Sister M. Ann Veronica Helbig, O.P., a Sister of St. Dominic, Amityville, L.I., for 63 years, died on the feast of the Solemnity of Mary, Jan. 1. She was 82.

Born Florence Helbig in South Ozone Park, she recognized her call to religious life as a teenager and completed her high school education at the Dominican Sisters’ Juniorate, then located at Villa Maria, Watermill, L.I. She entered the congregation on Sept. 8, 1951, and received her habit and religious name the following year. On Aug. 7, 1953, she pronounced her vows.

Her early ministry was in elementary education. She taught at Holy Family School, Park Slope; St. Hugh of Lincoln School, Huntington Station, L.I., and Our Lady of Perpetual Help School, Lindenhurst, L.I. During these years, her father converted to Catholicism and Sister Ann Veronica credited her friend, Sister St. Joseph, with helping to bring about this blessing.

In 1976, she began her service at the Amityville Motherhouse as a driver, taking members of the congregation to doctor’s appointments and to fulfill other tasks.

In 2008, she began her ministry of intercessory prayer in Carlin Hall at the Motherhouse. Two years later, poor health necessitated a move to Maria Regina Residence, Brentwood.

She is survived by her brother Robert.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated in St. Albert’s Chapel, Amityville, Jan. 5. Interment followed in the Sisters’ cemetery.

The post Sister M. Ann Veronica Helbig, O.P. appeared first on The Tablet.

 
As an ongoing response to the Year of Consecrated Life, St. John’s University’s Campus Ministry and the Vincentian Vocation Office commemorated the World Day of Prayer for Vocations by hosting the inaugural Sisters’ Nite at the Sunday Night Student Mass on April 17. The purpose of Sisters’ Nite, similar to Brothers’ Nite held last January and Religious Priests’ Nite held in October, was to let the students see, meet and pray with a number of Sisters serving the local Church.

Representing six different congregations, 15 Sisters gathered together in the university Church of St. Thomas More on the Jamaica campus. After Communion, Michelle Hoffman, a Daughter of Charity postulant, shared her discernment story with the students. Present were representatives of the Daughters of Charity, Sisters of St. Joseph, Sisters of St. Dominic, Presentation Sisters, Carmelite Sisters and Little Sisters of the Poor. The celebrant of the Mass was Father Sean Sukiel, diocesan vocation director. The event was coordinated by SJU Campus Minister Brother Mike Sheerin, F.M.S.

(Photo courtesy Brother Mike Sheerin, F.M.S.)

The post Sisters’ Nite on SJU Campus appeared first on The Tablet.

Joseph V. Dorsa, longtime director of finance and operations at St. Andrew Avellino parish, Flushing, graduated with a master of science in church management from Villanova University, Villanova, Pa., May 14. He is one of the first graduates of this online program from the Brooklyn Diocese. From left, Dorsa is congratulated by Dr. Charles Zech, program dean, and Father Joseph T. Holcomb, St. Andrew Avellino pastor. Dorsa is a lifelong resident of the parish and a graduate of the parish school. (Photo courtesy Joseph Brostek)

• • •

Join the Sisters of St. Dominic, Amityville, for their Beauty of the Spirit Luncheon in celebration of the 800th Jubilee of the Dominican Order and to benefit the elderly Sisters, June 24 at 11 a.m. at Crest Hollow Country Club, Woodbury, L.I.
Tickets are $75 each, and must be reserved by June 5. Call 631-842-6000.

• • •

Auxiliary Bishop James Massa will be the main celebrant of a Solemn Mass on the Feast of Corpus Christi, May 29, 9:30 a.m. at Our Lady of Peace, Gowanus/ Park Slope. Missalettes with translation will be available,, and a procession will follow. Call Dorothy, 718-836-0804 or Joan, 718-238-7280.

• • •

Local Ecuadorians will celebrate their devotion to Our Lady of the Cloud, patroness of Ecuador, at St. Bartholomew Church in Elmhurst on May 29 at the 3 p.m. Mass. For more details, call 718-424-5400.

• • •

Were you educated by the School Sisters of Notre Dame? The Sisters are hosting their second New York Area Reunion Fundraiser on Sunday, Sept. 25, 12-4 p.m. at The Milleridge Cottage, Jericho, L.I.

Tickets are $85 each and may be purchased online: amssnd.org. Proceeds will benefit educational ministries and health care for the elderly sisters. Contact Joy Nazzaro at jnazzaro@amssnd.org or 203-761-9732.

