REFLECTIONS Is Published Quarterly with Seasonal Issues Dur- Ing Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer

Volume XLIV No. 3

Pastor Fr. Robert Whelan Editors Barbara O’Keefe Anne O’Connell Art Director Catherine Jones

Staff Deacon Ernesto Avallone Maria Franzetti Peggy Buckley Vilma Greene Valerie De Mato Marushka Sequeira Palha Peggy Devine Ann Reisig

REFLECTIONS is published quarterly with seasonal issues during Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer. Submissions for inclusion in these issues must meet deadlines of September 15, December 15, March 15 and June 15. As always, we welcome input from all parish organizations and individuals. Keep in mind that we cannot reproduce any copyrighted material but any original material can be placed in the REFLECTIONS box in the Rectory – or contact Barbara O’Keefe at 718-352-0210 or email [email protected] Monthly meetings are held on the first Thursday of the month at 7:30pm in the Rectory, but check the weekly Bulletin for confirmation. New members and ideas are always welcome.

Pope Quote 2 Matthew Kelly on Prayer 5 The Prayer Process 8 Bradley Chen and the Rosary Altar Society 9 OLBS Online- Thanks to Andrew Mussalli 12 Msgr. William Flood, 1931-2020 14 A Message from Msgr. Flood as He Moved from OLBS to 16 Immaculate Conception Center Restaurants Open During the Pandemic 17 Korean Martyrs 18 Won’t You Be My Buddy? 21 Lockdown and Isolation 23 News Around the Parish 26 OLBS 2020 Graduates 30 What I Learned on the Way to Online Teaching 33 Loneliness 35 The Other Contagion 37 We Remember… 40 Monthly Devotions of the Catholic Church 50 OLBS Ministries and Organizations 51 Neighborhood Parish Mass Schedules 54

4 Matthew Kelly on Prayer

As members of a Dynamic Parish, we had the opportunity to view the presentation by Matthew Kelly on Prayer which had been originally scheduled for March. It was a thought-provoking presentation on prayer in our lives. He began by giving a formula: Best practices plus continuous learning equals continuous improvement. If we incorporate the best practices in prayer by looking to the saints, and continue to learn from their example and writings, we will continue to pro- gress in the area of prayer. Just as an earthly parent wants a child to grow into a "phenomenal decision maker," so too God wants all His children to become “phenomenal decision makers." But discernment must begin with prayer. He challenged his audience by asking if they know how to pray, to really have a conversation with God. And, further, do they believe that God speaks to them in prayer? You can only have a conversation with those who have a relationship with us, and to cultivate a relationship with God takes time. He spoke about "trigger moments." His own "trigger moment" came after many weeks (or months) of dry prayer. He had begun spending ten minutes a day in the church just sitting in front of the tabernacle. He was not focused, and basically used this time to plan his day. Gradually, he began to rely on this time to organize his day. But he admits, there was no conversation going on, just a mental checklist of what he was to do for the day. Then came the day when he had a problem. He spoke to God about his dilemma and asked for help. That one incident changed his life. It became clear to him what this was all about. He recognized that prayer must be a daily habit, not an afterthought to be done "if there is time left." The most important things in life are not usually on the schedule. If prayer is not on the list, then it might not get done. If we put it off, what happens is what he calls "horizontal prayer," meaning that prayer is done at the very end of the night, when we are physically and emotion- ally exhausted. More often than not, we either pay little attention to what we are doing (conversing with the Maker of the universe,) or simply fall asleep in the middle. Prayer should be done earlier

5 rather than later. It is better to get our praying done while our minds and hearts are alert, rather than to allocate small and meager leavings of our energy to prayer at the end of the day- even if we risk sleep by completing what the world considers its tasks later into the night. The next seismic shift occurs when we surrender to prayer. In a society which values accomplishment, this is the hard part. To surrender to God means that He can now take the lead, and we begin to listen to Him speak to our heart. Prayer is a process. Matthew asked "who taught you to pray? Where did we get the basics?" We need to be taught the crit- ical skill of prayer. In his own life, a man taught him to pray by praying with him. After about ten minutes of quiet prayer, he and Matthew read a passage from a book together. Then he suggested that Matthew reflect on the reading in silence and tell God what he thought about what he had just read. After they had both done this in silence, they said a closing prayer and then left the church. We learn and acquire the skill a little at a time. He urged the audience to learn to pray not only for themselves, but for others. The best way to lead someone to prayer is to accompany that person in prayer ourselves. God yearns to have a personal relationship with us - a life lived to bear better fruit. This is the challenge for the whole Church, member by member. Are we up to the challenge? Will the Church survive? It is up to us. He concluded with a story. A very rich man gave an elabo- rate party. Great people from all over the world were invited, along with some ordinary people who were lifelong friends. All were ushered into a grand dining hall, where they feasted on wonderful foods. After dinner he thanked them all for attending. In- stead of music he had invited a world-famous Shakespearian actor to read. At the end of the readings, the actor took requests. One woman requested a sonnet, another a soliloquy. Then a priest, a lifelong friend of the man, requested the 23rd psalm. The actor said that he had memorized this psalm in fourth grade, and he would be delighted to recite it, but on one condition. He would recite the psalm only if the priest would recite it after he did. The priest was taken aback but agreed. At the end of the actor's recita-

6 tion, people cheered and applauded. Then the priest got up, and began, "The Lord is my shepherd...." When he finished, no one applauded or clapped. The actor inquired, "Why did we not applaud?" He paused, then answered the question himself, “I know the psalm, but he knows the Shepherd." Kelly closed by saying, "If you do nothing in else with your life, get to know the Shepherd. The future of everything depends upon that." -Maria Franzetti

8 Bradley Chen and the Rosary Altar Society

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was this announcement in our parish bulletin, “Live Rosary Daily @ 7 PM. Beginning today, Sunday, our Rosarians, with the assistance of Bradley Chen as Host, will be praying the Rosary together live. Join this Webex meeting at webex.com.” An email from our Ro- sary President, Madeline Wrzesc, further explained that Bradley Chen had approached Father Bob asking about praying the Rosary as a parish community during the pandemic, and Father Bob asked that the Rosary Society participate. Our only response to this pandemic crisis is faith and who better to turn to than Our Blessed Mother.

As Madeline recounts it, “Just about 12 weeks ago, a pa- rishioner entered my life, with a meek and kind demeanor, re- questing that we start a communal recitation of the Rosary every night of the week during Governor Cuomo’s PAUSE. That pa- rishioner is Bradley Chen whom, except for a zoom meeting that day, I still have not actually met. The skeptic in me thought this wasn’t going to work. How were we going to recruit two leaders for seven nights a week? Well, Bradley was steadfast. He felt strongly that this should take place at OLBS. The first nightly recitation of the Rosary began on April 19th and the first few nights were “painful!” We quickly learned that this technology would not have us all reciting the Rosary at the same time, so everyone was “muted” and only the two leaders could be heard. We were able to bring together husbands to pray, as well as the homebound, and I realized that the recital of the Rosary might have been their only contact during the day. Our Rosary Society has returned to its mission of prayer and good works. This beautiful devotion has become so ingrained in our lives that it was upsetting to have it end at the end of June.”

