issue 3 january 2018stanthonyoceanside.org/texts/parishalmanaccy2017.pdf · ·...

St. Anthony’s Church

110 Anchor Ave.

Oceanside, NY 11572 Happy New Year and may God shower

his blessings on all of you in this new

year of grace, 2018.

We are blessed with a wonderful parish

family here at St Anthony’s and this Al-

manac shows the details of how all this

comes about. Our staff, parishioners and

volunteers contribute so much in our

many ministries which you can sample

here in our third Almanac. And what you

read about here is only a portion of the

good work done here in God’s name.

Through our parish and community

functions our volunteers are able to con-

tribute to a better life for so many people.

We have women and men visiting and

bringing communion to the homebound

and those in the hospital. Our outreach

program cares for over 6000 people in

need. Our youth ministry is one of the

largest and most active in the diocese.

Our Religious Education program is

truly a marvel serving about 1400 stu-

dents with 120 volunteer catechists. Our

Accion Catolica committee coordinates all

the activities of our Hispanic parishioners

and, over the course of more than twenty

years , has helped those parishioners inte-

grate more and more into the life of St An-

thony’s.

Our preschool, begun in 1990, continues to

offer an outstanding formation and prepara-

tion to local youngsters.

Our Fathers’ Club, founded in recent

years, has evolved into a dynamic force sup-

porting all the endeavors of the parish.

There are many more, which I hope you

will read about in this Almanac.

We have many wonderful ministries and I

ask you to open yourself to the way the Lord

may be calling you to serve in one of them.

As always, I thank you for all you do, for

your continuing support, and encourage you

to learn more about St Anthony’s in our al-

manac, our bulletin, our website, Facebook

page and our parish app. There is so much

that makes our parish the special place it is.

God bless you all.

Sincerely,

Fr . Don Gannon, SJ

Sacramental Life of the Parish

The sacraments

are alive and well

at St. Anthony’s!

This chart shows

how our parish has

ministered to the

community over

the last 5 years.

Faith Direct 2

Catholic Ministries

Appeal

2

5 Year Parish

Financial Report

3

Income and Expense

Summaries

4

5 Year Financial

Highlights

5

Parish Ministry

Articles

6

A Brief History of St.

Anthony’s Parish

15

Tell Us What You

Think

16

Amazing Parish

Prayer

16

Almanac Sponsors 17

Inside this issue:

From Our Administrator

St. Anthony’s Almanac

January 2018 Issue 3

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Baptism 156 196 162 149 134

Confirmation 176 178 162 171 164

First Communion 190 202 216 196 189

RCIA 6 9 1 7 2

First Reconciliation 190 202 217 203 191

Weddings 20 22 29 24 23

Anointing of the Sick 63 77 70 49 111

Funerals 114 129 122 85 119

Faith Direct is an easy and convenient

way to automate your contributions to

St. Anthony's. This secure program

works directly with your bank, credit,

or debit card in the same way as other

electronic funds transfer payments

you may already conduct (such as util-

ity bills or your mortgage payment).

All transactions are processed elec-

tronically, debiting your bank account

or charging your credit\debit card

automatically for the amounts and

collections you designate.

Faith Direct replaces envelopes

and helps support St. Anthony’s

throughout the year with a steady,

predictable cash flow to support

the works that are important to

you.

Some other benefits of Faith Di-

rect:

Do you have a rewards-earning

credit card? Let your contribu-

tions to St. Anthony’s help you

collect points, miles, or dollars

faster!

St. Anthony’s saves the costs of

printing and mailing envelopes –

which is also good for the environ-

ment!

Peace of mind, because you'll be

able to support St. Anthony’s

every week. Whether you're out

of town, unable to attend church

due to weather, illness or a family

emergency, your gifts will always

be received.

Contribute to any collection of-

fered by St. Anthony’s. Schedule

weekly or monthly recurring gifts

or make a one-time gift at any

time.

Enjoy the efficiency and conven-

ience of having an annual state-

ment that details your generosity,

and simplifies your taxes.

The user-friendly online system

lets you manage all aspects of

your account so you are always in

control of your donations.

Customer Service that is avail-

able to respond to your needs by

email, phone, and online chat.

Why not join the many parishioners

who already take advantage of the

benefits of Faith Direct? Signing up

is easy. For more information and/or

to enroll go to:

www.faithdirect.net

and enter our parish code:

NY581.

Thank you for helping to keep St. An-

thony's a vibrant parish!

certain services and ministries for

which the larger Church has to take

responsibility.

