Sunday, April 3, 2016

Villanova's Big Day: All You Need To Know!


LET'S GO VILLANOVA!


Congratulations to Villanova Men's Basketball on advancing to the National Championship!
NCAA Tournament
National Championship
Villanova vs. North Carolina
NRG Stadium
Monday, April 4 at 9:19 p.m. (EDT)
TV: TBS
    
Team Hotel
Royal Sonesta Houston Galleria
2222 West Loop South, Houston, TX 77027
For event details, please visit
www.villanova.edu/LetsMarchNova.

View the highlights from Villanova's 95-61 
victory over Oklahoma on Saturday. 


SCHEDULE OF EVENTS 

Sunday, April 3
10:30 a.m. (CDT)
Mass with Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, '75
Royal Sonesta Houston Galleria
Legends Ballroom
Seating is limited. 
Monday, April 4

OFFICIAL FAN PREGAME EVENT
4-7 p.m. (CDT)
NRG Stadium
$100 per person (Includes beer, wine, food and entertainment)
Children under 10 years of age are FREE.  
Celebrate with Will D. Cat, Villanova cheerleaders and 
the University Band during this official fan event!

A game ticket is not required to attend.
4 p.m. (CDT)


Pregame Meetups

Midtown
The Dogwood (21+ only)
2403 Bagby Street, Houston, TX 77006
Midtown Drinkery Bar & Grill
2400 Bagby Street, Houston, TX 77006

Rice Village
The Gorgeous Gael
5555 Morningside Drive, Houston, TX 77055

Little Woodrow's (21+ only)
5611 Morningside Drive, Houston, TX 77005


Don’t have tickets? Stay to watch the game with fellow Villanova fans!
8:19 p.m. (CDT)
Tipoff

REGIONAL GAME WATCHES
Game watch information will be updated through Monday.
Please visit alumni.villanova.edu/basketball for the most up-to-date game watch schedule.  

Boston: Warehouse Bar & Grille

Charleston: Mac's Place (RSVP)
Charlotte: Dilworth Neighborhood Grille (Morehead Room) 
Chicago: Derby Bar & Grill 
Dallas/Fort Worth: Old Chicago Pizza and Taproom
Fairfield/Westchester: Bob Hyland's Sports Page Pub
Greater Hampton Roads (Virginia Beach location): Shore Break (RSVP)
Greater Jacksonville/North Florida: Miller's Southside Ale House 
Greater Philadelphia: Field House
Greater Princeton: Brickhouse Tavern and Tap 
Greater Washington, D.C. (Columbia Heights location): Lou’s City Bar 
Greater Washington, D.C. (Dupont Circle location): Parlay DC 
Houston (Midtown locations): The Dogwood and Midtown Drinkery Bar & Grill
Houston (Rice Village locations): The Gorgeous Gael and Little Woodrow's
Long Island: Changing Times American Sports Bar & Grill (RSVP)
Manhattan (Three locations): Gramercy Ale House, Proper West and The Australian
Manhattan (Classes of '80-'95): The Harp Raw Bar & Grill (RSVP)
Naples: Tavern on the Bay (RSVP)
Palm Beach: Duffy's Sports Grill of PGA Blvd. & U.S. 1 (RSVP)
Sarasota: Gecko's Grill and Pub at the Landings Shopping Plaza
South Florida: American Social Brickell 
Tampa Bay: Ducky's Sports Lounge

Villanova Club of the Low Country(Hilton Head, SC): Drydock Restaurant



Donor support is a critical component to the 
Villanova Men’s Basketball program's success. 
Make a gift, and make a difference for our team! 
BE SOCIAL

@NovaMBB
@Villaova_Alum
#LetsMarchNova
#MarchMadness
#NationalChampionship
#LetsDance

Now, We Bet You Never, Ever Knew This . . .


Vic Dibitetto discusses the Garden State!  www.onlynj.net
Posted by ONLY NJ on Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Vic Dibitetto discusses the Garden State! www.onlynj.net

Saturday, April 2, 2016

From The President Of Villanova University!



Villanova is Headed to the 2016 NCAA Championship!

Congratulations to our men’s basketball team, Coach Wright and his staff for another impressive win! It’s an exciting moment for the University—and I know that Villanovans across the U.S. and around the world are celebrating this great victory.


If you are in Houston this weekend, I invite you to join me for Mass on Sunday morning.

10:30 a.m.
Royal Sonesta Houston Galleria
Legends Ballroom
2222 West Loop South
Houston, TX 77027


There will be more news to come on celebrations in Houston and game watches across the U.S. as we prepare for Monday's championship game. 

