EAGLE’S WINGS

 

A Bi-Annual Newsletter Published by St. John the Evangelist R.C. Church   

 

Spring/Summer 2016

Volume 20, Number 1

Parish Gives Thanks For Fr. Walter Kedjierski

A Message From Our Pastor

Fr. Walter with his parents, Walter and Elaina Kedjierski.

“Some people come into our lives and then quickly go. Some people move our souls to dance. They awaken us to a new understanding with the passing whisper of their wisdom. Some people make the sky more beautiful to gaze upon. They stay in our lives for awhile, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same.” (Flavia Weedn) With hearts that will never, ever be the same, St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church and Our Lady Queen of Apostles School bids a fond farewell to our beloved Pastor, Father Walter Kedjierski. He will be leaving at the end of June for a new assignment at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington. During a dinner conversation, in June 2010, with his friend Father Rob Ketcham, Father Walter learned that he was going to be assigned to our parish, St. John’s. Ordained by the Diocese of Rockville Centre in June 2002, he joined us as Pastor. It turned out to be a tremendous fit and Father Walter has been delighted with the journey. (continued on Page 5)

Lessons Learned At St. John the Evangelist By Fr. Walter F. Kedjierski “Go on your way, behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.” ~Luke 10:3 When I arrived here at St. John the Evangelist, back in 2010, I did not know what paths the Lord would put before me. I was very optimistic about the future, and enthusiastic to begin my first pastorate after only eight years of priesthood. Now, I’m on my fourteenth year as a priest, and I’m completing a full six-year term as your pastor. As I think about the past six years, a smile comes to my face, as I remember all of the joyful moments spent together. These six years, while not always easy, have been a blessing. I give thanks to God for allowing me to come here. I knew that this was a special parish before I arrived. I came here, for the first time, to concelebrate the first Mass of my friend, Father Rob Ketcham. I knew that if a parish could produce such an extraordinary vocation as his, that it must be a very special place. I also knew about the influence Msgr. McDonald had on the parish and was very happy to see how he helped so many of you live your Catholic faith, without apology. Father Henry Leuthardt was ordained right before I arrived here. Any parish that produces such an abundance of vocations to the priesthood is indeed a healthy and faith-filled parish. How could I have possibly imagined that there is such tremendous goodness here? There was never a project I thought about doing for which I did not receive enough help. When I was installed, we had our first parish Fall Festival with a Ministry Fair. Everyone stepped up to the plate. I was so happy when parishioners approached me to begin the “Welcome Home” ministry, that seeks to reach out to people who are not involved in the parish. They have done so much to make this parish a more welcoming place. Given the foundation that had been laid here by my predecessors, I was not surprised that everyone rejoiced at the news that we would have scheduled confessions heard at the parish seven days a week. I was overcome with gratitude when a fine team of volunteers stepped up to make the Traditional Mass in Latin a vibrant reality in our parish, that is well organized and (continued on Page 7)

St. John the Evangelist

Center Moriches, NY

From retreats to service projects, St. John’s Life Teen has had a busy year so far, with a trip to Steubenville NYC scheduled for this coming June and plenty of summer fun ahead. This year started out with the honor of being featured on the front page of the newsletter for the Life Center. As many may remember, the parish has participated in the baby bottle project the last few years. The project occurs between Mothers' Day

The Sisters of Life visited in March. In addition to pizza & Q&A, the Sisters were excited to play basketball with our youth.

stage. In the winter, Life Teen also teamed up with the Knights of Columbus during their annual “Feed the Hungry” night. During Lent, the teens were given cardboard rice bowls to collect change for Catholic Relief Services (CRS). The project also included short daily prayers and educational material about countries being served by CRS. During Lent, they learned ways to delve deeper into prayer using Lectio Devina. Fr. Walter also led the teens in Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. They also had the pleasure of being visited by the Sisters of Life. As youth minister Michael Clauberg said, the teenagers just seemed to "glow" during that visit! The teens enjoyed hearing the sisters’ vocational stories, learning about their mission, and having a question and answer session with them. They also really enjoyed seeing how skilled the sisters are at basketball and volleyball! In March, our parish teens joined other Life Teen parishes from Long Island at Kellenberg Memorial High School, for a weekend retreat. The theme was “Glory Revealed.” Senior Patrick McCarthy said of the weekend, “It was a lot of fun. We

and Fathers' Day, where coins are collected in baby bottles, which are then donated to the Life Center. Well, “someone” has to put all of those empty baby bottles together for distribution, including the prayers that go along with them. Life Teen spent one night doing just that, as well as learning about the Life Center. The biggest impression of the night came when all the teens were able to hold models of fetuses of different gestational ages, to fully appreciate the size, weight and development of each Teens pray before the Blessed Sacrament.

