Family Reunion

Word from Gotham is that, at 1 o'clock, Cardinal Edward Egan was to meet with the pastors of the archdiocese of New York at the traditional confab-site of St Joseph's Seminary in Dunwoodie.

Should you be curious: no, the agenda had nothing to do with, um, that. At least, it wasn't supposed to; the gathering was previously scheduled to discuss financial and safe environment protocols, then delayed in light of the cardinal's September knee replacement. It is, however, Egan's first sit-down with his pastors since before the operation.

Four months from his 75th birthday, the cardinal's said to have taken a ramped-up outreach in recent weeks, celebrating Thanksgiving with his retired priests and presiding at the funeral liturgy of a local serviceman killed in Iraq.

The public presence will continue on Sunday morning as, at long last, "The Catholic Channel" launches on Sirius 159 and Egan celebrates its first Mass -- the weekly 10.15 from St Patrick's Cathedral.

Here's hoping he doesn't have to save my Christmas again, but as the first anniversary of that approaches, I remain ever grateful for the assist.

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