Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

It was a glorious celebration here in Catholic Peekskill on Saturday, March 10, 2012 for the Annual Peekskill Saint Patrick's Day Parade with a kickoff Mass held just prior.   Assumption's Pastor was honored to be chosen as an Aide to the Grand Marshall this year and grateful for the loving support of many parishioners who marched in the parade. I hope you enjoy these photos.

The Tinoco Family joins in the Festivities

Assumption School Proudly Marches in the Parade

Assumption Church and School have always loved their priests

 

Dominick and Frankie show off their "Wearin' of the Green."

 

From left to Right, Lt. Cathy Johansen, James Walsh (with son), Frances Catalina (an Alumna of Assumption School), and Father John Higgins; All Aides to Elizabeth Mitchell Marques, the 2012 Grand Marshall (not pictured) (would love to get a photo)

 

During Lent, Father Vincent is "Praise the Lord" from Head to Toe!

 

Assumption School students under the doubtless leadership of Principal, Mr. James Lyons

Ms. Curinga (Assumption School Teacher) joins Assumption in the fun

 All this fun in honor of the great Saint who evangelized Ireland.  May this prayer of Saint Patrick be realized in our lives:

Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.
                                

Come closer to Christ this Lent here in Catholic Peekskill

Catholic Peekskill prepares for Ash Wednesday 2012 by burning last years Palms (photo by Audrey Warn)

It’s that time of year again…a time for giving up the myriad creature comforts to which we cling in order to ease life’s burdens.  Maybe we’ll give up sweets or resist some temptation that’s gotten a hold of us, maybe we’ll give more of our time to acts of charity or spend more time praying.  But, why?  What are these exercises in self-denial supposed to achieve?  Has God asked us to embark on some grand self-improvement plan?  Hardly.  In fact, the Catechism asks us to be mindful of viewing our sacrifices merely for personal gain. 

No.  We fast, pray and give—we deny ourselves—during this Holy Season in order to grow closer to Christ—the ultimate self-denier!   Not only do these little sufferings allow us in tangible ways to unite with Christ’s tremendous suffering and death on the cross, they also help us to grow closer to Him as we realize that all the little crutches that help us to get through the day, all the ways we think of ourselves first before we reach out to others and, all the times we forget to praise, thank and talk to God in prayer keep us from our ultimate goal—true relationship with Him.  When we cling to ourselves and all our comforts, we don’t cling to Him!  When we look to ourselves for all the answers, we have no need to look to Him!

Over the past few weeks in the Gospel readings, we’ve heard stories of men and women of great Faith—the woman who suffered bleeding for twelve years but, knew if she could just touch the hem of Jesus’ garment she would be healed; the paralytic whose friends tore open the roof to lower him into the house where Jesus was preaching just for a chance that he would be healed; the father who sought Jesus’ touch to cast out demons that had possessed his son for a lifetime.  These stories of incredible Faith remind and inspire us to believe that anything is possible with God if we first believe.  The challenge is to step out in Faith.  We need to be reminded of this often because it is so easy to make gods out of all those things we cling to, the things we fool ourselves into thinking we can’t live without; it is so easy to make ourselves, God!

So, as you pray about the sacrifices you will make this season, I ask you to think about the ultimate goal—becoming closer to Him.  Is there some temptation that is keeping you from following Christ more fully?  If you’ve chosen to fast from some habit, food or pleasure, will you feel its absence so keenly that you will become more aware of your need to rely Him alone?  If you are considering giving more of your time, talent or treasure, where does the Holy Spirit need you most? Will you open your heart to Him in deeper prayer and devotional time, shutting out the noise of the world in order to hear Him more intimately? 

It is my fervent prayer that this Lent will be a time of many graces and blessings as you discover the tremendous capacity of God’s love…right here in Catholic Peekskill!

Here is our Ash Wednesday Schedule from www.assumptionpeekskill.org:

Ash Wednesday is on February 22nd, 2012 and ashes will be administered as follows:  5:30 am Spanish Mass  7:00 a.m. Mass  9:00 a.m. Mass  12:00 Noon. Liturgy of the Word  5:30 pm Liturgy of the Word  7:30 p.m. Spanish Mass
Confessions will also be available at:8:30 a.m. & 4:30 p.m. Please remember that Ash Wednesday is a Day of Fast and Abstinence and that all the Fridays of Lent are Days of Abstinence from meat.