9 Every evening there were about thirty to forty participants, and prayer intentions included remembering the sick, the deceased, grieving family members, a cure for COVID-19, the protection of health workers, children and teachers, those who lost jobs and businesses affected. We prayed to be sensitive to the needs of the poor, and for tolerance and acceptance, as well as for special intentions presented by the participants. It has been a truly rewarding and comforting experience to join with one’s fellow parishioners in recitation of the Rosary, and it provided a sense of normalcy, and that human connection we so desired and needed.

But now you may wonder, as I did, who is Bradley Chen who made this all possible? I had the opportunity to speak with him and wanted to share his story.

Bradley and Fiona Chen

10 I first asked Bradley when he joined our parish. It was 2014, and he and his wife Fiona were newly married. Before moving to Bayside, Bradley had lived in Jackson Heights, Flushing and Taiwan, and he was born and raised in India! Of Chinese ancestry, he explained that his ancestors had moved from China to India during the Civil War in China in the early 1900’s, and he was the third generation in India. Today, his immediate family lives in the States and one brother lives in Taiwan. Bradley works for a German company based in New Hamp- shire, and his job as an auditor necessitates his travel all over the world. Bradley takes care of the Medical Certification Business Division of the Company; he and his team conduct audits to ensure compliance with ISO 13485 standard and any applicable regulatory requirements with which the audited organizations need to comply. As a result of the pandemic, Bradley’s travel has been restricted until the end of June. Hence, we are the beneficiaries of his confine- ment, and his company has been most generous in permitting us to use their Webex. Bradley’s wife, Fiona, comes from Hong Kong. Fiona has a nursing degree and presently is studying clinical psychology. She serves as a lector here at OLBS at the 12 noon Mass. Knowing his background in India, I asked Bradley if he ever met Mother Teresa. He told me he had, that his parish in India was the same parish to which Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity belonged, and he was involved with her work and partici- pated in her funeral. While living in India, he was quite active in the church, serving as a lector, and was involved with many different Catholic organizations. We are most grateful to Bradley for enabling us to join together in the recitation of the Rosary. We are all looking forward to meeting him in person and joining with him and Fiona in future en- deavors in the parish. Getting to know him has definitely been one positive outcome of this pandemic.

-Peggy Devine

11 OLBS Online – Thanks to Andrew Mussalli

Andrew Mussalli had been managing the parish website and so he was the logical choice when our church was closed, and Fa- ther Bob determined to move Mass online. Never mind that Andrew had never done anything like it before, had never posted anything on YouTube and had only an old camera to work with, he accepted the challenge. And so, that very next weekend and every weekend thereafter we had Mass streaming into our living rooms - our own parish Mass with our own priests,

Andrew Mussalli editing the Trinity Sunday Mass. deacons, lectors, cantors, and organist. Truly a comfort, particularly in the early days when it all seemed so new and strange. Andrew gave us some interesting details. As of May 31st, he had posted Masses for all eleven Sundays since the church was

12 closed. Also posted was the very well received “Castle of the Soul” contemplative prayer led by Michael Martinka and the choir; the Rosary Altar Society May Crowning; and a recitation of the Rosary in front of the statue of Our Blessed Mother in church. The March 22nd Mass was the most viewed thus far with over 1,500 views. The average weekly viewership was 875. This is more than the average number of people that attend all our weekend masses combined - and each view may represent multiple individuals. We have 170 subscribers to our YouTube Channel, "OLBS Bayside, NY," who receive an email every time we post a new video. Interestingly, only 85% of our viewers have been in the United States. The remaining 15% have tuned in from as far away as the United Kingdom, the Philippines, Australia, Canada, and South Africa. Andrew tells us that these were the first videos he had ever recorded and posted on YouTube and called it an enjoyable experience. He was pleasantly surprised at just how far our reach has been and added that Father Bob had also been hearing from viewers all over the country.

13 Monsignor William Flood 1931-2020

Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop of Brooklyn, regrets to inform you of the death of Reverend Monsignor William J. Flood, a retired priest of the Diocese of Brooklyn. Monsignor Flood was born on April 23, 1931, in New York, was ordained to the Priesthood on June 1, 1957, and died Saturday, June 13, 2020. Monsignor Flood served the Diocese of Brooklyn as Temporary Administrator of the Parish of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament (Bayside), Pastor of the parishes of Our Lady of Grace (Howard Beach), Our Lady Help of Christians (Brooklyn), and Saint Vincent de Paul (Brooklyn), Administrator of Saint James Cathedral Basili- ca (Brooklyn) as well as, Parochial Vicar of the Parish of Saint Brigid (Brooklyn). He served as Episcopal Vicar for the East Vicarate, and as a faculty member of Cathedral Preparatory Semi- nary (Elmhurst) and Cathedral College.

14 Additionally, Monsignor Flood served in Prison Ministry, as Moderator of the Holy Name Society and as an Advisor and Mentor in the Ministry Intern Program. He was also a member of the Dioce- san Priest Senate, Diocesan Pastoral Council, and Catholic Office of Education’s Pastors Advisory Committee. He was named Prelate of Honor in 1982. All arrangements and burial are private. A Memorial Mass will be celebrated at a later date. Please pray for the repose of his soul and for the consolation of his family and friends. May he rest in the peace of Christ, the Ris- en Lord. If you wish to send condolences, please mail to his cousin, Mr. Jim Flood, 490 Pequot Avenue, New London, Connecticut 06320.

-Reverend Monsignor Steven J. Aguggia, J.C.L. Chancellor

In Prayerful Remembrance of The Reverend Monsignor WILLIAM FLOOD Born: April 23, 1931 Ordained: June 1, 1957 Died: June 13, 2020 + Priest Prayer O God, who amongst Thy Apostolic priests has raised up Thy servant William, to the dignity of a priest, grant, we beseech Thee, that He may also be admitted in heaven to their ev- erlasting fellowship, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen

15 A Message from Msgr. Flood as He moved from OLBS To the Immaculate Conception Center One of the first memories of my arrival in residence here ten years ago is being interviewed and photographed for Reflections. At the end of September, I will be moving to the Bishop Mugavero Residence at the Immaculate Conception in Douglaston, so – another picture and many other memories. In early 2006 Msgr. John Mahoney was pastor, Father Peter De Sanctis was parochial vicar. FatherMichael Udoh was assisting while studying at Fordham, and Father John Newell was a visiting assistant. During the past ten years I was able to assist by celebrating Mass, ministering as a Confessor in the Sacrament of Recon- ciliation, bringing the Eucharist to some of the homebound, and visiting the first grade students in OLBS (formerly school, now academy) and with a weekly involvement at Cathedral Prep High School and Seminary in Elmhurst. We all have experienced changes in the priestly staff with the coming of Father Robert Whelan, Fr. Tom D’Albro, Fr. Larry Ryan, Fr. Mark Matthias, Fr. Leto on his way to military service, Father Brian Carney, a resident hospital chaplain, and Fr. Vincent Gallo, weekend assistant. Orthopedic problems took their toll on me in 2015. It remains to be seen whether or not I can improve physically and get around more easily. I am very thankful for the friendship and kindness that I have received here – rectory household staff, custodians, volunteers, parish workers of all kinds, Sisters in the convent, deacons, music ministry, school altar servers, members of the parish young and old and especially my brother priests. God bless you all. Visitors welcome. Phone calls welcome. Prayers welcome. Gratefully, Monsignor Flood We are the grateful ones! Rest in peace Monsignor.

