The Pope announced earlier today that he will elevate Msgr. Timothy Michael Dolan, Archbishop of New York, to Cardinal.

At the midday Angelus for the celebration of the Feast of the Ephiphany, Pope Benedict XVI announced a consistory for February 18th.

The consistory is a formal meeting of the Sacred College of Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church. Consistories are held in Vatican City for taking care of the business of the college. In this case, for the purpose of elevating 22 priests to Cardinal.

The cardinals to be created are:

1. Msgr. Fernando Filoni, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples;
2. Msgr. Manuel Monteiro de Castro, Major Penitentiary;
3. Msgr. Santos Abril Y Castellò, Archpriest of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major;
4. Msgr Antonio Maria Veglio, President of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People;

Temple Israel of New Rochelle plans to provide a unique model for early childhood education. Initiating its new Kehillah School for Early Learning this fall, it will offer the only Jewish early childhood program in either Westchester or Manhattan with the option of full-day, year-round education, it was announced by Senior Rabbi Scott B. Weiner. Registration is already underway for the September 12 start date.

This Reform Jewish community, which has been providing partial-day schooling for young children for more than 30 years, is now expanding the school to accommodate the needs of full-time working parents, while still catering to families wanting shorter school days for their children. Parents can enroll their children in Kehillah for partial or full days between the hours of 7AM to 7PM, for up to 12 months a year. Families have the opportunity to enroll six week old infants and children up to six years of age in this expanded program, so that siblings can be cared for and educated together under one roof. A rolling admissions policy will enable parents to enroll their children throughout the year.

New Rochelle police, earlier this morning, responded to a citizen complaint that a severed rabbit's head had been left on a bridge railing in Five Islands Park. A Talk of the Sound reader sent the following report via their Blackberry:

I was at 5 islands this morning and found a rabbit head on the railing of the first bridge of 5 islands. I wasn't sure if I should contact police or not so no report was filed by me. The rabbit head was clearly cut off by a person and left on the bridge due to the fact that the body was no where to be found.

By 11 a.m. when Talk of the Sound went to the location, police had removed the animal remains, according to a park employee. Police were still on the scene. The rabbit's head had been left on the second bridge which is also the first bridge inside the park.

Anyone who has passed the 114 year old Blessed Sacrament Church has noticed the scaffolding in the front of it. The repairs were needed on the front of the church because it is leaking when it rains or snows.

The Church had no money for this restoration which will cost about $970,000 but received a loan from the Archdiocese of New York and Bishop Dolan. Anyone wishing to donate can call their rectory at 632-3700 or mail to the rectory at 15 Shea Place, New Rochelle, NY 10801.

Noted Albany Law School professor Paul Finkelman will address the Constitutionality of Laws regarding Equality Issues at Temple Israel of New Rochelle’s third annual Pride Shabbat at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, June 24. A discussion will follow the service. The community is welcome.
 
Professor Finkelman is an expert in constitutional history and constitutional law, freedom of religion, the law of slavery, civil liberties and the American Civil War, and legal issues surrounding baseball. He has written extensively on Thomas Jefferson and on Abraham Lincoln.
 
He teaches constitutional law, with a particular interest in all dimensions of the First Amendment, and has written in the field of religion and the law. He was the chief expert witness in the Alabama Ten Commandments monument case and his scholarship on religious monuments in public spaces was cited by the U.S. Supreme Count. His scholarship on the Second Amendment has also been cited by the Supreme Court. In 2002, he was a key expert witness in the suit over who owned Barry Bonds’ 73rd home run ball.