Great piece of writing by James Flanagan on "Doubt". Just happened to have a visit from my fellow graduate Hugh McCloskey of St. Francis College to attend our 50th anniversary reunion. We decided to take a nostalgia tour of our old neighborhoods - his in the upper Bronx and mine in Manhattan Valley, as it is known now.  I passed the Flanagan piece on to him and he wrote back to say that his wife, Cathy grew up in the parish that is cited by James Flanagan and that Fr. Humphrey called her in from time to time to ask about the "state of her vocation."  As it turned out the state of her vocation was towards the married life and she and Hugh raised a fine family in Boca Raton Florida and has fond memories of Catholic parochial life in that era in the Bronx.

Hugh also knew of the legendery Father Jablonski.  I went to Hayes while Father Jablonski ruled; but Hugh was from the Bronx and like Alan King,  the commedian, had heard of this Dean of Discipline.  King once related how he calmed the balcony in a Bronx auditorium by threatening to bring him in.

We visited his old Wakefield section and then went down to Ascension Parish.  Passing through Hugh was very impressed with the condition of the neighborhood, saying that he didn't know that I lived in such an upscale area.  And I have to say that there has been a lot reconditioning, restoration.  The centerpiece is the Old Cancer Hospital on 106th Street where condos have gone for over 6 miilion dollars.

Mark Mooney '51