• • •

The Class of 1966 of St. Saviour H.S., Park Slope, will celebrate a 50th anniversary reunion on Saturday, June 4, at Da Nonna Rosa restaurant in Brooklyn.

All members of the class are invited to attend. For details, contact Pat Skelly Groarke at 516-835-4663 or patgroarke@gmail.com.

• • •

This week’s Tip of the Tablet TALK Top Hat goes to Cecilia Gottsegen, assistant principal at Bishop Loughlin M.H.S. in Fort Greene, who received Letters of Affiliation to the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools at a ceremony at the school on May 18.

This affiliation is a gesture of gratitude for Gottsegen’s involvement with the mission of the De La Sale Christian Brothers of the District of Eastern North America and her work at the school, where she has served for 35 years.

• • •

The Teresian Association Movement will observe its eighth anniversary at St. Adalbert, Elmhurst, on Saturday, June 11 at 9 a.m. Mass. All are welcome.

• • •

First Communicants Crown Blessed Mother

After receiving First Holy Communion earlier this month, the second graders at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Academy, Rockaway Beach, participated in a special Mass and May Crowning ceremony in honor of the Blessed Mother. The school community also welcomed Father James Kuroly, the new administrator of St. Rose of Lima Church. Bernard J. Duffy, academy board chair, was in attendance. Above, second-grade teacher Antoinette Camarda and her students with Duffy and Father Kuroly. (Photo courtesy Theresa Andersen)

The post Tablet TALK: Graduation for St. Andrew’s Finance Director appeared first on The Tablet.

Religious sisters and brothers marking significant anniversaries in religious life were honored at a Jubilee Mass by Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio at the Immaculate Conception Center in Douglaston, May 22.

• • •

• • •

• • •

• • •

• • •

• • •

• • •

• • •

• • •

(Click on photos to enlarge.)

Photos by Marie Elena Giossi

The post Sister Jubilarians appeared first on The Tablet.

Sister Bernadette Jones, O.P., a member of the Sisters of St. Dominic, Amityville, for 44 years, died Aug. 26 at her home in Malverne, L.I. She was 65.

Born in the Bronx, she was raised in St. Ignatius Loyola parish in Hicksville, L.I., and attended Hicksville H.S., and Molloy College, Rockville Centre. She later earned degrees in nursing.

She taught at St. Margaret’s School, Middle Village. After the death of her mother, she left the congregation to assist her father while at the same time working at Komanoff Pavilion in Long Beach and pursuing her nursing degree at Molloy.

After the death of her father, she returned to the congregation and was assigned to St. Anthony Convent, Oceanside, L.I., and began working at Mercy Hospital, Rockville Centre, mainly in the medical-surgical unit with a specialty in orthopedics.

After five years she was appointed director of nursing services for Carlin Hall, the Amityville Infirmary.

After serving in Amityville for 17 years, she worked at Queen of Peace Residence, Queens Village.

When she was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2008, she had to give up bedside nursing because of her diminished immune system. She then became director of the medicine program at Dominican Village, Amityville. After this, she returned to teaching. She prepared the medicine program students who were in training to work for AHRC.

She is survived by her brother, Paul, and her sister, Ellen.

Burial was in the Sisters’ cemetery in Amityville.

The post Obituary: Sister Bernadette Jones, O.P. appeared first on The Tablet.

The Mothers Prayers Group at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Astoria, meets weekly on Wednesdays in both English and Spanish. Above, members of the Spanish group and their children, with leaders, Marta Pope, to the left of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and Bertha Cordova, on the right.
All mothers are invited to join the Mothers Prayer Group to go through the Holy Door at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Astoria, on Saturday, Oct. 1, from 12 to 2 p.m. For more information, call 718-278-1834 or email media@mountcarmelastoria.org. (Photo courtesy Neida Martinez)

• • •

This Sunday, Sept. 11, there will be a 9/11 Memorial Service and Concert, sponsored by the choirs of St. Gregory the Great, Bellerose, and Our Lady of the Snows, North Floral Park, starting at 3 p.m. at St. Gregory Church.
All are invited to a Holy Hour of Remembrance with reflections offered by Msgr. Edward Ryan, St. Gregory’s pastor, on “Seven Last Words from the Twin Towers” and sacred music. There will be a free-will offering and light refreshments.

• • •

The seventh annual Padre Pio Triduum is set for Sept. 21-23 at St. Edmund parish, Sheepshead Bay, starting at 7:30 p.m. nightly.
Over three days, participate in the novena, anointing of the sick, benediction and veneration of relics.
On Sept. 23, the feast-day Mass will be offered as well as novena prayers and a chance to venerate the saint’s relics. Call 718-743-0102 or visit stedmund-brooklyn.org.

