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11 May 26, 2011 THE EVANGELIST BY ANGELA CAVE STAFF WRITER Jim Moran’s blacksmithing hobby started four decades ago with a hair dryer, a hibachi grill and a handful of coal in his Delmar backyard. The makeshift forge he creat- ed evolved into a shed with a full hearth and draft hood, and black- smithing turned into a passion for Mr. Moran, a parishioner at St. Thomas the Apostle Church. Today, the retired environ- mental engineer is the resident blacksmith at Normanskill Farm in Albany, where he leads demonstrations for schoolchild- ren and community members and takes requests for artwork and tools. His most recent piece — a cross surrounded by leaves made for the Albany Diocese’s Spring Enrichment gathering in mid-May — is just one example of his talent. “It’s clay,” Mr. Moran said of the steel and iron scraps he finds in junkyards, inherits from friends or buys in stores. “I can make it into whatever I want. That, to me, is the thrill of being a black- smith: I can take a piece of metal lying on the ground and turn it into something useful.” When he began the hobby, his wife of 50 years, Maureen, was just happy he had an outlet for stress. “He could go out in the backyard and beat out all his frustrations on a piece of metal,” she joked. Mr. Moran has forged person- alized fireplace tools and chan- deliers, hooks and brackets, bird- feeders, coffin fixtures and even a lifelike snake he keeps in his car. But his favorite subject seems to be crosses: Different sizes and styles hang on walls and grace tables in his house and in the homes of friends and fellow parishioners. He recently hung a Celtic-influenced cross on the brick exterior of the house. Mrs. Moran noted that “a cou- ple of people have said, ‘That is perfect for your house. It epito- mizes what you and Jim are about.’” She describes her husband as “filled with faith” — especially as he is her caregiver through the end stages of ovarian cancer. “He is here. He is constant,” she said simply. Mr. Moran, who tries to attend Mass about three times a week, couches his faith in more subtle terms. “I look upon the work some- times as my prayer,” he said of blacksmithing, describing the candle stands he made for his parish. “If I’m fixing something at church — a broken pew or lights — then that’s my prayer. “We are given gifts, and how we use them is important.” CROSS CREATOR Blacksmith forges faith AT LEFT, MR. MORAN AT WORK. Each month, he meets with a group of about 15 blacksmiths in Albany, training them on basics like lighting a fire and holding a hammer and complicated tasks like riveting and making tongs. Interest in the trade has resurfaced in recent years, he said. He attends international conferences for blacksmithing and enjoys meeting others like him when he vacations: “No matter where I go in the world, I find a blacksmith.” (Angela Cave photos) ‘I look upon the work sometimes as my prayer.’ Workshop: “So what? Why It Matters that We Believe in God and Who That God Is” “It made me think about my own perceptions of God: Am I living to my full potential? I was going into it from a youth minis- ter’s point of view, but until you’ve looked into your own faith, you can’t really get there with oth- ers.” — Kathleen Curtin, St. Mary’s parish, Clinton Heights; youth minister at Holy Trinity and St. Michael’s, Cohoes Workshop: “Digital Discipleship” “It gave us a lot of good ideas. We really don’t do any- thing comput- er-wise with the kids. We don’t think like that. Spring Enrichment always gives me that push.” — Jaime Kosowicz, Holy Trinity parish, Johnstown Workshop: “Third Edition of the Roman Missal: Something Old is New Again” [The speaker] “had an excel- lent presentation. She gave information on what we are [currently] saying and what the changes are going to be. It gave me enough of the background to be able to answer questions parishioners may have.” — Elizabeth Schlesier, Christ Our Light parish, Loudonville Workshop: “How Catho- lics Read the Bible” “It gave me some more back- ground information and con- text. We looked at comparisons of the four Gospels and how they were geared toward differ- ent audiences. It will make it more mean- ingful when I’m reading the New Testament.” — Peg Schumacher, Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Albany Workshop: “Introduction to the Liturgical Year” “I didn’t real- ly have a good understand- ing of what the liturgical year was. The pre- senter broke it down into the Christian year being a year with God as its basis. The liturgical year really has no beginning or end. It’s in God’s time. I’m very time-oriented. To realize that there are other time frames that are not binding — it’s kind of comforting.” — Robert Ottavia- no, Immaculate Conception parish, Glenville Workshop: “Women of the Hebrew Scriptures” “Women get overlooked a lot when we think about Church. We’re mostly a patriarchal and hierarchical society. There are a lot more women mentioned in the Bible. Even though history is ‘his’ story, women did play a role in the Church.” — JR McGinn, Christ Our Light parish, Loudonville VIEWPOINTS Spring Enrichment participants reflect on workshops CURTIN KOSOWICZ SCHLESIER OTTAVIANO SCHUMACHER MCGINN During last week’s Spring Enrichment gathering at The College of Saint Rose in Albany, The Evangelist asked participants to talk about their favorite workshops. The four-day event brought together religious educators from across the Albany Diocese for courses on various aspects of faith. (ANGELA CAVE PHOTOS) THE SPRING ENRICHMENT CROSS

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(ANGELA CAVE PHOTOS) Workshop: “So what? Why It Matters that We Believe in God and Who That God Is” “It made me think about my own perceptions of God: Am I living to my full potential? I was going into it from a youth minis- ter’s point of view, but until you’ve looked into your own faith, you can’t really get there with oth- ers.” — Kathleen Curtin, St. Mary’s parish, Clinton Heights; youth minister at Holy Trinity and St. Michael’s, Cohoes SCHUMACHER MCGINN OTTAVIANO

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Page 1: Evangelist N10c #1

11May 26, 2011 TH E E VA NG E L I S T

BY ANGELA CAVES T A F F W R I T E R

Jim Moran’s blacksmithinghobby started four decades agowith a hair dryer, a hibachi grilland a handful of coal in hisDelmar backyard.

