Parade Shows Bias
A copy of the following letter was received by the Gazette. To Commissioner Raymond Kelly, NYPD: Catholics have rights.

A parade is scheduled for 1 p.m., Sunday, March 2, 2008, to start at 43d Street & Skillman Avenue, Sunnyside, to pass Queen of Angels Catholic Church at 44th Street, up Skillman Avenue to Woodside Avenue and pass St. Sebastian Catholic Church at Roosevelt & 58th Street. In previous years, musical groups have participated, with noisy drums, bugles and brass.

The parade has disturbed the 1 p.m. religious services in both Queen of Angels and St. Sebastian, and will do so again this year. However, last year was a chaotic climax. At about 2 p.m., as the parade reached St. Sebastian toward the end of mass, vehicular traffic was paralyzed. The 50 cars in the St. Sebastian parking lot could not exit, and cars arriving for Baptisms were unable to get through. It was a mess. Church Baptismal services were disrupted.

Catholic religious rights have been abused, and will be abused again. This abuse of our rights must stop.

I have a simple solution. Last year I suggested to 108th Community Affairs and to Community Board 2 that they propose to the NYPD that the permit for this year's parade authorize a starting time not before 3 p.m. Reasonable to me: Religious services are not disturbed, and 3 p.m. is still early afternoon for what is a very short parade, only a slight inconvenience to the parade, but a major convenience for Catholics. I did not ask to request a change of venue, nor a change of route, nor a change to a weekday, but simply a delay of only 2 hours. A 1 p.m. start abuses Catholic rights. A 3 p.m. start does not. However, the sponsor still insisted on a 1 p.m. start, and obtained a permit for same.

There is an anti-Catholic animus at work here. In the past, the sponsor has been offered a change of venue, a change of date, and this year a simple 2-hour change in the starting time- not to pass churches during religious services. The sponsor has been adamant: 1 p.m. not 3 p.m. past the Catholic churches- bugles blaring and drums pounding.

Commissioner Kelly, do justice. Postpone the parade start to 3 p.m. It is a simple solution. Thank you for your favorable consideration to my just request. Sincerely yours, Al Volpe Woodside