• • •

Experience the joy, peace and perspective that come from living a life in friendship with God. Experience a Men’s Cursillo Weekend.
The next one is scheduled for Sept. 29 – Oct. 2. For more information, contact Mike at 718-343-4691 or Mike@OLSCYO.com.

• • •

Linda Dougherty is enjoying a change of scenery this fall. After 13 years as principal at Our Lady of Mercy School, Forest Hills, Dougherty is now the new regional superintendent of Catholic elementary schools in the East Bronx for the Archdiocese of New York.
And Dana McCann – former associate principal at Our Lady’s Catholic Academy, South Ozone Park – is now leading Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Academy.

• • •

Celebrate the 800th anniversary of the Dominican Order at Good Shepherd Church, Marine Park, on Sunday, Sept. 25 at 4 p.m. In honor of all the Sisters of St. Dominic who lived and ministered in Good Shepherd and other local parishes, the afternoon will consist of prayers and a one-act play about St. Catherine of Siena, written and performed by Sister Nancy Murray, O.P. (Yes, she is actor Bill Murray’s sister). All are welcome. A free-will offering will be accepted.

• • •

“Who are the Samaritans and what is their importance in the early Church?” will be the topic when Father John Murray, C.Ss.R., conducts his monthly Scripture class at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Sunset Park, Sept. 16. Class begins at 11 a.m. in the sacristy. There is no charge and all are welcome. Be sure to bring your Bible.

• • •

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Astoria, is celebrating its 175th anniversary with a dinner/dance, Oct. 8, 7 p.m. – 12 a.m. at Riccardo’s by the Bridge. Tickets are $70/person and available in the rectory office. Call 718-278-1834 or email media@mountcarmelastoria.org.

• • •

Among the 29 sculptures in Central Park stands one of King Wladyslaw Jagiello, king of Poland and the grand duke of Lithuania, taking part in the Battle of Grunwald in 1410.
A Catholic convert, King Jagiello married Queen (and future saint) Hedwig, converted Lithuania to Christianity and united the two nations.
Under the leadership of the Consul General of Poland, a group of local Polish organizations are restoring the statue, which was originally part of the 1939 World’s Fair in Queens. The statue was presented to New York City in July 1945. To support the restoration efforts, visit http://sitenf.org/2016/07/29/jagiello-monument/

The post Mothers Prayer Group Plans Holy Door Event appeared first on The Tablet.

As their family and friends from the Knights of Columbus looked on, Irving and Jennie Stuart of Nativity B.V.M.-St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr parish, Ozone Park, renewed their wedding vows on Sept. 25. Father Paul Palmiotto, pastor, witnessed the vow renewal and blessed the Stuarts, who are celebrating 60 years of marriage. (Photo courtesy Jennie Stuart)

• • •

October is Respect Life Month, and members of the Helpers of God’s Precious Infants will hold their monthly pro-life Mass and prayer vigil at St. John Vianney parish, Flushing, Oct. 15. Msgr. Philip Reilly, founder of the Helpers, will celebrate Mass at 7:30 a.m. followed by exposition. Participants will then process to a local abortion clinic to peacefully pray the rosary for the conversion of hearts and salvation of souls before returning to church for benediction. All are welcome.

• • •

As part of its St. Clare and St. Francis Week festivities, Sept. 29 to Oct. 7, St. Francis College, Brooklyn Heights, will host an “Interfaith Panel Discussion on Mercy,” Oct. 5 in Founders Hall. Representatives of the Abrahamic traditions will discuss the virtue of mercy starting at 12:20 p.m.

• • •

Chief Theresa C. Tobin, deputy chief of the New York City Police Department,will be among the honorees when the Sisters of St. Dominic, Amityville, L.I., host their annual Dominican Gala at Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury, L.I., Oct. 25. Cocktails will begin at 6 p.m followed by dinner and dancing.
Also being honored are three Dominican Sisters ministering in social services in the Brooklyn Diocese, namely Sisters Ann Elizabeth Diliberti, from SS. Simon and Jude parish, Gravesend; Regina Corde Hockenberry from St. Anselm’s parish, Bay Ridge; and Jeanne Elaine Matullo from St. Patrick’s parish, Bay Ridge.
Chief Tobin is the highest ranking female ever to receive the NYPD Medal of Valor for her actions as a first responder on Sept. 11, 2001.
Proceeds from the dinner support the ministries of the Sisters of St. Dominic.
For tickets and more details, contact Mary Fuchs, at 631-842-6000 ext. 241 or mfuchs@amityop.org.