16 Restaurants Open During the Pandemic in a Worthy Cause

Bourbon Street. One Station Plaza and Austin’s Ale House: Mark Boccia Jr., a physician’s assistant student, was inspired during the coronavirus pandemic to team up with his Dad, Mark Boccia Sr., owner of Bourbon Street and operator of One Station Plaza and Austin’s Ale, to make free meals for health care workers on the front lines of the coronavirus battle. They delivered over 700 meals to medical and EMS workers across the city, raising more than $93,400 online for their project, called “Food for the Fearless.” In ad- dition to feeding the health care workers they were able to keep all three restaurants open for takeout food and cocktails and pay their employees.

Poppy’s Place in Floral Park: provided food for first responders and hospital staff and their families, as well as Our Lady of Victory Church Food Bank in Floral Park, Notre Dame Food Bank in New Hyde Park, and local residents in need. Owner of Poppy’s Place Donna Keenan set up Eating is Essential Go Fund Me and raised over $9,000. They also stayed open for takeout and curbside pickup, offering family dinner packages, couple packages and specialty drinks and wine, as well as meals off the menu.

Trinity in Floral Park: provided food for health care and essential workers. Michael McGuire organized a Feed the Valiant fund-raising page and raised over $45,000. They also stayed open for takeout and curbside pickups

I am looking forward to sitting down to eat in restaurants soon! -Ann Reisig 17 The Korean Martyrs

When I began to write this article, I knew nothing about the beginnings of the Catholic Church in Korea. Yet, the more I read, the more I admired the strength and courage of the people who dedicated their whole lives to this new belief. The Korean Martyrs were the victims of religious persecution against Catholic Christians during the 18th and mostly 19th centuries. A staggering number of good and faithful Christians were killed during this time, perhaps between eight and ten thousand. St. Paul Chong Hasang was one of 103 martyrs canonized in May 1984 by St John Paul II. Again, in February 2014, Paul Yun Ji-Chung and 123 companions were beatified by Pope Francis during the Asian Youth Day in Seoul, South Korea. There are further moves to beatify Catholics who were killed by communists for their faith in the 20th century during the Korean War. The history of the Church in Korea is remarkable because of the tenacious faith of the people. Christianity came to Korea by way of books brought from China in the 18th century. In 1784, the Korean community sent Yu Chin-gil to Beijing where he was baptized by the Bishop of Beijing, The Bishop was amazed that such a zealous and well-instructed believer could come from a Church that was being persecuted and had no clergy. “This is indeed a miracle of God," he exclaimed. From this was born the first Christian community in Korea, unique in the history of the Church because it was founded entirely by lay people. This fledgling Church, so young and yet so strong in faith, withstood wave after wave of fierce persecution. Even though the Christians in the first half century of the nineteenth century had only two priests from China to assist them, and these only for a time, they deepened their unity in Christ through prayer and fraternal love, disregarding social classes and encouraging religious vocations. They sought ever closer union with their Bishop in Beijing and the Pope in Rome.

Saint Paul Chong Hasang

The martyrs were ordinary people called to the extraordinary. As an example, St. Paul Chong Hasang (1795- 1839) was one of the early lay leaders. He was also the second son of Chung, Yak Jong, a martyr killed during the Shin- Yu Persecution (1801). During this persecution, the only priest, Chu, Moon Mo and many prominent leaders of the early Korean Catholic Church were also martyred. After these incidents, it seemed impossible to reconstruct the devastated Korean Catholic community. St. Paul Chong Hasang gathered the scattered Korean Catholics and ignited their hearts with the raging flames of faith. Furthermore, he reorganized the structures and activities of the Korean Catholic Church and initiated a plea for the Beijing Bishop to send priests to Korea. He went to China nine times, entering the China terri- tory as a lowly servant to the Korean diplomatic members on their annual tributary missions to China. He used these oppor- tunities to plead with the Beijing Bishop to send priests to Ko- rea. When these attempts failed, he pleaded the case to Pope

19 Gregory X directly. Finally, on September 9th, 1831, the Pope proclaimed the legitimacy of the Korean Catholic Diocese. The Korean church welcomed the first French missionaries in 1836. Some of these were martyred as well. To complete the story of Paul Chong Hasang, he was martyred at the age of forty-five on September 22, 1839. Two months later, his mother, Yu Cecilia, died during imprison- ment and the following month, his younger sister, Jung Hye, was also martyred. The three martyrs were beatified on June 6th, 1925 and were canonized on May 6, 1984 by St John Paul II. During the canonization homily in 1984, St. John Paul II highlighted the courage of some of the martyrs: " From the thirteen-year-old Peter Yu to the seventy-two-year-old Mark Chong, men and women, clergy and laity, rich and poor, ordinary people and nobles, many of them descendants of earlier unsung martyrs – they all gladly died for the sake of Christ." The Pope continued, "Listen to the last words of Teresa Kwon, one of the early Martyrs: 'Since the Lord of Heaven is the Father of all mankind and the Lord of all creation, how can you ask me to betray him? Even in this world anyone who be- trays his own father or mother will not be forgiven. All the more may I never betray him who is the Father of us all.'" A generation after Teresa Kwon's sacrifice, Peter Yu’s father Augustine declared, “Once having known God, I cannot possi- bly betray him.” Peter Cho went even further, “Even supposing that one’s own father committed a crime, still one cannot dis- own him as no longer being one’s father. How then can I say that I do not know the heavenly Lord Father who is so good?” Agatha Yi and her younger brother were told falsely that their parents had betrayed the faith. “Whether my parents betrayed or not is their affair. As for us, we cannot betray the Lord of heaven whom we have always served.” Hearing this, six other adult Christians freely delivered themselves to the magistrate to be martyred. The Korean Church reminds us of the precious gift we have, and their courage should be our model of behavior. -Maria Franzetti

20 WON’T YOU BE MY BUDDY?

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; on those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.” -Isaiah 9:2 After a few weeks of the STAY AT HOME ORDER, as we all began to realize that life as we had known it was going to be changed forever, our concerns turned toward those who would be most affected; the homebound and the elderly of our Parish family. Fr. Bob, our Pastor, ever the creative and compassionate thinker, came up with some ideas to bring light to the darkness that seemed to pervade: • “Let’s call all of our parishioners to make sure they are okay and ask if we can help.”

