Father William F. Sweeney was installed as the 12th pastor of St. Francis de Sales Church, Belle Harbor, by Auxiliary Bishop Raymond Chappetto at a Mass of Installation Oct. 29. A reception followed in the parish hall.
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The names of more than 150 U.S. veterans, both living and deceased, will be read aloud this Sunday, Nov. 12 at the 11:30 a.m. Veterans Mass at St. Bernard Church, Mill Basin.
The St. Bernard Knights of Columbus Council No. 14269 will present each veteran in attendance with a small token of appreciation for their service and sacrifice. After Mass, there will be a wreath laying ceremony at the Cosmo L. Barone Triangle located at East 71st Street and Avenue U.
Barone was a resident of Bergen Beach and a highly decorated soldier who fought bravely in Vietnam. Members of his family will be in attendance.
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Love Broadway but not the prices or the trek to Manhattan?
Regina Opera Company is offering a free, fully staged performance of Verdi’s tragedy “La Traviata” on Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m. in the Our Lady of Perpetual Help auditorium, Sunset Park.
The opera, which tells the story of a courtesan who sacrifices her own happiness for the sake of her lover’s family, will be sung in Italian with English supertitles, and presented with piano accompaniment. For more details, visit reginaopera.org or call 718-259-2772.
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Holy Family parish in Canarsie is gearing up for its Fall Harvest Festival on Nov. 18. The festival runs from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. and features singing and dancing by parish youth as well as plenty of food for an evening of fellowship and fun.
This year, the festival will be held in memory of the late Gladys Merveille, a longtime parishioner who started the event 12 years ago. She succumbed to cancer earlier this year.
Celebrate Merveille’s legacy and the autumn season with the good people of Holy Family. Tickets are $30 and will be available at the door. For more details, call 347-578-4953.
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The Catholic Charismatic Renewal is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. On the local level, a celebration is planned at St. Sebastian parish, Woodside, Nov. 18.
“You Will Receive Power When the Holy Spirit Comes Upon You” (Acts 1:8) will be the theme for the day, which runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Guest speakers include Maria Vadia and Msgr. Joseph Malagreca. Music will be provided by the Filipino Charismatic Ministry, led by Butch and Antoinette Nunez. For more details, contact Josephine Cachia at 718-377-4101 or crobkny@verizon.net.
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Save the date! The New York Times’ award-winning columnist Ross Douthat and Father James Martin, S.J., editor-at-large of America magazine, will engage in dialogue about civility in American public and ecclesial discourse at the Sheen Center for Thought and Culture in Manhattan, Dec. 13.
Moderated by Father Matt Malone, S.J., editor-in-chief of America, this is the first in a three-part series on Civility in America, which will continue in 2018. The series will feature leaders on opposite sides of a divisive issue having a discussion and finding ways to build bridges.
The event begins at 6 p.m. Tickets are $20 each ($15 for students) and may be purchased at sheencenter.org/shows/civility/