• • •

St. Finbar Church, Bath Beach, is teaming up with the Kiwanis Club of Mapleton to present, “Yesterday and Today,” a live tribute to the music of The Beatles on Friday, Oct. 28 in the parish’s Msgr. Scanlan Center. The concert begins at 7 p.m. and proceeds will benefit the Bensonhurst Volunteer Ambulance Service. Tickets are $35. For tickets, call Joe at 917-282-9498, or Marty at 917-532-7750.

• • •

Douglaston Parish Installs Newest Altar Servers

Eight new altar servers were installed at St. Anastasia Church, Douglaston, on Sunday, Sept. 25. They are: Anastasia Aviles, Kate Estevez, Ava Loftus, Gabriella Murillo, Mikayla Traill, Victoria Wilson, Sarah Brito and Giana Giannopoulus. The new servers are picture with Msgr. Anthony F. Sherman, pastor; Brian J. Payne, altar server coordinator, and Deacon Vincent Lino. (Photo courtesy Brian Payne)

The post Ozone Park Couple Celebrates 60 Years of Marriage, Renews Vows appeared first on The Tablet.

Sister Grace Kenneth Prenderville, O.P., a member of the Sisters of St. Dominic of Amityville, L.I., for 84 years, died on Christmas Day. She was 102.

Born in Brooklyn, she entered the congregation in 1933 and received her religious name, Sister Grace Kenneth.

After professing vows on Aug. 25, 1934, she began a 57-year career as an elementary school teacher at St. Frances de Chantal, Borough Park; St. Ignatius, Hicksville, L.I.; St. Killian, Farmingdale; Notre Dame, New Hyde Park; St. Francis of Assisi, Astoria; Incarnation, Queens Village; St. Rose of Lima, Massapequa; and Holy Spirit in New Hyde Park.

When she left the classroom, she became the school librarian at Holy Spirit for 11 years.

Retiring at 88 years old from active ministry, she embraced the ministry of intercessory prayer. In 2008, she moved to the Motherhouse in Amityville.

She is survived by her sister Virginia, nieces and nephews.

Burial was in the Sisters’ cemetery at Amityville.

The post Sister Grace K. Prenderville, O.P. appeared first on The Tablet.

In response to President Donald Trump’s executive order temporarily halting immigrants from seven terror-prone countries, the Sisters of St. Dominic, Amityville, L.I., say they were “appalled” by the action.

“Women and men religious have been blessed to accompany and serve immigrant and refugee communities across this country throughout their histories. In keeping with our collaborative corporate stance taken on May 4, 2011 with the Northeast Dominicans on the need for immigration reform, we do not see that halting or undermining the U.S. refugee resettlement program is the way. It leaves mostly women and children in extreme danger as they flee their homes due to unspeakable violence. We remain committed to welcoming refugees who come here after passing through the U.S. government’s screening process and we call for creating legal avenues for migration, avenues that assure family unity for immigrant/refugee families.”

They said that the president’s order “is unconscionable in the face of the current unprecedented global refugee crisis. … This executive order harkens back to the darker moments of our own history of slavery and internment camps. It damages our reputation in the eyes of the many peoples who want to know America as a defender of human rights and religious liberty, not as a nation that targets religious populations and then shuts it doors on them.”

The post Dominicans Appalled by Immigration Order appeared first on The Tablet.

Sister Margaret Anne (Peggie) Merritt, O.P., a Sister of St. Dominic, Amityville, L.I., for 60 years, died Aug. 16. She was 79.

Born in Brooklyn to Martin and Evelyn Sheridan Merritt, Sister Peggie entered the novitiate at Queen of the Rosary, Amityville, on Sept. 10, 1955. One year later, she received her habit and religious name, Sister Martin Anne. She pronounced final vows on Aug. 8, 1957.

For almost 60 years, Sister Peggie’s ministry was dedicated to elementary education. She taught at Our Lady of Solace, Coney Island; Cure of Ars, Merrick, L.I.; Little Flower, Montauk Beach, L.I.; St. Joseph Patron, Bushwick; and Blessed Virgin Mary Help of Christians, Woodside.

In 1971, she became principal of St. Pius V, Jamaica, and later served as principal at Incarnation, Queens Village. She was principal of St. Michael/St. John Neumann School, East New York, 1979-2011.

From 1978 to 1989, Sister Peggie ministered at T.O.P.S. (Time, Opportunity, Peace, Support) For You, a Bushwick-based nonprofit, where she and Sister Betty Nickels lived in community with homeless young women trying to improve their lives.

