Another year has gone by and we’ve got a lot to reflect on. One reason we reflect is to honor those who have passed and to create a path for the new year. We also want to consider all the plans we made last year and couldn’t bring to fruition for one reason or another. Now is the time to prioritize those plans and add to them to give us important things to attend to throughout 2024. Of course, that’s easier said than done! It seems the older I get, the more I feel like my get up and go, …

Christmas is a time for traditions that we’ve held close to our hearts since we were children. Often our celebrations include practices our parents and grandparents passed on to us. Gone are the days of tall, wide evergreens buried in tinsel. Of course, that era was followed by aluminum trees with rotating color wheels. Some of the more daring families would set the wheel to the blue filter and have the only blue tree in their neighborhood. That’s not to say that some folks didn’t go for the green or red filter instead! Many of us inherited the ornaments and …

We are all aware that change happens whether we want it to or not. I recall an older Roselandite yelling at me one time because I mentioned Martin Luther King Drive. Anyone care to guess what she yelled at me? She certainly took me by surprise because we were at a wake at Panozzo Brothers Funeral Home. What she said, as she put her face close to mine, “It’s South Park and always will be.” Of course, that’s just one example, because for some people, we still have “Comiskey Park” and the “Sears Tower.” Recently my 90-year-old sister Jean Kirn …

Every so often I run into someone with a Roseland past who share something with me in the last 15 years: an item, a name, a connection or a story. Then the conversation centers on what I did with what was shared with me. Many of the stories that were shared with me became parts of columns I have written. In many cases, the items end up on two entire bookshelves overflowing with Roseland, Pullman and Kensington memorabilia. The second bookcase is a recent addition that allowed me to display the sets of Pullman dishes and blankets and a Pullman …

My July column focus on the Pullman Reunion Picnic, which we all look forward to on the first Saturday of every August. However, I’ve just received notice that, due to unforeseen issues, this year’s picnic has been cancelled. The people I’ve spoken to have said that they plan on coordinating next year’s picnic, but we’ll verify that next year as the event approaches. I apologize if anyone has made plans to attend this year’s picnic, however there is still much to see in Pullman. The neighborhood has become an official national park and is now known as the Pullman National …

Summer is rolling right along and I’m sure we’re all thinking we’ve got to do more to make use of this long-awaited weather. The timing couldn’t be better because it’s picnic season! For years, the first Saturday in August has been on everyone’s calendar as the day of the annual Pullman Family Reunion Picnic, and this year is no different. The picnic is a great opportunity to reunite with old friends and see where so many of us spent our childhoods. The first Saturday in August is the day I gather all my picnic equipment and memorabilia together for my …

My April column covered a range of topics pertaining to Mendel Catholic High School, from teachers and tunnels to dances and athletic events. The number and passion of the responses from Mendel Monarchs was overwhelming, showing me how much their experience at that legendary high school meant to them. The only way I could do justice to the tidal wave of nostalgia that washed over me was to print it word for word. The enormous number of comments I received demonstrates what a welcome part of my reader’s lives Petals from Roseland is, and the opportunity to connect with their …

We’ve survived the winter months and celebrated Easter with its spirit of renewal and rebirth, and the best way to celebrate that spirit is with a procession. It’s been a long time since I’ve thought about the processions of our youth. With the Catholic parishes representing the multiethnic makeup of Roseland, there were many processions held throughout the warmer months. Throughout my childhood, I experienced Kensington’s St. Anthony of Padua’s processions. After I graduated in 1961, I headed straight into studying for the priesthood for the first year and a half of high school. I attended the Scalabrinian Order’s Sacred …

I’ve recently heard from a number of Mendel Catholic High School graduates. I was reminded of their motto — “Mendel Men are Gentlemen” — and asked when I was going to write about Mendel. Many Roseland residents have offered comments throughout the years on the good times they have had at Mendel, either by attending as students or going to their events. I’ve put the word out and I am going to do my best with this month’s column to give everyone that’s been affected by Mendel the spark to bring up those great memories. Let me begin with something …

With the frigid temperatures (hopefully) a distant memory, we can now set our sights on the warmer months to come. The one pleasure of surviving a Chicago winter is planning to make the best possible use of the coming good weather. Right now, we’re in the midst of Lent which began on February 22, and we’re looking forward to our Easter celebration on April 9. Easter was always a big deal at St. Anthony of Padua Parish on Kensington Avenue. Back in the 1950s and before, Catholicism was in full stride in our part of Roseland and the many reminders …