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NEWSLETTER
Xavier Society for the Blind
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
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Vol. 3 No. 1
January 2012
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WHAT'S NEW AT XSB!!!!
F r. John is going to Rome, to represent the Xavier Society for the Blind at the installation of Archbishop Dolan as a Cardinal of the Church. There is a possibility that he may be able to present a copy of the Gospels in braille to the Holy Father, but even if that does not take place, it will be an extraordinary opportunity.
He will have the privilege of concelebrating Mass with Archbishop at St. John Lateran, St. Paul Outside the Walls, St. Peter's Basilica and the Basilica of St. Mary Major. A full report will be included in our next issue.
Our web address is:
www.xaviersocietyfortheblind.org
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IN H0NOR OF ST. LUCY
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St. Lucy is the patron saint of the blind, and this year our celebrations in her honor included a special Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral on her feast day, December 13, and a concert on December 10 at Scandinavia House.
The concert was entitled "Let There Be Light" and featured six singers with Music Director Woody Regan. The afternoon opened with the ensemble singing Santa Lucia.Baritone Sanford Schimel charmed the audience with Rock A Bye Baby (all four verses!) and The Voices That Are Gone by Stephen Foster.
 He was followed by Abby Powell, a mezzo soprano who showed off her versatility with a brilliant rendering of Habanera from Carmen, followed by a song originally written for Audra McDonald,
Some Days.
 Shawn Thuris took advantage of the Scandinavian environment by singing
Demanten på marssnön by Sibelius, and Till havs by Nordqvist, both in the original languages.
Fr. John Sheehan introduced some of the dignitaries in the audience, including Dr. Marc Maurer, the President of the National Federation of the Blind, and
XSB Board member Carl Jacobsen. He also sang If I Were A Rich Man from Fiddler on the Roof and Bring Him Home from Les Miz.
 Deborah Surdi continued the second half with Strange Music from Song of Norway, and And This Is My Beloved from Kismet.
Jorg Schnass finished the solo section. He is a resonant bass, taking a break from appearing in the Amore Opera production of The Barber of Seville. He sang Tu Sul Labbro from Nabucco and La Vendetta from Nozze di Figaro.
The singing was brought to a close with the sextet from Lucia di Lammermoor. All present were invited to a wine and light hors d'oeuvres reception in the lobby and some of the performers and audience went upstairs for the Yule Board at Scandinavia House, which included singing by singers in traditional dress with a wreath of lit candles on the head of the lead singers.
On the feast day itself, Fr. John celebrated St. Lucy with a special Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral.
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| BE OUR FRIEND | 
The Xavier Society for the Blind is on Facebook, and we would like you to be our "Friend." Find us, and "like" us. It helps us get more exposure, and if you "share" some of our news items or articles with your FB friends, more and more people will learn about us and what we do. (And it won't cost us anything! Or you either.)
You can help spread the word about who we are and what we do without ever leaving home. Thank you for helping us, and sharing us with your friends.
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Wounded Warrior to Win Free Trip
to the National Convention of the
NFB
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The National Association of Blind Veterans (NABV), a division of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), has announced a free lottery for wounded warriors who have lost their sight during Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom. The winner will receive a free trip to Dallas, Texas, to attend the national convention of the NFB, which will take place from June 30-July 5, 2012.
The first prize will include airfare to the convention for the winner and a companion, hotel accommodations, the convention registration fee and a banquet ticket, and the opportunity to meet and spend time with a whole organization of blind veterans. Entry to the contest is available on the National Association of Blind Veterans Web site and there is no charge to enter. Only one entry per person is permitted.
For more information about the contest or the National Association of Blind Veterans, please visit http://www.nabv.org or call Dwight Sayer at (407) 877-8668.
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CLOSING THOUGHTS
At the end of last year I did a concert at the NY Public Library called, "Looking Forward, Looking Back," in which, using song and stories, I reviewed some of the highlights of the last year, and tried to sneak a peak at 2012. We are now into 2012, and we need to focus on looking forward, to let the past take care of itself.
