|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||
|
|
|
|
Posted 05.07.07 Grace for the Race By Rollo Romig In Von Briesen Park, on Staten Island, just outside the staging area in Fort Wadsworth at the foot of the Verrazano Bridge, thousands of runners went through their final rituals before the start of the New York Marathon yesterday morning. The runners got just a glimpse of Staten Island, a small-town alternate universe of two-story houses, mini malls, and tall trees dressed in full fall color. They huddled in disposable Tyvek jumpsuits and makeshift garbage bag ponchos to keep warm. They stretched, chatted, and put band-aids on their nipples. A public address system called out prerecorded guidance in five languages. Suddenly, around 9 a.m., a crowd started forming on the grass. In front of them, standing on a folding chair, was a priest in white vestments. "I don't care if you're Catholic, I don't care if you're Jewish, I don't care if you're Protestant, I don't care if you're Muslim - get OVER here!" he hollered. "We're saying Mass!" Then, for a couple of hundred runners, he launched into a rapid-fire ten-minute religious service and pep rally. "In the name of the father and the son and the holy spirit, I give you absolution. You got a clean slate for the race!" This is Father Brian Jordan: Franciscan Catholic priest, founder of the Immigration Center at St. Francis of Assisi church in Manhattan, protege of fallen FDNY chaplain Father Mychal Judge, and one of the most tireless priests ministering at Ground Zero in the months after the September 11 attacks. After breezing through a welcoming message and a couple of scripture readings, Father Jordan was ready for some song. "Let's sing the gospel Hallelujah," he said. "One time!" The crowd obliged. "Oh man, keep your day jobs," Father Jordan moaned before they finished. The runners cracked up. For his gospel reading, Father Jordan barked out the Bible verses about loving your neighbor as yourself, then moved directly into his sermon. "Thank the people giving out the water and oranges, because they count too," he ordered. "You can't love your neighbor if you don't appreciate the volunteers." "There will be runners in front of you today, behind you, alongside you," he continued. "They're not your competitors, they're your NEIGHBORS! Don't say to yourself, this guy is an asshole, get out of my way. He's a person!" Concluding his remarks, Father Jordan paused for the first time. A few people started dispersing. "Get your ass back here!" he scolded. "We still gotta do Holy Communion!" Two runners passed out communion wafers from plastic take-out containers. As they finished, Father Jordan got back on the folding chair. "Go New York! Have fun! Keep pace with God's grace!" he yelled. With that, Father Jordan whipped off his sash and vestments, revealing a red and white runner's jersey with the letters FDNY. Then he stuffed the leftover wafers in his duffel bag and jogged off to run in the marathon for his 18th time. |
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||