• “Maybe we can start a BUDDY SYSTEM so that we can connect people with each other as Buddies during this time of isolation.”

• “Wouldn’t it be nice if we could have homemade soup delivered to our homebound elderly! Soup for the Soul.”

As you would expect, the response to these ideas was very positive with many volunteering to be phone call makers, buddies and SOUP FOR THE SOUL providers. The Bayside Milk Farm offered to donate containers for the soup, and we walked over there one day to pick them up. As we walked into the store, masked and with gloves on our hands, we asked the first employee that we saw, Pat, about these containers, and he knew all about it. He told us how great he thought it was that we had this program and was happy to give us whatever we needed.

Walk anywhere in the neighborhoods of our parish and you will see decorated HEARTS in windows with messages of care and love to all who pass by from OLBS. So many people have ex- pressed gratitude for the phone calls, the Buddies and the soup. Comments like “It feels good to be on someone’s radar”, “You have

21 made my day”, and “It is so nice that you have called me”, affirm that we truly are a Dynamic Parish!

We hope that by the time you are reading this in Fall of 2020, our Buddies will be able to meet with each other in the flesh, and our Soup Makers will hear first-hand how de- licious their soup tasted, and those who only talked on the phone might say “you look just like I pictured you from your voice on the phone”, or maybe not!

` Sister Nora Gatto, Deacon Bill Molloy

22 Lockdown and Isolation During the Pandemic

“Go into your houses, my people, and lock your door behind you; hide for just a moment until the wrath has passed.” (Isaiah 26:20) Lockdown and isolation are not easy and might lead some to self-pity. But thinking of those permanently in nursing homes, isolated from family and friends, thinking of those who have died without family or possibility of last Sacraments or a regular funeral, thinking of the sadness and heavy hearts of all those families, reminds us that we are blessed.

“Reboot” is a word first used in the 1970’s, meaning “to shut down and restart a computer.” This evolved in the 1980’s to mean, according to the Merriam Webster Diction- ary “to start anew, to make a fresh start”. The Cambridge Dictionary adds, to make a fresh start “in a way that is new and interesting.”

Things may not return to the “normal” as we knew it. Nature became less polluted; animals happier and moving about more freely - in some countries we heard animals were seen walking along the highways. Our way of life before this lockdown and self-isolation was not perfect. God allows everything for a reason. Sometimes He allows events to test us. But He is a loving God and, in His wis- dom, brings good out of sickness and disasters. We cannot see the bigger picture; neither can we see into the future. He can. Maybe God is preparing us for a better future, a clean- er environment and giving us another chance to be good stewards. He is giving us a chance to make a “fresh start” to “start anew”

He is also giving us a chance to have a better and more personal relationship with Him. We have had more

23 time to spend in prayer, and technology has given us the means and resources to access various forms of prayer - videos of daily Mass, the Rosary, the sung Divine Mercy Rosary, novenas etc.

I find it has given me a greater appreciation for spending more time with God. I look forward on waking, and after thanking God for keeping me alive and giving me a good night’s sleep, to reading the Scripture , praying from my Christian Prayer book, and video Mass at EWTN, followed by the Rosary & later the sung Divine Mercy Rosary. It is special and important for me to spend time with God who loves me and showers His blessings and graces on me. If God is for me who can be against me?

This lockdown is a STOP & PAUSE button. Time for re- flection on our lives and where we are going spiritually. Time to meditate on the deeper meaning of life and our relationship with God, ourselves, and others

And we can start by giving THANKS, for being alive and having a roof over our heads, for food, for family and friends, for our community, our parish, our priests. (I give particular thanks for those who prayed for me in the daily online rosaries while I was so sick.) We can call each other, pray with each other. We can read Psalm 91, which reassures us of God’s protection. (Each night I say Ps 91 before going to sleep after my night prayers. It is very powerful.)

We can also look on the positive side of this isolation - having more time to spend with family, playing games, watch- ing movies, doing puzzles etc., as I have done with my family, becomes quality family time. God wants us to know how important family is, more important than our phones and iPads. This is the time to make each person in our family feel special. Let us devote ourselves to loving others. We can also take the opportunity for creating something that gives us purpose and meaning. Some try their hand at painting as I did - I may not be a profes- sional but it gives me joy and pleasure!

24 Finally, were not the Apostles in the upper room in a lockdown of FEAR, when the Holy Spirit descended on them, empowering them, making them fearless to go out and proclaim the words of Jesus. The Church was born under the influence of the Holy Spirit during a lockdown caused by fear. So, we too can pray to the Holy Spirit, “Come Holy Spirit, fill our hearts and renew the face of the earth.” Then heaps of graces and blessings will come down upon us.

Never forget: “Our help is in the Name of the Lord who made heaven and earth” -Marushka Sequeira Palha

25 News Around Our Parish… Congratulations to 2020 OLBSCA Graduates. (See photos)

Father James Devine, celebrating his 60th Anniversary in the Priesthood.

Valerie DeMato, on the birth of her newest grandchild, Pat- rick Joseph DeMato. (See photo of her four beautiful little ones all together as siblings for the first time.)

Joan and John Cronan, on their 33rd wedding anniversary

Robinson Olivares on his ordination to the diaconate. Wedding Congratulations to: Sabrina Trapani and Joseph Mainolfi, who were married on May 2nd. (See photo)

Happy Birthday Wishes to – Eileen Goldschmidt, on celebrating her 96th birthday in April. Evelyn (Evie) O’Brien on celebrating her 100th birthday in August The following people, all of whom celebrated their 90th birthday! John Buckley (see photo of drive-by celebration)) Peter Mallia Tullio Moranzoni Betty S essa Marion Sodaro Liz Sommer, on celebrating her 80th birthday. Kevin Cadigan, on celebrating his 70th birthday. That’s it for now, but don’t forget to share your news with the parish – leave a note for me at the Rectory so I can include it in the next issue of Reflections. , -Peggy Buckley

26 News around our parish...

Patrick Joseph DeMato, newest grandson of Valerie DeMato, surrounded by his proud siblings!

Joseph Mainolfi and Sabrina Trapani

27 News Around the Parish...

John Buckley’s 90th Birthday Drive –by Celebration!

28 News Around the Parish...

Robinson Olivares’ diaconate ordination .

