Sister Agnes Cecilia Kenna, C.S.J., a Sister of St. Joseph, Brentwood, L.I., for 77 years, died in Maria Regina Residence in Brentwood, on Nov. 14, 2015.

She entered the congregation in 1939 from St. Patrick Church, Long Island City.  She earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Manhattan College and a master’s from St. John’s University.

She taught at Mary’s Nativity, Flushing, 1941-43; St. Pascal Baylon, St. Albans, 1943-52; St. Francis de Sales, Belle Harbor, 1952-54; Sacred Heart Seminary, Hempstead, L.I., 1954-55; St. Angela Hall Academy, Clinton Hill, 1955-59; Queen of All Saints Diocesan H.S., Fort Greene, 1959-63; Sacred Heart Academy H.S., Hempstead, L.I., 1963-68; Bishop Kearney H.S., Bensonhurst, 1968-76; and Immaculate Conception, Jamaica, 1976-94. She retired in 2008.

A Mass of Christian Burial was held in Maria Regina Chapel, with interment in Calvary Cemetery.

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Sister Muriel Smithwick, C.S.J., a Sister of St. Joseph, Brentwood, L.I., for 72 years, died in Maria Regina Residence, Brentwood, Jan. 14.

She entered the congregation in 1944 from Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Sunset Park. She attended Manhattan College; and earned master’s degrees in education from Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vt., and in administration and supervision from Fordham University.

Formerly Sister St. Florence, her ministries included Queen of All Saints, Fort Greene, 1946-48; Sacred Heart Seminary, Hempstead, L.I., 1948-50; St. Angela Hall Academy, Clinton Hill, 1950-53; Visitation B.V.M., Red Hook, 1953-55; St. Francis de Sales, Belle Harbor, 1955-57; Blessed Sacrament, Cypress Hills, 1957-59; St. Brendan School, Midwood, 1959-62; and Bishop McDonnell H.S., Flushing, from 1962 to 1972.

She served as principal at St. Brendan H.S., Midwood, 1972-78; St. Joseph’s, Spring Valley, N.Y., 1979-82; St. Ursula, Mount Vernon, N.Y., 1982-85; St. Mary’s, Delano, Calif., 1985-86; St. Edmund H.S., Sheepshead Bay, 1986-95; St. Anthony H.S., Lakeland, Fla., 1995-96; and Most Holy Trinity, Hackensack, N.J., 1996-97.

She worked in administrative services for the Diocese of Brooklyn, 1978-79; served as assistant superintendent of the Archdiocese of Newark, Newark, N.J., 1997-99; and worked in the archdiocesan pastoral center, Newark, N.J., 1999-2003. She retired at a later date.

A Mass of Christian Burial took place in Sacred Heart Chapel, Brentwood, L.I., Jan. 20. Interment was in Calvary Cemetery.

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Sister Agnes Muriel Freligh, C.S.J., a Sister of St. Joseph, Brentwood, L.I., for 70 years, died in Maria Regina Residence in Brentwood, on Jan. 30.

She entered the congregation in 1946 from Our Lady of Perpetual Help parish, Sunset Park. She earned a bachelor’s degree in social studies from St. Joseph College, Clinton Hill, 1946, and later earned her master’s in education from St. Louis University, St. Louis, Miss., 1964.

She taught at St. Francis Xavier, Park Slope, 1948-49; St. Benedict Joseph Labre, Richmond Hill, 1949-52; Our Lady of Good Counsel in Bedford-Stuyvesant, 1952-53; Visitation B.V.M., Red Hook, 1953-54; St. Angela Hall Academy H.S., Clinton Hill, 1954-57, 1957-61; St. Cecilia, Greenpoint, 1957; and Stella Maris H.S., Rockaway Park, 1961-69.

She served as principal of St. Agnes Seminary, Marine Park, 1969-73, and assistant principal of Bishop Kearney H.S., Bensonhurst, 1973-93.

She served as an administrative assistant at Bishop Kearney H.S., from 1993 until her retirement in 2003.

A Mass of Christian Burial took place in Maria Regina Chapel, Brentwood, Feb. 3. Interment followed in Calvary Cemetery.

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Sister Anne Behre, C.S.J., a Sister of St. Joseph, Brentwood, L.I., for 74 years, died in Maria Regina Residence, Brentwood, on Jan. 13.

A graduate of Fontbonne Hall Academy, Bay Ridge, she entered the congregation in 1942 from Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Sunset Park.

She graduated from St. John’s University; received a master’s in deaf education from the State University of Buffalo and a doctor of education degree in administration and supervision from the Columbia University Teachers College.

Formerly known as Sister Agnes Vincent, she taught in Our Lady of Good Counsel, Bedford-Stuyvesant, 1943-44; St. Angela Hall Academy, Clinton Hill, 1944-46; Our Lady of Victory, Floral Park, L.I., 1946-48; St. Martin of Tours, Bushwick, 1948-49; Holy Name of Mary, Valley Stream, L.I., 1949-54; and was principal at St. Francis Xavier, Park Slope, 1954-60.