She helped organize and served as treasurer of the Catholic Urban Educators, an association of religious sisters and brothers who met annually in Chicago to develop teaching methods to assist in working with minority children and their families.

St. Michael’s parish was an early member of the East Brooklyn Congregations (EBC), and Sister Peggie supported EBC’s mission to build low-income homes in East New York and Brownsville. She and Sister Sheila Buhse lived in one of the homes and ministered to the community for 26 years.

While serving at St. Michael’s, Sister Peggie visited families in their homes, ministered to those in the hospital, accompanied parishioners to night court and provided opportunities for teenage girls in the parish to work among the poor in Mexico.

In retirement, she was a fundraiser for Futures in Education, writing letters of appeal to Catholic school alumni and raising thousands of dollars to defray tuition costs for families.

She is survived by her sister Clare.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Aug. 20 at the Motherhouse in Amityville. Burial followed in the Sisters’ cemetery.

The post Obituary: Sister Margaret Anne (Peggie) Merritt, O.P. appeared first on The Tablet.

by Rita Piro

CSJ, RSM, OP, SC, OSB, SND, OSF, DW, CSFN and more…Whatever the post-nominal letters that follow their names, they all signify the same thing: a Catholic sister ministering to the people of God.

Last week in the United States, we celebrated National Catholic Sister Week. At one time, women religious were ubiquitous in our diocese. Their presence in our schools, parishes and neighborhoods was welcomed and respected. Even non-Catholics sought to count the sisters among their friends, business associates and neighbors. For many, the life of a sister may seem anachronistic and irrelevant. If so, it may very well be because they do not know many of them.

Educated from grade school through graduate school by three of the largest congregations of women religious in the U.S., I have spent almost all of my adult life in co-ministry with the Sisters of St. Joseph of Brentwood. Daily I work side by side with sisters who are old enough to have taught me as a young child, yet who continue their ministry as educators with the same fervor and dedication as when they were first starting out as novice teachers.

Each day I interact with sisters from varied congregations who are spearheading initiatives and leading pro-active programs in criminal justice, anti-trafficking, race relations, gender equality, child care, sustainable living, immigration and numerous other endeavors that seek to bring all in union with God.

As they have been since their inception centuries ago in other lands, these varied communities of sisters are especially concerned for the poor, the disenfranchised and those living on the margins of society.

Communities of religious sisters were among the first to embrace technology as a means of connecting with God’s people. Sisters took to Twitter and Facebook as easily and successfully as they did to blackboards and chalk. Nearly all religious communities maintain interactive websites that permit anyone to journey with them through prayer, petition, readings, reflections, videos, photos, streaming liturgies and prayer services, and more.

Many so-called “retired” sisters are just as active in and dedicated to their ministries as auxiliary helpers as they were in their years as full-time workers. Those sisters who are no longer able to physically meet the needs of others through active ministry are blessed with the presence of their sisters in community who joyfully care for them with love and compassion as they remind us of the dignity of all life.

For the sisters, it is and always has been about relationships – with God, with each other and with the greater world. In honoring them, we should not be content to simply remember them fondly, waxing nostalgic about habits and rosaries, choirs and Christmas pageants. Rather, we must affirm their presence in our world with our support – spiritually, physically and materially – as they put forth the mercy, compassion and outreach so necessary today.

The post Sisters Are As Relevant As They’ve Ever Been appeared first on The Tablet.

Sister Mary Georgine Ayers, O.P., a member of the Sisters of St. Dominic, Amityville, for 80 years, died March 19. She was 98.

Born as Mary Josephine in Brooklyn, entered the order from Holy Family parish.

She attended the Juniorate in Watermill, L.I., where she was part of the first high school class there. She entered the Novitiate at Queen of the Rosary Motherhouse, Amityville, in 1936 and pronounced final vows on Aug. 20, 1938.

In the Brooklyn Diocese, she taught at St. Margaret, Middle Village, 1938-48; Good Shepherd, Marine Park, 1961-69 and also 1982-12;

St. Ignatius of Loyola, Hicksville, L.I., 1944-48 and 1950-57; Holy Spirit, New Hyde Park, L.I., 1948-50; Cure of Ars School, Merrick, L.I., 1957-1961; and St. Frances de Chantal, Borough Park, 1969-82.

In 2012, she retired to Carlin Hall at the Motherhouse. Burial was in the sisters. cemetery, Amityville.

The post Sister Mary Georgine Ayers appeared first on The Tablet.

