Boys and girls from St. Athanasius Catholic Academy, Bensonhurst, showed their appreciation for local priests in honor of Priesthood Sunday, Oct. 30.
Children wrote letters of thanks, poems of appreciation and cards full of love for their favorite priests, namely, St. Athanasius’ pastor, Msgr. David Cassato, and parochial vicars, Fathers Ron D’Antonio, pictured at right, and Gabriel Toro-Rivas.
The Student Council coordinated this priest-recognition event, which was held in the school yard with parents, teachers and children. All offered prayers for the priests in English, Spanish and Italian. (Photos courtesy Diane M. Competello)
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“Mary: The Heart of Love” is the theme of a Mini Advent Retreat to be conducted by Sister Ave Clark, O.P., at St. Teresa Church, Woodside, Dec. 7.
Join the parish family for 8 a.m. Mass and then head over to the parish center for a spiritually uplifting gathering.
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Tickets are still available for The Spirit of Christmas concert Dec. 12 at Lincoln Center starring the New York Tenors, Andy Cooney, Christopher Macchio and Daniel Rodriguez, along with Ursuline Sister Cristina Scuccia.
Sponsored by Futures in Education, the concert raises funds to provide tuition aid to children who attend Catholic schools in Brooklyn and Queens. For tickets, visit lincolncenter.org.
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Advent is a time of waiting, hoping and listening for God. And it is the perfect time for women who may be interested in religious life to further discern what God is asking of them.
Filter out some of the noise and distractions at a Come and See event with the Daughters of Wisdom on Saturday, Dec. 10.
Meet the sisters of St. Virgilius Convent, Broad Channel, and reflect on the life and mission of this international congregation. The day begins at 10 a.m. and closes at 4 p.m.
For more information, contact Sister Bernadette Sassone, D.W., at 631-470-4896.
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The parishes of St. Augustine, Park Slope, and Immaculate Heart of Mary, Kensington, will observe World AIDS Day on Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. at St. Augustine.
The prayer service will call attention to the ongoing epidemic and celebrate the lives of those lost, as well as express gratitude and encouragement to those who continue to spread compassion, understanding and hope in the fight against AIDS.
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Martin A. Gleason Funeral Home is collecting Christmas toys and gift cards for children at St. Mary’s Hospital, Bayside, through Dec. 14.
Bring new and unwrapped gifts or gift cards to one of Gleason’s locations. Call 718-359-6300 in Flushing; 718-359-1122 in Whitestone; or 718-428-2210 in Bayside.
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This week’s Tip of the Tablet TALK Top Hat goes to the Madison-Marine-Homecrest Civic Association for its Thanksgiving donation to the food bank at Our Lady of Refuge Church in Flatbush. The food bank serves hundreds of people in the Midwood-Flatbush area.
“It was our best food drive ever, resulting in contributions of cash and thousands of items – from whole turkeys and chickens, to bags of potatoes, cans of soups and vegetables, boxes of pasta, even pies. Many stores and individuals from our civic’s area participated. Hopefully, it helps many families,” said Ed Jaworski, president of the civic association.
Above, Father Michael Perry, pastor, second from left, and one of his parishioners, accept contributions to the food bank from the civic group’s Tony Giacobbe and Claudio Zuccardi, at right.
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Welcome to the World Sam!
The Erstad family has much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. Carolyn Erstad, diocesan press secretary, and her husband Dan, welcomed their first child, Samuel Finn Erstad, on Nov. 10. Sam, as he’ll be called in honor of Carolyn’s late grandfather, weighed in at six pounds, 15 ounces, and was 19.7 inches tall. The happy couple is doing well and enjoying their new son.