Exiles in prayer

edge of the cul-de-sac, by St. Emeric's, next to West Side Market parking lot
In Lennongrad people pray and sing in the street, because their churches are denied them. To-day, was the 30th Sunday in the streets for Saint Casimir in Exile, it was the 3rd for Saint Patrick in Exile, it was the 1st for both St. James (Lakewood) in Exile, and for St. Emeric in Exile.
the people seen by a police officer
At 10 a.m. a 2nd district police cruiser drove the cul-de-sac on W. 22nd. He waived as he did his circle, he was one of the officers there during the last moments of the church occupation. He saw about a score of christians in prayer. The private security that was there, the day before, was gone.
searching for an hungarian hymn
So the hungarians prayed and sang like their other brothers at the other parishes. They had not prepared, and were uncertain how to progress, but it came. There are enough prayers, and songs, in english, and in magyarul, for them to extemporaneously ad lib. They prayed and sang and shared news.

Father Sándor Siklodi was banished from the diocese. Miklos Peller, the procurator for St. Emeric's cause, told of the phone call he received, at 3 a.m., from hungarian broadcasting. He was asked whether it was true that Lennon now required a parish to have 2,000 members. He said that would be news to him, but since they met every other requirement, he would not be surprised that the rules would change.

A woman told of getting up and coming there without knowing she would be there. She went on 'auto-pilot', her car responded like a drunk man's horse, and she arrived. Others spoke their heartaches, and their deep consternation with their bishop. The prayer leader from Imre's Templom Örzö (Church Guardians) petitioned God to change Lennon's heart.

A fellow spoke of the other prayer vigils elsewhere in the diocese. Later he spoke, and asked about unity. It seems that 'unity' in latin, english and hungarian is the exact same concept (oneness); except for Lennon, in which, it is submission. He went on to talk about the Holy Brothers Cyril and Methodius whom evangelised half a continent, including Pannonia. Panonnia was the roman province that included, what is now, western Hungary. He read from John Paul the Great's encyclical about the brothers, and what unity, and the gifts of all nations were to the Universal Church. All there agreed with the last Bishop of Rome, and not with the current Bishop of Cleveland (now Lennongrad).
A few of those at St. Emeric drove east to be with the parish at Saint Casimir. They welcomed the Emeric representatives. At Casimir they also sang, and prayed, and told of news. At 11.35 a.m. a phone call was received by Joseph Feckanin, from Saint Patrick, West Park, they were going to make their prayer vigils synchronous.
testing an old fire alarm bell rescued from a remodel of South High, years ago
Since most of the work of the lennonist 1st 5 year plan was complete, they recalled the 56 churches now unavailable for worship in the diocese. After the church was read, a black funereal card was displayed, and a bell was tolled.

A man had come from Florida. He was born in Poland. He went to school at Casimir's in '48. He later worked for a marble company, and worked on the marble at St. Casimir. Relatives of other parish members also came in from other places to visit for the holiday.

At Emeric and Casimir parishes they sang, Let There Be Peace on Earth. At St. Imre, they sang God Bless America. At St. Casimir, they often sang America the Beautiful, as they did to-day; and for the first time―the Star Spangled Banner. They had been wary of singing it before, for our great national anthem has had a reputation of being easily flubbed, and difficult to sing. They sang well, and were pleased and surprised.