100% of all money raised supports the

Appeal and its essential programs and

services across Long Island, touching

each of our 133 parishes and more

than 600,000 people. Together, pa-

rishioners on Long Island reach many

more people than one parish could

The Catholic Ministries Appeal (CMA)

is the annual appeal for the ministries

of our Diocese of Rockville Centre and

the Parish of St. Anthony. Your gifts

provide support for the many pro-

grams and services that help further

the mission of Jesus Christ here on

Long Island and here at St. An-

thony’s. Many people faithfully sup-

port their local parishes, essential for

the parish community, but there are

ever do on its own. Some of the areas

that are assisted through the CMA

include:

Religious education for hundreds

of thousands of students

Affordable and safe housing for

seniors and mentally and physi-

cally disabled adults

Faith Direct: Helping You Help St. Anthony’s

Catholic Ministries Appeal


Priests’, Deacons’ and lay leaders’

education and formation

Faith Formation, including bap-

tismal, pre-Cana and RCIA pro-

grams

Hospital ministry to those who

are ill and their families

Prison Ministry

Chemical dependence services

and day treatment programs

Parish sharing: of parish monies

received, 20% up to goal, and 80%

above goal, are returned to the

parish

Each year our goal is determined on a

formula based on offertory figures

from a prior year. Parishes that meet

their Appeal goal receive rebates that

can be used at their discretion. Our parishioners have been generous and

our Parish has always met and sur-

passed its Appeal goal. These rebates

have helped our parish with day-to-

day operation expenses and much

needed maintenance over the years.

This CMA Appeal is the SECOND

LARGEST FUND RAISER for our

parish, bringing in an average of

$58,000 per year over the last 19

years. The gifts were small and large:

58% of the gifts received were

$100 or less

34% were from $101 to $500

8% were from gifts over $500

Participation makes the difference

and “No gift is too small”.

Two (2) co-chairs presently administer

this Parish Sharing program under

the direction of the Pastor. Other vol-

unteers help with planning for the

year, designing posters and flyers,

and speaking at all Masses. New vol-

unteers are most welcome and are

urgently needed.

dropped a small amount, there was

still an approximately $40,000 short-

fall which was covered by our slowly

decreasing cash reserves. The data

show that we have entered the post-

Increased Offertory campaign period,

as a downward general collections

trend has developed. A very difficult

decision to raise the cost of religious

education tuition was made to help

offset the decline in collections. This

will require careful monitoring going

forward.

In 2016-17, we continued to make pro-

gress in paying down the $275,000

In an effort to be more transparent

and to provide parishioners with more

insight into parish operations, on the

following pages you will find a 5-year

historical parish financial report.

It is through your continued support

and generosity, and through diligent

managing of costs and expenses, that

the parish has maintained relatively

good financial health, despite running

an overall budget deficit for 4 of the

last 5 years.

Operationally, in the 2016-17 fiscal

year while overall revenue was up

fractionally and overall expenses

roof loan via your contributions to the

St. Anthony Project, whose monies

are excluded from the operating

budget as an approved campaign by

the Diocese. Due to the aging nature

of our parish buildings, we continue to

experience large maintenance and

repair costs. The boiler in the chapel

failed, causing the chapel to be closed

last winter. It has since been re-

paired, and that large expense will be

felt in the 2017-18 fiscal year.

Please contact Deacon John O’Connor,

Parish Operations Manager, for more

information.

Catholic Ministries Appeal (cont’d.)

5-Year Parish Financial Report

Issue 3

5-Year Financial Highlights:

Note: The spike in costs/expenses in 2014 is due to the replacement of the roof on the Parish Center.

Issue 3

Like the parable of the mustard seed,

the ten parishioners who attended the

first Mass in Spanish have grown to

an average attendance of over 250

people every Sunday. ACH ensures

that the Hispanic community gets

involved in the life of the Church as a

community of faith. ACH was created

in 1994 to coordinate and collaborate

in the activities of the various groups

working in our parish and also serve

as a link between these groups and

the office of the Pastor.

ACH were pioneers of "Living with

Christ" in Spanish. This program was

designed by the Center for Spiritual

Formation of the Jesuits in Boston,

and we are proud to be the first of two

parishes on Long Island who offer this

for the Latino community.

During the year, ACH coordinates

various liturgical, educational and

recreational activities, including:

Providing coffee after Sunday

mass

Sponsoring the Spanish Delight

booth for the Feast

Sponsoring a yearly raffle fund-

raiser

Developing close communications

with local families and supporting

their spiritual needs

Praying the Rosary during the

months of May and October

Praying the Stations of the Cross

every Friday in the Chapel during

Lent

Organizing two yearly retreats for

the liturgical seasons of Advent

and Lent

The Christmas Posadas - a won-

derful way to share and celebrate

Christian faith and heritage

This year ACH started a St. Ignacio

Spiritual School.

Hispanic Ministries – ACH (Accion Catolica Hispana)

We obtain food from donations of our

parishioners and from LI Cares and

LI Harvest. The members purchase

additional protein sources (meat, eggs,

fish) to provide a better selection of

grocery items and allow our neighbors

in need to have healthy choice. In

addition, our parishioners as-

sist us financially by supporting

the Poor Box, utilizing monthly

envelopes and donating to our

largest annual fund raiser (The

Walk for the Poor).

