And we celebrated!
30 May, 2003
It was Memorial Day 2003. The Surprise
Party had been planned for months. We were celebrating the 70th birthday of
Father Mychal Judge. And despite the rain, we knew our guests would come.
We knew we must go too. We discussed an alternate date given the inclement
weather, but we knew they would be there. How could we not go? Despite the
rain, this day was no different. 200 homeless men and women began lining up
alongside the church at about 6:30 that morning. They arrived for their
sandwich and coffee given graciously by the Franciscan friars every morning
since the Breadline began in 1930.
And we knew why we were there. People from all across the country had made
this day possible -- people we didn't know and people we would probably
never meet. Donations had been arriving for months from people who wanted
to help make this surprise party possible. We came on their behalf. We
came because they too wanted to keep the memory of Father Mychal alive. And
we were grateful and blessed to be on that Breadline this day.
We began organizing the gifts, the goodie bags, the birthday cakes. We put
the CD player in a waterproof bag and began playing our music. "Moogie the
Clown" and her assistant, James, arrived with a handmade balloon umbrella.
Moogie was colorful and bright and immediately brought smiles to the faces
of the homeless men and women who lined the street. She began walking the
line and making balloons for anyone who wanted one. It poured down on her
but she continued to smile.
Sodas and chips were brought out onto the street for us to distribute. The
balloon truck arrived with the delivery of 130 multicolored balloons. We
began scurrying for the balloon weights we brought when we realized it was
pouring. We quickly tied the balloons, all 130 of them, to the mailbox in
front of the church. It was festive and colorful, and the men and women
began to realize that we were having a party in the rain!
And then, it started. It was 7:00 sharp. The Breadline had begun. One of
us had birthday cakes, one of us had carnations for the women, one of us had
the birthday gifts -- new watches wrapped in gold foil paper with bows. One
of us had the goodie bags. One of us had sodas, one had chips. One of us
ran back and forth to make sure everyone had what they needed.
The men and women were surprised. They smiled. They said, "Thank You."
They said, "A present for me? For MY birthday?" Some ran to Penn Station
to tell their friends, who quickly scurried up the street to where we were.
And then at 7:30 it was over. We were soaking wet, but none of us could
remember any rain pouring down on us during the last half hour. We knew it
had rained, but somehow we didn't remember ... we only remembered the music
playing ... the men smiling ... the women holding their pink carnations and
grinning ... Moogie making balloon animals and hats ... the men asking for
an extra birthday cake ... and then ... bundle by bundle, the balloons ...
one man made a wish and let his balloon go ... the rest of the balloons were
let go into the sky, now raining down heavily upon us, as we all gathered
around and sang, "Happy Birthday" to Father Mychal. We know he heard us.
We know he was with us at his party.
Kelly Lynch
Mychal's Message
Home | Our Projects | About Fr. Mychal | About Mychal's Message | Donate
Contact us: info@mychalsmessage.org
Mychal's Message logo and all graphic design graciously donated by
M. Scott Oatman Graphic Design
and Illustration.
Website development and maintenance donated by
UtterClarity.
All content © 2007, Mychal's
Message
This page was last updated on: June 4, 2005.
Mychal's Message, Inc. is registered as a charitable organization with the Department of State's Bureau of Charitable Organizations under the Solicitation of Funds for Charitable Purposes Act, 10 P.S. Section 16.2 et seq., and is authorized to solicit charitable contributions under the conditions and limitations set forth under the Act. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of State, Bureau of Charitable Organizations