She pioneered the congregation’s work with the deaf at St. Francis de Sales School for the Deaf in Crown Heights from 1960 to 1981 as principal, superintendent and later as president of the Board of Trustees.

At St. Joseph’s College, Clinton Hill, she served on the Board of Trustees, 1969-75, and was a professor in the Child Study Department, 1981-2002.

She volunteered in St. Francis de Sales, Belle Harbor, and retired in 2008.

She was a recipient of a Caritas Award from the Diocese of Brooklyn for her dedication to education.

A Mass of Christian Burial was held in Maria Regina Chapel, Brentwood, Jan. 19. Interment followed in Calvary Cemetery.

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By Alexa Roberto and Isabella Spallino

As current seniors at The Mary Louis Academy (TMLA) in Jamaica Estates, we have had the opportunity to meet and interact with many wonderful sisters from the Congregation of Sisters of St. Joseph (C.S.J.), who sponsor our school.

We have taken part in C.S.J.- themed activities, such as workshops and retreats at the sisters’ motherhouse in Brentwood, L.I.; attended liturgies with the sisters; interacted with other C.S.J. high schools in Brooklyn, Nassau and Puerto Rico and helped the sisters at their retreat house. We have experienced firsthand the life and mission of the sisters at numerous events and occasions.

Since the order’s founding in Le Puy, France, in 1650, the Sisters of St. Joseph have dedicated their lives to serving God and God’s people in the community and the world. In the Diocese of Brooklyn, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Brentwood arrived in 1856. They have lived their lives by helping others in any way they can. All of the different services they provide have helped people of all ages.

We have learned much about the sisters, including those who founded the community and who worked in the diocese as teachers and nurses during the first part of the 20th century.

We were excited to honor them and all the work they did with a visit to Mt. St. Mary Cemetery in Flushing, which has a section for the Sisters of St. Joseph. At the cemetery, several TMLA students placed yellow roses on the graves of sisters who were affiliated with TMLA (the yellow rose is the traditional flower of the school), and red roses on the graves of all the other sisters.

Although the sisters have a large cemetery on the grounds of their motherhouse, more than 550 sisters are buried at Mt. St. Mary’s, which was originally part of St. Michael’s parish. These include the earliest founding sisters, such as Mother Mary Austin Keane, first superior of the sisters in Brooklyn. Also at rest there is Mother Mary DeChantal

Keating, who volunteered as a battlefield nurse during the Civil War. She was awarded a medal from the Grand Army of the Republic for her service and has a military marker denoting her burial spot. At TMLA, a wing was added to the school building in 1956 and was named DeChantal Hall in her honor.

Also buried in the sisters’ section is Father James O’Beirne, pastor of St. Michael’s parish, who welcomed the sisters to Flushing in 1860.

The original grave markers, which had deteriorated greatly over the last 150 years, were replaced with new headstones and detailed landscaping nearly a decade ago.

We learned so much about the sisters, past and present, and the service they have given to others. In return, we want to remember them and continue the service they started.

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In preparation for Holy Week, seventh and eighth graders from St. Pancras School, Glendale, above, presented the Stations of the Cross in church on Friday evening, March 18, following a parish fish fry sponsored by the Msgr. Sherman Knights of Columbus Council No. 5103. (Photo: Catherine Murawski)

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Our Lady of the Snows parish, North Floral Park, is planning a pilgrimage to the national Shrine of Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Mass., April 23. Participate in shrine activities: adoration, confession, Holy Mass, Chaplet of the Divine Mercy and veneration of St. Faustina’s relic. Cost: $60 per person, includes bus transportation and lunch. Call 718-347-6070.

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The Sisters of St. Joseph are hosting a Spring Liturgy and Luncheon at their Brentwood, L.I., home on April 24. Join the Sisters for Mass at 12:30 p.m. in Sacred Heart Chapel followed by a buffet luncheon. All proceeds will go toward supporting the Sisters’ ministries.

Call Tara Rogers for details and reservations at 631-273-1187 ext. 126.

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The Sheen Center, Manhattan, will present “The Original Image of Divine Mercy,” a documentary screenign and discussion on Thursday, March 31 at 7 p.m.  A team of documentary filmmakers traveled through Europe and the United States to uncover the untold story of the little-known original image of Divine Mercy, based on the mystical vision of St. Faustina.

The documentary features key witnesses to the mysterious case of this miraculous painting that survived the Soviet occupation of Lithuania, with exclusive commentary by Bishop Robert Barron, George Weigel, Harry Connick Jr., Jim Gaffigan, Christoph Cardinal Schönborn of Vienna, Stanislaw Cardinal Dziwisz of Kraków, Immaculee Ilibagiza, and special footage with Pope Francis.

The screening will be followed by a discussion with the filmmaker, Daniel DiSilva.

Tickets are $12 each and may be purchased online.

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As part of her Heart to Heart Ministry, Sister Ave Clark, O.P., is conducting an Alleluia Women’s Retreat at American Martyrs parish in Bayside, next Saturday morning, April 2. This mini brunch retreat runs from 9:45 a.m. to 12 p.m. and will incorporate the blessings of Easter as well as the Year of Mercy. The space is wheelchair accessible.