learned a lot about prayer and I met a lot of great people. All in all, I think it brought me closer to God.” Another retreat weekend is planned for June, at St. John's University, with hundreds of other teens from across the country. This is called the Steubenville Conference, which is sponsored by Franciscan University and Life Teen. Fundraising will be done for this, including a parish car wash. The teens also attended “Dodge ball and Adoration” nights, Teens helped put together baby bottles for the Life Center of Long which are held every third Friday of the month throughout the Island’s Baby Bottle drives.

(continued on Page 7)

...those who hope in the Lord will renew their2 strength. They will soar on wings like eagles;

Come, Let Us Adore Him

Adoration At St. John the Evangelist

Have you ever wondered what Adoration is? A very basic definition is that Adoration is a sacred ritual, by the priest, whereby he transfers the sacred Eucharist from the Tabernacle, for you to behold with your eyes, your heart and your mind. All you need is an open heart to attend Adoration. There are no Church laws and no obligatory training. You do not have to go to confession first, nor do you even have to attend Mass on Sunday. Adoration is a simple path to Jesus where the sins of the past, the sins of others, and impediments to God, do not exist. It is Jesus’ love that we are taking in – not philosophies, dogmas or laws. Adoration may mean different things to different people. For some, Adoration may be a special time to be alone with the physical presence of Jesus. There is nothing to distract you from feeling His love. It is you and Jesus alone. For many, Adoration is an opportunity to fulfill deep, hidden desires of wanting to kneel before Jesus, to consider Him sacred, and to humble themselves before Him. For others, it is a perfect opportunity to forget about pain, mental anguish, troubles and worries, and bathe in the presence of God. What could be more perfect than that? Adoration is a moment in time where you can fully connect with God, in whatever manner you choose. Adoration gives one the time to feel and do things to honor and love Jesus, which they may not have enough time to do at Mass or even in daily life. If receiving the Eucharist is a Communion between you and Jesus, then Adoration is the time to complete the Communion, if this could not be done at Mass. You do not have to pray, but just by being there in His presence, you can feel His love, which transcends our wildest dreams. Adoration is held every Thursday at 12 Noon until 8:30 PM in the Church. If you would like to participate in Adoration, by volunteering one hour a week to make sure the Eucharist is never left alone, please call Ernie Vigliotta at 878-0086. ~Dennis Satriano

Memorial Mass For Fr. John Corcoran: June 27, 2016 The parish of St. John the Evangelist was blessed to have Father John Corcoran with us from his assignment here on April 19, 1978 to his passing on September 21, 2015. During his time here, he celebrated both his 50th and 60th anniversaries of the priesthood. He made us laugh with this Irish wit and countless jokes. He provided spiritual guidance in the most kind and loving way. He was a very powerful example of a holy, humble and dedicated priest. Since his passing, he is deeply missed. Father John Corcoran founded Eagles Wings. Under his direction, we flourished. Many parishioners recall fondly his articles, which were printed in every edition, entitled, “Father Corcoran's Corner. Therein, he wrote about the faith, imparting a lot of wisdom, which was always sprinkled with love and humor. June 27, 2016, would have been Father John's 87th birthday. Please join us at 7:30 PM that evening, as we

celebrate Father John's life. We will be having a memorial Mass in the church, followed by refreshments. At that time, copies of some of his Father Corcoran's articles will be available for distribution, for those who want to spend a little more time with an old friend. ~Elizabeth Harrington Dyer

EAGLE’S WINGS A Semi-Annual Newsletter

Published twice a year under the supervision of Father Walter Kedjierski, Pastor, of Saint John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church, 25 Ocean Avenue, Center Moriches, New York. Printed by The Church Bulle n, Inc., delivered through third class mail. Editor: Elizabeth Harrington Dyer Staff: Chris ne Longo, Michelle Pirraglia, Mary Rodriguez, Dennis Satriano, Maria Sikora, Stacey L. Stueber, Angela Werner, Chris ne Woronka Kelly Zenker and Carmine Zingarino.

t h e y w i l l r u n a n d n o t g r o w w e a r y , t h e y w3i l l w a l k a n d n o t b e f a i n t . ~ I s a i a h 4 0 : 3 1

