…The dichotomy of seeing the images of Mary marching through the secularism of Times Square with song and prayer was a miracle in itself.
These are the words of RC member Adele Bruschi discussing the Marian procession she helped organize with her family members on May 18, 2013, in Times Square. (Click here to read the article on the RC website.) I became aware of this event this past weekend, and I mention it because that awareness was the calm in a storm for me, and a small miracle in itself.
As I write these words on Memorial Day, it seems a fitting way to bring to a close this Marian month of May. My family just returned from a visit to the New York area. We attended the graduation ceremonies at the US Military Academy at West Point. My sister’s son, Mitchell, was among the 1,000 graduates, and he is now commissioned to begin training as an Army helicopter pilot. It seems only yesterday he was a cute, mischievous little boy, and now he is a man and a soon-to-be defender of our country. (May God watch over him, give him wisdom, and keep him, and all the young people serving in the armed forces, safe from harm.)
Besides West Point, I got to spend some time at some very interesting places while visiting New York. One place was the Our Lady of Thornwood center, where many of our priests and brothers have lived and worked. Though it’s up for sale, retreats and events still take place at Thornwood, including the one that happened this last weekend, when about 30 members of my family and my brother-in-law’s family made themselves at home there. Rather than stay in New York City or outside West Point, we rented rooms at the retreat center (for a very reasonable price for that area, I might add.) I know my sister and the others were very pleased with the accommodations and service of the staff there, (Great job, Marnie!) as well as with our gracious hosts, the Legionary priests and brothers. You made our visit very special!
While we were there, my husband and children and I decided to spend some of our free time in the Big Apple. My daughter Rebecca and son Luke were extremely excited to go to the city, and my husband, who has spent a lot of time in NYC in the past traveling for his jobs, was excited to show them around. I, however, was far less enthused about going, but tagged along in solidarity.
We took a train from the station closest to Thornwood on Friday afternoon, and arrived at Grand Central Station in Manhattan in the early evening. My son, whose 13th birthday approaches on May 31, grabbed my hand and held it tight when we stepped out into the cavernous building filled with hundreds of commuters, of all ages and walks of life, rushing about chaotically to get wherever they were going.
We joined the rush and found our way outside, emerging into the cold, drizzly weather that enveloped New York that weekend. We walked to see the shops on 5th Avenue, and we stopped to visit St. Patrick’s Cathedral, which was open despite undergoing renovations. (This was my favorite part of our tour.) We lit a candle and prayed not only for Mitchell, but for his sister’s husband, who is a Marine serving in Afghanistan.
Then we walked to the edge of Central Park, and then to Times Square, before stopping for dinner at the Hard Rock Café. When we entered the Square (not my favorite part) I was tired and ready to collapse. Though I’m sure it was a typical Friday evening, the collection of humanity that pushed its way through the area under the flashing signs and elaborate billboards, was unsettling, to say the least. For me, the impression of this place could be summed up in one word – decadent. I remember feeling sorry for all the young people who looked so thrilled to be there. I, on the other hand, could not wait to escape.
When we returned to Thornwood at 11 pm that night, and walked through the lobby toward our room, I noticed what looked like a Marian prayer card in one of the bookshelves by the front desk. I picked it up and saw it was a promotional piece for an event that had taken place a week earlier in Times Square – the “One World One Mother” Marian procession. I immediately felt the turmoil inside me subside, replaced by a feeling of peace. I looked at the picture of my beloved Legionary priests carrying their Marian banners through the streets, and realized God’s grace can illuminate any place, even Times Square in NYC.
Thank you, God, for giving me the RC movement, and my association with the Legionaries and consecrated men and women who have brought so many blessings into my life and the life of my family. We are very grateful.
Mary, Mother of our One World, pray for all of us.
