Safe in New Jersey… sort of…

I am at Mater Ecclesiae in Berlin, NJ.

This stay is going to be interesting!

First, I am here to do some of the heavy lifting (things that involve talking) for the great Fr. Pasley. He is recovering from surgery on his throat and cannot talk for more than a few minutes a day.

Second, the snowfalls in the area have caused one of the roofs in the rectory literally to cave in. There are going to be some serious things going on. I hear there are also cracks in the church hall. They have got to get some snow off the roofs! Maybe we should have the blognic here and every one can bring a shovel.

Third, I am recuping from a bit of a broken toe. So, I am moving a little slowly.

Fourth, this is my broadband right now:

broadband speed test

It is supposed run to somewhere near 54mbps

My quixotic iPhone is faster right now!

Therefore, to whom shall we pray for increased speed… fast? St. Expeditus?

UPDATE:

On the way to supper… pot hole… trench… flat.

UPDATE:

The heat is out in church, and we can’t figure out why.

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
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22 Comments

  1. Charivari Rob says:

    St. Isidore of Seville – patron saint of the Internet?

    St. Gabriel – patron saint of messengers?

  2. johncmeyers says:

    Father,
    I hope you’re prepared for a bit more snow on Monday-Tuesday.
    And maybe they’ll be able to remove some of the snow from the inter-tubes that seem to be clogged.
    Stay warm.
    John

  3. mitch_wa says:

    I’d get on that roof fast. Last year here in Spokane there were roofs caving in all over the place from 30+” in 3 days. Get some younger guys they will enjoy shoveling the roof. Last year I helped my Dad shovel off his roof, and we were able to get a 6 foot pile, which after the roof was cleared was our landing pad when we jumped off the roof.

  4. How long are you in New Jersey, Father? I live in Trenton now (a little closer to Berlin), but my weekend is jam-packed. It seems every time you’re in the area, I’m busy.

  5. Susan the Short says:

    I’m told that those long-handled swimming pool cleaners and rakes make great roof shovels.

  6. TJerome says:

    If you’re changing that tire, I’m impressed. I haven’t done that since college. Tom

  7. Very sorry to hear about your phone, your tire, and your poor toe — not to mention the pastor’s throat. It strikes me that you are getting an awful lot of cross-carrying opportunities right before Lent! ;)

    But all the same, I hope and pray that things will get better. Y’all are having a rough week.

  8. wanda says:

    Oooh, Father – this makes ‘in this world you will have trouble’ really come to life doesn’t it?

    We will get on the job with our prayers for you and Fr. Pasley. We’ll pray for heavenly help for his Church and Rectory & safety for those who will be shoveling the snow off the roof.

  9. seanl says:

    Yikes! Sounds like one heck of a day. You have my prayers!

  10. moon1234 says:

    How about St. Michael. Seems you have some deamons who need to be cast back to their hell hole (literally).

  11. Eric says:

    Don’t forget to offer it up.

  12. dcs says:

    Well, I will be bringing my shovel tomorrow.

    One of my fellow parishioners suggested that a chanting of the Penitential Psalms might be in order.

  13. Tom in NY says:

    Multi in frigore sunt, set parvi gelati.

    Salutationes omnibus.

  14. Tom in NY says:

    erratum: “set”;”corrigendum: “sed”
    Causa patientiae gratias his visuris dabo.

  15. An American Mother says:

    Tom,

    I got the joke! I got the joke! My Latin must be getting better.

    Servus!

  16. wanda says:

    Father, If that is a gas furnace, make sure the vent pipe(s) to the outside are not blocked by snow. The vent may be on the roof (if an older system) or it may come out somewhere a few feet above ground along the foundation of the building. Please forgive me if I am stating the obious. Praying for all there.

  17. wmeyer says:

    Father, most furnaces will display a flashing code to give a clue as to why they are unhappy. There should be a small window on a box inside through which the (probably red) LED will be visible. There may be a list of code sequences on the large sticker inside the cover for that side of the furnace.

    If all else fails, surely one or more parishioners will have had experience with recalcitrant furnaces, and may even be qualified to effect a repair.

  18. Rob Cartusciello says:

    For communications issues, Archangel Gabriel.

  19. Mariana says:

    Very sorry about the toe! But do get the snow off the roof quickly! Here in Scandinavia we do that all the time, and in New Jersey roofs aren’t built to take those loads, especially if the snow is at all wet and therefore even heavier.

  20. An American Mother says:

    wmeyer, that looks like the twin of our ancient Carrier gas furnace (right down to the location of the gas valve and the condenser drain), and it never HEARD of an LED. In fact, it has a pilot light. Vintage, early 80s.

    I concur that the vents need to be checked. And the pilot light adjustment – if there is one.

    Some parishioner is an HVAC man, just have to find him.

  21. You are so blessed to be at Mater Ecclesiae in NJ. I went there for Christmas Mass 2009 – what a wonderful Mass!

    About the heat – the heat (and everything else) was out here in the DC area between 6 and 8 February 2010. I lived in my winter coat the whole time – I mean I never took it off, not even for bed. Busted heaters are about as welcome during wintertime as Melissa Etheridge would be at the Vatican…not very well. ;)

    My condolences on the toe – busted toes sure do hurt, huh?

  22. irishgirl says:

    Gee, Father Z-you’re having a lot of ‘troubles’ during your New Jersey stay.

    How did you bust your toe? My mother once had a stress fracture on her toe. She got it when she got up awkwardly from a chair in a restaurant.

    Hope the furnace gets fixed and the snow gets shoveled off the roof!

    I had a flat last Sunday out in front of the chapel where I go to the TLM. A very nice your man who is bound for Afghanistan who just happened to have the same car as I took off the tire and put the spare ‘doughnut’ on it-all during the bitter cold winds we had here last week! Then the next day I went to Wal-Mart [his suggestion] and got a new tire. Flat tires are no fun! I hope you weren’t on one of those crazy New Jersey interstates when you hit the pothole!

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