To register, call Sister Ave at 718-428-2471.

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This week’s Tip of the Tablet TALK Top Hat goes to Ruth B. Watt, from St. Clement Pope Church, Jamaica, on receiving the “Celebration of Life Award,” this Easter Sunday, March 27 following the 9:30 a.m. Mass. She’s being honored by the Traditional Choir as part of its 43rd anniversary festivities.

A longtime parishioner of St. Clement Pope, Watt supports the many activities and ministries in her church, especially the choir. She is also very active in the diocesan Vicariate of Black Catholic Concerns.

“She is a marvelous lady,” said the choir’s music director Exie Gaffney, who will help present a plaque to Watt for shining her light so brightly and generously in the world. Keep shining, Ms. Watt.

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Open your heart to the gift of the Divine Mercy in this Year of Mercy at St. Ephrem parish, Dyker Heights. The Divine Mercy Devotion runs from March 28 to April 2, with exposition, reflections of St. Faustina and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy each day at 2:45 p.m. On the Feast of Divine Mercy, April 3, recite St. Faustina’s Praises of the Divine Mercy and the Chaplet at 2:30 p.m., leading into the 3 p.m. Mass celebrated by Father Richard Bretone.

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Parade Honors for Queens CEO

Hats off to Bridget O’Brien, a parishioner at Holy Trinity, Whitestone, who represented Queens County in the NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade as an aide to the grand marshal. She was selected for this honor by the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians (LAOH) and the gentlemen of the Ancient Order of Hibernians.

She is the CEO and founder of Bridget O’Brien PR and Events, a Whitestone-based public relations company.
A member of LAOH Div. 15 and the LAOH County Board, she belongs to the parents’ association at Holy Trinity, the Queens Chamber of Commerce and the American Humane Society. Her biggest supporters are her husband Frank, and children Fallon and Desmond. (Photo: Dominick Totino)

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The Sisters of St. Joseph, Brentwood, L.I., elected its new Leadership Team that will guide the congregation for the next five years. The Sisters elected are, from left, Sister Joan Gallagher, principal of St. Joseph H.S., Downtown Brooklyn, councillor; Sister Elizabeth Hill, president emeritus of St. Joseph’s College, Brooklyn, councillor; Sister Helen Kearney, reelected as president; Sister Kathleen McKinney, principal of The Mary Louis Academy, Jamaica Estates, councillor; and Sister Teresa Fitzgerald, founder and director of Hour Children, a non-profit organization serving women offenders and their children, councillor.

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As an ongoing response to the Year of Consecrated Life, St. John’s University’s Campus Ministry and the Vincentian Vocation Office commemorated the World Day of Prayer for Vocations by hosting the inaugural Sisters’ Nite at the Sunday Night Student Mass on April 17. The purpose of Sisters’ Nite, similar to Brothers’ Nite held last January and Religious Priests’ Nite held in October, was to let the students see, meet and pray with a number of Sisters serving the local Church.

Representing six different congregations, 15 Sisters gathered together in the university Church of St. Thomas More on the Jamaica campus. After Communion, Michelle Hoffman, a Daughter of Charity postulant, shared her discernment story with the students. Present were representatives of the Daughters of Charity, Sisters of St. Joseph, Sisters of St. Dominic, Presentation Sisters, Carmelite Sisters and Little Sisters of the Poor. The celebrant of the Mass was Father Sean Sukiel, diocesan vocation director. The event was coordinated by SJU Campus Minister Brother Mike Sheerin, F.M.S.

(Photo courtesy Brother Mike Sheerin, F.M.S.)

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Religious sisters and brothers marking significant anniversaries in religious life were honored at a Jubilee Mass by Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio at the Immaculate Conception Center in Douglaston, May 22.

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(Click on photos to enlarge.)

Photos by Marie Elena Giossi

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Sister Alice Francis Young, C.S.J., 101, a member of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph, Brentwood, L.I., for 84 years, died July 6 in St. Joseph College Convent in Clinton Hill.

She entered the congregation from Our Lady of Angels parish, Bay Ridge. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology/education followed by a master’s in curriculum/teaching from Teachers College-Columbia University and an master’s in child development from the University of Minnesota.

She was assigned to Our Lady of Sorrows School, Corona, 1934-36, followed by the remainder of her ministerial life at St. Joseph College, Brooklyn, as a professor of child development until 2000.

As a master teacher at St. Joseph College for over 40 years, she helped educate thousands of children and gave them the ability to reach their potential.

As part of the Congressional Record of the 112th Congress, she received special recognition for her outstanding contribution to education by the United States Senate.

Interment was in Calvary Cemetery, Brentwood.

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Sister Teresa (Tesa) Fitzgerald, C.S.J., executive director of Hour Children, is receiving the Kathleen Slattery Woman of the Year Award.