The makeshift forge he creat-ed evolved into a shed with a fullhearth and draft hood, and black-smithing turned into a passionfor Mr. Moran, a parishioner atSt. Thomas the Apostle Church.

Today, the retired environ-mental engineer is the residentblacksmith at Normanskill Farmin Albany, where he leadsdemonstrations for schoolchild-ren and community membersand takes requests for artworkand tools.

His most recent piece — across surrounded by leavesmade for the Albany Diocese’sSpring Enrichment gathering inmid-May — is just one exampleof his talent.

“It’s clay,” Mr. Moran said of thesteel and iron scraps he finds injunkyards, inherits from friendsor buys in stores. “I can make itinto whatever I want. That, tome, is the thrill of being a black-

smith: I can take a piece of metallying on the ground and turn itinto something useful.”

When he began the hobby, hiswife of 50 years, Maureen, wasjust happy he had an outlet forstress. “He could go out in thebackyard and beat out all hisfrustrations on a piece of metal,”she joked.

Mr. Moran has forged person-alized fireplace tools and chan-deliers, hooks and brackets, bird-feeders, coffin fixtures and evena lifelike snake he keeps in hiscar.

But his favorite subject seemsto be crosses: Different sizes andstyles hang on walls and gracetables in his house and in thehomes of friends and fellowparishioners. He recently hung aCeltic-influenced cross on thebrick exterior of the house.

Mrs. Moran noted that “a cou-ple of people have said, ‘That isperfect for your house. It epito-mizes what you and Jim areabout.’”

She describes her husband as“filled with faith” — especially ashe is her caregiver through theend stages of ovarian cancer.

“He is here. He is constant,”she said simply.

Mr. Moran, who tries to attendMass about three times a week,couches his faith in more subtleterms.

“I look upon the work some-times as my prayer,” he said ofblacksmithing, describing thecandle stands he made for hisparish. “If I’m fixing something atchurch — a broken pew or lights— then that’s my prayer.

“We are given gifts, and howwe use them is important.”

CROSS CREATOR

Blacksmith forges faith

AT LEFT, MR. MORAN AT WORK. Each month, he meets with a group of about 15 blacksmiths in Albany, training themon basics like lighting a fire and holding a hammer and complicated tasks like riveting and making tongs. Interest in the trade has resurfaced in recent years, he said. He attends international conferences for blacksmithingand enjoys meeting others like him when he vacations: “No matter where I go in the world, I find a blacksmith.”(Angela Cave photos)

‘I look upon the work sometimes as my prayer.’

Workshop: “So what? Why ItMatters that We Believe in Godand Who That God Is”

“It made me think about myown perceptions of God: Am I

living to myfull potential?I was goinginto it from ayouth minis-ter’s point ofview, but untilyou’ve lookedinto yourown faith, you

can’t really get there with oth-ers.” — Kathleen Curtin, St.Mary’s parish, Clinton Heights;youth minister at Holy Trinityand St. Michael’s, Cohoes

Workshop: “DigitalDiscipleship”

“It gave us a lot of good ideas.

We reallydon’t do any-thing comput-er-wise withthe kids. Wedon’t thinklike that.SpringEnrichmentalways givesme that push.” — JaimeKosowicz, Holy Trinity parish,Johnstown

Workshop: “Third Edition ofthe Roman Missal: SomethingOld is New Again”

[The speaker] “had an excel-lent presentation. She gaveinformation on what we are[currently] saying and what thechanges are going to be. It gaveme enough of the backgroundto be able to answer questions

parishionersmay have.” —ElizabethSchlesier,Christ OurLight parish,Loudonville

Workshop:“How Catho-lics Read the Bible”

“It gave me some more back-ground information and con-text. We looked at comparisonsof the fourGospels andhow theywere gearedtoward differ-ent audiences.It will make itmore mean-ingful whenI’m reading

the New Testament.” — PegSchumacher, Cathedral of theImmaculate Conception,Albany

Workshop:“Introductionto theLiturgicalYear”

“I didn’t real-ly have a goodunderstand-ing of whatthe liturgical year was. The pre-senter broke it down into theChristian year being a year withGod as its basis. The liturgicalyear really has no beginning orend. It’s in God’s time. I’m verytime-oriented. To realize thatthere are other time frames thatare not binding — it’s kind ofcomforting.” — Robert Ottavia-

no, Immaculate Conceptionparish, Glenville

Workshop: “Women of theHebrew Scriptures”

“Women get overlooked a lotwhen we think about Church.We’re mostly a patriarchal andhierarchical society. There are alot more women mentioned inthe Bible.Even thoughhistory is ‘his’story, womendid play a rolein theChurch.” — JRMcGinn,Christ OurLight parish,Loudonville

VIEWPOINTS

Spring Enrichment participants reflect on workshops

CURTIN

KOSOWICZ SCHLESIER

OTTAVIANO

SCHUMACHER

MCGINN

During last week’s Spring Enrichment gathering at The College of Saint Rose inAlbany, The Evangelist asked participants to talk about their favorite workshops. The

four-day event brought together religious educators from across the Albany Diocesefor courses on various aspects of faith.

(ANGELA CAVE PHOTOS)

THE SPRING ENRICHMENT CROSS