OLQA News: Hands-On Learning Experiences Our Lady Queen of Apostles Regional Catholic School is having another successful year! In addition to the daily academics, the students have had many extra opportunities to grow and learn. In October, the 7th grade class participated in Tech Day with many other schools from the Diocese. The students spent the day at Adventureland in Farmingdale, where they were able to explore technology applications, while having fun on the rides. The rides During Catholic Schools Week, students dedicated one day to the Ellis Island Experience. became real-life lab experiments with students calculating RPMs, measuring heights and angles, explaining centrifugal force and kinetic energy and how these factors make the rides work, etc. During Catholic Schools Week, in January, one day was dedicated to the Ellis Island Experience. All students prepared by researching an immigrant; many were the students’ own relatives, who entered via Ellis Island and for the purposes of the project became that person’s identity for the day. With the help of the teachers and parent volunteers, the gym was transformed into Ellis Island and the students had the opportunity to go through the immigration process. It truly made that time period in history come alive and that made it a great learning experience. During the months of February and March, OLQA participated in the Parents as Reading Partners (PARP) Program. Each week, the students set a goal to read at home; the school-wide goal is 85,000 minutes of reading! If the student body can reach that goal, the top readers in each class will get an opportunity to SLIME the school principal, Mrs. Stueber. There was a similar challenge last year, and the students were able to dunk Mrs. Stueber in a dunk tank. This principal surely knows how to motivate her students to read more! To help the students prepare for Lent, the National Junior Honor Society students planned a lunch fast called Bread and Soup Day, which took place on Ash Wednesday. The students in Grades 5-8 had the choice to replace their usual purchases for lunch and snack with a simple vegetable broth and slice of bread. The money that normally goes toward the kitchen was then donated to the Food Pantry. Students also gathered to pray for those who are hungry every day. It was a day of sacrifice and good will. Students raised money for the food pantry during As we move closer “Bread & Soup Day.” to the end of another academic year, there are still more great things to come. The 8th grade class will be making a three-day trip to tour Washington, D.C. This has become a much-anticipated annual field trip and even our younger students are excited to know that they will one day get the chance to travel to D.C. Over the summer months, OLQA plans to install a new portion to the playground. The new equipment will be for our Early Childhood students. This way they can have outdoor fun on a playground that is just their size. This is just a snapshot of the wonderful learning experiences and happenings going on with the students at OLQA. With God’s blessings, Our Lady Queen of Apostles will continue to provide this excellent faith-filled education. If they reach their goal of 85,000 minutes of reading, ~Stacie L. Stueber students will get to slime the Principal!

...those who hope in the Lord will renew their4 strength. They will soar on wings like eagles;

Sisters of Life Visit St. John’s

The weekend of March 5-6, the parish was honored to have the enthusiastic and energetic Sisters of Life as guests at St. John the Evangelist Church. The Sisters of Life are an active religious community of women, founded in 1991, by John Cardinal O’Connor, the then-Archbishop of New York. They were formed to promote the protection and enhancement of the sacredness of every human life. Cardinal O’Connor decided to begin a religious community in the Church, one dedicated to pro-life causes, and specifically working for an end to abortion. On the day of its founding, eight women entered the fledgling community. The Sisters of Life has now grown to over 100 members. The Sisters provide support, counseling and outreach to women facing unplanned pregnancy or trauma from past abortions. In addition to the traditional commitments of poverty, obedience and chastity, the sisters take an additional vow to protect and enhance the sacredness of every human life. They connect women with adoption agencies and a network of volunteers, organize home stays, and even invite women to live in their Sacred Heart Convent in midtown Manhattan, during pregnancy and up to six months after. Upon their visit to our parish, the Sisters spoke at each Mass, greeted parishioners and made themselves readily available for conversations. They attended the Life Teen ministry Sunday evening, and immediately dove into basketball and volleyball games with the youth. On June 1, 2016, all are welcome to join the Sisters of Life for a Foundation Day Celebration in NYC with prayer and thanksgiving. The day’s activities will start with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass at 10:30 a.m., at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Mass will be followed by an outdoor celebration near Sacred Heart of Jesus Convent, on 51st Street between 9th and 10th Avenues. The Block party celebration will take place after the Mass, from 12 noon to 4:00 pm, weather permitting. The Sisters depend on donations and goodwill to perform their outreach. They have a database of over 5,000 volunteers, who signed up to assist them with any services they can. The Sisters of Life can be reached at 212- 737-0221, or emailed at [email protected] ~Christine Longo