The daughter of Irish immigrants who worked on a Long Island estate, she attended St. Joachim School in Cedarhurst, L.I., and then Sacred Heart Academy in Hempstead, L.I., where she met the Sisters of St. Joseph, Brentwood, L.I.

She entered the congregation after high school and spent much of the next three decades in education. She taught at Catholic elementary schools, was principal of St. Vincent de Paul School, Williamsburg and was responsible for N.Y.S. curriculum oversight in the Brooklyn diocesan Catholic Schools Office.

She was involved in the founding of Hour Children when she became a foster parent in 1989 to eight children of incarcerated mothers at the convent where she lived. In 1996, Hour Children became a 501 (c)(3) organization offering supportive services to other children of incarcerated mothers and the mothers themselves.

In addition to being an educator, she is a certified foster care trainer.

Sister Tesa was named a CNN Hero in 2012, and a White House Champion of Change the following year. In 2014, she received the Opus Prize, the world’s most prestigious faith-based humanitarian award. Last year, she received the Papal Honor of the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Cross.

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Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Astoria held its 175th anniversary dinner/dance at Riccardo’s by the Bridge on Oct. 8 with close to 200 parishioners in attendance.
Among the clergy in attendance, from left to right, were Father Wlad Kubrak, parochial vicar; retired Father Joe Pham, who served the parish for 34 years in residence; Father John Harrington, who is in residence; Bishop Raymond Chappetto, a native son; Bishop Paul Sanchez, a former pastor; Father Peter Nguyen, parochial vicar and Msgr. Sean G. Ogle, pastor. This distinguished group is standing behind arrangements of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and the parish crest made by the Mexican community floral committee. (Photo: Kenrick Bobb)

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This Saturday, Oct. 22, St. John’s University’s School of Law is partnering with the local Navy Operational Support Center to host the 2016 Vets and Pets Charity 5K Run/Walk on the university’s Jamaica campus.
Race begins at 10 a.m. and proceeds will go to the Navy Safe Harbor Foundation and local animal shelters. Entry fee: $15. Enter at Gate 1.
For more details, e-mail Maureen Mulligan-Gillespie at mulligam@stjohns.edu.

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On Tuesdays in November, Msgr. Fernando Ferrarese will present “Viva Verdi: Explorations and Celebration of the Great Master,” three evenings exploring the work of the great Italian opera composer.
Classes will explore Verdi’s early and middle period (Nov. 1) and his late period (Nov. 8). Sessions are free and will be held in Immaculate Conception’s lower church, Astoria, at 7 p.m.
Series will culminate Nov. 22 with a trip to the Metropolitan Opera for a performance of Verdi’s “Aida.” Reservations for the show may be made at the first class. Call 718-728-1613.

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Shred old papers, donate clean used clothing, get rid of any old televisions, computers and electronics, this Saturday, Oct. 22.
State Sen. Martin Golden is partnering with non-profit and governmental agencies to offer free shredding, electronic-waste recycling and clothing donation services in the parking lot of Our Lady of Angels Church, Bay Ridge, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call the senator’s office at 718-238-6044.

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A recital of works by French composers will be performed at St. Francis Xavier Church, Park Slope, by parish organist Michael Kaminski on Oct. 30 at 5 p.m. General admission is $20; $10 for seniors and students. Proceeds will go to the Brooklyn Chapter of the American Guild of Organists’ scholarship fund.

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Dr. Kenneth L. Parker will present the Brooklyn Oratory of St. Boniface’s annual Baronius Lecture in Church History on Wednesday, Nov. 9.
The Brooklyn Heights church sponsors this lecture, which is titled, “The Sense of the Faithful in the Development of Doctrine: John Henry Newman’s Influence in the Era of Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis.”
Dr. Parker, whose research includes studies of Newman, currently serves as interim executive director of the National Institute for Newman Studies. For details, contact the Oratory Church at 718-875-2096.

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Get your little ones’ costumes ready! Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens’ is sponsoring its second annual Halloween Bash at Our Lady of Solace Church, Coney Island, on Oct. 25, from 4 to 6 p.m. in the gym.
This free event, hosted by CCBQ’s Community Program Services, will include a pumpkin patch, activity stations, crafts, information resources and snacks for children, ages 5-12.
Call 718-726-9790.

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This week’s Tip of the Tablet TALK Top Hat goes to all who supported the 21st annual Golf Classic of the Sisters of St. Joseph, Brentwood, L.I., last month. More than $188,000 was raised to support the Sisters’ mission and ministries.

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Anyone who has recently lost a loved one is invited to attend a Memorial Prayer Service in the Sacred Heart Chapel of St. Francis de Sales Church, Belle Harbor, on Nov. 19 at 11 a.m.
Sponsored by the parish’s Bereavement Ministry, the service will be followed by light refreshments.

