St. Bernard Church, Mill Basin, held its annual Blessing of the Backpacks on Sunday, Sept. 11. Above, the pastor, Msgr. Jamie Gigantiello, at right, and Deacon Frank D’Accordo, raise their hands to bless students’ backpacks along with Father Mike Tedone, parochial vicar, not pictured.
St. Bernard’s Knights of Columbus Council No. 14269 also paid tribute to local members of the NYPD and FDNY at the Mass, and dedicated a statue of Venerable Father Michael J. McGivney in memory of Past Grand Knight John J. McCarthy, who died in March. (Photo: Samantha Mendez, St. Bernard Catholic Academy)
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“Catholic Considerations on End-of-Life Decision-Making” will be the focus of a presentation in Our Lady of Angels auditorium, Bay Ridge, Oct. 5 at 7:30 p.m.
Sponsored by the Respect Life Committee of St. Anselm parish, Bay Ridge, and the area parishes, the presentation will provide clarity on end-of-life issues regarding living wills, health care proxies, DNRs and life-sustaining treatments.
The guest speaker will be Kathleen Gallagher, director of pro-life activities for the New York State Catholic Conference.
As the threat of physician-assisted suicide looms large in New York State, all are invited to attend the event to better understand the issues at hand.
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Tickets are still available for Queen of the Rosary Catholic Academy’s benefit dinner honoring Bishop Frank J. Caggiano at Giando on the Water Oct. 5.
The Williamsburg-based academy is honoring the Brooklyn-born bishop of Bridgeport, Conn., for his role in the renovation of the school building, allowing Queen of the Rosary to combine two campuses into one state-of-the-art facility.
The evening will include a buffet dinner, dessert, wine and beer, a DJ and commemorative journal as well as raffles and silent auction items available for purchase. All proceeds will support Queen of the Rosary Catholic Academy.
To purchase tickets or journal sponsorships for this event, contact the dinner committee via email QOTRDinner@gmail.com or call 718-388-7992.
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Fordham University at Lincoln Center, will host “Communication as a Vocation: At the Intersection of Faith, Media and Culture,” Oct. 14-15. This free conference and networking opportunity will include media professionals from broadcasting, publishing and performing arts. For more information and to register, visit fordham.edu/GRE and then go to “Events.”
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In conjunction with the feast of St. Michael the Archangel, SS. Simon and Jude Church, Gravesend, will host an NYPD Appreciation Mass on Thursday, Sept. 29, 7:30 p.m. Father Jeffry Dillon, former NYPD officer, will be the main celebrant. For more details, call 718-375-9600.
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Regina Opera Company is gearing up for its “Regina Opera Pops” Concert in Our Lady of Perpetual Help auditorium, Sunset Park, Sept. 25.
The two-hour concert begins at 3 p.m., and will feature both opera and Broadway hits performed by several soloists, including Carami Hilaire (pictured).
Tickets are $12 each, but teens get in the door for $5 and children are free. For tickets, call 718-259-2772 or visit reginaopera.org.
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This week’s Tip of the Tablet TALK Top Hat goes to St. Joseph’s College. With campuses in Clinton Hill and Patchogue, L.I., St. Joe’s was ranked by Washington Monthly as No. 7 in this year’s list of 386 “Best Bang for the Buck” colleges in the Northeast, making it the highest ranked college in New York.
Washington Monthly, a 45-year-old magazine located in Washington D.C., created the “Best Bang for the Buck” list to show which colleges and universities do the best job at offering a marketable education at an affordable price. This year, 1,406 colleges and universities were surveyed.