It will be a different future. Because of increasing financial pressures, our Board of Directors has decided it's necessary to focus more precisely on simply providing our services, and so we will not be repeating the Gala that we had at Playwright's Horizons last year. We will not repeat either our mid-winter or summer golf outings and at the moment, there are no plans for any pilgrimage trips in 2012. We WILL have our annual reception and silent auction at the NY Athletic Club in May.
But we need to continue to spread the word about the Xavier Society for the Blind. I am available to help out at local parishes, to help tell groups about what the Xavier Society is doing. I am pleased to speak at schools, luncheons or service organizations on what I learned from my training about the many things blind people can do, a presentation that is funny, educational and perhaps even inspirational. There is no charge, so if you know of a school or group (Rotary? Lions Club? Optimist? Kiwanis? VFW?) that would enjoy having something different, please don't hesitate to have them contact me.
If you would like to volunteer, or would just like to learn more about what we do, please feel free to call us, send an e-mail or a letter, or drop in for a personal visit. If you know someone who could use our services, please recommend us to them. Visit our web site, "like" us on Facebook, and thank you for being a friend of the Xavier Society for the Blind.
Happy New Year!
Sincerely,
 | | I am also Chaplain for American Legion Post 2001, the 9-11 Memorial Post. |
Fr. John R. Sheehan, SJ
Xavier Society for the Blind
Phone: (212) 473-7800
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WE'RE ON YELP!!
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We're not a restaurant or a hotel or even a tourist attraction. But if you would like to write a review on how we're doing, we are on Yelp, the online service that provides reviews.
Go to the Yelp site (www.yelp.com) and search for Xavier Society and it will take you to the place where you can write a review or make a comment.
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FEBRUARY E-NEWSLETTER
| The February edition of the E-Newsletter will be later than usual, so that we can include pictures and details from Fr. John's trip to Rome for the installation of Cardinal-designate Dolan.
It should arrive in your E-mailbox shortly after Ash Wednesday. |
| OUR WEB SITE | |
The web site for the Xavier Society for the Blind was made possible by a generous grant from the Order of Malta, and we thank them for their support of our work.
The web site is designed to be accessible to screen reading programs, and those who have registered with the XSB have a special section where they can make address changes, order books from the library and download or sign up to receive periodicals. For more information on how to register, or how to get online, contact
clientservices@xaviersocietyfortheblind.org
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FACTS ABOUT THE XSB
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"What are the New Year's resolutions for the Xavier Society for the Blind?"
Pay more attention to our clients.
Our clients have always been the reason we exist, and we will continue to make them our top priority. Finding better ways to get materials to them, asking about what they are interested in reading and hearing on audio CDs, these are and will continue to be our top priorities.
Try to cut our expenses and increase donations
In order to provide our services, we have to be able to pay our bills and our staff. In these difficult economic times, everyone is having trouble. Our contributions are down, and our costs are going up. In the new year we have to find ways to reduce our costs and increase our donations.
Spread the Word.
Yes, that does have a double meaning. There are many people who are blind or with visual problems who do not know about our services, and we need to work harder and with creativity to get the news to them. At the same time, our mission is to help make the Word of God available, so spreading "the Word" always has that meaning for us as well.
To learn more about how you can get involved with the Xavier Society for the Blind, or to get more information about what we are doing and providing, please visit our web site at:
www.xaviersocietyfortheblind.org or for more specific information or questions (or to volunteer), send us an email at:
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CALENDARS ARE HERE!
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The 2012 calendars have arrived, and if you are on our regular mailing list, you should have received yours by now. If you are NOT on our list, and would like a calendar, or if you would like extra copies, please let us know, and we will send them out to you.
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ADOPT AN OWL | 
How did you spend the Christmas holidays? Can you think of anything lonelier than spending days alone, in an office, stuffed into a box? Several of our brown and white owls did just that, because no one adopted them.