Congratulations, again, to the team, and Go ‘Cats!

Sincerely,
Fr. Peter Donohue, OSA
President
Villanova University 

US, France, Russia, Germany Top Blog Visits

Pageviews by Countries - Week of 3/27

Graph of most popular countries among blog viewers
EntryPageviews
United States
1292
France
1083
Russia
140
Germany
128
Japan
127
China
38
Portugal
32
Romania
29
Slovenia
28
Ukraine
26

Thank you for more than 2,500 pageviews!

Dan Cirucci Blog - Week's Top Five Stories

Top Five Posts - Week of 3/17

MORE Videos From THIS Guy? C'mon, Enjoy!





New Jersey Governor Chris Christie last week on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Just Christie being Christie, folks.

Friday, April 1, 2016

Unusual Varieties Highlight 'Queen's' Garden

The Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, the Mother Church of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, will dedicate its newly refurbished Queen of the Apostles Garden to honor the life and work of Reverend Monsignor James J. Howard.

Sunday, April 10, 2016
Procession and Dedication to Follow 9:30 a.m. Mass
Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul
18th Street and Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia, PA 19103

Reverend Monsignor James J. Howard was born on May, 19, 1925, in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. He attended Saint Patrick Parochial School, Pottsville, and Pottsville Catholic High School before entering Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary.  He was ordained to the Priesthood by Cardinal John O’Hara on May 10, 1952, at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul. On September 24, 1973, Monsignor Howard was named a Prelate of Honor by His Holiness, Pope Paul VI.

Monsignor Howard served as Parochial Vicar, Saint Mary Parish, Beaver Meadows; Saint Francis DeSales Parish, Lenni; Our Lady of Angels, Parish, Philadelphia. Monsignor Howard also served as Faculty, Monsignor Bonner High School, Drexel Hill; and Faculty, Vice-Principal, and Principal, Cardinal Dougherty High School, Philadelphia. In 1973, he was appointed Rector of the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, Philadelphia, and named Rector Emeritus in 2000. Monsignor Howard died October 28, 2014.

Located on the Northeast Corner of the Cathedral Basilica, the Queen of the Apostles Garden, underwent a transformation over an 18 month period that included planning, design, plant selection, demolition, and statue restoration.  The statue of Our Lady was a gift to the Cathedral Basilica from Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. in July 2015.

All featured plants in the Queen of the Apostles Garden are symbolic of the Blessed Virgin Mary. A sampling of the plantings is listed below.

• Alchemical Mollis~ Our Lady’s Mantle
• Armenia Maritime ‘Splendens’~ Our Lady’s Pincushion
• Campanula Rotunda Folia ~ Our Lady’s Thimble
• Olygonatum Multiflorum~ Mary’s Seal
• Rose Rugosa ‘Snow Pavement’ ~ Mary’s Rose
• Rosmarinus Officials ‘Prostratus’~ Rose of Mary
• Teucrium Chambers ~ Our Lady’s Marks
• Vinca Minor ~ Virgin Flower

The Garden was completed with the help of  Fine Garden Creations LLC, Swarthmore, (Landscape Design), Hoffman Design, Sharon Hill, (Landscape Maintenance), Tom Gavigan, Philadelphia, (Pedestal), De Vito Brothers & Son, Ardmore, (Iron Works), Members of the Cathedral Parish Hispanic Community (Demolition), Carr & Duff, Philadelphia, (Electrical), Saint Jude Shop, Havertown, (Stone Benches), The Bronze Age, Villanova, (Statue Restoration), and parishioner Mary Ann Leigh.


Note: The Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul is the mother church of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. It is here that the Archbishop, as local ordinary, has his chair, called the cathedra. Located on the east side of Logan Square on 18th Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, it first opened in 1864. It is the largest brownstone structure in Philadelphia and the largest Catholic Church in Pennsylvania. Additional information on the cathedral can be found at www.cathedralphila.org.

Free Preview Concert Live On The Square!

In advance of its spring benefit concert next weekend, Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary will hold a free preview flash performance with selected soloists in Rittenhouse Square.

Saturday, April 2nd
Rittenhouse Square
11:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m.


The full concert on April 9th will be led by the Seminary’s new Director of Sacred Music and Wanamaker Organist, Rudolph Lucente. He will be joined by Artist in Residence and Philadelphia Orchestra organist Michael Stairs, organist Colin Howland and trumpeter Brian Kuszyk. 
Also performing will be renowned vocalists Amanda Frederick, Toffer Mihalka, John Frederick and Kaitlyn Tierney. 
The concert program includes sacred and classical music. The theme of the concert is “Music, Mission and Faith.”