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Regina Opera Company presents its “Gotta Sing” Concert” on Oct. 30 at 3 p.m. in the auditorium of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Sunset Park.
This two-hour concert of opera arias and ensembles and Broadway hit tunes will be performed by Regina Opera’s five leading singers: Zhanna Alkhazova (inset) and Sabrina Palladino, sopranos; Lara Tillotson, mezzo-soprano; Benjamin Sloman, tenor; and Andrew Cummings, baritone. Accompanying the singers will be flutist Richard Paratley, and pianist Maxine Feldman.
Tickets are $12 for general admission; $5 for teens and free for children. For tickets and more information, call 718-259-2772 or visit www.reginaopera.org.

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Send Tablet TALK items to megiossi@desalesmedia.org.

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Sister Mary Preenika Dabrera, C.S.J., a graduate of St. Joseph’s College in Clinton Hill, professed her final vows of chastity, poverty and obedience with the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph, Brentwood, L.I., at the Sacred Heart Chapel in the Motherhouse on Oct. 15.
Sister Mary Preenika, 35, moved with her sister to New York from Sri Lanka when she was 18, and entered the Sisters of St. Joseph novitiate in May 2011. She earned her bachelor’s degree in organizational management from St. Joseph’s College in 2014. She currently works as a clinical pastoral education (CPE) student at New York Methodist Hospital, Park Slope.
Pictured, from left, Sisters Mary Walsh, Virginia Murtha, Mary Preenika and Congregation President Sister Helen Kearney on the day of Sister Mary Preenika’s final vows. (Photo: Sisters of St. Joseph, Brentwood, via Facebook)

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Auxiliary Bishop Guy Sansaricq will be visiting St. Columba Church, Marine Park, for a Night of Praise and Worship with healing prayers and songs on Friday, Nov. 11.
Sponsored by the diocesan Charismatic Renewal and hosted by the parish prayer group, the evening begins at 7:30 p.m. and Revelation 23 will provide the music. For more details, call Josephine at 718-377-4101.

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The Little Sisters of the Poor in Queens Village will host their annual Holiday Craft Fair on Saturday, Nov. 5 at Queen of Peace Residence.
Find handmade gifts for all ages and occasions at the fair, which runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
All proceeds will benefit the residents of Queen of Peace.
For more information, call 718-464-1800 or email qpdevelopment@littlesistersofthepoor.org.

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Father Kavungal Davy, C.M.I., pastor of St. Anthony-St. Alphonsus, Greenpoint, has been named delegate superior of the new Carmelites of Mary Immaculate religious community delegation in the U.S. and Canada, which was established earlier this month.
Among the 2,000 priests in the C.M.I. community, 110 are currently serving in the U.S. and Canada. Six of them serve in the Diocese of Brooklyn and Queens.

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Love to craft or bake? Have something you make that is uniquely yours?
Maybe it’s time to share your creations. Vendors are wanted for a Craft Fair and Bake Sale, Dec. 3-4 at St. Thomas the Apostle parish, Woodhaven. To reserve your space, call the parish at 718-847-1353.

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Peter Lovett, treasurer of the Commodore Barry Club of Brooklyn, will be honored when the club hosts its annual social and dance, Nov. 6 at St. Patrick’s parish, Bay Ridge.
Event runs from 4 to 8 p.m. and will feature Irish and international tunes as well as light refreshments. Tickets are $30. Call Mary Nolan, 718-833-3405, or Mary Lennon, 917-520-2868.

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Laboure School Thinks Pink

This week’s Tip of the Tablet TALK Top Hat goes to the Catherine Laboure Special Education Program in Canarsie for raising awareness about breast cancer this month.
Dressed in pink with Principal Mary Nafash, above, the students took laps around the school gym to raise awareness about this deadly disease. They also held a cupcake sale. In all, students collected over $100 that will be donated to the American Cancer Society. Way to go! (Photo courtesy of Catherine Laboure School)

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In 2017, Maria Regina Residence, a fully accredited and licensed residential health care facility located on the campus of the Motherhouse of the Sisters of St. Joseph, Brentwood, L.I., will be celebrating its 50th anniversary. As part of the planned celebratory events, a one-day conference, “Women, Faith and Finance,” will be offered there on Wednesday, Jan. 18, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Snow date: Jan. 25.) To register or for more information, contact Carrie Behlen in the mission advancement office at 631-273-1187 ext. 125 or behlen@csjbrentwood.org.

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More than 250 people enjoyed hearing The Long Island Choral Society, directed by Meredith E. Baker, present Handel’s “Messiah,” the Christmas portion, and “Hallelujah Chorus” at St. Mary’s Church, Long Island City, Dec. 4. Parishioners and children joined in the singing of carols. In addition to a free-will offering, months of fundraising for this event was spearheaded by Robert Vogel, former director of music and organist. (Photo: George Pandelakis)

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The Ukrainian Chorus Dumka of New York will perform a concert of Christmas carols in English and Ukrainian at St. Mark Church, Sheepshead Bay, this Saturday, Dec. 17 after the 5 p.m. Mass. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for students. Children under age 14 are admitted for free.