Housing, heat and utilities

needs are assessed on the find-

ings that our members obtain

from home visits. Through

these and other efforts, our con-

ference has provided assistance

with mortgage or rent, utilities

payments, and healthcare

needs and met numerous re-

quests for furniture and bed-

ding.

The Society of St. Vincent de

Paul is solidly rooted in the bib-

lical tradition of listening to the

neighbor in need and assisting

through personal contact.

For further information, visit St. An-

thony’s website or contact Denise

Clarke, President, through Parish

Outreach.

Inspired by Gospel values, the

Society of St. Vincent de Paul,

a Catholic lay ministry, leads

women and men to join to-

gether to grow spiritually by

offering Person to Person ser-

vice to our neighbors in need

and suffering. We work in the

tradition of our founder,

Blessed Frederic Ozanam,

and patron, St. Vincent de

Paul.

The St. Anthony Conference

became an official conference

on November 11, 1969. We

presently have 17 active

members who meet every

other Tuesday in the Parish

Center. We provide a food

pantry and clothing room

through which we serve over

6,000 families annually. Ad-

ditional help may include pay-

ment for rent, utilities, medical needs,

furniture and other needs that may

arise. Through the good efforts of our

members and the generosity of our

parishioners, in the last fiscal year we

provided food for 1345 family mem-

bers, of which 685 were seniors, 3278

adults, and 2043 children.

Saint Anthony’s Conference of St. Vincent de Paul


St. Anthony’s Men’s Spirituality

Group has been meeting for about 14

years. Meetings are usually held on

the first Saturday of the month, from

8:30 - 10:00 AM at the Knights of Co-

lumbus Hall in Oceanside. Bagels and

coffee are available.

This is an informal meeting for men of

all ages. Often we prayerfully read

and discuss the Sunday Readings. At

times we offer programs for Bible

Study and book discussions, and rec-

ommend movies. Annually we host a

Lenten Speaker Series. Here we in-

vite speakers to join us for 4 Satur-

days during Lent with a general

theme in mind.

Our hope is to provide a forum for

men to encounter their spiritual life in

Christ and His Church. We strive to

discern the "Life Application" of the

Christian Life. Through fellowship,

study and discussion, we hopefully

experience the transformative values

of the Christian Life!

Many of those that attend are in-

volved in many other aspects and

ministries of the parish and commu-

nity. We keep informed of many other

events that are taking place in the

parish, community and Knights of

Columbus and pass along that infor-

mation. We operate booths at the par-

ish feast and work closely with the

St. Anthony’s Fathers’ Club.

We always welcome new members

into the group! We invite you to at-

tend! For more information please

contact Angelo Marchica at angelo-

[email protected] or 516-678-

7908 (or just show up one

Saturday).

Men’s Spirituality Group

Prayer Connection Ministry

our program with a total of 24 chil-

dren, 12 in the 4 year old group and

12 in the 3 year old group that came

to school for either 2 or 3 half days.

Fast forward to 2016 and we

now run programs for well

over 100 2, 3, and 4 year olds

that attend 5 days per week

both mornings and afternoons!

Who would have thought?!?

The preschool occupies 4 class-

rooms in the Parish Center as

well as an education office we share

with the Faith Formation program.

We have 2 part time secretaries that

share in the responsibilities of Reli-

gious Education and Preschool.

As we begin our 26th year here at St.

Anthony's we are proud to have 5 cer-

tified teachers and 5 assistants on our

staff that have dedicated their time to

be nurtur-

ing, caring

employees.

They have

been a huge

part of the

development of so many children in

our St. Anthony's family.

We have been truly blessed in so

many ways!

St. Anthony's Preschool began in the

fall of 1990. The school was the brain

child of Fr. V. Sullivan (pastor at the

time) as well as a number of parish-

ioners highly motivated

in the field of education.

Rose Caracciolo was se-

lected to head the 4 year

old classes and Ellie

Grubb took leadership of

the 3 year old classes.

Our most dedicated Miss

"Rose" retired a number of years ago

and Ellie has been blessed to be the

Director of St. Anthony's Preschool

since Rose’s retirement. We started

Preschool

St. Anthony’s

Preschool is in its

27th year of

operation

Issue 3

“Exploring the Sunday Readings.”

The volunteers end their meeting by

praying and reading each petition to

be sent to the prayer connection min-

isters.

The Prayer Connection Ministry is

made up of over 80 people who have

committed themselves to pray for

those who have placed petitions in the

box at the rear of the church.

A volunteer types the petitions over

the period of a month. A group of vol-

unteers meets at the end of the month

to prepare the mailing, which includes

a letter, the petitions, and a copy of

mailto:[email protected]


Did you know that St. Anthony’s

Youth Ministry is one of the largest

Youth Ministry programs in the Dio-

cese of Rockville Centre?

High School: Each year over 60

teens gather every Sunday after the

5:00 Youth Mass under the leadership

and guidance of our Parish Youth

Minister Kathy Spataro to talk about

issues they face as Catholic teenagers.

They also enjoy a great meal with the

help of their parents who have been

very generous in the preparation of

our weekly meal.