29 2020 olbs graduation

30 2020 olbs graduation

31 2020 OLBS Graduation

32 What I Learned on the Way to Online Teaching

Online teaching was a closed book to me. I had been using our online website to post power points of my lectures, the syllabus and to use the ‘Announcement’ tab to remind my students of deadlines etc. Then came a virus that opened up mysteries of this wonderful world of online teaching that, while frustrating and time consuming, has made remote learning quite easy. I will talk about the disadvantages first then the advantages. The disadvantages were quite discouraging at first and made me long for the days of face-to-face class meetings. I am not tech-savvy and have only explored and used what could be termed a ‘need-to-know basics’ with the new elec- tronics. I spent days learning to set up class sessions, and then walking students through the labyrinth so we could have pro- ductive class sessions. To compound my misery, I teach at three different institutions and they all use different remote learning technologies – I had to familiarize myself with them all within a few days. Fortunately, the students took to this like ducks to water, which is understandable since they were all born with electronic devices in their hands. To my surprise I found that as the weeks passed things got easier and now I marvel at how things have become almost second nature to me. I have now, if not mastered the technology, become more competent using this method to my advantage. After months at this, I am now beginning to see the advantages of online teaching. The first is of course travel time. If my class starts at 9 am, I am settling in front of my computer ten minutes before the start. I have no need to shower, put on makeup, and get dressed. If I forget something I need for classes, it is right next to me. Secondly, no battling traffic, no leaving at least thirty minutes earlier to get to the destination, in case there should be an unexpected snag such as an accident tying up traffic for miles. The most advanta- geous reason I can foresee now is if there should be a school

33 closure for any reason. If there is a blizzard raging outside, I can still hold classes by using these new meeting techniques. (Although my first reaction, on being notified of College closure because of weather, is gladness for the unexpected day off, I know that I have to make up the day another time.) It is in human nature to baulk at changes, new envi- ronments and other routines that cause us inconveniences at the start. However, humanity would not have created our civilization if everyone had no curiosity to explore the unexpected or to act on ideas that occur to those who are willing to step out onto the ledge from time to time. So ‘Happy Online Teaching.’ -Vilma Greene

Online Teaching , Learning, and a Virtual Easter Egg Hunt!

34 LONELINESS

There are many lonely people, men and women of all ages in the world – especially among the seniors, the homebound, and those in nursing homes. Often children marry, go out of state, and the parents are alone. Sometimes one of the spouses dies and then they are even more alone. These people may spend days, weeks even, without seeing another human being and all the voices they hear are from the TV which becomes their companion. Others are tempted to binge and keep eating when they get bored, leading to obesity and illness. Oth- ers may be separated or divorced, and even though they have children, are lonely not having another adult person to talk to. People you see in church, on the street, perhaps even some of your friends, may be lonely without revealing it. Just being married and living with a spouse does not prevent one from being lonely. And even with more seniors using social media the problem of isolation remains. But it does not seem like a topic that is freely talked about.

Is it healthy to be alone all the time? While alone time has many physical, emotional, and spiritual benefits when enjoyed in moderation, spending too much time alone can damage the mind and body. We function best when there is a balance, when we spend healthy time alone, and at the same time nurture our close relationships.

Some tips for the lonely: Be positive and practice gratitude. Try to drive negative thoughts away. Find a hobby at home. Join a senior club, one that places you in social situa- tions. Invite friends over, make regular phone calls to family and friends.

And for us all: It might be a good idea to seek out the lonely people in your area, your parish, and offer to visit them occasionally. It could bring them some joy and consolation. A simple phone call once a week could be something to look for-

35 ward to and make their day. You may be their only human contact with the outside world. Perhaps you might offer to give them a ride to Church and introduce them to other parishioners.

To connect with others is a biological need. God did not create us to be alone. He meant us to be social beings and to interact with each other. The power of human contact should not be underestimated. But the God who created us is also calling us into a relationship with Him and we should start by resting in a loving, personal, and intimate relationship with Him. God wants the best for us, YES, nothing but the best. When we have God beside us and allow His Holy Spirit to guide and lead us , we can overcome the feeling of loneliness, We can learn to give up efforts to satisfy human desires and in stead give ourselves up entirely to God, and rest in His arms. The Bible says a lot about loneliness and how we are never truly alone if we believe. God is always there for us no matter what. He stands by our side, even when we cannot feel Him. Matthew 11:28 “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Isaiah 43:1-2 “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.”

Note: St. Rita has acquired the reputation, together with St. Jude, as a saint of impossible cases. She is also the patron saint of sterility, abuse victims, loneliness, marriage difficulties, parenthood, widows, the sick, bodily ills, and wounds. - Marushka Palha Sequeira

36 THE OTHER CONTAGION

Francis Lewis Boulevard is an odd place to have an epiphany, but that is where I had one.

At the height of the pandemic, I was out on a walk when I looked around and thought: So, this is what fear looks like. The fear of contagion was all around, the fear of a microbe, of an invisible, imperceptible Enemy named coronavirus: empty streets, empty skies, empty sidewalks, empty schools, closed stores, closed churches; signs in the windows reading “Temporarily closed due to the coronavirus.” It was as if I had stepped on to the set of a Twilight Zone episode.

The Media provided a steady and sometimes frenzied stream of COVID news, a continuous twenty-four-hour rinse cycle of updates, interviews, and analyses. Each noon, the Governor announced the number of COVID deaths and spoke of “spikes” and “peaks.” Infectious disease doctors, beginning with Dr. Fauci, tried to ease people’s fears but only succeeding in making people feel more terrified. For example, they told us that microbes lingered in the air, waiting to invade our eyes, our mouths and our nostrils; that the microbes could remain on objects for hours. The most confusing information was that a person could be “asymptomatic,” not know it, but carry the disease to the people they most loved, their elderly parents and grandparents.

So, families stopped visiting each other, people kept six feet apart with blue tape indicating the correct distance to the cashier, and masks were mandatory in stores. Hospitals banned visitors. People sprayed down everything with disinfectants… Overnight new phrases sprang up: “Shelter in place,” “social distancing, ” “the new normal.” Even quarantine came back with a vengeance. Highways flashed warnings: “Stay Home… Flatten the curve…. Wash Your hands.” There were even videos on Youtube that showed you how to wash your hands.

37 The world was at war--with a microbe. Yet, on Fran- cis Lewis Boulevard nothing looked dangerous. There were no wild animal roaming the sidewalks. Just Fear was visible.

So, what was my epiphany? It was this: The contagion called Coronavirus is small potatoes compared to The Other Contagion--Sin. The Media ignores it, politicians shy away from the topic. Scientists would be the first to tell us that it is not in their line of work. Nevertheless, sin is real, it is highly contagious, and it is eternally lethal. Its effects are visible everywhere. The contagion is spread wherever people chat idly about the misdeeds of their neighbors; it spreads when workers gossip maliciously or salaciously about their co-workers or when curses and blasphemies ring out in the halls of schools and office buildings. The virus spreads through movies and video games that pollute the minds of children and rob them of their innocence. The virus spreads when magazines and newspapers display lewd photos, when headlines incite anger and resentment and revenge. Sin is thus spread from mouth to ear, eyes to heart. Wherever prej- udice against race or religion thrives, wherever lack of respect, indifference to poverty and disdain for laws flourishes, the disease of sin spikes. Greed, corporate or personal, suf- focates hope. Sexual abuse fosters shame and hostility, the mockery of Faith promotes cynicism and despair. However, people don’t die in hospitals from sin and there are no statis- tics on it.

