eagle`s wings - St. John the Evangelist

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.