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This week’s Tip of the Tablet TALK Top Hat goes to some people in Queens and Brooklyn who made the Thanksgiving holiday special for their neighbors in need.
The Msgr. Dillon Knights of Columbus Council No. 5872 in Whitestone, in cooperation with College Point’s St. Ambrose Council No. 1463, co-hosted a food drive for the needy.
Knights collected an amazing 750 pounds of food for local food pantries, $300 in donations for families and $350 to purchase holiday turkeys for the needy. These two councils have been hosting this charitable drive for the last two years.
And in Gravesend, Our Lady of Grace Church has good-hearted parishioners who helped feed a group of homeless men and women on Thanksgiving Day.
This effort included transportation, which was donated by Cadillac Bus Company, and coordinated by parishioners Mimi Camera and Tony Datilo. Some turkeys and trays of food were donated by A & S Pork Store.
More turkeys were donated by Ann Cianci and Fern Rossi, with food also coming from the Sister Jane Talbot Pastoral Ministry Office.
The project was spearheaded by Jaime McFarland.

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Good news from the Sisters of St. Joseph, Brentwood, L.I.: On #GivingTuesday, they received nearly $4,000 in donations to help fund an upcoming convent renovation.

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Still looking for something fun to do on Dec. 31?
Ring in the new year over a hot buffet dinner and dessert with Holy Name of Jesus parish, Park Slope, starting at 8 p.m.
Make some noise and enjoy a Champagne toast while wearing party hats and tiaras and music to take you from 2016 to 2017. Games, crafts and indoor basketball are available for children.
Tickets are $55 per adult and $15 per child. Free child ticket for every paid adult. Reserve seats by Dec. 28. Call 347-383-2179.

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New Altar Servers in Astoria

On the second Sunday of Advent at St. Francis of Assisi, Astoria, five boys and girls were installed as altar servers by Msgr. Ralph Maresca, pastor, far right, along with Deacon Nick Scarlatto, at left. Congratulations to the new servers: Allison, Giulia, Gianna, Denis and Andrew. (Photo courtesy of St. Francis of Assisi Church)

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People of diverse faiths gathered on Sunday, Jan. 22 at Sacred Heart Chapel, on the grounds of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Brentwood, L.I., to pray for the U.S. government to accelerate its response to climate change.

The vigil was linked with over 50 similar vigils and dozens of other actions nationwide under the banner of the People’s Climate Movement, a coalition of environmental, labor, environmental and racial justice, faith, student and other organizations.

Joining the Sisters were representatives of their academy and their families; St. Joseph College; CSJ associates; co-ministers and neighbors.

“We stand at the threshold of a new era for our planet and in the climate movement; a time that will require courage, resilience and faith,” said Sister Joan Gallagher, C.S.J., a member of the vigil planning committee.

“At the start of this new era, we need to join together as one, grounded in our faith traditions that help us process our grief, our anger, our fear, and equip us with the hope and strength that will sustain us as we bear witness to the needs of the world and its people.

“In the first 100 hours of our country’s new administration it is important for us to be united with others and join in prayer and action for our planet, for good jobs in a clean energy economy and for the protection of vulnerable communities.”

Those gathered prayed to reconcile any harm done to one another, to living creatures and to Earth. Prayers were offered for politicians and leaders so they may act in the best interests of all nations, and all peoples in the future, in order to avoid catastrophic changes that would make all life vulnerable.

All in attendance then recommitted themselves to bring peace to those who suffer harm, to bring love to those who suffer hate and to bring justice to those who suffer need.

Diverse Voices Speaking Out

Sister Helen Kearney, C.S.J., congregational president, said, “I was in awe of the chorus of diverse voices who called upon God, the source and sustainer of all life, to empower all of us to work as one to sustain our planet, protect vulnerable communities and speak out for justice for all.”

The vigils were coordinated nationally by GreenFaith, Interfaith Power and Light, the Franciscan Action Network, and other religious-environmental networks. Local faith partners will now turn their sights and work to participate in an April 29 People’s Climate Movement mobilization which will take place in Washington, D.C., and around the country.

“What’s happening with the Earth’s climate is not okay,” said Sister Joan. “We want to make sure that our leaders know that we want and expect them to act on behalf of all life.”

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by Sister Karen Cavanagh, C.S.J. 

“WHETHER WE GAZE with longing into the garden or with fear and trembling into the desert, of this we can be sure – God walked there first!” – James Healy

With new ashes upon our heads and a mandate to “return to God with all our hearts,” we come to this Lent 2017. We pray God walks ahead and alongside us as we begin this journey of repentance and mercy.

Last December, I attended morning Mass at my motherhouse in Brentwood, L.I. In the homily, Father Brian likened Advent and Lent to “sprint” times in the Church’s year. I must admit that viewing Olympic races from an easy chair or relays and practices from a school bleacher are my only experiences of sprinting. I do walk more than I used to, but I don’t ever run, not even slowly!

The “sprint” image became meaningful again as I prepared for these reflections. Seeking to expand my “sprint” understanding, I spoke to Meagan, who is a track coach, and with one of my parish co-ministers, Father John, who runs very early in the morning. I have not begun running (I am sure I never will), but I did get the picture. A sprint is a shorter, faster run in which all energy systems and increased oxygen are combined and exercised to increase endurance, speed and strength necessary to reach a goal faster.