When Governor Cuomo said, “God didn’t do that, we did,” he was more right than he knew, except that he was bragging about the efforts everyone was making to decrease the fatalities of the COVID cases. His words really apply to the original contagion, the one that escaped not from Wu Han but from Eden; not from a leaky test tube but from that first failed experiment in free will. Yes, Governor, “God didn’t do that, we did.”

38 The best “take away” from this pandemic is a spiritual one. The utter ugliness of sin may be invisible to our human eyes, but its effects are not. This pandemic is a call to repent- ance, a spiritual opportunity to inoculate ourselves with the vaccine recommended by the saints, those “experts” in spiritual diseases, those “first responders,” our truest heroes “on the front line.” St Paul wrote, “I had no intention of knowing anything among you except Jesus Christ, and him cruci- fied.” (1Corinthians 2:2), Along with St Paul, Doctors of the Church like St Augustine and St Thomas Aquinas gave many “briefings” in their day about the Importance of sheltering in place, and social distancing. But they called it Prayer and Fear of the Lord. -Paul Franzetti

OLBSCA students share their love of nurses on Nurse Appreciation Day.

39 We Remember… Kay Stein : I remember a St. Patrick’s Day party in 1954 sponsored by the Holy Name Society with hot dogs served in the auditorium and cafeteria. I remember an early Rosary Card Party for which members were asked to donate Plaid Stamp Books – when redeemed there were enough prizes to fill the front of the stage. I remember the last Card Party was a combined affair with Rosary running the Card Party in the auditorium and Holy Name running a Vegas Night in the cafeteria. I remember nights at the Races run mainly by the Holy Name with assistance from Rosary and CYO workers and two Italian Nights at the Races where food was cooked and delivered by Home School parents and the proceeds paid for new chairs and tables for the auditorium. I remember Pins and Needles Fash- ion Shows, featuring parishioners’ own fashion creations, which packed the house at some Rosary meetings. I remember Variety Shows put together by the Holy Name Society under the direction of Val Reisig. And I remember when my son started at OLBS School he went from noon to 4 PM until new classrooms could be added to the over- crowded school.

Barbara O’Keefe: My favorite OLBS memory is of a long- ago Reflections interview with Rita Clymer. Some excerpts from that interview: Who else would remember arriving there one Sunday morning to find “The Devil Is Driving” on the marquee! Actually, Rita recalled, the very first Sunday Mass was at the Democratic Club on the corner of 32nd Ave. and 201st St. (on the upper floor of which one of the initial church fundraising parties was also held.) Weekday Masses were celebrated at the Rectory which consisted of two attached houses on 34th Avenue. Early on, buses were arranged to take parishioners to two different Sunday Masses at St. Kevin’s. One year to the day after groundbreaking, Rita and her fellow parishioners paraded, band playing and flags flying, from the Theater to the new church for the opening dedication. Of the church itself, her standout memory is a typically humorous one - this is Rita Clymer after all. It took place one

40 OLBS 90th anniversary Passion Week, in the days when crucifix and statues were draped in purple for the final days of Lent. She remembers Tom Leahy falling while trying to cover the crucifix in the arch and commenting afterwards, “There He was with His arms outstretched – wouldn’t you think He would have caught me!” But by far the most numerous and fond memories Rita has to share are show memories. For a period of seven to ten years, parish shows were a staple activity at OLBS and Rita Clymer was a staple in those shows. Her signature presentation, “Second Hand Rose,” began quite accidentally when Fa- ther Clarke decided that all the musical numbers should some- how relate to “rose” and asked Rita if she knew the song “Second Hand Rose.” Obviously, this was long after the Zieg- field era when the tune originated, and a few years before it was revived to its later popularity by Barbra Streisand and was completely unknown to Rita. Undaunted, she sought out an old songbook in a Second Ave. bookstore, learned the song and made it an OLBS hit - which she was called on to reprise many times over the years.

Marie Franzetti; We moved to Flushing in 1997, leaving behind our beloved parish in Canarsie, Our Lady of Miracles. We missed it so much, because we had friendships there fos- tered over twenty years. I wanted another parish just like it. My desire was, as I told Paul, "to join a parish where it takes twenty minutes to exit after Mass because everyone is greeting us." I found that parish here. On three consecutive weekdays, I went to Mass on my vacation. Morning Prayer was said before the Mass. It was so devout and enriching. I spoke to Paul, and we registered the next week. OLBS has become our home.

Jean Marie Kessel, OLBS Class of ’82: Taught on Type- writers at OLBS! 8th grade gave you special privileges at OLBS, and typing class was one of them! Reserved for the “upperclassmen” of OLBS school, typing class was looked at as fun and beneficial!...at least that’s what our teacher always

41 We Remember… told us, and she was right! Mrs. Ellen Pizzo was the wife of Facul- ty Member John Pizzo and she did a wonderful job of teaching us how to type! Since we had three classes on every grade level back then, there were no classrooms left for us to use! The only available space was on the Auditorium balcony , so that is where typing class was held! We were packed in with our typewriters, all set for us to use! Always making class interesting, Mrs. Pizzo had us type some special activity for every single holiday. Mrs. Pizzo told us that typing was a skill we should all know because we would use it going forward in life! It certainly proved true!

Anne O’Connell, Sunday Mass in the 1960’s: If you attended Cath- olic School in the 1960’s, you attended Sunday Mass with your classmates, not your family. Every Sunday, students in grades 1-6, attended the 9:00 Am Mass while students in grades 7-8 attended the 7:45 AM Mass. In my memory, the opening words of each of Msgr. Reilly’s homily was, “My good little boys and girls…” and he spoke to us, in words and images that children could understand. Imagine, the 60 students that were in my first-grade Msgr. Charles Reilly class, attended Mass together (boys Photo thanks to sitting on the Saint Joseph side of E. Baginski the church, while the girls sat on the Blessed Mother side of the church) with the one classroom teacher (a nun in this case) maintaining a prayerful attitude of her students! Sunday Mass attendance was an extension of school and religion class so attendance was

42 Olbs 90th anniversary subtlety taken. Beware those who were not in attendance- you would be called upon to account for your absence!

Susan Young: John and I started going to the Toddler Mass in early 1980. Johnny was about 4-5 months old at that time. It was a home away from home where you could bring your children and never be embarrassed by anything they did, or yelled or cried about. Many a cheerio or box of raisins were eaten at the 9:30 Mass and if you forgot yours, someone would happily share with you. It was wonderful to watch people’s family grow right there every Sunday. Our son Johnny served his first mass as an alter server down there. A lovely older Irish priest assisted him and when mass was over, he announced what a grand job Johnny had done! He even gave him 5.00$ which he remembers to this day. Our third child Mikey was always a bit rambunctious. One Sunday as Father Bill was walking up the aisle one-and-a-half-year-old Mikey threw his bottle right in front of him and it burst open! Father Bill just calmly stepped right over it and continued to the altar. I, of course, was embarrassed and after mass Father said he almost said something but looked at my face and decided not to!! Thank God! All of our children have fond memories of Bible class in the back room and coming out with their booklets to show us. It was always an honor to bring up the family felt square that was made by your family for the week. Johnny, Kathleen, Mikey, Susie and Tommy all loved the song Sing Alleluia to the Lord and clap- ping as loud as they could! Mike and Susie even used it in their own wedding Masses. Tommy wanted to use the song but it was Lent when he got married so it couldn’t be used. All of us Youngs have fond memories of all the families we came to know from the Toddler Mass . So over and out from the left side of the altar, third row back which was our home for the duration of the Family Mass at OLBS. We miss our little home!

