Photos: 2015 but circa 1963

Mass: Omnes gentes, plaudite manibus. Whoa, charismatics (the other American Catholics who still go to Mass; sound on doctrine but I guess still sort of low-church); "we didn't mean that literally!" Fr. Patrick Brannan, a Jesuit, isn't assigned to the parish, which is run by Mercedarian friars. He's the oldest priest on my Mass's roster, doing a Low Mass partly because that's what he can handle (he couldn't genuflect today because of arthritis). He's one of our living links. Pre-conciliar Catholicism is actually a living tradition ("the Mass that would not die"); Fr. Brannan is passing the faith down to the grandkids of the other original people before the council. (We're a mix at Our Lady of Lourdes because we're a magnet of course: living links including someone born in the 1920s, grandkids who've discovered this faith, married with their own kids, Anglo-Catholic alumni, and black locals.) Today in his sermon he mentioned that he entered his order in 1950 (ordained in '63; Jesuit priests have a long formation). The priest who gave me moral theology went to seminary in northern New Jersey in the '50s; one of those unsung heroes who after Vatican II kept his head down but kept teaching the faith. Anyway, great: just like 50 years ago, a quick Low Mass then I have my whole day of rest ahead of me. Deo gratias.

Classic-car show by the Delco Cruisers, Media, Pa. There's something magical about these when they're in an old town.

1950 beauty: a black Mercury Eight coupe, essentially just like the 1949, one of the first postwar redesigns. Streamlined but still traditional, elegant, about to be rendered passé by the jet age but still popular: lead sleds. Got to have those fender skirts to be cool. Movie buffs love this car because of Rebel Without a Cause; I'm actually not a fan of either the movie or James Dean. (I know the cop car's a '66 Dodge Coronet. Close enough.)

'60 Fury: I admit that with the steering-wheel design, the trend of pretending your car is a jet fighter plane or a spaceship went too far!