GENERALLY SPEAKING: Week of April 12

Good Friday procession over the Brooklyn Bridge

Good Friday is the most solemn day on the church calendar for Christians around the world. It is the day when they commemorate the death of Jesus Christ. Here in Brooklyn, one of the ways the crucifixion of Christ is recalled is with an annual procession over the Brooklyn Bridge to Ground Zero in Manhattan.

Called the Way of the Cross, we joined about a thousand Catholics and other Christians as they participated in this event. It started with Cardinal Dolan coming to the Basilica of St. James, the Brooklyn cathedral, at Jay and Adams Streets, site of the first Catholic Church in Brooklyn.

Joining the cardinal for the pre-procession sermon at St. James was Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio

During the service, Cardinal Dolan referred to this Way of the Cross procession, as a Walk with Jesus. With Cardinal Dolan at the head of the procession, he led us from the Brooklyn cathedral to the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge.

At the bridge entrance he embraced Bishop DiMarzio, who then led us over the bridge to City Hall Park, Ground Zero and then to St. Peter’s Church in lower Manhattan. Accompanying the worshippers was the Communion and Liberation Choir which sang holy hymns after the reflections at each station.

Later the same evening, Bishop DiMarzio led another Good Friday procession through parts of Bensonhurst, concluding at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church.

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The Bay Ridge Federal Credit Union held its 78th anniversary annual meeting and cocktail party at the Bay Ridge Manor. Gene Brody

The credit union’s current Bay Ridge banking center has been located on Fourth Avenue and 90th Street for the past 20 years. Due to the phenomenal and growing success of the credit union under Brody’s leadership, it has outgrown the space they need for added and expanded resources.

Accordingly, when the new building is completed sometime during the summer, the credit union will move into a modern, spacious 12,500-square-foot banking center with a large municipal parking lot directly across the street. As of December 2011, the credit union has assets of $152,396,151.00.

In addition to Gene Brody and board Chairperson Dr. Steven DickertAlan BrodyBrue Butchen and John Abi–Habib.

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As if we aren’t paying enough already, the New York City Water Board is once again looking to jack up the rates on our water bills, starting July 1. It has proposed increasing the charges by seven percent.

If you want to speak out against the increased charges, the board is holding public hearings in each of the five boroughs. The Brooklyn hearing is on Tuesday, April 24, starting at 7 p.m., at Public School 222, 3301 Quentin Road. To register to speak, call Diane Esparro at 718- 595-3591 or email: [email protected].

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The Society of Old Brooklynites, founded in 1880, will be holding a special memorial tribute to its beloved President Theresa Rosen when it holds their 132nd anniversary luncheon dinner on Sunday, June 24, 12:30 p.m. at the Bay Ridge Manor. Former New York City Commissioner Myrtle Whitmore

In commemoration of the Civil War sesquicentennial, the keynote speaker will be Civil War historian Bud Livingston, author of Mr. Lincoln’s Third Largest City: Brooklyn and the Civil War. Livingston also serves as the treasurer of the Civil War Roundtable of New York organization and editor of its Dispatch newsletter.

Another guest speaker will be Brooklyn Borough President Marty MarkowitzSherman Silverman at 718-748-3165.

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Another gifted society speaker and life member Ron Schweiger

This includes the once-lavish Oriental Hotel in Manhattan Beach and built in 1876. The talk will be held on Wednesday, April 25, 7:30 p.m. in the New Utrecht Dutch Reformed Church Parish Hall, 18th Avenue and 84th Street. The program is sponsored by the Friends of New Utrecht, headed by Dave Elligers. For additional information, call 718-256-7173.

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Dr. Joseph LainoSusan Lavin and Sister Regina Corde from St. Anselm’s Church.

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America’s tenor, Danny RodriguezJorge Novoa and international soprano Marla Kavanagh

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This writer has been invited to be the guest speaker at the Colonial Club on Thursday, May 3, at noon, at Gino’s Restaurant on Fifth Avenue. We’ll be speaking about Bay Ridge history and the new book we co-authored, Bay Ridge, Etc.