 

Romance in Catholic Peekskill

On the weekend before Saint Valentines Day 2012, Catholic Peekskill celebrated a renewal of vows ceremony in both English and Spanish. 

Couples who had been married in the Church less than six months and over sixty years (and everything in between) approached the altar to pledge their love again.  Of course, after their rings were blessed again, the grooms were invited to kiss their brides. After the Mass the couples enjoyed wedding cake. I hope you enjoy these pictures taken by Mary Mancini!

Catholic Peekskill is praying for a new flourishing of chastity.  Long live life long, life-giving marriage!

"Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem" Psalm 122

Forgive the long delay between posts!  Catholic Peekskill's Pastor was in the Holy Land.   Prayers offered for Assumption during this 8 day pilgrimage were offered most fervently precisely in the place where the Blessed Virgin Mary is believed to have assumed into heaven.
Here is a photo of myself with Cardinal Elect Dolan from that church which is called The Church of the Dormition.

Photo by Father Richard Veras

 I hope Catholic Peekskill felt the prayers from the holy City.  More prayers -- especially for Assumption School and CCD -- were offered in the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth where Jesus Himself went to school and studied the religious teachings of the faith. The altar below is believed with certainty to be the place where God became Man in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

M

Translation: The Word was made Flesh here.

Here is a photo from Jericho at the place believed (with less certainty) to be the tree that vertically challenged Zacchaeus (Luke 19) climbed to see the Lord and his life was changed forever.

Nativity in Catholic Peekskill

The marvel of Christmas was beautifully celebrated here in Catholic Peekskill. I am so grateful to so many outstanding parishioners of Assumption (and fantastic employees too!) who made it a glorious celebration of the Incarnation. As 2012 has launched, I pray that you and your family will be filled with many blessings.
Parishioner Jim Brooks put together a great little video of the Farolitos outside Assumption Church in the Monsignor Ansbro Rosary Garden. The video features Silent Night with Mary Mancini and Mario Tacca.  The Southwestern Tradition of Farolitos or Luminaries comes to Peekskill this year thanks to Assumption's Parish Council.

Walking For Assumption

Well, it’s been a long time since the last post . . . here we are coming to late Advent and I haven’t blogged! But maybe you heard about the reason why I was delayed.

I took a little walk last month! Actually, it was a rather big walk—a walk from Assumption Church in Peekskill to St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. Every step in support of Assumption School. And, right at the outset, I need to thank everyone who supported me with their prayers, their love and their donations and pledges. At the time of this writing, we have raised approximately $60,000.00 and the gifts keep coming! We couldn’t be more grateful. I need to thank Will Taylor for walking with me the entire way and, Tom Turner, Jim Brooks (who acted as paparazzo for the event snapping the pictures you see below) and, my brother Priest, Father Vincent, who walked with me from St. Joseph’s Seminary to the steps of the Cathedral.

Here’s a video clip of Day Two – from Jim Brooks:

Now, a few thoughts from along the way…

The inspiration for this walk came when I received an e-mail from a friend requesting support for her young family’s participation in a walk-a-thon for Birthright. I was so moved by this simple request and the love it represented—that the entire family would literally be “walking the walk”—for their love of the unborn, that I just had to make a pledge. And, so I got to thinking, what if I decided to take a walk of my own? What if I took my love of Assumption School to the streets? Would people respond to my simple act of love?

Within seconds of sending out my own e-mail, I started to get my answer. Pledges and donations began pouring in at an overwhelming rate. Messages of kindness, love, inspiration and prayer were almost too numerous to count. And, before my feet ever hit the pavement, I knew this pilgrimage had become something much larger than I ever had the capacity to envision!

Then came the day, the hour, the 5am Mass that would fittingly start the long journey. And, as I laced up my sneakers and began to head off along the pre-dawn road, I couldn’t help but think about Jesus and all the walks He took in his short time here on Earth.

In a world full of cynicism, Jesus walked to bring optimism. In a world devoid of hope, Jesus walked to bring joy. In a world full of suffering, Jesus walked to bring healing. In a world full of hate, Jesus walked to bring love. Jesus walked.

As a Catholic Priest, I am called to act in persona Christi (in the person of Christ), most especially during the Sacraments but, it is important to note that we are all called to be “other Christs” for the people in our lives, to imitate Him as we make our way in the world. We are all called to take our own “walk” toward Christ—our own pilgrimage of love.

Sometimes that journey will be easy, filled with consolation and peace. Other times, that road will be steep and we will need every ounce of strength to get up that hill; we’ll feel alone and unworthy and it won’t be our feet that do the walking but our faith!