Journey From Temptation

Last Wednesday, our foreheads were marked for this Lenten “sprint” of 40 days. In it, we’re challenged to exercise all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, all our spirit and every fiber of our being as we journey with Jesus. The Church offers rich symbolism, vivid Scriptures, powerful practices and merciful hope to “oxygenate” and motivate our hearts, souls, minds, spirits and beings. We’re reminded by the ashen cross that the journey (the run, the race) is for all of us (“blow the trumpet, call an assembly, gather the people”) and that God is with us, constantly loving, forgiving, slow to anger and rich in kindness.

Today’s readings bring us to the garden where evil begins that cunning invitation to power, control, self-concerned desire and the blaming of the other for our own weakness or sin. It is from this place that we’re invited during this Lenten season to journey from temptation to transformation. This Sunday reminds us that the way and route must be through an honest look at our lives, and those drier deserts where we continue to face the tempter. The Gospel shows how the spirit of evil tells Jesus – and us – “You can have it all.”

Sin is a choice. In our lives and in our journeys, we will find those smaller or larger obstacles that could deter our spirits from the right choice and final goal. The more we choose sin, the more difficult it is to see and choose the grace (oxygenation) that enlivens our hearts, souls, minds and spirits. Jesus chose God.

In church today we are given another vivid image. Through the RCIA, men and women throughout the world are being “chosen” for initiation and full communion. These brothers and sisters have chosen – and have been chosen – to turn their lives to God. You and I are called and chosen, over and over, to return our lives to God. Jesus, God’s Own and Chosen One, shows us the path, the route, the stamina, the resistance needed to follow the mission.

A Personal Transformation

We are invited to enter into this Paschal Mystery with Him. Lent recalls salvation history and encourages a personal response and participation in bringing that history and Mystery forward. The grace (oxygenation and life force) that makes any such choice possible is that we are never alone. Our God – Who was there in the garden, Who continually reminded our ancestors in the faith, Who was there in the desert with Jesus – is with us always.

Sadly, the world today bears much resemblance to the world of our ancestors. We see and hear terror, war, violence, hunger for food and hunger for power, exclusion, oppression and negative “isms” of every kind. Our call is to choose with every fiber of our being to change that. It’s a scary and difficult call. We trust that God – Who assumed our nature, became like us and knows our fears and desires – is with us always, moves with us and is “the wind beneath our wings.”

Happy sprinting!

“… And when we who have sinned and despoiled the garden are challenged now to face the desert, we do not face it alone; Jesus has gone there before us to struggle with every demon that has ever plagued a human heart. Face the desert we must if we would reach the garden, but Jesus has gone there before us.” – James Healy

Readings for the First Sunday of Lent

Genesis 2: 7-9; 3: 1-7

Psalm 51: 3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 17

Romans 5: 12-19 or

Romans 5: 12, 17-19

            Matthew 4: 1-11

Sister Karen Cavanagh, C.S.J., a trained spiritual director and retreat facilitator, is a pastoral associate/family minister at St. Nicholas of Tolentine parish, Jamaica.

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by Sister Karen Cavanagh, C.S.J. 

“WHOEVER DRINKS the water I give will never thirst … will have a spring of water deep inside (John 4) … If today you hear God’s voice, harden not your hearts.” (Psalm 95)

Today in parishes throughout our diocese, nation and universal Church, thousands of men and women begin the final preparation for the Easter sacraments. We, their millions of brothers and sisters, multilingual, multicultural and multiethnic, join and stand in solidarity with them. At the Easter Vigil they will embrace our Catholic faith and be one with us in baptism, confirmation and Eucharist.

These next weeks are meant to help the “elect” look closely (scrutinize) at their personal weaknesses and sin so that Jesus’ mercy and freedom strengthens their desire and fidelity in this journey. The rites are primarily meant for the “elect and candidates,” but they are also meant for you, for me and for the entire Church. The “run,” the “race,” the “sprint” is for all of us. These rites and readings invite and “oxygenate” all of us for that recommitment to our own baptismal promises.

Journey Through the Desert

Today’s readings and prayers held up for our reflection offer powerful images of water as a sign of life. This water is a sign of destruction, purification (cleansing) and God’s awesome power in the world and within our souls. We journey through the desert with ancestors in the faith and hear their grumbling, disillusionment and anger toward God and toward their leader. In desert times and in arid lands, where people thirst, the lack of water is destructive and deadly to body and spirit. God reminds them and allays Moses’ desperation with “water from a rock.”

God says, “I will be in front of you” on this journey. But our God, Who made streams to gush from a rock and quenched thirst with waters like rivers, continued to be tested by our ancestors in the desert.

“Can God set a table in the wilderness? (Psalm 78) they cry as the foods of Egypt look so rich in hunger’s eyes and memory. Falling from trust, they long for the past and forget their liberation from slavery. Are not these waters from rock a rich symbol of liberation and passage from death to life?

