Class Rings for Rockaway Eighth Graders

Spring is just around the bend and that means graduation is on the horizon. A sure sign of that can be seen on the hands of eighth graders at St. Rose of Lima School, Rockaway Beach. Students received their class rings in a special ceremony during First Friday Mass, Feb. 3. (Photo courtesy Courtney Cruz)

Fifty years ago, Catholics in Mill Basin were given a new place to worship and express their faith. On March 30, join St. Bernard parish at its 50th Jubilee Dinner Dance, March 30, 7 p.m. at El Caribe Country Club. Tickets are $100. For tickets, call 718-763-5533.

During the past 35 years, the Federation of Italian American Organizations (F.I.A.O.), a community-based service organization, has provided services to improve the quality of life of Brooklyn individuals and families with particular focus on the needy — immigrants, senior citizens and youth. F.I.A.O. will hold its 35th annual anniversary gala on Sunday, March 25 at El Caribe Country Club, Mill basin. Cocktails at 2 p.m.; ceremony at 3 p.m.; and dinner at 4 p.m. This year’s honorees are Carmine and Carmella Del Priore of Priority landscaping and Nursery Inc.; Bruno F. Codispoti, Esq. of Codispoti and Associates P.C.; and John Sparacio of Sandler O’Neill and Partners L.P. For tickets or journal ads, call 718-259-2828.

Save the date! The Mount Carmel Theatre Company will present Duets, a one-night-only concert celebrating some of the greatest duets in Broadway’s history, April 16, 8 p.m. on the lower stage at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel parish, Williamsburg. Adam Mace, a graduate of Cathedral Prep Seminary, Elmhurst, will direct the production. Tickets are $10. For tickets, call 646-580-2167 or e-mail mctheatrecompany@gmail.com.

“How God became King: Why We’ve All Misunderstood the Gospels” is the topic of the 19th annual Msgr. George Denzer Lecture, scheduled for March 25 at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception, Huntington. The speaker will be N.T. Wright, a professor of New Testament and early Christianity, University of St. Andrews, Scotland. To register, call 631-423-0483 ext. 112. A free-will offering will be accepted.

Are you ready to live your Cursillo? The next diocesan Women’s Cursillo Weekend is scheduled for March 22-23 at Jesus of Nazareth Retreat Center, East Flatbush. To sign up, call Dorothy Baudry, 917-929-2442.

Astoria residents are in for a treat —  an early visit from Peter Rabbit, who will hop over to Immaculate Conception School, March 31, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Children are welcome to share in a buffet breakfast, arts and crafts session and pictures with the cotton-tailed guest. Admission: $9 adult to age 14; $5, ages 13 to three; and free for children under two. Advance tickets only. For tickets, contact Dewey Hopkins, 347-215-0154 or ahop537123@aol.com.

You’re invited to join parishioners from St. Adalbert, Elmhurst, on a trip to coastal Maine, June 1-4. Visit the Maine Lighthouse Museum, Mt. Battie, Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor. Cost: $475 per person, double occupancy, includes three-night accommodations, three breakfasts and dinners, and a lunch stop in Olde Mistick Village, Conn. For reservations, contact Linda Gatti, 917-887-8325.

Join St. Francis Xavier, Park Slope, for the parish’s 125th Anniversary Gala Dinner Dance, April 21, 7 p.m. at The Grand Prospect Hall. Tickets are on sale through March 30. For tickets, e-mail sfx125@nyc.rr.com.

In honor of Women’s History Month, this week’s Tip of the Tablet TALK Top Hat goes to the religious and lay women who have served this diocese since its founding in 1853. These women have — and continue to — contribute to the diocese’s proud heritage through their incalculable contributions to various ministries and peoples.