The teen members of Youth Ministry:

Donate leftover food to a needy

family

Have assisted with the clean-up

and maintenance of the church

Helped the Father’s Club during

the year

Waited tables during St. An-

thony’s “Taste of the Town” fund-

raiser

Helped with the collection and

stocking of the St. Vincent DePaul

Pantry during Lent

Presented the Silhouette Stations

of the Cross during Lent, an event

that the entire parish looks for-

ward to.

On Good Friday, the teens present

the Cross during the Veneration

A few of the teens work as Cate-

chists for the religion classes.

Raised funds for their ministry

through car washes, Breakfast

with Santa and the Polar Express

Helped out in the Zeppole Booth

and other Booths at the St. An-

thony’s Feast

In addition to the above activities,

each year the teens participate in a

weekend long Faith building retreat.

On that retreat the teens learn about

different forms of prayer, community

building participate in the Sacrament

of Reconciliation, discuss important

issues they face as Christians growing

up in today’s society and culminate

the weekend by celebrating the

Eucharist. The “Be Weekend” retreat

has been an annual event for the past

26 years in our Parish. As a tribute to

the success of the program many of

the former teen members have come

back as young adults after college to

assist running the program. For more

information contact Kathy Spataro at

516-764-0048.

Middle School: Bridges Café is a

community service group for 7th &

8th graders which meets Fridays from

7-9pm in the St. Anthony’s Cafeteria.

It is a social gathering to help the “in

between” group stay connected to

their faith and sense of service to oth-

ers, and to deepen their relationship

with the St. Anthony’s faith commu-

nity. The group plans and partici-

pates in service projects and events

while they meet and socialize.

Bridges helps numerous organizations

such as the AHRC, Food Pantry, In-

terfaith Thanksgiving Dinner, Ronald

McDonald House and many more each

year. Bridges also produces family

fun events such as “Cup Cake Wars”

and their signature event "Elf Tag".

All events help to build the members

and teach them the real meaning of

being children of God.

booklet is prepared for use at the

mass, which includes scripture read-

ings, hymns and the names of family

participants. During the mass, our

volunteers assist the priest by inviting

family members for the scripture

readings, announcing gift bearers to

present the bread and wine and serv-

The Ministry of Consolation is com-

prised of caring volunteers who assist

families dealing with the loss of a

loved one. Our members meet with

relatives of the deceased to express

our parish’s condolences and plan the

funeral liturgy. Based on the infor-

mation gathered at this meeting, a

ing as Eucharistic ministers. We ex-

tend a sign of peace to family mem-

bers during the mass and take leave

of all in attendance at the exit with

the offer of tissues.

Youth Ministry

Consolation Ministry


St. Anthony’s Marriage Preparation

programs are led by Deacon Mike &

Doreen Monahan together with co-

facilitating couples, Stanley & Laura

Conroy and Phil & Joanne Savarese.

Our program includes Pre-Cana and

FOCCUS (Facilitate Open, Caring

Communication, Understanding and

Study) both of which are required to

marry in the Diocese of Rockville

Centre. Since its reinvigoration in the

Fall of 2013, approximately 65 en-

gaged couples have experienced this

in-home faith journey!

Our ministry is thriving and we now

offer three sessions per year begin-

ning with our Sunday Pre-Cana Mass

and luncheon, and continuing for

three consecutive Monday evenings

where couples gather to pray and

share our faith and life experiences.

FOCCUS appointments are scheduled

with each individual couple at a mu-

tually convenient date and time to

continue the conversation.

We have enjoyed the experience of not

only facilitating the sessions for the

engaged couples but Deacon Mike has

been invited to preside at some of

their weddings and to baptize the

children of a few couples from the ear-

lier sessions! We are honored to re-

main a part of their lives!

tion and a part of our commu-

nity of faith.

The Baptism Ministry is

made up of lay volunteers. It

is a ministry of welcome to

parents who have made the

decision to bring their child

into the Catholic faith.

It is comprised of three as-

pects:

1) the preparation of a wel-

Each year the parish of St.

Anthony is happy and

privileged to welcome over

200 children into our

Catholic Christian commu-

nity through the sacra-

ment of Baptism. Baptism

is a sacrament of initia-

tion, of acceptance, of wel-

come. Through water and

the Holy Spirit, the chil-

dren become a new crea-

come packet, which includes a hand-

made needlepoint cross, a booklet on

the stresses of parenthood, and a par-

ents’ prayer

2) the provision of hospitality at the

monthly Baptism class

3) the offering of welcome to the fami-

lies and guests on the day of Baptism,

as well as assistance to the presider

during the Baptism ritual.

Pre-Cana / Marriage Preparation Program

Baptism Ministry

chists. This past year we prepared

over 200 children for the sacrament of

First Eucharist and, 85 students for

the Sacrament of Confirmation.

Through the generosity of our families

we continue our tradition of present-

ing a gift from our First Eucharist and

Confirmation class to be used in our

liturgies. We raised over $6,000 in

donations which provided our parish

with new altar banners for the liturgi-

cal seasons of Advent and Easter.

