Srini, From the "longshot" department of New York City attractions:
The Church of St. Francis Xavier, on 16th street Manhattan, between 5th & 6th Avenues. http://www.sfxavier.org/ I myself am not a religious person, but when I go to cities I've never visited before I sometimes find myself sitting in cathedrals, churches, temples, etc. I find them interesting and often relaxing. I like to go to such places and just sit quietly thinking about all the strange vistas I've encountered (as well as sometimes having the occasional Big Thought). The Church of St. Francis Xavier used to be a dark, grimy, depressing place, covered with a hundred years' worth of soot and dirt. But it has just undergone a multi-year renovation, and I've heard that it's now beautiful. Associated with the church is Xavier High School, a weird place that for more than a century was both a Jesuit-taught high school and a military academy. Until about 15 years ago, all students (boys only, naturally) were required to study not only Latin and Catholic dogma and theology, but also to wear military uniforms ("Junior ROTC" -- Reserve Officer Training Corps, associated with the United States Army) and learn military strategy and tactics, close-order drill, riflery, and so forth. The tension between the "Prince of Peace" teachings of Jesus and the "how to kill effectively" teaching of the military training (which is now optional) created interesting tension; not only students, but many of the religious faculty held the military in contempt . The school has a very competitive entrance examination, and its students come from all five boroughs of New York City, as well as New Jersey, New York State, and Connecticut. It has produced, over its 175 year history, many notable military men, but also many notable anti-military pacifists and activists. The priest portrayed by Karl Malden in the Marlon Brando film "On the Waterfront" was based on a Xavier parish priest. On September 11, 2001, the school's extended family lost more than 40 members, including alumni who were NYC firefighters, policemen, and businessmen; parents of students, husbands and wives of faculty members, and so forth. The schizophrenic nature of the teaching at the school has produced some seriously fucked-up people, the most famous of whom is Antonin Scalia, the most right-wing nut-job on the right-wing United States Supreme Court. As a Xavier student, Scalia embraced both Catholicism and military fetishism. If you go to the church, you can imagine the many hours that Scalia spent there (on religious holidays, the school used to get a permit from the City of New York to close 16th Street to traffic, and march its students in military formation down 16th Street from the school to the church, a distance of about 30 yards.) Unlike Scalia, many Xavier graduates came to repudiate Catholicism, the military, or both. I realize this church would not rate high on most people's lists of Things to See in New York, but I plan to visit there on my next trip to Manhattan, so I thought I would mention it. I believe its doors are open most of the time, but if you want to check it out you should consult their website to make sure it won't be locked up when you go. Regards, jrs Xavier High School, class of 1970 On Apr 1, 2012, at 9:03 AM, Andre Manoel wrote: > > > On Sat, Mar 31, 2012 at 7:05 PM, Srini RamaKrishnan <[email protected]> wrote: > [. . .] > I did 2 of these. They were awesome: > > http://www.amazon.com/City-Walks-York-Adventures-Foot/dp/B000EMSZ4M > > > Andre >
