Toys from Queens to the Philippines
When Julius Balatbat, a third grader at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Academy, Queens Village, mentioned to his class that he was sending some of his toys to children affected by the typhoon in the Philippines, his classmates, including the girls pictured above, wanted to help. Teacher Christine Thornhill coordinated a toy collection, and the Balatbat family ensured the delivery of the donations.
The Vicariate of Black Catholic Concerns will hold a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Prayer Service, Jan. 20, 12 p.m. at St. Gregory the Great Church, Crown Heights. The theme is “Broken Family and the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,” and this year’s guest speaker will be Deacon Rodney Beckford of St. Charles Borromeo Church, Harlem. For details, call Elreta, 718-774-3806.
Reminder: From Here to Haiti, a nonprofit fostering self-sufficiency among the people of Haiti, will hold its annual Art Show Fundraiser, Jan. 18-19, 1-6 p.m. in Whitestone. Show features the works of over 75 Haitian and international artists in an intimate setting. For location and details, call 718-746-3012 or 646-209-3891.
Don those dancing shoes and boogie on over to Queen of Angels Church, Sunnyside, for a fun-filled afternoon with the Swingtime Big Band, Feb. 9, 3-5 p.m. in the church auditorium. The cost is $30 per ticket, and the price includes music and dancing, a pasta and meatball dinner, soda, coffee, tea and dessert. For tickets, call the rectory at 718-392-0011 during regular business hours.
Ladies, save the date for a Women’s Cursillo Retreat, March 13-16 at the Sisters of St. Joseph Retreat Center, Brentwood, L.I. To register or for information, contact Beth Barlow 631-831-6074 or beth1160@optonline.net.
Parents, if you baptized your children at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, Astoria, last year, you and your children are invited to attend a baptismal reunion, Jan. 12 at the 11:15 a.m. Mass and a gathering in the parish hall. For details, call 718-278-1834.
St. John’s University, Jamaica, has just leased 71,000 square feet of space for its new Manhattan campus at 51 Astor Place, Edward J. Minskoff’s new 12-story office building in the East Village.
Set to open this fall, the building will house St. John’s School of Risk Management; The Language Connection, St. John’s intensive English language institute; and continuing professional education and other academic programs.
The new site replaces the school’s former Manhattan campus at 101 Murray Street in Tribeca.
This week’s Tip of the Tablet TALK Top Hat goes to the Sacred Heart Society and parishioner Helen Cwikla at Nativity B.V.M.-St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr parish, Ozone Park. The Sacred Heart Society recently donated $1,000 toward the renovation of St. Stanislaus and Cwikla matched that sum. Way to go!
Working Together to Make Christmas Wishes Come True
Last month, every student at St. Camillus School in Rockaway Park wrote a “Dear Santa” letter and they were all delivered to the Santa Mailbox at Macy’s. Not only did their letters inform the big guy what they would like for Christmas, but they also helped their less fortunate peers. For every letter received, Macy’s donated $1 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Above, second grader Charlotte Boyle aides early childhood student Shannon Morley with her letter.