43 We remember…

Barbara Saur, Memories of the Toddler Mass: The OLBS toddler Mass began in 1979 in the lower church. I began attending the summer of 1981 when my daughter Karen was born. When we began going to church with our infant daughter in the lower church the atmosphere was warm and welcoming. If the baby fussed know one glared at the noisy baby because there was always an undercurrent of the buzz of toddlers talk- ing asking questions like: where is God? Is that grandpa on the altar? Why can he eat now? Can we go home now? Is this over yet?

The crying room is what we now call the Mary Mu- laney room. This room is soundproofed and the mass could still be heard if a mom sat in there while her children played. The children were invited to the crying room during the readings and the homily. During this time bible stories would be read and some arts and crafts might be made. The children were free to attend or play in the front area. When the door opened for the children to return to their families the hum of excitement was heard. Then during the consecration, the children were invited to join Father on the altar. There were moments with the children standing around the altar - candles shaking and the priest looking a little nervous. But we all survived. Some of the brave priests would sit on the altar I with the children sitting around him and speak with the children as their homily. This was a great place for the children to demonstrate their knowledge of reciting the Our Father by shouting it as loud as they could with the group.

I recall families making a banner and presenting it as a family when bringing up the gift of bread and wine. My children especially enjoyed the year all of the children made a large felt Na- tivity during Christmas season and it hung over the Altar.

44 Olbs 90 th anniversary

In 1991, Fr Michael Lynch thought it would be great to baptize my youngest during Toddler Mass on Pentecost Sunday It was quite memorable. For years people would recall this special

45 We remember... event. My two children who are parents of toddlers today recall the toddler mass atmosphere as feeling warm and cozy and the mass was made less boring because they would leave Mom and Dad to have the interesting bible stories read to them.

Many parents agree the beauty of Toddler Mass was the close sense of community felt by all down there and our children loved going to church.

Ronnie Steingasser, First Holy Communion, 1980’s.

Susan and John Logan with Christy and Carole Steingasser.

46 Olbs 90th anniversary

Anne O’Connell, 1960’s Sunday Evening Sports Event in the OLBS Gym: With the completion of the school extension and gym, OLBS had a new venue for Sunday evening entertain- ment and socializing. During basketball season, the big event was Sunday night games of the Tyro and Junior basketball teams. Most of the spectators sat in the bleachers, but the seats on the balcony were always occupied by Mr. & Mrs. Peiser, Mr. and Mrs. Pesature, and other adult fans of youth sports. I can still picture Mr. Peiser and his team huddled in the corner of the gym during a time out. Will this play lead to victory or defeat? We came back to the gym each week for the drama, the sus- pense, and, of course, the socializing! You can be sure that all homework had been completed before Sunday so you could take part in this weekly event.

OLBS team coached by Frank Peiser and Denis Carroll. Do you recognize any of the players?

47 We remember... .

Eileen Baginski, memories of Mrs, John White, Rosari- an president and OLBS teacher.

Eileen Baginski, memories of Mary Elizabeth White’s role in the OLBS CYO swim team victory.

48 Olbs 90th anniversary

School performances and...

….Rosary Altar Society performances!

49 Monthly devotions of the catholic church

September– October– Our Lady of Sorrows The Holy Rosary

November- The Holy Souls

50 OLBS Ministries and Organizations

ADULT CONFIRMATION PROGRAM - This program is a 6-week course for those seeking this sacrament. Director: Dcn William Molloy [email protected] ADULT FAITH FORMATION TEAM – Meets once a month to sup- port and facilitate the ongoing faith formation of the adult members of the parish. Contact Valerie DeMato, [email protected]

ALTAR SERVERS: ADULT ALTAR SERVERS - Serves morning masses and funerals when children are not available. Coordinator: Pete Mallia, 718 -631-5129. YOUTH ALTAR SERVERS - Help the priests at masses, funerals and weddings. Coordinators: Ana Moteverdi, Rose Macchio [email protected] CATHOLIC TEEN COMMUNITY (CTC) - Made up of parish and non-parish high school teens who meet every Tuesday evening in the convent to plan projects to help the poor. Contact: OLBS Youth Minis- ter, Kathleen Ranieri-Guiliano, 718-229-5929, e-mail: kgiuliano@olbs- queens.org CATHOLIC YOUTH ORGANIZATION – Boys and girls may participate in the following sports: basketball, swimming, soccer, baseball, softball and track. Coordinator: Michael Monteverdi, 917-699-6039. : [email protected] Website: olbsCYO.com

CHOIRS: ADULT CHOIR – Rehearsals on Tuesday evenings at 8:00pm in the choir loft. New members always welcome. Contact Michael Martinka at 718-229-5929, e-mail: [email protected] CHERUB CHOIR – Children from Kindergarten to 2nd grade. Rehearsals on Monday at 3:15– 4:00 PM in the Parish Center. Contact Margaret Abel at 718-840-8351, e-mail: [email protected] CHILDREN’S CHOIR – Children from 3rd to 6th grade. Re- hearsals on Monday at 4:30– 5:30 PM in the Parish Center. Contact Margaret Abel at 718-840-8351, e-mail: [email protected]

OLBS Ministries and Organizations

FUNERAL CHOIR – Members of this group are present at every funeral and represent our parish to the relatives of the deceased. If you are interested in this Work of Mercy contact Peggy Buckley 7184283223 YOUTH CHOIR – Young adults from 7th grade and up. Re- hearsals on Thursday evenings at 7:30pm in the Parish Center. Contact Valerie DeMato at 718-423-7017, e-mail: [email protected]. CHURCH ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE - Enhances the worship space for Christmas, Easter, and other seasonal rituals. Coordinator: Christie Lee [email protected] DOOR TO DOOR MINISTRY– Join us once a month as we knock on every door in the parish to extend a welcome from Fr. Bob, inform people about OLBS and its programs, and invite them to visit or worship at OLBS. Contact Joe Traver at [email protected] or 718-637-7231 EVANGELIZATION TEAM - Outreach to inactive Catholics, non- Catholics, and the unchurched, and to enable the parish and parishioners to be more evangelizing. Coordinator: Joe Traver, [email protected] EXTRAORDINARY MINISTERS OF HOLY COMMUNION - Serve at the Liturgy of the Eucharist and can also be trained to bring Holy Communion to the sick and homebound. Contact: Eileen Baginski, 718-358-1381, e-mail: [email protected] GIRL SCOUTS - Girl Scout Juniors, meets 1st Thursday of each month in school cafeteria from 3:00 – 4:30. Coordinator: Enza Vella 347-728- 8589; e-mail:[email protected] GREEN TEAM: Aims to promote practices in the church and community that are in alignment with Laudato Si, as well as with the conserva- tion of our earth’s resources. We also have activities in the church that celebrate God’s creation. Meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month. Contact Judy Tolan, 718-279-2414 or [email protected] GROUNDSKEEPERS - Dedicated parishioners assist the maintenance staffing caring for the parish lawn and gardens. Contact: Ramon Urena, 718-229-5929 HABITAT FOR HUMANITY: Team OLBS is a Habitat for Humanity NYC Queens Coalition of faith and community group partner involved in transforming 20 dilapidated houses in Queens into beautiful new Habitat homes for hard-working, low income families! Coordinator: Barbara Gillespie [email protected] 917-696-4032.