From Williamsburg to Israel 

In celebration of the 125th anniversary year of the Shrine Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Williamsburg, a group of pilgrims visited Mount Carmel in Israel. Pilgrims are pictured with Msgr. Joseph Calise, pastor, at Muhraqa, the site of the sacrifice of the prophet Elijah. After six days in Israel, the pilgrimage continued for four days in Rome where the parish received a special welcome from Pope Benedict XVI at his weekly papal audience. (Photo courtesy Msgr. Joseph Calise)

St. Bernard’s Aquinas Crew Visits St. James

The Junior Aquinas program at St. Bernard School, Mill Basin, recently enjoyed a special visit to St. James Cathedral-Basilica, Downtown Brooklyn. Msgr. John Strynkowski, rector, gave students a tour and explained the history of the worship space, particularly its stained-glass windows. This year, students have been studying the medieval period, coats of arms and stained-glass windows so this was a wonderful way to enhance their appreciation for this art form. Students are pictured with Msgr. Strynkowski; Deacon Christopher Wright; and Aquinas coordinators, Melissa Wagner, Mary Wright and Annette Vale. (Photo courtesy Melissa Wagner)

Lent is a season of reconciliation, forgiveness, healing and hope. If a past abortion is weighing on your heart and soul, Rachel’s Helpers invites you to participate in a confidential, post-abortion reconciliation program this Lent. Forgiven and Set Free is an 11-week, small-group experience, beginning March 12. Bible study is emphasized. For details, call 718-939-6646.

Mercy Home, a ministry of the Sisters of Mercy since 1962, is marking its 150th anniversary this year. Mercy Home’s mission is to assure a high quality of life for children and adults with developmental disabilities. This is achieved through a network of residential programs throughout Brooklyn, Queens and Nassau County; residential support programs; community support programs; respite and in-home respite programs.
Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio will begin the sesquicentennial festivities with an Anniversary Mass for the Mercy Home family at the Convent of Mercy, Clinton Hill, next weekend.
Supporters and friends are welcome to join the celebration at The Partners in Mercy Luncheon, April 29 at Russo’s on the Bay. Tickets are $200. For tickets, call 718-832-1075.

Ladies, if you have Type 2 diabetes, check out the free workshop, Keeping Diabetes In Check, March 7, 6 p.m. The event is sponsored by Brooklyn Women’s Services, Bay Ridge, an affiliate of Maimonides Medical Center. To register, call 718-748-1234 or go to www.bwsnyc.com.

Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio and the diocesan Vocation Office would like to recognize the generous service given by altar servers to their local parishes by treating them to a special Altar Server Day, April 11, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Organizers are planning entertainment, games and a liturgical celebration for boys and girls at St. Mary, Mother of Jesus Church, Bensonhurst. There is no registration fee but space is limited. You must register by March 30. Speak to your ministry coordinator and then contact Lisa Amore, 718-827-2454 or lamore@diobrook.org.

Invite Mother Teresa to be part of your Lenten devotions. Witness the spiritual journey of one of the holiest women of the 20th century in Defense of Doubt: A Tale of Mother Teresa, an original play by Vince N. D’Onofrio, at Holy Family-St. Thomas Aquinas parish, Park Slope, March 23, 7:30 p.m. A free-will offering will be accepted. For details, call St. Thomas Aquinas rectory at 718-768-9471.

This week’s Tip of the Tablet TALK Top Hat goes to Our Lady of the Snows, North Floral Park, where parishioners donated $2,122.58 during the parish’s Supper Bowl fundraiser last month. All proceeds benefit the parish’s Human Concerns Center, which is now in its 30th year of providing parish and community outreach services. Under the direction of Sister Vincent Marie Binder, M.S.B.T., the center provides bereavement, counseling and food pantry services. Last month, center staff sent 450 valentines to neighbors in hospitals and nursing homes as well as homebound parishioners, noted Patricia Nicolosi, center secretary.

St. Athanasius Students Promote Service

Promoting the service aspect of this year’s Catholic Schools Week’s theme, “Faith, Academics, Service,” fourth and fifth graders at St. Athanasius, Bensonhurst, hosted their school’s fourth annual blood drive during February. They had a great experience participating in the Little Doctors Program, sponsored by the New York Blood Center, and worked with their teachers, Maria MacCormack and Karen Hayes, to make the drive a success. Above, the boys give a pat on the back to Deacon William Kelly, one of many parishioners who made time to donate. (Photo courtesy St. Athanasius School)