"I'm Going Be A Priest!"

I was fascinated by the mysteries and rituals of the Catholic Church. Serving mass as an altar boy, I believed and was awed by the supernatural transformations performed by the priest. My favorite priest was Father Benedict J. Dudley. I prayed that my name would be next to his Sunday mass on the weekly altar boy schedule that was delivered to us every Friday afternoon by Brother Albert (see my story, "It's Not a Blouse!"). Father Dudley was our pastor, he was tall, athletic, graceful and carried himself regally. Father Dudley was no nonsense (once he teased me, but I thought he took it back.) and you knew you were on the altar with the big guy when you assisted his mass. Until I was 10 not yet 11, I gave long thought to becoming a priest. Every time, I said, "I'm going to be a priest!" in front of my mother, her smile lit up. Every time I said it in front of my father, his face twitched.

.

Father Dudley was the reason I obsessed about the priesthood, and it practically had nothing to do with what I said above. Yes, he dressed sharp, but when he relaxed he wore cool sandals, a brown tunic robe and a white rope belt. This was an outfit that interested me. I looked into the process to becoming a priest. A Franciscan Vocation is a vocation to follow Christ after the manner of St. Francis of Assisi (1182-1226 A.D.), by living the religious vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. I was fairly obedient, loved girls and liked my stuff. So obedient would be easy, giving up girls, tough, and losing my stuff, tough as well. But look what I was getting in return.

After Labor Day, we'd go back to school, and the football and hockey season would get going. I was nuts over the New York Giants and crazy about the New York Rangers. When I was very young, the Yankees were in the World Series in 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963 & 1964. That's straight through 5th grade, I was spoiled. But my heart always led me back to the Giants. I carried a football with me year round, I dreamt about Yankee Stadium's gridiron, I could taste the dirt. I was hooked.

If I served Father Dudley's mass, this is how the day played out.

9am, Father Dudley liked to advance the mass chop-chop. All his movements and Latin responses were sharp and quick. I had to be on the ball. When it was time for me to put water and wine in the priest's golden chalice, Father Dudley would give me a couple of head nods to keep the wine coming.

Most other priests liked a little wine with their water, Father Dudley favored the grape. I'd fill the chalice half way with wine and only then would he lift it and return to the altar. After mass, I'd run out to the parking lot and wait for Father Dudley. He'd come through the rectory door in a sharp black suit, a black Homburg hat and black shoes with a military polish. He walked like he owned a bank. I'd say hi, he'd wave, then he'd get into a black sedan and drive down 82nd Street.

I'd play football in the street until 12:35pm, then get my transistor radio and listen to Marty Glickman announce the home New York Giant game at Yankee Stadium. At some point in the broadcast Marty would say,"On the sideline rooting the Giants on is the team chaplain, Father Benedict Dudley, close friend of the owner Wellington Mara." I'd flip out. My Father Dudley was a close friend with the man they named the NFL football, "The Duke," after, who also owned the team. Not only that, Father Dudley was close friends with Vince Lombardi and Toots Shor, and famous announcers, like Ted Husing and Red Barber. His Sunday did not end at the Giant game. after leaving Yankee Stadium, he'd have dinner at Toots Shor, his childhood friend from Philadelphia. TootsShor, the most famous sports and celebrity restaurant in New York City. Later, after our dinner, Dad would take me to the New York Ranger hockey game at the old Madison Square Garden at 49th Street & 8th Avenue in a Checker cab. I'd see Father Dudley pacing behind the Ranger bench with the Ranger coach, Emile Francis. He was the Rangers chaplain, too.

This is how I would spend my fall Sundays, I would replace Father Dudley, If this was living the religious vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, I was in. I made plans to become a Franciscan. Made plans to replace Father Dudley in his duties. Not sure what, but something got in the way.

Read about Father Dudley here:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1086564/index.htm

http://web.mac.com/jtlprod/Ted_Husing/Home_.html

Come to Cornelia Street Cafe tonight @ 6pm for hardy storytelling led by Barbara Aliprantis. I'm telling my Father Dudley tale.

Tuesday, Jan 11 - 6:00PM

STORYTELLING
Barbara Aliprantis
Jim Hawkins ; Elizabeth Rowe; Barbara Aliprantis

BARBARA ALIPRANTIS, Curator/Host of this series since January 1997 is an award-winning nationally acclaimed storyteller, honored at New York City Hall in the year 2000 for "her distinguished body of work...for her commitment to sharing immigrant's experiences and multicultural folklore for both hearing and non-hearing audiences around the country." She is also the recipient of an Oracle Service Award from the National Storytelling Network "for exemplary service and significant contributions to her community through storytelling." Tonight she debuts a snippet from a new cycle of family stories about �The Jersey Shore

They're Dancing on the Ceiling, They're Dancing on The Floor

To celebrate the last "Yorkville: Stoops to Nuts radio show," we danced till the cows came home.