The owl is the unofficial mascot of the Xavier Society for the Blind, and we have two cute versions who would be delighted to keep you company, especially since they've been all alone this Christmas.
The white barn owl above has great long wings, perfect for enveloping you or a loved one with a New Year's hug. The smaller, but equally adorable brown owl has smaller wings, and so needs you to hug him (or her).
The white owl can be yours for a donation of $75, and the brown owl for a gift of $35. We pay for the shipping. They can be adopted online at our web site (www.xaviersocietyfortheblind.org) or by calling (212) 473-7800. Or follow this link directly: http://bit.ly/h9JNpi
(You may have to paste this into your browser.)
Whenever a little bell rings, it means an owl has been adopted.
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XSB ON THE ROAD
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Fr. John shows students what wearing sleep shades is like, as part of blind training. He spoke to two classes of students at St. Vincent Academy in Newark.
Below: Fr. John chats with students and their teacher, Kathleen Sullivan (at left) after his presentation.
Father also had the chance to speak to the Orange Maplewood Kiwanis Club, and he mentioned that he had been a chaplain on the military base on Kwajalein, in the South Pacific. One of the members spoke up, since in World War II, he had been on Kwajalein as part of the first attack force, helping to direct beach traffic for the first landing. Charlie, thank you for your service.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Wednesday, January 11
Fr. John speaks at St. Vincent's Academy, Newark
Thursday, January 12
Fr. John speaks at Orange Maplewood Kiwanis Club
Tuesday, January 17
Fr. John speaks at Bronx Kiwanis Club
Sunday, January 22 - 10:30 AM
Fr. John celebrates Mass at Visitation Parish in the Bronx
And is the speaker at the Communion Breakfast which follows
Wednesday, February 1
Fr. John speaks at the Whitestone Kiwanis Club
Tuesday, February 14
Fr. John leaves for Rome
Saturday, February 18
Ceremony of the Consistory, new Cardinals installed
Sunday, February 19, Solemn Mass of Thanksgiving at St. Peter's with Pope Benedict
Wednesday, February 29
Fr. John speaks at the Yorktown Rotary Club
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For more information on these or any events, please contact our office or check our web site.
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Now On
Our Web Site |
The good news is that all four of Father John's CD's are now available on our web site. CDs are $15, or a set of all four for $50. Price includes shipping and handling. You may also order any combination of CDs at a discount of 2 for $25, but we are only able to handle those orders over the phone. Available are:
Father John Sings Sacred Songs
16 of your favorite sacred songs, including Ave Maria, O Holy Night, Panis Angelicus and How Great Thou Art.
 The Several Sides of Father John
Includes operatic arias, Broadway show tunes with full
orchestral accompaniment, and the song Fr. John's father
sang to his new bride at their wedding breakfast.
Father John LIVE in Concert
Recorded at several live concerts in different places, the
songs reflect the electricity of live performance,
with Fr. John singing in 8 different languages.
 Amo, Amas, Amat Have Yourself A LATIN Little Christmas
19 Christmas carols, all sung in Latin, including not only
"traditional" favorites but also Frosty the Snowman,
Rudolph and White Christmas. A word book is included
so you can sing along (and there is a braille version available as well).
Fr. John is joined by soprano Christina Holms, pianist Woody Regan,
jazz guitarist Bill Wurtzel, and cellist Marisol Lynch.
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Go to: www.xaviersocietyfortheblind.org
(Go to the "Contributions" page)
or call (212) 473-7800 to place your orders.
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| Secure Server |
On our web site, we have a secure server connection. This means you can contribute money to the Xavier Society using your credit card in perfect safety. When you get to the web site, there is a button "Donate." If you click on that, you will be taken to the Secure Server area where you can make any contribution in complete safety. (If the server is not working, please call our office at 212 473-7800 and ask for Manuel.)
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