Look: Spring Programs For The Whole Family!

The National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia is pleased to announce a range of engaging spring programs for visitors of all ages. The Museum’s fourth annual Freedom Seder Revisited will take place on Wednesday, April 13th. Each year, hundreds of community members of all different backgrounds come together for good conversation and an engaging celebration of freedom and justice. Guests not only hear the stories of what freedom means to others, but share what it means to them. More information below.

The Inhabitants Thereof: Philadelphia Jewish History
Wednesday, April 6, April 20, May 4, and May 18 from 6 pm – 7:30 pm
$90/$75 members/$65 teachers

This four-week class (every other week) is taught by Rabbi Lance Sussman and will explore the sweep of Philadelphia Jewish history. For much of its history, Philadelphia has functioned as the Jewish capital of America. At other times, it has been paradigmatic of the American Jewish experience. In many ways it is a part of the "national" story the Museum is dedicated to exploring.

Weekly topics include:

1. A Revolution in Jewish History: Jewish Patriots and Tories in Philadelphia, 1776-1787
2. The Golden Age of Philadelphia’s Uptown Jewish Community, 1866-1920
3. South Philly: An American Shtetl, 1880-1920
4. Suburban Frontiers: Jewish Life in Philadelphia Since 1960

For more information and to register, please visit NMAJH.org


Second Sunday Family Activities
Sunday, April 10 from 10 am - 3 pm

Free with Museum admission

Visitors can join the Museum for family-friendly activities celebrating freedom and the upcoming holiday of Passover. Families can explore the connections between the Museum’s story of freedom and the Passover story with our Haggadah*-based Passover family guide. They can also engage in hands-on arts and crafts such as creating paper frogs. These activities are suitable for kids of all ages.
*The book read during the Passover meal, telling the story of the holiday.

Conference: Wrestling with Peoplehood
Sunday, April 10 and Monday, April 11
Tickets available at Kaplancenter.org

This conference aims to explore the extent to which "peoplehood," in its many variations, remains a concept of utility and significance to Jewish life. Confirmed speakers include Peter Beinart, Jane Eisner, Irving "Yitz" Greenberg, Shai Held, Sharon Kleinbaum, John Ruskay, and Deborah Waxman. On Sunday evening participants will enjoy a special musical performance by Hankus Netsky, founder and director of the Klezmer Conservatory Band.

Sponsored by The Mordecai M. Kaplan Center for Jewish Peoplehood, Temple University’s Feinstein Center for American Jewish History, the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, and the Department of Judaic Studies of McGill University.


4th Annual Freedom Seder Revisited
Wednesday, April 13 at 6:30 pm
$36/$25 Members, Kosher dinner included
Registration deadline: March 25

Inspired by the original 1969 Freedom Seder, where hundreds of people of all backgrounds gathered to explore and celebrate freedom in the context of the Civil Rights Movement, this communal event invites guests to the Passover table for an evening of commemoration, stories, and community exploration of freedom in America today.
Featured speakers, storytellers, and performers to-date include:
Rev. Dr. Charles L. Howard, University Chaplain, University of Pennsylvania; Rev. Dr. Susan Richardson, Assistant Minister, Christ Church Philadelphia; Romona Riscoe Benson, Director, Corporate Relations, PECO; Lenny Seidman, Tabla, Percussion, Composer, Teacher; JJ Tiziou, Visual Artist & Community Organizer; NMAJH Open for Interpretation Artist-in-Residence; Rabbi Arthur Waskow, Founder and Director of The Shalom Center, and founder and leader of the original 1969 Freedom Seder; and Hani White, Deputy Director, Office of Immigrant Affairs, City of Philadelphia.
Guests can also view the original storyboard sketch from the movie The Ten Commandments, by costume and production designer John L. Jensen, which will be installed in a highlights case on the first floor in honor of Passover and the 60th anniversary of the movie’s release.
For those who will not be able to make it to the actual event, the entire program will be available live online at nmajh.org/freedomseder.

Community Partners to-date: Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture, Art Sanctuary, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, Hillel at the University of Pennsylvania, Jews in ALL Hues, Norris Square Neighborhood Project, Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival, Repair the World: Philadelphia, Taller Puertorriqueño, and The Shalom Center.
Sponsored by PECO. In partnership with First Person Arts.
Media Sponsor: Al Día and The Philadelphia Sunday Sun.


Second Sunday Family Corner
Sunday, May 8 from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Free with Museum admission

Families are invited to celebrate Mother’s Day at the Museum. They can explore the exhibition with a focus on women in American Jewish history. Kids can listen to stories and create arts and crafts that make great gifts for Mom or other loved ones.


