Autumn’s here! I know, I know! Summer came and went with nary a posting but, it wasn’t because of a dearth of goings on here in Catholic Peekskill!
Let me attempt a brief wrap up:
In July, we bid a fond farewell to Father Louis Anderson now assigned to St. Lucy’s in the Bronx. During his four years here in Catholic Peekskill, Father Anderson was never afraid to roll up his cassock sleeves and get to work. He was a vigorous recruiter for Assumption School; he trained and installed over 100 altar servers, logged countless hours in the Confessional, baptized hundreds of babies and wed scores of couples. (And, nobody could fill a dumpster like Father Anderson!) We are so grateful for his tireless work!
And, a hearty hail goes to Father Vincent Druding. Originally from Indiana, he was ordained to the Holy Priesthood for the Archdiocese of New York in 2009; he has a gift for preaching and, an energy and enthusiasm that could only be inspired by the Holy Spirit. The great doctor of the Church, St. Augustine said, “A Christian should be an Alleluia from head to toe.” We can’t be sure, of course, but we think he was referring to Fr. Vincent!
August was both grace-filled and joy-filled, complete with 40 Hours devotion in honor of Our Lady of the our Feast Day, Festa Italiana,a pilgrimage to World Youth Day in Madrid and, the Assumption School’s 4th Annual Golf Outing. The photo below capture only some of that joy and grace we had in Spain!
We could barely catch our breath before it was time to ring the school bells again! We are so grateful for our parish school and the many bright and shining faces that greet us every day.
Our Lady’s birthday on September 8th is a great cause for celebration, don’t you think? And, like any birthday party, we’ve got pictures! It was a grand feast!
This past weekend many of our Ecuadorean parishioners gathered for a celebration in honor of El Seňor de Girón. Girón is small town in the south of Ecuador. Traditionally, prayers were said to El Seňor de Girón in the hopes that He would bring rain and prosperity during seasons of drought. Though there certainly has been no lack of rain here in Catholic Peekskill, we gathered for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in honor of El Seňor. After Mass, a lively celebration was held in Father Wilson Hall. Any festival held in honor of El Seňor de Giron would not be complete without the vaca loca (crazy cow). (See the photo below). The cow is a symbol of the prosperity for which the devotos are praying and, is used throughout October in many religious festivals. This special celebration brought a taste of home to our Ecuadorian brothers and sisters and reminds us all that the Catholic Church is truly universal! Maybe you’ll take a moment to remember and share your own Catholic traditions. They may not include a vaca loca but, they will be equally as joyful!
God delights in our joy and, I am grateful to say that we have plenty of it here in Catholic Peekskill!
