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From Frank Clynes, Jul 6, 2017
My career as photojournalist started in 1963 at WTEV-6, when they began their broadcast day. I'm not certain when the first live TV Mass aired, but do remember the gang of three coming in every week to produce it. Father's Hogan, Harrington and Driscoll. Not 100% sure of the third, but 'Driscoll' has a familiar ring. The Mass was our only live show and originated in the County Street studio. Live programs have to begin and end on time, not an easy task with an unscripted program, and with a different priest every week. One cameraman doubled as floor director and signaled the priest whether to pick up the pace or stretch a sermon. Same with communions, if too many were standing in line. On one occasion, the cameraman held up his finger to indicate there was only enough time for one more communion. The priest, seeing his finger in the air, assumed the cameraman wanted to receive, so he walked over and held the host up to the lens. Some viewers at home thought it was part of the service. After the first year, a new director was assigned to the Mass, who introduced a lot of creativity to the program. He used dissolves, split screens, super impositions, trucking shots with the studio camera moving left to right, while simultaneously zooming, etc. His name was Jim Fitzgerald, and we discovered the Mass was rapidly growing in viewership. Fr. Hogan told me the bishop was extremely pleased with the new changes, and wanted to award the TV Mass Director with the Order of St. Gregory. He asked me if Fitzgerald would like to receive it. I knew Jim would be very honored, but advised Hogan that Fitz wasn't Catholic. He thought about that for a minute, then said he saw no problem awarding it to an Episcopalian. I didn't see any problem either, except Fitz was a practicing Agnostic. We never heard any more about St. Gregory. Watch Msgr. Harrington on YouTube. |
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