Young Friends C-Suite Speaker Series
Tuesday, May 10 from 12pm – 1pm
$36 per session, Young Friends Members Only

The last in the inaugural Young Friends of NMAJH C-Suite Speaker Series, created to allow young adults to learn from influential leaders, features Mitchell L. Morgan, President and CEO of Morgan Properties, a residential property management company. Seating is extremely limited. A kosher lunch is provided.


Two Americans Who Defied the Nazis
Tuesday, May 10 at 7 pm

Free, Registration Required

Filmmaker Artemis Joukowsky will share excerpts from his upcoming documentary, Two Who Defied the Nazis. His work tells the story of Martha and Waitstill Sharp, an American social worker and Unitarian minister who provided aid to refugees fleeing Nazi persecution.

Presented with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Unitarian Universalist Association


PlayPenn presents a reading of a new play: Schlueterstrasse 27
Monday, May 16
Free, advance registration strongly encouraged

Based on events from the playwright's life, this story follows a woman's search to better understand her family—from the initial discovery of her grandfather's diary at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum all the way to Berlin, Germany. Reading by Andrea Stolowitz.
                                                       
God, Faith & Identity from the Ashes: Reflections of Children and Grandchildren of Holocaust Survivors
Tuesday, May 17 at 7 pm
$8/Free for Members

These stories will inspire and challenge people of all faiths and backgrounds. Speakers include: 

Stephanie Butnick, Deputy Editor, Tablet Magazine; Menachem Z. Rosensaft, General Counsel, World Jewish Congress and editor of God, Faith & Identity from the Ashes; and Mark L. Tykocinski, MD, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, Thomas Jefferson University and Dean, Sidney Kimmel Medical College.

The National Museum of American Jewish History, located on historic Independence Mall in Philadelphia, brings to life the 360-year history of Jews in America.  Tracing the stories of how Jewish immigrants became Jewish Americans, the Museum invites visitors of all backgrounds to share their own stories and reflect on how their histories and identities shape and are shaped by the American experience. An open door for all, NMAJH honors the past and contributes to a better future by sharing the power of imagination and ideas, culture and community, leadership and service, in ways that turn inspiration into action.

The National Museum of American Jewish History is located at 101 South Independence Mall East at the corner of Fifth and Market Streets in Philadelphia. Museum hours are Tuesday to Friday, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm, and Saturday and Sunday 10:00 am - 5:30 pm. NMAJH is closed most Mondays, including federal holidays and some Jewish holidays. Museum admission is $12.00 for adults, $11.00 for senior citizens and youth, free for children 12 and under, Museum Members, and active military with ID. For more information, visit NMAJH.org or call 215.923.3811.

Dramatic Show A Prelude To Olympic Games!



Get ready to witness some of the best riders in the world as they prepare for the Olympic Games! 

The FÉDÉRATION EQUESTRE INTERNATIONALE (FEI), the international governing body of equestrian sport, has sanctioned the 120th annual Devon Horse Show, thus allowing riders to earn valuable points towards the Longines World Ranking list. To be recognized as a FEI CSI 4* (four-star) rated show, the Devon Horse Show invested more than $1 million in physical improvements to the show grounds and substantially increased its prize money. 

The new, prestigious rating will elevate the level of equestrian competition by attracting international superstars. In turn, audiences will be entertained with even more thrilling performances.

"Earning the four-star rating is very difficult and reflects our dedication to providing a world-class experience for our audiences and competitors," said Devon Horse Show and Country Fair Chairman Wayne Grafton. "We cannot wait to welcome everyone to our 120th show "Where Champions Meet," and our most exciting year ever!"

The Devon Horse Show, which opens May 26th through June 5th, will host three FEI CSI 4* rated classes: the $50,000 Devon Welcome Stake on May 31, the $40,000 Devon International Speed Stake on June 1, and the $225,000 Sapphire Grand Prix on June 2. 

Notably, the prize money for the Sapphire Grand Prix alone was increased $125,000 from its previous level of $100,000. With successful results in any of these events, athletes can improve their standing on the Longines World Ranking list, which is the ticket to qualifying for top events internationally.

The public is encouraged to buy tickets in advance online from the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair website; Priority Packages and General Admission tickets go on sale April 4th. Attendees can purchase a Three-Night World Ranking Competition Grand Prix Package, which includes Reserved Grandstand seating for the three evening FEI events. The package price is $155.

Visit the website for all ticket information as well as for the daily Horse Show schedule and details on the many Country Fair booths for food, fun games, and fabulous shopping!