Parish Gives Thanks For Fr. Walter... (continued from Page 1)

He was pleased to see faithful people at Adoration, including the many teens, who are deeply involved in group activities that keep them connected to their faith. Over the course of six years, Father Walter established many programs and ministries. With the assistance of the parish community, he initiated the Latin Mass, a new Confirmation preparation program, and the Welcome Home Ministry for parish and community events, just to name a few endeavors. Touched by the outpouring of appreciation and love by our parish family, as they recall his visits with the sick or counseling, Father Walter leaves knowing that he has made an impact to help people come to Christ. Father Walter would like to extend great praise to Monsignor James McDonald and Father John McCartney for their influence of faith. Father Walter is grateful to Father Joe Coschignano his predecessor, for leaving all of the administrative affairs in the best possible order. The parish will be holding a farewell Mass for Fr. Walter on Sunday, June 26 at 12 Noon. As a parish family, there is much gratitude for the many blessings that were experienced with Father Walter as our Pastor. Imagine all the children he has prepared for the sacraments, and how many sacraments he has celebrated here over the last six years – Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, and Marriage. With funerals, Father Walter could make you laugh and cry, and come through to the other side with hope. Humbly and modestly, whenever asked how he is, inevitably Father’s answer never waivers … “better than I deserve.” He has taken us on spiritual pilgrimages, to retreats and raised our ecumenical awareness. Father Walter hopes that we realize everything has never been about him, but always about Jesus and the Blessed Mother. As a parish, we offer our prayers for Father Walter as he embarks on his new assignment, as Vice Rector and Director of Diaconate Formation of the Seminary of The Immaculate Conception in Huntington, NY. It was there that Father Walter earned his M.A. in Theology (2000) and his Master of Divinity Degree (2002), and started his journey to the priesthood. Father Walter is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Dogmatic/ Spiritual Theology at the Graduate Theological Foundation House at Oxford University, England program, and hopes to defend his PhD thesis at Oxford this August. We wish Father Walter many blessings on this new chapter in his ministry! ~Christine Longo

t h e y w i l l r u n a n d n o t g r o w w e a r y , t h e y w5i l l w a l k a n d n o t b e f a i n t . ~ I s a i a h 4 0 : 3 1

St. John the Evangelist Church provides many opportunities to connect with other members of our parish community. Welcome Home is an energetic group of your fellow parishioners who help to organize and host NO cost events to our fellow parishioners and the community. Please save the following dates: May 1 – After the 9 AM Mass Crowning of Mary, a free brunch in the auditorium, hosted by the Legion of Mary, will follow. May 29 – Corpus Christi celebration following the 12:00 Mass; process around our grounds to three altars for prayerful adoration with the Body of Christ. May 29 – After each Mass, there will be volunteer signup sheets for the annual BBQ. The Corpus Christi procession will take place May 29 after the 12 Noon Mass.

June 12 – Annual free BBQ, 1to 3PM. The theme will be All-American/ red, white, and blue to celebrate our Veterans. Please come and join us. You will love the fellowship and great feeling that comes with being an active part of our parish. Service hours are available. If you would like more information, please contact Christine Longo 631-682-1196 or email them at [email protected] and like us on www.facebook.com/welcomehomeStJohn.

~Christine Longo

The Annual FREE BBQ will take place on Sunday, June 12 on the Great Lawn. All are welcome!

