[Magdalen] Seminary news

[Lynn Ronkainen]

Union became the new home of was what was left of EDS/Cambridge MA. It may 
only be Anglican Studies based on the info on the website(s).
L


website: www.ichthysdesigns.com

When I stand before God at the end of my life I would hope that I have not a 
single bit of talent left and could say, "I used everything You gave me." 
attributed to Erma Bombeck

"Mercy and compassion are more than personal options. They are the antidotes 
to that fear and hatred." Mark Singel


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From: "Grace Cangialosi" <gracecan at gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, March 05, 2019 1:58 PM
To: <magdalen at herberthouse.org>
Subject: Re: [Magdalen] Seminary news

> I was under the impression that General had merged with Union Seminary.
>
>> On Mar 5, 2019, at 2:34 PM, Lynn Ronkainen <houstonklr at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> Judy, the year before the 'dust up' with the 6 tenured staff being fired, 
>> I was told that General was no longer letting vendors on their campus, on 
>> orders from the Dean. He was in the business of re-inventing the 
>> seminary - financially, property wise (inside and out) and creatively 
>> re-thinking seminary education with a 'brand' which I think has attracted 
>> seminarians. I think he looked on the presence of  Vestment Vendors as 
>> Biblical 'sellers in the Temple'. Seriously.
>>
>> I started visiting/displaying there annually in 2002 and became very 
>> attached to the campus even though I stayed around the corner and down 
>> the street at The Leo House on 23rd st. I attended MP and EP and knew 
>> many of the Profs as they lived on campus. The year my display visit was 
>> declined initially, I contacted my 'contact' and sent a note about how 
>> much a part of the community I felt on my short annual visits, that I was 
>> a practicing Episcopalian and offered a service to the students... which 
>> apparently sent the Dean over the top as he thought/decided that all 
>> vendors had no place in an institution of learning (I heard from several, 
>> who I know well, after we were all forbidden to visit).
>>
>> I do think that General is on a better financial footing than they were 
>> for a while after their hoped-for master plan did not happen (more on 
>> that below). They got tied up in the legal requirements of historical 
>> accuracy for their much-needed repairs on the chapel and original 
>> buildings, which almost bankrupted them. The Tutu center was sold maybe 6 
>> years ago? to a large hotel name and fronts on 20th & 6th taking up a big 
>> corner on the SW part of the block. The frontage on 7th Ave was to have 
>> been a high-rise condo development owned by the Seminary, with income 
>> from sales benefitting the renovation but it was fought in court for a 
>> number of years (following the Donald Trump apartment high high-rises, 
>> also in the Chelsea area from the '70s that were much reviled due to 
>> their size) even though they kept lowering the number of floors until 
>> finally they sold the 7th Ave frontage which is now retail at street 
>> level and apartments or condos above but only moderately high.  Their 
>> main entrance (formerly the location of the dumpster access on 21st) 
>> morphed over the last 7 years and finally looks like the entrance to the 
>> secret garden but even when I visited to walk around the close last year 
>> there is still not a sign that is perpendicular to the building so that 
>> the location can be indentified by standing at either end of the long 
>> block... only a simple flat sign mounted over the entrance.  I think they 
>> are on a path toward a better financial situation.
>>
>> For me, all of this was another growing pain of living into changes 
>> everywhere, when I wish there weren't so many. Sigh.
>>
>> Lynn
>>
>> website: www.ichthysdesigns.com
>>
>> When I stand before God at the end of my life I would hope that I have 
>> not a single bit of talent left and could say, "I used everything You 
>> gave me." attributed to Erma Bombeck
>>
>> "Mercy and compassion are more than personal options. They are the 
>> antidotes to that fear and hatred." Mark Singel
>>
>>
>> --------------------------------------------------
>> From: "Judy Fleener" <fleenerj at gmail.com>
>> Sent: Tuesday, March 05, 2019 12:57 PM
>> To: <magdalen at herberthouse.org>
>> Subject: Re: [Magdalen] Seminary news
>>
>>> Do you visit General at all, Lynn?  When I read about Trinity and CDSP I
>>> was wishing it mifght have been General.  I'm not sure why.
>>>
>>>> On Tue, Mar 5, 2019 at 12:31 PM Lynn Ronkainen <houstonklr at gmail.com> 
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Did anyone read that Trinity Church NYC has bought CDSP? Interesting
>>>> development and life preserving for the seminary. Of additional note 
>>>> was
>>>> that EDS, late of Cambridge MA, had moved to Union Seminary in NYC 
>>>> (which I
>>>> was delighted to hear from a business standpoint and had just 
>>>> discovered
>>>> several weeks ago while poking around Union's website).
>>>>
>>>> Lynn
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> -- 
>>> Judy Fleener, ObJN,SSH
>>> Western Michigan
>>