Sacred Heart Catholic Academy in Glendale recently welcomed Miss New York State 2016 Camille Sims to raise awareness about her platform, ensuring wellness and fostering food justice. She spoke to students about social and food justice, nutrition and eating healthy. Sims is pictured above, second from left, with Sacred Heart students and Principal Joanne Gangi. (Photo courtesy Helen Tierney-Palmeri)

• • •

Celebrate 65 years of education at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament in Bayside. A reunion for all graduates is planned for May 13.

Join fellow alumni, parishioners and friends for 5 p.m. Mass. A light dinner and refreshments will follow. Tickets are $30 per person. RSVP by emailing OLBSReunion2017@gmail.com.

• • •

Treat yourself to A Night at the Races at Holy Angels Catholic Academy in Bay Ridge, on Friday, April 28. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the first race starts at 8 p.m. Admission is $10 and includes coffee, tea and cookies. Hot food will be available for purchase, and there will be a cash bar. For reservations, call 718-238-5045.

• • •

Archbishop Molloy H.S. in Briarwood will host a memorial event to celebrate the life of one of its beloved late alumnae, Karina Vetrano. A member of the school’s first coed graduating class in 2004, Vetrano was tragically killed in August 2016 while jogging in Howard Beach.

Molloy, with the support of the Vetrano family and friends of Karina, will remember her with a vigil and relay walk/run event.

The vigil and relay will begin on June 23 at 8 p.m. and continue through to the next morning. Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. and breakfast will follow. At the conclusion of the event, the Marist Brothers will dedicate a permanent memorial at the school to remember Vetrano’s life.

Money will also be raised to help Molloy establish the Karina Vetrano Memorial Scholarship Fund, which will provide scholarships for deserving young women who are entering Molloy in her memory.

Individuals interested in signing up to participate in the memorial event or donating to memorial scholarship fund should visit www.molloyhs.org/karina or call 718-441-9210.

• • •

On April 30, St. Augustine Church in Park Slope will host its annual Parish Social Fundraiser to support its sister parish of St. Andre in Dufort, Haiti.

All are welcome to this pot luck event, featuring raffles, music, entertainment and dancing from 3 to 7 p.m. in the auditorium at St. Francis Xavier parish. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children. For tickets, call 718-783-3132.

• • •

Men between the ages of 18 and 30 are invited to learn more about the life of the Passionists at their Immaculate Conception Monastery in Jamaica Estates.

Join the Passionists for an Evening of Prayer and Supper on April 28 at 5 p.m. To attend, contact Father Jim Barry, C.P. at 872-305-3186.

• • •

The Sisters of St. Dominic of Amityville, L.I., will host their 16th annual Beauty of the Spirit Luncheon at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury, L.I., on Friday, June 23, at 11:30 a.m. The annual luncheon celebrates the spirit and strength of women.

This year’s keynote speaker is Sister Honora Nolty, O.P., director of development at RENEW International in Plainfield, N.J., a Catholic organization fostering spiritual renewal, evangelization, catechesis and faith formation through small Christian communities.

Carol Silva, News 12 Long Island anchor and journalist, will return to emcee this year’s event.
Tickets are $75 and reservations are due June 16. Proceeds benefit the retired and elderly Sisters of St. Dominic.

For tickets and additional information, contact Susan Jappell at 631-842-6000 ext. 246.

The post Former Miss New York Visits Glendale Academy appeared first on The Tablet.

Sister M. Adrian O’Connor, O.P., a member of the Sisters of St. Dominic, Amityville, for 72 years, died June 5. She was 90.

Born in Manhattan as Sheila Catherine, she entered the Amityville Dominican Sisters in 1945. She pronounced her vows in 1947.

She taught at Fourteen Holy Martyrs, Bushwick, 1947-52; and Incarnation School, Queens Village, 1952-53.

The Congregation then sent her to study Physical Therapy at St. Louis University from which she received a B.S. degree in science with a concentration in Physical Therapy. She later earned a master’s in Physical Therapy from NYU, followed by a N.Y. State license.

She practiced at St. Catherine’s Hospital, Williamsburg, 1953-65, Mary Immaculate Hospital, Jamaica, 1965-69; and Brunswick Hospital in Amityville, 1969-85.

At Brunswick Hospital, she was named chairperson of the Department of Physical Therapy.

She then ministered at Good Samaritan Home Health Agency, 1989-98, and at the Motherhouse in Amityville for Sisters who were recuperating from bone and joint operations on a long or short-term basis until the year 2000.

In 2012, she moved to Carlin Hall, Amityville.

