The Fitzgeralds, who are longtime residents of Jackson Heights, have been enrolling their kids at St. Joan of Arc since childhood. Today, three members of the family are giving back to the place that raised and loved them — as teachers.
Diocesan News
150 Years Celebrated At St. Raphael’s
Almost 500 of the faithful packed St. Raphael Church on Sept. 29 for a liturgy that was celebrated in English, Spanish and Korean for the 150th anniversary of the Long Island City parish.
Filling Stomachs and Feeding Souls in Crown Heights for 20 Years
Good people and good food. That’s what a passerby will find on the third Saturday of each month in front of the Bedford-Atlantic Armory Men’s Shelter on Bedford Avenue in Crown Heights, where Mirlande Noel and her family, along with some volunteers, set up tables to feed the homeless, provide clothes and offer some solace.
A ‘Mass’ Wedding In South Ozone Park
This past winter, Matilde passed away on a trip to Peru, the family’s native country. The children had her body brought back to White Plains, N.Y., where they live, for the funeral. One day, while praying with the family, their cousin-in-law Manuel Mendoza felt the Holy Spirit nudge him to invite the siblings who had been married civilly back to the faith.
McClancy Remembers 9/11 Hero and Alumnus Alvarez
Luis Alvarez learned the importance of being compassionate and serving others during his four years at Msgr. McClancy Memorial H.S., East Elmhurst. Those were values Alvarez put into practice when he served in the Marine Corps, responded to the attacks on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, and testified on Capitol Hill in June.
St. Finbar’s Celebrates ‘Guatemalan’ Feast Day
St. Finbar Catholic Church, Bath Beach — long a parish known for welcoming immigrants — honored the many Guatemalans in its community with a vigil Mass, procession and fiesta on Sept. 28 to celebrate the Feast of St. Michael the Archangel.
Diocesan Schools Score Big Over Public Schools in State Tests
Mairen Upton, an eighth-grader at Holy Trinity Catholic Academy in Whitestone, is an example of a trend: Local Catholic schools are outpacing public schools in New York state standardized test scores.
Great Irish Fair 2019
Irish culture reigned as the 38th annual Great Irish Fair took over the Ford Amphitheater at Coney Island. Following the Mass and awards ceremony, a full day of Irish music filled the venue as thousands in attendance danced and sang along.
‘Embassy Schools’ Help Many Afford Catholic Education
Seventh-grader Ashley Cela was enrolled in public school until last year, when St. Bartholomew Catholic Academy provided her family with a scholarship.
Sunset Park Couple Battle Alzheimer’s
Victoria Javier hasn’t had a conversation with her husband, Santiago, in 10 years. The reason: Santiago Javier, 81, is nonverbal, one of the consequences of his Alzheimer’s disease, a brain disorder that affects 5.8 million Americans, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.