Our grade level masses at the 9:30

Family Mass, followed by Coffee

Hour, continues to grow stronger each

year. By providing a welcoming envi-

ronment families come together as a

faith community and find mutual sup-

port in trying to raise their children

with the catholic morals and values

we represent as St. Anthony’s Parish.

The goal of our parish religious educa-

tion program is to help young people

develop morally, grow in their knowl-

edge of the Catholic faith and partici-

pate in the sacramental life of the

Church.

Our elementary/middle school pro-

gram involves classroom learning ses-

sions, communal prayer and worship

experiences, service opportunities and

sacramental preparation.

We currently have 1,250 students in

our program and 120 volunteer cate-

Religious Education

1,250 Students

120 Volunteer Catechists

Issue 3


Fathers Club

The Music Ministry is a diverse group

of people who come together to wor-

ship in song and to help others in the

congregation worship and pray. Pro-

fessional musicians are

joined by the adult choir,

children’s choir, youth

rock Mass group, and

Spanish choir to enhance

our worship together.

The volunteer members

come from many back-

grounds, both with and

without previous instruc-

tion or experience, but

all have a desire to share their love of

music with others. Additionally, they

help with organizing and distributing

sheet music, organizing and setting

up for liturgies and planning social

events.

The Adult Choir typically practices

once a week on Thursdays at 7:30 PM

and sings at the 11:00 AM

Mass on Sundays

(September to June), on

holy days, during the

Easter Triduum, and at

other special liturgies.

They also participate in the

Oceanside Interfaith

Thanksgiving Service and

perform a Christmas Con-

cert, usually in the week

between Christmas and New Year’s.

Their music ranges from ancient

chants to contemporary liturgical mu-

sic, including pieces from the Oregon

Catholic Press, the Gregorian Insti-

tute of America, the St. Louis Jesuits

and Weston Priory.

The Children’s Choir sings at least

twice a month at the 9:30 AM Family

Mass. Many members also participate

in the annual Christmas Pageant and

Christmas Tree Lighting.

The Youth Rock Mass features instru-

mentalists and singers, ages 14-18,

who sing each week at the Sunday 5

PM Youth Mass.

The Spanish Choir, a part of the His-

panic Community, sings at the Span-

ish Mass, held at 12:45 in the Sacred

Heart Chapel. For information, or to

join, please speak to the members af-

ter the 12:45 Mass.

Music Ministry

panded areas throughout the church

grounds. Not all of the club’s service

projects are related to the parish land-

scape. The Fathers Club took on the

repair of the gym window cages allow-

ing for easily opening the windows

when the weather gets hot, or quickly

closing them when the weather turns

inclement. They also conducted the

first ever parish Christmas tree light-

ing, purchasing & decorating the tree,

as well as organizing the event. In

addition, the Fathers Club stepped up

over the past 3-4 years providing se-

curity assistance at the Feast & other

events, barbequing at the parish out-

door mass & serving beer & wine at

the parish’s Taste of the Town events.

The second part of the Fathers Club’s

mission is social – providing opportu-

nities for the dads to socialize to-

gether as they plan the various events

designed to bring fathers & families

closer together. The group holds

meetings approximately once a month

during the school year. Larger group

social events organized by the Fathers

Club have included barbecue outings

to Long Island Ducks & the Brooklyn

Cyclones games, outdoor movie nights

in the spring, & a comedy club outing

for parish adults in winter.

All dads (or granddads) in the parish

are welcome to join the Fathers Club.

It is an inclusive organization that

welcomes any level of participation

from those interested in its service &

social mission (or dads just looking to

have fun). For more information on

the Fathers Club, contact StAn-

[email protected].

The St. Anthony’s Fathers Club is a

relatively new organization in the par-

ish. It was started in 2014 when a

group of dads were waiting for their

wives to stop talking after the 9:30

family mass. As they commiserated

with each other as to how often

women in the community managed to

get together & talk, an idea was born:

a group of fathers that would provide

both service to St. Anthony’s & a so-

cial avenue for fathers in the parish to

meet & get to know other fathers in

the parish.

The Fathers Club’s first event oc-

curred in Spring of 2014 & was a com-

bination flower planting project to

beautify the Church grounds, a

whiffle ball game & a barbecue. More

than 50 people came out for this inau-

gural event, & the dads knew they

were onto something. The Fathers

Club reprised their initial gardening

efforts by conducting ongoing plant-

ings in the fall with bulbs & again in

the spring to brighten up the grounds

for First Communion . We have con-

ducted plantings in the spring & fall

of both 2016 & 2017 to included ex-



Issue 3

While the Knights of Columbus is not

what you would usually think of as a

ministry, it is a worldwide fellowship

of Catholic men supporting the church

and its parishes. With 1.8 million

members worldwide, we provide multi

-millions of dollars and millions of

man-hours of work to further the prin-

ciples of Catholic philosophy, and in

particular, charity.