OLBS Ministries and Organizations

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, #430 Dr.Dooley/Fr. McGivney – Meetings at Joyce Kilmer Hall (35-79 160th St., Flushing) every Tues- day. Contact: Kevin Cadigan 917-599-7535; Website: kofc.org LECTORS - Proclaim the Word of God in liturgical celebrations. Co- ordinator: Al Pistone [email protected] 917-543-9278 MINISTERS OF HOSPITALITY – USHERS - New volunteers are always welcome. Coordinator: John Cronan, 718-352-7529, e-mail: [email protected] MINISTRY OF WELCOME GREETERS – Contact Barbara Saur @ [email protected] MOMMY AND ME - Mothers (fathers, grandparents and nannies) with babies and toddlers are invited to meet in the school auditorium. Contact: Ana Monteverdi, 917-922-4375; Website: MommyNme- olbs.com. NICARAGUA MISSION TEAM - Raises material and financial sup- port for children with disabilities through Mustard Seed Communities; includes an annual trip. Coordinator: Nancy Gentile, [email protected]

OFFICE VOLUNTEERS –Volunteer receptionists normally work a set day of the week and a time period of at least three hours. Other tasks, such as bulk mailings may be scheduled to fit the volunteer’s schedule. Coordinator: Mary Ranieri, 917-880-1412 , e-mail: [email protected] OLBS ACADEMY PARENT ASSOCIATION– Supports Academy programs, advocates for continuing excellence and keeps parents in- formed about Academy affairs and upcoming events. President: Elizabeth Giangrecco, 917-939-3783 [email protected], website: olbsacademy.org PARISH ADVOCATES FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES - bring to the parish level the work of the Diocesan Office for Persons with Disabilities, to enable all to have as full access to the Liturgy and Sacraments as possible. Contacts: Barbara O’Keefe, 718-352-0210, e- mail: [email protected] PASTORAL CARE PROGRAM - COMMUNION TO THE HOME- BOUND – Anyone who cannot attend Mass because of illness may receive the Eucharist at home on a regular basis. Coordinators: Mrs. Ag- nes Pappas, 718-631-4793, e-mail: [email protected]

OLBS Ministries and Organizations

PRE-CANA PROGRAMS - Marriage preparation required by the church. Contacts: Steve and Laura DiMichael, 718-352-9247, e-mail: [email protected] RCIA - The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is a process for those who are inquiring about the Christian Faith. Director: Deacon William Molloy, email: [email protected] REFLECTIONS - A quarterly magazine. Focused on events and issues of interest to our parish community. Contact: Barbara O’Keefe, 718- 352-0210, e-mail: [email protected] RELIGIOUS EDUCATION PROGRAM - Classes on Wednesday afternoons for grades 1 – 5. Grades 6 and 8 are taught on Tuesday evenings. Director: Jeannine Iocco 718-225-6179, e-mail: reli- [email protected] RESPECT LIFE COMMITTEE - Meets on the first Saturday of the month after the 9am Mass. Purpose is to foster a “culture of life.” Con- tact: Karen and Joe Traver at [email protected] ROSARY ALTAR SOCIETY - Honors Our Blessed Mother, promotes the spiritual growth of the women of our parish and aids the parish through fund raising activities. New members of all age groups are welcome and needed. President: Madeline Wrzesc 917-685-1644, email: [email protected] SENIOR CITIZENS LEISURE CLUB – Meetings are held every Wednesday afternoon from 12pm to 4pm in the Parish Center. Coordi- nator: Dominick DeVito, 718-631-3905 TEEN CLUB - Church related atmosphere for teens at the junior high level with meetings in the gym on Wednesday evenings and a super- vised dance every six to eight weeks. Coordinator: Kathleen Ranieri- Guiliano, 718-229-5929, e-mail: [email protected] WEDDING COMMITTEE - Prepares couples for their wedding cere- mony. Contact: Judy Reilly, 718-229-8895, e-mail: jereil- [email protected]

54 NEIGHBORHOOD PARISH MASS SCHEDULES OLBS PARISH 34-24 203rd St., Bayside, NY 11360

Tel: 718-229-5929 Weekends: Sat: 5PM; Sun: 8:00 AM, 10:00AM, 12:00PM Weekday: M- F: 7AM, 9AM: Sat: 9AM

SACRED HEART PARISH ST. KEVIN’S PARISH 215-35 38th Ave. 45-21 194th St. Bayside, NY 11361 Flushing, NY 11358 718-428-2200 718-357-8888 Weekends: Sat: 5pm; Weekends: Sat: 5pm Sun: 9:30, 11:30 & 5pm Sun: 8, 10, 12 Weekdays: M- S: 9am Weekdays: M – Sa: 9a

ST. ANASTASIA CHURCH ST. MEL’S PARISH th 45-14 245 St., Douglaston, NY 26-15 154 St. 11362 (718) 631-4454 Flushing, NY 11358 Weekends: Sat: 5:00pm 718-886-0201 Weekend: Sat: 5pm Sun: 8:00, 10:00, 12:00 & 5:00pm Weekday: 8:30 am Sun: 7:30, 9 (Italian), 10:30, 12 Weekdays: M – F: 7 & 9am ST. ANDREW’S PARISH (In Summer, 8AM only. No 7AM 35-60 158TH St., Flushing, NY or9AM on M – F ) 718-359-0417 Sat: 9am Weekends: Sat: 5pm Sun: 7:30, 9 (family mass), 11:00 ST. ROBERT’S PARISH (adult choir,) 12:30 (Spanish) 213– 09 58th Ave. Weekdays: M-F: 8:30 Bayside Hills, NY 11364 In summer, M-F, Sat: 8:30 only 718-229-6465 Weekends: Sat: 5pm ST. JOSAPHAT CHURCH Sun: 8, 9:15 (Korean), 11:00, 34-32 210th St. 12:30 Bayside, NY 11361 Weekdays: M – F: 7 & 9am 718-229-1663 Sat: 9am Weekends: Sat: 7pm Sun: 8:30 am (Polish), 9:30 Traditional Lat- in, 12 English Weekday: M -F: 8am Sat: 8am