Burial was in the Sisters’ cemetery in Amityville.

The post Sister M. Adrian O’Connor, O.P. appeared first on The Tablet.

• • •

(click to enlarge photos)

• • •

(click to enlarge photos)

• • •

(click to enlarge photos)

• • •

(click to enlarge photos)

• • •

(click to enlarge photos)

• • •

(click to enlarge photos)

• • •

(click to enlarge photos)

• • •

(click to enlarge photos)

• • •

(click to enlarge photos)

(click to enlarge photos)

(Photos: Marie Elena Giossi/ For copies of photos, email megiossi@desalesmedia.org)

The post Sister Jubilarians 2017 appeared first on The Tablet.

The Diocese of Brooklyn and Queens is proud to honor 72 religious sisters and brothers who have collectively given 3,315 years of service to the Church and the people of God.

While the world has changed much since they first heard God’s call in their lives, these women and men have learned to move, change and adapt to serve God and God’s people in new, unexpected and radical ways, as they witness to the Gospel message in a world aching for their compassion, love, wisdom and strength.

Brief bios of the jubilarian brothers and photos of the jubilarian sisters are highlights in this special section of The Tablet.

Three Franciscan Brothers Marking 50 Years in the Order

Four Marist Brothers Mark Their Jubilees

Brothers of the Sacred Heart Observe Anniversaries

Jubilarian Brothers 2017 (Photo)

Sister Jubilarians 2017 (Photos)

The Brothers and Sisters Jubilee Mass (web exclusive)

Pope Encourages Joy in Nuns

Sister Maryann Lopiccolo: Celebrating 3,315 Years of Jubilee Joy

50 Years of Serving and Moving Toward Christ: A Tribute to Sister Maryann McHugh

Share memories with The Tablet’s Readers’ Forum

The post Brother and Sister Jubilarians 2017 appeared first on The Tablet.

The Sisters of St. Dominic, Amityville, are planning to sell their former Dominican Commercial H.S. in Jamaica, according to press release dated July 26.

“On behalf of all the Sisters of St. Dominic of Amityville, N.Y., a decision was made to sell a large piece of property in Jamaica, N.Y.,” said Sister Mary Pat Neylon, O.P., prioress of the Sisters of St. Dominic.

The property, buildings and parking lot are located at 82-14 161st Street and 89-25 162 Street, respectively. The buildings being sold include the school and two convent-residences: Bethany Convent and Kairos Residence which currently house a total of seven sisters. The religious sisters are in the process of relocating to other residences.

Dominican Commercial H.S., 1936-98, served as one of the premier business schools for young women in New York City. Over the years, it prepared girls to attend college as well as equipped them for carrying out clerical, secretarial, administrative roles in the work force. When it closed in 1998, due to declining enrollment, it became a host site for several not-for-profit organizations.

The Sisters of St. Dominic have a rich history in the New York area. In 1853, four Sisters from the Holy Cross Monastery in Regensburg, Germany, responded to a request to travel to the U.S. to teach the children of German immigrants.

Father Stephen Raffeiner of the Redemptorist Fathers in Manhattan offered shelter to the religious sisters in the rectory basement of Most Holy Trinity parish in Williamsburg.

By the 1870s, the growing congregation of sisters moved to a farm in Amityville, L.I., and became known as the Sisters of St. Dominic of Amityville. Through the years, the sisters have always responded to the signs of the times as presented to them in the beckoning needs of the people, leading to expansion of their work throughout parts of the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

“We are part of the international, 800-year-old Dominican Order of women and men founded in 1206 by St. Dominic de Guzman in southern France,” said Sister Mary Pat, “and this decision to sell will help the Sisters continue the mission of our Congregation which includes preaching the Gospel of Jesus, being responsible members of the universe, and helping to alleviate social ills.”

A portion of the proceeds from the sale will serve to support and care for retired sisters.

The post Amityville Dominicans to Sell Property in Jamaica appeared first on The Tablet.

The former prioress of the Sisters of St. Dominic, Amityville, Sister Irene Garvey, O.P., died Aug. 30 after 72 years as a member of the congregation. She was 91.

A native of Queens, she attended St. Thomas Apostle School, Woodhaven; Bishop McDonnell H.S., Brooklyn; before entering the novitiate at Queen of the Rosary Motherhouse in 1945. She took the religious name, Sister Joseph Paul, and pronounced her vows on Aug. 6, 1946.

She taught at St. Pius V, Jamaica; St. Margaret, Middle Village; and Curé of Ars, Merrick, L.I.