Psalm 95, our responsorial, is our prayer on this journey toward recommitment. “If today, you hear God’s voice, harden not your hearts.” On this day, I hear that response in a new way because I’m in a new place.

This reflection was written two weeks ago and as it goes to press this week, I am away from Brooklyn and Queens. With others from the Federation of Sisters of Saint Joseph, I am blessed to participate in an experience of mission immersion in Haiti. I am seeing up close and personally a hope in the midst of extreme poverty, a trust in the midst of terrorizing destruction and healings in the midst of what you and I might think as hopeless disease and death-defying illness. As the people of Haiti live the passion of Jesus in their homes and bodies, they proclaim a steadfast faith and trust.

Followed God’s Dream

Today is St. Joseph’s Day and our feast as Sisters of St. Joseph. In Joseph we honor a man who, filled with questions, fear and great faith, followed God’s dream and his own thirst for God’s grace working in his life. Tonight, we will gather for Eucharist and table sharing with Passionist Father Rick Frechette, who is a doctor, and our Haitian brothers and sisters at St. Damien Pediatric Hospital. We will celebrate and glorify God’s power working in and through a people of hope. We will pray for God’s grace and working in our own lives.

Outsider Turned Disciple

You and I, my companion travelers and our “candidates” and “elect” throughout the world find a model and lesson in today’s Gospel. We see a “foreigner,” a Samaritan woman, an “outsider” encountering the Source of Living Water. At a well Jesus invites her to look deeply into her own life. She sees Jesus and His words as refreshment and cleansing for her new life. “Come and see” is her message, and disciple is her new name. She embraces discipleship and carries the message: “Come and see the One who knows me through and through.”

We all thirst on the journey, even those of us not “sprinting” or running. We ask refreshment and cleansing as we live in a world and a country so in need of this Source of Living Water.

May these words encourage our journey: “There is a really deep well inside of me. And in it dwells God. Sometimes I am there too. But more often stones and grit block the well, and God is buried beneath. Then God must be dug out again” (“An Interrupted Life: The Diaries of Etty Hillesum 1941-43”), and “I am a vessel. The draught is God’s. And God is the thirsty One.” (“Markings” by Dag Hammarskjold, 1964).

May we hear today’s responsorial psalm and beg God to soften, reshape and redirect our hearts. Let us pray for each other this week.

Readings for the Third Sunday of Lent

Exodus 17:3-7

Psalm 95: 1-2, 6-7, 8-9

Romans 5: 1-2, 5-8

John 4: 5-42 or John 4: 5-15, 19B-26, 39A, 40-42

Sister Karen Cavanagh, C.S.J., a trained spiritual director and retreat facilitator, is a pastoral associate/family minister at St. Nicholas of Tolentine parish, Jamaica.

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by Rita Piro

CSJ, RSM, OP, SC, OSB, SND, OSF, DW, CSFN and more…Whatever the post-nominal letters that follow their names, they all signify the same thing: a Catholic sister ministering to the people of God.

Last week in the United States, we celebrated National Catholic Sister Week. At one time, women religious were ubiquitous in our diocese. Their presence in our schools, parishes and neighborhoods was welcomed and respected. Even non-Catholics sought to count the sisters among their friends, business associates and neighbors. For many, the life of a sister may seem anachronistic and irrelevant. If so, it may very well be because they do not know many of them.

Educated from grade school through graduate school by three of the largest congregations of women religious in the U.S., I have spent almost all of my adult life in co-ministry with the Sisters of St. Joseph of Brentwood. Daily I work side by side with sisters who are old enough to have taught me as a young child, yet who continue their ministry as educators with the same fervor and dedication as when they were first starting out as novice teachers.

Each day I interact with sisters from varied congregations who are spearheading initiatives and leading pro-active programs in criminal justice, anti-trafficking, race relations, gender equality, child care, sustainable living, immigration and numerous other endeavors that seek to bring all in union with God.

As they have been since their inception centuries ago in other lands, these varied communities of sisters are especially concerned for the poor, the disenfranchised and those living on the margins of society.

Communities of religious sisters were among the first to embrace technology as a means of connecting with God’s people. Sisters took to Twitter and Facebook as easily and successfully as they did to blackboards and chalk. Nearly all religious communities maintain interactive websites that permit anyone to journey with them through prayer, petition, readings, reflections, videos, photos, streaming liturgies and prayer services, and more.

Many so-called “retired” sisters are just as active in and dedicated to their ministries as auxiliary helpers as they were in their years as full-time workers. Those sisters who are no longer able to physically meet the needs of others through active ministry are blessed with the presence of their sisters in community who joyfully care for them with love and compassion as they remind us of the dignity of all life.

For the sisters, it is and always has been about relationships – with God, with each other and with the greater world. In honoring them, we should not be content to simply remember them fondly, waxing nostalgic about habits and rosaries, choirs and Christmas pageants. Rather, we must affirm their presence in our world with our support – spiritually, physically and materially – as they put forth the mercy, compassion and outreach so necessary today.

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(Photos: Marie Elena Giossi/ For copies of photos, email megiossi@desalesmedia.org)

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