Divagaciones de El Pastor “Id; mirad que os envío como corderos en medio de lobos.” Lucas 10: 3 " Cuando llegué aquí, en San Juan Evangelista, en 2010, no sabía yo cuales caminos el Señor pusiera delante de mí. Yo era muy optimista sobre el futuro, y entusiasta para comenzar mi primera pastorada después de sólo ocho años de sacerdocio. Ahora, estoy en mi decimocuarto año como sacerdote, y estoy completando un período completo de seis años como su pastor. Cuando pienso en los últimos seis años, viene una sonrisa a mi cara, mientras recuerdo todos los momentos alegres que pasamos juntos. Estos seis años, aunque no siempre eran fáciles, han sido una bendición. Doy gracias a Dios por permitirme venir aquí. Yo sabía que San Juan Evangelista era una parroquia especial antes de llegar. Vine aquí, por primera vez, para celebrar la primera misa de mi amigo, el padre Rob Ketcham. Yo sabía que si una parroquia podría producir una vocación tan extraordinaria como la suya, que debe ser un lugar muy especial. También vi la influencia que Monseñor McDonald tenía en la parroquia, y estaba muy feliz de ver cómo ayudó a muchos de ustedes vivir su fe católica, sin disculpas. Padre Henry Leuthardt fue ordenado justo antes de yo llegar aquí. Cualquier parroquia que produce una abundancia de vocaciones al sacerdocio es de hecho una parroquia saludable y llena de fe. ¿Cómo pudiera yo imaginarme la tremenda bondad aquí? Nunca hubo un proyecto que pensé en hacer en que no he recibido suficiente ayuda. Cuando estaba instalado como pastor, tuvimos nuestro primer Festival de Otoño con una Feria de Ministerios. Todo el mundo dio un paso hasta la placa. Estaba tan feliz cuando los feligreses se acercaron a mí para comenzar el ministerio "Bienvenido a Casa", que trata de llegar a las personas que no están involucradas en la parroquia. Han hecho mucho para hacer esta parroquia un lugar más acogedor. Dada la fundación que se había establecido aquí por mis predecesores, no me sorprendió que todo el mundo se regocijó con la noticia de que se el sacramento de confesiones se ofrecía en la parroquia siete días a la semana. Me invadió con gratitud cuando un equipo de voluntarios me acercó para hacer que la misa tradicional en latín hizo una realidad vibrante en nuestra parroquia, que está muy bien organizado y auténtico. Hemos sido capaces de añadir un número de horas al horario de oficina de la rectoría, debido a las personas que amablemente se ofrecieron voluntariamente como el personal de nuestra oficina sin pago. Esto no es ni siquiera mencionar todas las cosas maravillosas que ya se habían establecido cuando llegué aquí - el jardinería, tienda de segunda mano / despensa de alimentos, y los ministerios de educación religiosa - todos los cuales, requieren muchas horas de servicio voluntario. He estado tan contento de ver la relación de nuestra parroquia (continued on Page con 7)

...those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; 6

A Message From Our Pastor... (continued from Page 1)

authentic. We were able to add a number of hours to the rectory office schedule because of people who graciously volunteered to staff our office without pay. This is not even to mention all of the wonderful things that were already established when I arrived here – like the groundskeeping, thrift shop/food pantry, and religious education ministries – all of which, require countless hours of volunteer service. I have been so pleased to see our parish’s relationship with the Knights of Columbus grow to the point where they are an essential part of our annual parish barbecue, our Easter Triduum liturgical planning, and our decorating/cleaning of the church for Holy Days. Our Life Teen youth ministry program continues to attract many young adults as volunteers. Its leadership has extended itself to ministering to our Confirmation candidates as well, making a natural bridge from religious education to youth ministry. Our music ministry continues to be a blessing, with a breathtakingly wonderful adult choir and volunteers organizing both our Children’s Choir and Youth Mass Music Group. By the grace of God, we were able to go from a priest-visitor who met the needs of our Spanish speaking parishioners to a full-time resident Spanish-speaking priest, both in Father Nestor and Father Suglia. I even got to the point of being able to celebrate the Mass and Sacraments, as well as brief homilies, on occasion, to our Spanish speakers (a language I had not used since my school days). Our school has thrived, especially with parents and community members leading the way in various committees that help to run our school. Parishioners also came together to donate not only their time, but also their treasure, in renovating our convent to the point where it is probably the most beautiful house on all of Ocean Avenue. Every time you were asked for help, you responded with an abundance of generosity. Financially, the parish has sustained itself through some very difficult economic times. The population of the parish grew from about 5,800 registered families when I first arrived here to now around 7,100. I leave this a parish with the awareness that it is thriving and growing because of you. Due to your involvement, St. John the Evangelist shines as an example of all that a parish on Long Island can hope to be. As I leave this place, I leave knowing that I tried my best NOT to be the center or focus of this parish. The center and focus of this parish is Jesus Christ. In some way, I had hoped to point many of you to different areas where you could serve the parish. You have done a good job. I leave knowing that you do not need me anymore, because this parish is yours. My work here is done. Your responsibility is to continue to serve here. Please know that you are always in my heart and in my prayers. I will never forget the love I received here from you. It was a blessing from Christ. May God reward you as you continue to build up the kingdom of God here at St. John the Evangelist in lovely Center Moriches.