But we all must do it; we are a called to do it—to make our own pilgrimage to His heart.

It doesn’t have to look like my pilgrimage or anyone else’s, in fact, it must be yours and yours alone for that is what He asks, that is what He wants.

Last week, Sacred Scripture gave us some clues on how to go about it. We were reminded to be faithful and attentive to small matters, to use all of our talents-even the least of what we have, our smallest steps—to make Him known to others, to glorify Him. St. Therese (to whom our school students prayed for financial assistance) invites us to explore her “Little Way” taking on every task, even the smallest, with great love.

It seems the most difficult part of any journey is often taking the first step. (A young mother once told me, the most challenging part of heading out for a day of errands was literally getting out the door!) But, when we take our first steps toward Him we should do so with assurance, confident that He will be waiting for us with open arms!

So, I invite you to begin your own journey to Him, make your own way to His heart and take those first steps right here with us in Catholic Peekskill!


Note: For more information on the “105K for 105 Years Campaign for Assumption School” and how you can help, please contact Audrey Warn, Director of Advancement at 914-737-0680 ext. 201 or feel free to make checks payable to Assumption School, 920 Monsignor Ansbro Way, Peekskill, NY 10566. All donations are tax-deductible.

Weathering the Storm in Catholic Peekskill

Monsignor Ansbro bundles up in the frigid Assumption Rectory during power outage

“The world will give you trouble,” our Lord assured us, “but take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
As in most places surrounding Catholic Peekskill, the October snowstorm hit us pretty hard—power out for
days meant no heat, no phone lines and all the creature comforts that come from having electricity. We all know how uncomfortable and inconvenient this is, disrupting our daily routines, denying us of the pleasures that often “sweeten” our day.


Being “knocked” down by the storms of life, not merely the temporary and inconvenient ones , but those bigger “storms” like illness, loss of a loved one, a job or a home, can cause some to question God’s very existence or at the very least cause one to ponder the age-old question—“Why does God permit suffering?”


One need only look at Jesus’ life and agonizing death on the cross to know that despite the intense pain that comes with human suffering, it can, in the end, have redemptive value. One man’s death on a cross ultimately meant new life for us all!


And, while we can ponder, as theologians and philosophers have done for centuries, the nature of human suffering—its connection to original sin, a fallen world and, the gift of free will—it still remains a mystery—why won’t a God who loves us swoop down and save a child from a raging illness, stop the tragic car accident, calm the storms?


As Catholic Christians because of our deep connection to Christ’s passion and death, we are called to look at suffering differently. “Offer it up” was what the nuns in our Catholic schools used to tell us when we suffered some little indignity. And, it remains a good and healing practice—to take all our earthy suffering, little and big, to the God that loves us and, to become even more aware of His presence in the midst of our pain. In fact, some have found that in their darkest times, when they had literally been brought to their knees, far from feeling abandoned by God, they felt intimately aware of Him. They were able to lay down all of their pain at the foot of the cross taking every step toward their own personal Calvary with Him.


So, the question really becomes, not “Why do we suffer?” but, “How do we suffer?” How do we come to feel the consolation of Christ amidst the terrible storms of life? How do we work toward total and unwavering trust in God?”


One way is through prayer—true conversation with God. Perhaps even by asking God, when in the midst of a trial, “God, why is this happening? And, how can I go grow closer to you because of it?” Also, we can simply ask for God’s help to give us the strength to weather the storm. Making conversation with God a daily practice connects us to Him in ways we may have never thought possible. We begin to recognize His work at every turn, in the people that come to our aid, in the strength we are able to muster.


Of course, too, staying close to the Sacraments during challenging times is also crucial. The Sacraments have a unique way of connecting us to Christ and reminding us, even when we feel alone, of His abundant love.


We might also do well to remember the words of Sacred Scripture: We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28) That means that God, can take every last ounce of our pain and use it for good. We know this to be true.


How many times has it happened that when we have come through some trial, we’ve been able to look back on it and say, “If I had not have gone through that pain, I may never have known this joy.” I have even known parents who have suffered the worst possible tragedy, the loss of their child, who over time have been able to say, “I wouldn’t have traded the years I had with my child, even if I knew I would have to suffer the pain of losing him.”

Suffering is tough. But, we can work to redefine it by making it meaningful and drawing us closer to Him who makes all things new!

Come weather life’s storms and share in its joys with all of us here in Catholic Peekskill!