Father O’Connell Council calls St.

Anthony’s its home parish. Our mem-

bers are ushers, Father’s Club mem-

bers, Finance Council members, and

many other ministry volunteers. Last

year our Wednesday night Bingo

games raised over $35,000 for chari-

ties, over half of which went to St.

Anthony’s roof fund, Feast expenses,

and general funds. At the annual

Feast, our members man most of the

food, wine, and beer booths, and help

set up, break down, and clean up. We

provide over 200 coats for kids each

year to those in need. We also provide

three $1,000 stipends annually to

three seminarians, three Catholic

high school scholarships each year to

members’ children or grandchildren,

and much more.

Membership is open to all practicing

Catholic men aged 18 and over. Our

Ladies Auxiliary is open to all practic-

ing Catholic women aged 18 and over.

Our Youth Program is open to Catho-

lic boys aged 10 to 17.

Join us! Enrich your life and the lives

of others! Call Tom Knag at 516-477-

2664 or email [email protected].

Father Joseph O’Connell Council – Knights of Columbus

“Faith and Fitness” with Deacon Mike

The program is open to all

fitness and skill levels from

the child new to exercise and

basketball to the child seek-

ing to improve upon and

bring their skills to the next

level to the child simply

wanting extra practice for

competitive school or CYO

sports. There is no cost to

attend and all participants

receive a free T-shirt! We

have had approximately 100

participants over the years

and we welcome you to join

Deacon Mike, Coach Kevin

and Coach Sarah so that we might

together bear witness to the impact

we can have when we give ourselves

for the greater glory of God and do so

completely in mind, body and spirit!

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam!

The Faith & Fitness pro-

gram with Deacon Mike is

a true Christian expres-

sion of our need to be

committed to taking care

of ourselves and each other

in mind, body and spirit.

The program is

designed for children in

Grades 1-8 and integrates

a physical fitness experi-

ence with prayer

and discussion about the

Gospel.

Since its Spring 2013 in-

ception, the program has created a

community of faith that emphasizes

friendship and discipleship through

kindness and respect for ourselves

and for one another.

Each session the children reflect on

the messages of the Gospel as they

learn lessons about

themselves and their ability to work

together as a team using cardio work-

outs and basketball drills.


The Pastoral Council is a representa-

tive body of St. Anthony’s parishion-

ers and staff who come together

monthly to advise and work together

in close consultation with the Pastor

to prayerfully discern and to carry

out, the needs and concerns of the

parish now and into the future.

The Pastoral Council generally meets

the third Monday night of every

month.

Recently the Council has presented

Financial Peace University by well

know NY Times Best Seller author

and radio show talk show host, Dave

Ramsey. This is a nine-week class

that teaches people to be responsible

with their money so they can retire

with dignity and give generously to

others. Also presented this year was

the Lenten Movie Series, which

viewed four spiritual Christian movies

during the Lenten season. These

movies portrayed Christian values

and finding God’s Living Word in eve-

ryday life. This series culminated

with the Passion of Christ. A very

painfully moving and thought stirring

experience. This was an extremely

successful event and we will be pre-

senting three new movies again next

year during Lent. The Council joined

together with other Ministries to par-

ticipate in the “Welcome Back Masses

celebrated in the courtyard during

September.

The Pastoral Council has created a

Ministry List and Register, which

helped identify the Ministry Leaders,

which provided needed information

about the Ministries and the people

who are charged with their operation.

A Ministry Fair was presented which

brought together many ministries,

leaders/volunteers with our Parishion-

ers to visualize Ministries, Leaders

and their functions of the individual

Ministries. The Pastoral Council pre-

sented an evening of the “Stations of

the Cross” which proved to be a very

holy, reflective and moving experi-

ence.

On September 17, 2017, St. Anthony’s

celebrated its third annual “Welcome

Home Sunday”. This event calls the

parish together after the summer va-

cation period. The day began with an

outdoor mass between the church and

the chapel, and was followed by a bar-

beque. This event was made possible

through the combined efforts of St.

Anthony’s staff & ministry volunteers.

Pastoral (Parish) Council

Welcome Home Sunday


St. Anthony’s Feast

Save the Date! This year the 49th an-

nual St. Anthony’s Feast will be held

from Thursday June 7th to Sunday

June 10th, The Feast is our parish’s

largest fundraiser and a true celebra-

tion of our great faith community. The

highlight of the Feast is the Mass in

honor of our patron Saint, St. An-

thony. Celebrated at the 12:30 Mass

on Sunday, June 10th where we

gather in prayer to honor our great

Patron Saint. Every night we will

have big rides, petting zoo, live enter-

tainment and of course all our great

food…. Zeppole, Sausage and Peppers,

Gyro’s, Italian Ices, Pizza, Hamburg-

ers, Franks, Soda and more! Each

year we do our best to keep prices as

family friendly as possible. Unlike

most Feasts and Festivals we do not

use outside concessions for our food

booths. Over 500 volunteers give of

their time, talent and effort to make

this tremendous undertaking a suc-

cess for our parish. New volunteers

are always welcome. So please volun-

teer a few hours of your time, stop by

with the family and enjoy some free

entertainment and experience Fun,

Friendship and Faith in action!