Divagaciones de Elcrecer Pastor... los Caballeros de Colón hasta el punto en que son una parte

(continued from barbacoa Page 6) anual de la parroquia, nuestra planificación esencial de nuestra litúrgica Triduo Pascua, y nuestra decoración / limpieza de la iglesia para los Días Santos. Nuestro programa de Life Teen sigue atrayendo a muchos jóvenes adultos como voluntarios. Su liderazgo se ha extendido a ministrar a nuestros candidatos a la Confirmación también, haciendo un puente natural desde la educación religiosa al ministerio juvenil. Nuestro ministerio de la música sigue siendo una bendición, con un coro de adultos impresionantemente maravilloso y voluntarios que organizan tanto el Coro de nuestros niños y grupo de música para la misa de los jóvenes. Por la gracia de Dios, hemos sido capaces de pasar de un cura-visitante Padre Nestor, que respondía a las necesidades de nuestros feligreses de habla hispana a un residente sacerdote a tiempo completo que habla español, el Padre Suglia. Incluso llegué hasta el punto de poder celebrar la misa y los sacramentos, así como breves homilías, en ocasiones, a nuestros hablantes de español (un idioma que yo no había utilizado desde mis días de escuela). Nuestra escuela ha prosperado, sobre todo con los padres y miembros de la comunidad a la cabeza en varios comités que ayudan a ejecutar nuestra escuela. Los feligreses también se unieron para donar no sólo su tiempo, sino también su tesoro, en la renovación de nuestro convento hasta el punto en que es probablemente la casa más bonita de toda la avenida del océano. Cada vez que se le pidió ayuda, respondieron ustedes con una abundancia de generosidad. Económicamente, la parroquia se ha sostenido por momentos económicos muy difíciles. La población de la parroquia creció de cerca de 5.800 familias registradas cuando llegué por primera vez a alrededor de 7.100 ahora. Les dejo esta parroquia con la conciencia de que está prosperando y creciendo gracias a ti. Debido a su participación, San Juan Evangelista brilla como un ejemplo de todo lo que una parroquia en Long Island puede aspirar a ser. Al salir de este lugar, les dejo saber que hice todo lo posible para no ser el centro o foco de esta parroquia. El centro y el foco de esta parroquia es Jesucristo. De alguna manera, yo tenía la esperanza de señalarles a diferentes áreas donde ustedes se podía servir a la parroquia. Has hecho un buen trabajo. Me voy sabiendo que no me necesita más, porque esta parroquia es suya. Mi trabajo aquí está hecho. Su responsabilidad es la de continuar sirviendo aquí. Por favor, sepa que ustedes están siempre en mi corazón y en mis oraciones. Nunca olvidaré el amor que he recibido aquí de ustedes. Fue una bendición de Cristo. Dios se lo pague a medida que continúe a edificar el reino de Dios aquí en San Juan Evangelista en la preciosa Center Moriches.

~Translated by Mary Rodriguez

Life Teen Youth Ministry Events... (continued from Page 2)

year, at St. Ignatius parish in Hicksville. They have also had night meetings discussing the Year of Mercy. They will be helping out with the Confirmation retreats. For the summer months, Life Teen will continue to meet on Sunday nights from 7:00-8:30 p.m., after the 5:30 p.m. Life Teen Mass, but the nights will be less structured, with more fun nights planned for outdoors or in the gym. All teens are welcome and adult volunteers are always needed. If you are interested in volunteering, please call the youth office at 874-4910. ~Christine Woronka

t h e y w i l l r u n a n d n o t g r o w w e a r y , t h e y w7 i l l w a l k a n d n o t b e f a i n t . ~ I s a i a h 4 0 : 3 1

Parish Happenings: See What We’ve Been Up To! Respect Life Award

RCIA 2016

At the Easter Vigil this past March, those preparing to enter the Church and/or to become fully initiated received their Sacraments. Pictured are the Right of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) participants (l-r): Joseph Brantmeyer, Sharon Cancellire, Lisa Schneider, Victoria Bustamante (1st child), Kaylee Goss (2nd child), and Nicole Caras. Sponsors (l-r) are Elizabeth Vigliotta, Arthur Bizzoso, William Schneider, Frances Flores, Collette Case and Arline White. Celebrant: Fr. D.A. Suglia Parishioner and OLQA graduate Kelly Ghosio won 3rd Place for bookmark design in the Diocese’s 2016 Respect Life Contest. She is pictured with Youth Minister Mike Clauberg and one of our parish’s Core Members, Sandy Bertolotti.

Blessing of the Girl Scouts In honor of their service and dedication to the faith, Fr. Walter blessed our parish Girl Scouts during a special Mass.