The Cavalier Gym
Builders amidst the Ruins of our Times
It was hard to see the Cav gym (the old CYMA building) come down this past week. As I was watching, memories came back to mind.
These included grade school basketball practices, racing a friend up and down those symmetrical staircases, and family parties at the bowling alley. I enjoyed youth ministry pool tournaments held on the first floor and that is where I learned how to play the game of pool.
As I saw the building falling, I felt memories coming back. There was a conflict, or a tension, within my heart. It’s not that I felt old, it’s that I felt the past dissipating out of reach, and I didn’t like that feeling.
For many college students, the Cav gym was the place to be during winter breaks. Even other towns like Emporium, Johnsonburg, and Ridgway knew of the Cav gym and had made the trip to St. Marys just because they wanted to play.
The Cav gym may not have been the best basketball gym in the world as it often collected dust that gave it an atmosphere of antiquity. However, the Cav gym arguably had the best freezing-cold water fountain. In January or June, that water fountain had freezing-cold water.
A well-known tale is the broom that kept the back door of the Cav gym open years ago. A significant reason why so many local basketball teams have been excellent is because of that broom. When Elk Catholic won the basketball state championship in 2006, the broom that kept the back door open undoubtedly helped with their 33-0 sweep. How many other towns had a gym with a broom that always kept the door open for those who wanted to play hoops? The symbolism of that broom keeping the door open captures the hearts of many who grew up around here and had an openness and desire to play the game.
Earlier this past week, in the annex parking lot, I ate Vito’s for lunch with my dad and uncle. We watched as the Cav gym fell. Numerous others came and watched as well. In a sense, eating Vito’s was like tasting a part of St. Marys, and watching the Cav gym come down felt like a part of St. Marys was being lost.
It was during this moment when a phrase from Pope Francis consoled me. The Pope once said, “We must be builders amidst the many ruins of our time.” I could see the ruins of the Cav gym: the bricks, wood, parts of the gym floor, the windows, and the roof.
However, the Pope is not referring to just buildings, churches, or statues. Pope Francis is talking about the ruins of our own time: the decline in community, the loss of faith, and the dwindling of intergenerational dialogue to name just a few.
CS Lewis, the great English writer of the 20th century, believed that there was not enough desire among the people of his time. Lewis felt that as humans we ought to desire for more: for true love, for greatness, for exceptional adventure, for the Gospel virtues, and for perseverance to make the sacrifices necessary to achieve our God-given missions. We also, in our time, need to desire more Gospel greatness in the American culture.
The Cav gym building taught us all a very good lesson as it fell. The lesson was this: we must be builders amidst the many ruins of our time. We must do what the Cav gym did. As Catholics, we must be builders of community, real togetherness, and creating opportunities for human flourishing.
The wisdom of Pope Francis also sheds light on another dimension of understanding the ruins and dealing with time and change. We know that the present moment will not be exactly as the past was, and the future will not be exactly as this present moment is. The Pope is encouraging us to embrace change and to see new opportunities for being builders amidst the many ruins of our times.
Throughout this past week, numerous people grabbed a brick from the Cav gym building. Some would say that this is because they want a memento. The brick is a visible thing that points towards an invisible reality (all the memories, experiences, good times, etc).
However, I think people took a brick for a greater reason: because we all know that we are called to be builders amidst the ruins of our times. We all know deep down that we are responsible for one brick so to speak: that either we contribute to the building up of God’s kingdom with the talents, gifts, and blessings He has given us or we do not contribute.
We must keep a broom in the door of our hearts. This is not the time to be locked up and unwilling to see new opportunities. This is the time to let the broom be in the door of our hearts so that we might always be open to how the Holy Spirit is moving us to build.
Do you know what is needed to be built in your families, your neighborhoods, and this town? Pray for this grace to see what is needed to be built.
That is what the saints did. They were open to how God wanted them to build and they built what needed to be built amidst the ruins of their times.
It is probably not another building that needs to be built today. It is likely the building up of faith, hope, and love through community which is always needed in all times and all places.
Be a courageous builder of what truly needs to be built amidst the many ruins of our own time. This is what Catholics have always done.
Fr. Luke Daghir
Beautiful article! Hope you grabbed a brick!
Sad to see our history and past fade but a beautiful message comes from the ruins and words of Deacon Luke. I have fond memories coaching young DCC boys playing there who are now 30 year old young men making their way in life. ❤️