Tablet TALK

New Officers Installed for Commodore Barry Club

Justin Brannan, director of communications and legislative affairs for Councilman Vincent Gentile, installed new officers for the Commodore Barry Club at the Irish Haven, Sunset Park, Feb. 6. They are: Mary Nolan, president; Mary Lennon and John Houlihan, vice presidents; Lucy Wussou, recording secretary; Carol Lally, corresponding secretary; Bridget Gregory, financial secretary; Maureen Donohue, treasurer; John Murray, sargent-at-arms; Joseph Ferris, historian and Dennis McMahon, council. The club will celebrate Commodore Barry’s birthday at Commodore Barry Park on March 4. To learn more, call 718-833-3405 or at commodorebarryclubbrooklyn.org. (Photo courtesy Brian Kassenbrock)

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Students and teachers at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Academy in Gravesend are passionate about finding a cure for blood cancers like leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma.
This month, they’re collecting pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters – and yes, dollars, too – as part of a Pennies for Patients campaign to help the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society find a cure. If you’d like to help, bring your donation to the school, or mail a check written out to the academy. For more information, call 718-375-2081.

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In Hollis, 42 people donated blood at St. Gerard Majella Church’s blood drive on Jan. 29.

If you’d like to donate, blood drives are being held at sites around the diocese, including: Our Lady of Mercy Church, Forest Hills, Feb. 26, 8:45 a.m. – 2:45 p.m.; St. John’s University (Donovan Hall), Jamaica, March 2, 1-7 p.m.; Our Lady of Grace, Gravesend, March 5, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.; Immaculate Conception, Jamaica, March 5, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.; and St. Kevin, Flushing, March 5, 8:45 a.m. – 2:45 p.m.

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Hilaire

Soprano Carami Hilaire, right, will portray Tosca in Regina Opera Company’s “sneak peek” performance of Puccini’s eponymous opera.

This free, “sneak-peek” performance with piano will be staged Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 7:30 p.m. in Italian (English supertitles) at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Sunset Park. For details, visit reginaopera,org or call 718-259-2772.

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Looking for a meaningful way to spend your summer vacation? The Frassati Fellowship of NYC is planning an 11-day mission trip to Lima, Peru, Aug. 3-13.

Missioners will serve the community of Laderas de Chillon, and spend time visiting and serving at Hogar Francisco de Asis, a home for sick and destitute children. Missioners will also have time for a city tour of Lima with Mass at the national cathedral, and visits to the co-cathedral and the convents of St. Dominic and St. Francis where relics of St. Martin de Porres and St. Rose of Lima are housed.

The cost of the trip is $2,000, including round-trip airfare from JFK, in-land transportation, meals and accommodations. For more information, contact missions@frassati.nyc or visit tiny.cc/frassatiperumission.

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This week’s Tip of the Tablet TALK Top Hat goes to parishioners of St. Fidelis Church in College Point, who donated $1,800 as part of the parish’s Souper Bowl of Caring effort on Super Bowl weekend. The funds will be used to assist families who visit the parish food pantry.

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In anticipation of Super Bowl Sunday, the Student Council at Immaculate Conception Catholic Academy, Jamaica Estates, sponsored a “Soup-er Bowl” drive.

Students were asked to donate cans of soup to the parish food pantry, and those who did were given a football to decorate and display in the school lobby.

At left, students hold up some of their donations as they wear their favorite sports teams’ jerseys. (Photo: Carl Ballenas)