In 1955, after nine years teaching elementary grades, she was assigned to St. Nicholas H.S. in Williamsburg, and then to St. Agnes Academic H.S., College Point.

After receiving her bachelor’s degree in English at St. John’s University, she pursued a master’s degree in speech at Fordham University and a doctorate at Teacher’s College, Columbia University. In 1966, she was assigned to teach speech at Molloy College, Rockville Centre, where she also served as chairperson of the Communication Arts Department.

In 1973, she was elected superior general of the congregation, a role she held until 1981. Prior to her election, she served as Regional from 1972 to 1973.

During her time as prioress, she was elected chairperson of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, Region II.

When interviewed for the book, “Habits of Change: An Oral History of American Nuns,” she was quoted as saying, “I loved being in leadership. … I wanted the Sisters to discern what their gifts were (and) to be free . . . to use them. ”

Her tenure was a time of significant change for Sisters: new ministries among the poor and disenfranchised began to emerge and the call to actively participate in justice and peace efforts was embraced by many.

On Oct. 2, 1979, during the visit of Pope St. John Paul II, she was chosen to be a lector at a prayer service for women and men religious at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

In 1981, Sister Irene joined the community at Samaria Prayer Center in Hicksville, L.I. There she engaged in the ministry of spirituality serving as spiritual director to many and as retreat director. Seven years later, she joined the staff of Loyola Retreat House in Morristown, N.J., and remained there until 2002.

She then moved to Harvest Grove, an intercommunity house of retirement in Lake Grove, L.I.

In 2013, she moved to Queen of the Rosary Motherhouse, and while in Carlin Hall, she made it a point to visit Sisters on a regular basis.

Sister Irene is survived by her sister, Virginia.

Burial was in the sisters’ cemetery in Amityville.

The post Former Dominican Prioress Expanded Sisters’ Ministries appeared first on The Tablet.

Sister Anne Louise Tufano, O.P., who was a member of the Sisters of St. Dominic, Amityville, for 75 years, died Aug. 29. She was 94.

Born in Richmond Hill as Concetta Anne, she attended Dominican Commercial H.S. in Jamaica, where she was one of the first graduates.

She entered the Novitiate at Queen of the Rosary Motherhouse in 1941 from St. Gerard Majella parish, Hollis. She received the habit and religious name, Sister Anne Louise, in 1942. The following year, she pronounced her religious vows.

She taught at St. Joseph Patron, Bushwick, 1943-46; and Dominican Commercial H.S., Jamaica, 1946-65.

After receiving her degree in English literature at St. John’s University, Jamaica, she joined the first faculty at Molloy College, Rockville Centre. She served as assistant librarian and after receiving her masters in library science at St. John’s, she became the head librarian. She worked in this position until 1997.

For one year, she cared for a family member, and then from 1998 to 2001, she ministered in family care and social services at St. Thomas the Apostle parish, West Hempstead, L.I.

She retired in 2001 to Maria Regina Hall in Rockville Centre. Failing health necessitated her move to Carlin Hall, Amityville, in 2012. Burial was in the sisters’ cemetery, Amityville.

The post Sister Anne Louise Tufano, O.P. appeared first on The Tablet.

Sister Dorothy Cook, O.P., a member of the Sisters of St. Dominic, Amityville, for 79 years, died Aug. 24. She was 97.

Born in Brooklyn, she entered the Novitiate at Queen of the Rosary Motherhouse from St. Saviour parish, Park Slope, in 1938. On Aug. 7, 1939, she received the habit and took her religious name Sister M. Doretta. She pronounced her vows on Aug. 17, 1940.

She taught at St. Joseph’s, Astoria, 1940-48; Dominican Commercial H.S., Jamaica; All Saints H.S., Williamsburg; and St. Francis of Assisi, Astoria, 1950-58.

She attended St. John’s University and then earned her master’s from Hunter College. She was then assigned to St. Peter’s School, Monticello, N.Y., where she was principal and was often called upon also to teach, from 1958 to 1967. She then became principal at Corpus Christi, Mineola, L.I., 1967-70.

She then taught at Holy Family School, Fresh Meadows, 1970-74, before joining the pastoral staff at Our Lady of Mercy parish, Forest Hills, for four years. She taught at Incarnation, Queens Village, 1978-83. From 1983 until 1990, she cared for her sick sister before returning to Incarnation until 2000, when she retired.

She most recently lived at Maria Regina Residence, Brentwood.

Interment was at the Sisters’ cemetery in Amityville.

The post Sister Dorothy Cook, O.P. appeared first on The Tablet.