickr photostream. We couldn't spot the other 16!

We continued to walk along the Esplanade and other parks of Battery Parkrollerbladers and all sorts of other things going on, and we enjoyed the walk and the people watching, and the views over Jersey City, Ellis Island and Liberty Island. Neither of us had been on this west side before, but we soon came to another memorial (hence my post title) this one for the NYPD, then one of the holocaust. Then on to the front of Battery Park and a part of town we know well. This lead us past three more memorials to the Korean War, the Huddled Masses and the dead of the US Coastal waters.

We walked across to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal, which was being renovated last time we were here (its really nice now) and then strolled gently up Water Street and across Wall Street for more tourist photos. Then it was back on to a bus, and what a relief - an air conditioned bus after six hours in the steamy humidity of downtown New York.

Back in midtown we stopped for a late lunch (I had a Roast Beef sandwich with bistro sauce and Drew had a Turkey BLT - hot). We then walked around mid-town for a little time then back to the hotel to wash and chance for tonight's dinner.

A busy day, but one for deep thoughts, lots of memorials, and a fascinating time, even in the heat.