Taste of Our Town

Issue 3


St. Anthony’s Parish Outreach

In 1962, one of the first Societies

started in the Parish of St. Anthony’s

was the Rosary Altar Society. The

rules for the Society was to encourage

the recitation of the Rosary, visit the

sick and care for the altars. It brought

together like-minded women for sup-

port and service.

Then and now, the Society meets each

month from September through June.

Each meeting is begun with the reci-

tation of the Rosary.

Events and devotions during the year

include:

Mass and Living Rosary in Octo-

ber

Enactment of “Stations of the

Cross through Mary’s Eyes in

Lent

Mass for the installation of our

new members followed by our

“May crowning of the Blessed Mother”

Mass and installation of officers in

June

Guest speakers and programs at our

monthly meetings

Fellowship and refreshments are an integral

part of every meeting.

In addition, when a member dies,

members attend her wake and recite

the Rosary for her. If a member’s

spouse passes away, we assemble at

the funeral home and recite one dec-

ade of the Rosary for him. We also

form an honor guard in the church on

the occasion of a member’s funeral

Mass.

Maintenance of the altar linens used

for Masses and other celebrations.

Members pick up these linens at their

assigned time, launder them and re-

turn them for future use.

Responsibility to raise funds for the

parish through activities during the

year, such as an Annual Cake Sale,

monthly raffles, and annual dues.

The Society also donates canned foods

to Parish Outreach, and supports

other charities.

Monthly meetings are announced in

the Parish Bulletin on the weekend

before each meeting, and all women of

the parish are always welcome to join

us for any meeting.

Please join us and become a mem-

ber of the Rosary Altar Society!

Rosary Altar Society

Each year we have a Giving Tree

drive to collect gift cards for the holi-

days on behalf of the clients we serve.

The Giving Tree drive for 2016 was a

resounding success. We collected

Christmas gift cards totaling over

$10,000, which enabled us to give

each family that we assist

(approximately 408 individuals, con-

sisting of 51 seniors, 256 adults, and

101 children) a gift of $25 per person.

Our clients are most grateful for the

generosity of our parishioners.

For the fiscal year October 2016-

September 2017, Parish Outreach

received 1,962 client visits which

served 5,595 family members (705

seniors, 3,081 adults and 1,809 chil-

dren). In November of 2017 alone, we

provided clothing to over 90 clients.

The pantry is stocked by deliveries

from Long Island Cares, Island Har-

vest, the Oceanside Community Cen-

ter, Trader Joe’s, fundraising efforts

of the youth in our community and

the generosity of our parishioners. In

addition, The Society of St. Vincent de

Paul pays for any fees and purchases

additional items needed by the food

pantry.

To serve the needs of families in the

Oceanside Community, St Anthony’s

Parish Outreach was established in

1991.

With the invaluable assistance of ap-

proximately 18 volunteers and 2 staff

members, the Outreach Center inter-

views prospective clients to assess

their need for food, clothing and finan-

cial assistance.

Food is distributed to eligible families

and clothing is available for perusal.

When financial support is required,

referrals are given to St. Anthony’s

Conference of the Society of St. Vin-

cent de Paul members who make

home visits in pairs to more thor-

oughly assess needs and provide fi-

nancial assistance when needed. Cli-

ents are also given Department of So-

cial Service agency referrals to follow-

up on programs for which they may be

eligible.

From Oct.2016 to

Sep.2017, there were

1,962 client visits which

served 5,595 family

members: 705 seniors,

3,081 adults and 1,809

children

The Parish was founded by Father

Robert Barrett, an Irish immigrant

under the auspices of Bishop Thomas

Molloy. Oceanside had 30 Catholic

families at that time. The first ever

Mass was held on May 15, 1927, in a

private home, with 7 parishioners.

Subsequent Masses and services were

held at Sala-

mander Fire-

house on Fox-

hurst Road.

The initial prop-

erty was do-

nated by a real-

estate company.

In 1929 the

"Underground

Church” opened.

This was located

in the parking

lot across the street from our current

Church property. Over the next sev-

eral years, the grounds expanded to

its current size of approximately 6

acres. There were 3 chapels built: the

Sacred Heart Chapel (our current

chapel), the Miraculous Medal Chapel

(our current Church; the original Mi-

raculous Medals can still be seen on

the rear walls), and the Mother

Cabrini Chapel (alongside the Under-

ground Church). The Mother Cabrini

Chapel was lost in the same fire that

claimed the Underground Church.

Thousands of people came here on

pilgrimages each week. The attention

to detail of gardens, animals, statues,

and the shrine itself were known na-

tionally. The parish continued to

grow and flourish.