The dancing will continue tonight at Giovanna's @ 9pm to midnight @ 1567 Lexington Avenue between 100th and 101st Street.

Come down, have a drink, make noise! I showed up 26 straight weeks. This ties a personal record for starting and finishing a project.

My guest, John Lewis, and I are talking about the birth of radio and one of its richest pioneers, Ted Husing. He was The Radio Master. Listen here:

http://centannibroadcasting.com/

Our second hour will be anarchy, three free mikes are open for business. (Matt & Mary needed to cancel for personal reasons. I send them my best wishes).

If you get down to Giovanna's and have something to say... well, come say it!

See you later at the restaurant, be well, Tommy

I'm going back to school, received my Hunter College Alumni card today. Looking forward to using the college library for my work.

My first day at Hunter, September 1972, I'm on crutches. The previous week, during a Bronx Warriors football practice, my own teammate jumped on a pile I was under with the football after a tackle and the jerk landed full weight on my lower left leg breaking my fibula earning me a cast and crutches.

It was hot in Hunter, I was struggling in the halls to get between the 8th & 9th floors. I used the staircase to go up by hopping on one leg and holding the crutches. When I got to the floor landing, I made eye contact with a smiling Chinese kid. Thanking him with a nod, I put both crutches under my arms and started walking towards the giant open door with my head down.

As I felt the wind of the giant door coming towards my head, I figured out the Chinese kid wasn't smiling at me. The metal door he released smacked me in the noggin. I hopped backwards as carefully as one can to avoid going down a flight of marble stairs. I hit the wall several feet away and fell to the floor. Students rushed around me, late for class.

It was good to be back at Hunter today. I forget my work bag in the Alumni office when Laura sent me to the ID office in another building. I only noticed the bag was missing when I needed something in it 10 minutes later. John runs a pleasant ID office, he took my picture, I went back to Laura, who was expecting to see me, and went back to John to get the ID. It was ready when I arrived. Today, I have no cast and no crutches. I am off to an improved start at Hunter College.

Carl Schurz in Snow ~ Last Radio Show

On the day before the last day of the year, I mushed Carl Schurz Park and caught it sleeping under snow.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=251870&id=541978729

This coming Tues @ Jan 4th @ 9pm is my last "Yorkville: Stoops to Nuts," radio show.

http://www.centannibroadcasting.com/id56.html

My guests are: John Lewis, author of a terrific new book "Radio Master ~ the Life and Times of Sports Broadcasting Great Ted Husing," and Mary Crowley & Matt Knapp, wonderful songwriters and musicians. Come down to the show at Giovanna's @ 1567 Lexington Avenue for an old fashion house party. Take the #6 train to 96th street or 103rd Street stop and walk to the restaurant located between 100nd & 100st Street.

Christmas break 1967, after a snowfall similar to this one, I was sledding on Cherry Hill at 79th Street. Soaked, frozen and tired I headed home to 83rd Street and York. Moaning along, I turned back at Madison Avenue and saw a crosstown bus burst out of the park's transverse. I stood waiting my turn to get on and the bus driver stuck his head around a big lady's butt and said, "No sleds!" I gave him the finger and jumped off the bus.

At that point, I realized I had a pee. Bad. I ran home, straight down 79th Street, made a left on York, a right on 83rd, all the way down my block into my vestibule. Like a madman I rang the bell silly while circling the tight area. No answer. I kept trying. No answer. I looked down and saw my dungarees were mostly wet anyway and I let 'er go. I leaned against the mailboxes, it felt so good. While my eyes were closed, Mrs. Pucher walked into the hallway with packages and her 12 year old daughter, Lorraine, who was one year behind me in St. Stephen's. Mrs. Pucher and Lorraine definitely caught a look at the stream meandering down my leg, then both of them looked up at the ceiling while the mom fumbled for her house keys. I completely blocked out anything that happened next.

Yorkville Radio Signing Off ~ Next to Last Show @ Tonight @ 9pm

Tonight, is my next to last Yorkville radio show.

Next week will be my 26th show. I signed on to do 20 shows, had too much fun, so I extended six more into the coming New Year (January 4th is my last show with guests John Lewis, author of " Radio Master, The Life and Times of Sports Broadcasting Great: Ted Husing," & Mary Crowley and Matt Knapp, musicians & songwriters.

Thank you, everyone, who listened in. Tonight's show will be interesting. I have no scheduled guests and the odds of anyone getting to Giovanna's Restaurant with the weather conditions are dim. I'm playing lots of music and getting silly.

Received good writing news today, mood is tip-top.

Listen in @ 9pm on the Centanni link:

http://centannibroadcasting.com/

Whole Lotta Snow pix:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=249934&id=541978729

Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrVDViSlsSM