Nassau County news

Since the Long Island Catholic switched to its new format of ten magazine issues per year, I have tried to categorize the items that might otherwise have appeared in a weekly newspaper.
One example might be the news that two Catholic grammar schools in our county have earned a  reprieve and will not be closed: St. Dominic's elementary school in Oyster Bay, and St. Edward Confessor school four miles south.  The Newsday article of 5.28.2013 reported an enrollment of 237 at St. Dominic and 213 at St. Edward.
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The article also quoted Sean Dolan as stating that all parish schools receive subsidies from the parishes.  Admirable. I think some other dioceses are backtracking on that requirement of one of the Plenary Councils of Baltimore by closing schools that need subsidies.
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Parishes have announced changes of priestly assignments, but that list has not yet appeared on the diocesan websites.  The Westbury Times reports the transfers of Msgr. Ralph Sommer to St. Bernard, Levittown, and  Fr. Anthony Stanganelli to St. Brigid 
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The June, 2013, issue of The Long Island Catholic magazine, page 8, has a headline, "Bishop Murphy appoints 16 new pastors."
Those appointed as pastors of Nassau County parishes include:
Msgr. Robert Batule, to Corpus Christi, Mineola, from Dunwoodie teaching.
Fr. Marian Bicz, to St. Hyacinth, Glen Head, from Our Lady of Ostrabama, Cutchogue.
Father Frank Grieco, to Holy Spirit, New Hyde Park, from St. Anthony of Padua, East Northport.
Fr. Robert Holz, to St. Raphael, East Meadow, from St. Christopher, Baldwin.
Msgr. James McNamara, to Our Lady of Miraculous Medal, Point Lookout, from Holy Cross, Nesconset.
Msgr. James Pareda, to St. Paul the Apostle, Brookville.
Fr. Valentine Rebello, to St. Pius X, Plainview, from St. Barnabas, Bellmore.
Msgr. Ralph Sommer, to St. Bernard, Levittown, from St. Brigid, Westbury.
Fr. Anthony Stanganelli, to St. Brigid, Westbury, from Ss. Philip and James, Saint James.
Fr. Brian Barr, raised from administrator to pastor at Our Lady of the Isle, Long Beach.
Fr. Fr. John McCartney, raised from administrator to pastor at Saint Mary, Roslyn.
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Fr. Andrew Greeley passed away on May 29, 2013.  For several years in the 1970's (if memory can be trusted), the Long Island Catholic published his weekly column.  A lengthy obit in today's Chicago Tribune is linked here.  Long ago, we heard him speak at Our Lady of the Snows, Floral Park, Queens.  One of his memorable stories was a "Kerryman joke," based on train departure announcements at Heuston Station, Dublin.  Besides narratives, he excelled with his sharp observations about the American church, as mentioned in the Tribune obit.  His website is linked here.
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Sing to the Lord a new song

Apparently, last Sunday's Entrance Hymn or Introit is from Psalm 98, Sing a new song to the Lord, for He has done marvelous deeds.  In our parish, Dan Schutte's paraphrase or almost perfect translation was sung. 

St. Catherine of Sienna, Franklin Square

The church and rectory of St. Catherine of Sienna are located at 33 New Hyde Park Road, Franklin Square NY 11040, a short block north of Hempstead Turnpike, telephone 516-352-0146. I have linked the parish website here. The parish office is in the former school at 990 Holzheimer Street, seen to the left, behind the church in this photo from 2011.  

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Early in the twentieth century, four men of German ancestry asked that a parish be established in Franklin Square, and they offered to collect funds for it.  Each of the four wives was named Katharina.  The parish patron is St. Catherine of Sienna. For the work of the parishioners who helped found the parishes of St. Boniface and St. Catherine of Sienna, I recommend the excellent books by the historian Paul D. van Wie, "The German Settlements of Nineteenth Century Long Island" and "A History of Franklin Square and its Environs," both available at the Franklin Square Library.  In particular, the latter book has nine pages, beginning on page 102, narrating the history of St. Catherine's parish.  The author explains the events depicted in the stained glass windows.  In late 2011, Dr. Van Wie also collaborated in the publication of "Franklin Square" in the Arcadia Publishing Images of America series.  Beginning on page 82, there are photos and a history of the parish school.  Beginning on page 98, there are photos and a history of the church. Of note, the chapel or first church was sold to the American Legion and moved to nearby Pacific Street.  It then was purchased and expanded by the Franklin Square Jewish Center.
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Along the north side of the church property is Lutz Street, named after the first resident pastor, Conrad Lutz, who served from 1913 to 1953.

This entrance with a ramp is seen from Lutz Street. The door leads to the church (on the left) and to the Sienna Center and its chapel (on the right).

The parish school, above, in January, 2011.  It closed in 2012.

Above, in April, 2013, the former school and the Sienna Center on Holzheimer Street, named after Fr. Anthony Holzheimer, second pastor.

Above, the parish office on Holzheimer Street, with the word "school" removed.  Clicking on a photo will enlarge it.

Three Sunday Masses are offered in this building, which also provides access to the church.  When one is in the church, the door to the right of the Sacred Heart statue leads to the Sienna Center, which has an outdoor ramp on the north side of the building and, on the south side, an elevator to this doorway to Holzeimer Street.  Another three Sunday Masses are offered in the church, which has beautiful stained glass windows depicting the life of St. Catherine of Sienna. Padre Pio is honored outside.

Above is the cornerstone of the church.

I note the lack of year on this banner.  Is it 2012 or 2013?

Easter proclamation

This blog in 2013

In 2012, I completed my tour of Catholic churches in Nassau County. The remarks in some posts have probably become stale, so I must review many posts, beginning with 2011.
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In December, 2012, the Long Island Catholic changed its format, approach, and frequency of publication. Instead of fifty issues annually, there will be ten. Inspirational and devotional narratives will replace much news of the parishes.  Over the decades, the editors have sometimes complained of the coverage Newsday gives the Diocese of Rockville Centre, but Newsday's occasional articles will become a more important source of news. I do follow the diocesan websites, drvc.org and licatholic.org  but the topics are quite limited to hortatory instructions on politics. Biographical obits of religious Sisters are missing. 
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The effect of hurricane Sandy is a news item that has affected parishes in various degrees.  Whether the damage to homes will encourage demographic shifts and change parish income may be learned as time passes.  I have not elaborated on the role of population changes in Nassau County parishes (e.g., the increase of non-Catholic Iranians in Great Neck) because this news is obvious to passers-by and the diocesan accountants.  My observations would be debatable and superfluous.
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There are about seventy Catholic parishes in Nassau County.  Two are Eastern Rite.  It seems that two parishes, St. Vincent de Paul (Elmont) and St. Rocco (Glen Cove) have no resident priest.  Parish elementary schools number about twenty-five.  

Bukavu

The front page of today's New York Times, 11.26.2012, carries frightful reports of fighting in the eastern or northeastern Congo.  I note that this has a connection to Long Island.  The Blue Point Ursulines, who have staffed schools in the diocese of Rockville Centre, have origins from Tildonk, Belgium.  The same Tildonk Ursulines have a vice-province in the Congo, at Bukavu, a large city towards which the rebels are moving.  An article about the troubles is linked here.
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Yesterday, the lector at St. William the Abbot parish read a petition about the Ursulines in the Congo.  Today's news, unfortunately, narrates chaos, war, and suffering.

Christopher Columbus

For quite a while I have been impressed with the story that Christopher Columbus and his crew sang the Salve Regina at sunset.  Today (celebrating him on a Monday), I came across this lengthy article about Columbus's devotion to Mary as shown in the names of ships and places.  The author is a Marianist Brother at the University of Dayton.
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Please note that Guadalupe is first of all a place in Extremadura, Spain.  The name was brought to Mexico.