In the early 1930’s, the Ku Klux Klan

burned a cross on the property, which

was denounced heavily

by all of the local pastors and preach-

ers, who expressed their support for

St. Anthony's. This incident led to the

formation of the Oceanside Interfaith

Council, which is still in operation

today.

After the Underground Church

burned on March 25, 1960, the conver-

sion of the Miraculous Medal Chapel

began. The School and Convent were

built, opening in September 1961. If

you walk the grounds, you can still

see some of the spigots on the pipes

around the perimeter, where pilgrims

bottled holy water from an under-

ground spring. In the lobby of the

Parish Center, we have some artifacts

and photos that have survived. These

include a piece of the "Blarney Stone",

which was originally housed between

the Church and the Chapel, and open

on Sundays for people to kiss. This

was preserved by the Ford Family.

We also have a statue that survived

the fire. It was believed to be on the

side of the Altar. This was preserved

by the Spataro Family. There is a

small building behind the Chapel,

currently used for storage, which at

one time contained public restrooms.

The Stine that adorns the Altar of the

Church, and some of

the exterior, is

"Manhattan Schist",

a form of shale. This

was excavated from

the tunnels dug for

the subways. The

material was free for

the taking, thereby

being a perfect choice

for our building. We

currently have 6

buildings on the

property

and several original statues; the most

impressive is on the north side of the

Chapel. One of the original mosaic

stations of the cross that surrounded

the property was discovered intact,

under bushes and shrubs. For his

Eagle Project, one of our Boy Scouts

cleared the area, cleaned the station,

and built a small garden to highlight

it.

Please feel free to stop in and ask to

see our display or to be shown some of

the things on the property, as we are

always eager to show our historical

treasure. We are also always looking

for people to help as historians or to

assist as curators for our display.

A Brief History of St. Anthony’s

Issue 3


110 Anchor Avenue

Oceanside, NY

11572

Heavenly Father,

You have gathered us together as a parish to be Your

visible life in our world. Here we unite in worship,

proclaim Your word, celebrate the Eucharist, and are

sent forth to share Your love and make disciples.

Lord, we take your Great Commission seriously and

long for our parish to be so on-fire that we draw

people to You. Help us in that endeavor, as we strive

to work together—ordained, religious and laity.

Please make our parish amazing, through

Your power and Your grace.

Amen.

Phone: 516-764-0048

Fax: 516-282-2525

Amazing Parish Prayer

St. Anthony’s Church is a special place and a lov-ing faith community. Each member of the church contributes to that continuous formation of the "People of God" here in Oceanside. We recognize that the very "center and core" of our being is Je-sus Christ as found in the Gospel and as ex-pressed through the Eucharist. We walk with a desire to talk and to pray and a willingness to sacrifice and to share.

St. Anthony’s Church has a wide variety of pro-grams for each person and every age group. We are about building a "community of faith".

We are a Catholic community of faith in the Jesuit tradition gathered around Jesus Christ and cen-tered in the Eucharist. In a diverse and changing world we grow in our relationship with God and with one another. Through our worship, our ministries and our promotion of peace and justice, we walk with Jesus of the Gospel who reveals God’s love for all.

St. Anthony’s Church

We’re on the web:

www.stanthonyoceanside.org

Please visit our official Parish Facebook

page. The page can be accessed even by

those without a personal Facebook account.

“Follow” us for parish updates!

www.facebook.com/stanthonyoceanside

Tell us what you think...

This is our third annual parish almanac. We would love to

hear what you think. Did you find it informative? What

could we do differently or better next time?

We would also like to know what you think of our parish and

its various ministries. Do you feel the faith needs of the

community are being met? How can the parish better serve

the community as a whole? What would you like to see more

of? Less of? Do you have any suggestions, comments, or con-

cerns?

Are you interested in

joining a ministry, or

perhaps helping the par-

ish community in some

other way?

We would love to hear

from you!

Please contact us at

[email protected].

Issue 3

Please thank our generous sponsors with your patronage...

Issue 3


“Serving Our Community”

Issue 3

69 Atlantic Avenue

Oceanside, NY 11572

(516) 678-3535

Monday, Wednesday - Sunday, 8 AM - 6 PM

tel://1-516-678-3535


PARTIES LEAGUES FUNDRAISERS

PRO SHOP TOURNAMENTS SPECIALS

LESSONS COSMIC BOWLING

YOUTH PROGRAMS

FOOD & BEVERAGE

Issue 3

Please thank our

generous sponsors

with your

patronage...tell

them you saw their

ad in the St.

Anthony’s Almanac!

Issue 3

42 Atlantic Avenue

Oceanside, NY

516-536-0042 (in the Great Lincoln Plaza)

Issue 3

Oceanside Civic Association Let Your Voice Be Heard

OceansideCivicAssociation.org

Raymond Pagano, President

[email protected]

P.O. Box 353

80 Atlantic Ave

Oceanside, NY 11572

issue 3 january 2018stanthonyoceanside.org/texts/parishalmanaccy2017.pdf · ·...

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