Funeral Mass - Jack McDonald

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered for the repose of the soul of Jack McDonald on Thursday, November 29 at 10:00 a.m. Jack served as our sacristan for the 7:00 a.m. daily Mass, and his sudden death has saddened all of us. Please pray for Jack and for his family.

Weather Update

Due to the snowy weather, Religious Education classes are cancelled on Tuesday, November 27.

School Reconfiguration Announcement

The Archdiocese released the following statement regarding Catholic Schools. Thankfully, it has been determined that St. Stephen - St. Edward School will be a Regional School of Orange, Sullivan and Ulster Counties.

LOCAL BOARDS AND RECONFIGURATION COMMITTEES MAKE PRELIMINARY DETERMINATIONS OF FINAL“AT-RISK” CATHOLIC SCHOOLS IN THE ARCHDIOCESE OF
NEW YORK
(New York, November 26, 2012) Local Boards for the three pilot regions and ad hoc Reconfiguration Committees for the six non-pilot regions, comprised of laity and clergy in parishes across the Archdiocese of New York, have completed their preliminary evaluations of the current status and long-term viability of the regionalized elementary schools in their respective regions.
The emphasis placed on this local decision-making process was outlined in Pathways to Excellence, the strategic plan for Catholic schools published in October 2010 and developed to assure a vibrant future for Catholic education. Under that plan, most parish elementary schools will align into geographic regions governed by Boards.
Dr. Timothy J. McNiff, Superintendent of Schools, said, “This regionalization initiative reflects the great progress we have made in the multi-year implementation of Pathways to Excellence, and aims to both stabilize and grow the number of Catholic schools across the Archdiocese of New York, with the ultimate goal of eliminating the need for future school closures.”
Dr. McNiff continued, “At its inception, Pathways to Excellence raised the standards of academic excellence in all areas while also working to secure additional funding through a variety of sources to help ensure a robust future for Catholic education across the archdiocese. Today’s regionalization process builds on the actions taken two years ago to improve the fiscal health of the Archdiocese of New York and will help ensure that all our schools will remain financially stable and, more importantly, open to all students.”
Local Regional Boards and Reconfiguration Committees in every county in the archdiocese began their careful analysis of each school region this fall. This review includes all relevant data, including enrollment, financial, academic and local demographics, and ensures their decisions will result in financially healthy schools. The long-term goal of regionalization is to maintain sustainable, excellent local school options for families wishing a Catholic education.
Based on this review, the Boards and Reconfiguration Committees have determined that 26 out of 159 regionalized, parish and archdiocesan elementary schools are at-risk of closure in June 2013. The number of students at these elementary schools is 5,053 out of 50,045 currently enrolled in Catholic elementary schools in the boroughs of Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island, and Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Sullivan, Orange, Dutchess and Ulster counties. Enrollment data is as of October 1, 2012.

Manhattan:
Annunciation
Holy Cross
Holy Name of Jesus
St. Gregory the Great
St. James-St. Joseph
St. Jude

Northwest and South Bronx:
Holy Spirit
Our Lady of Angels
Our Lady of Mercy
St. Jerome

East and Northeast Bronx:
Blessed Sacrament
St. Anthony
St. Mary
St. Mary Star of the Sea

Central Westchester:
Holy Name of Jesus, Valhalla
Our Lady of Fatima, Scarsdale
St. Casimir, Yonkers

Northern Westchester/Putnam:
Our Lady of the Assumption, Peekskill
St. Theresa, Briarcliff Manor

Dutchess:Regina Coeli, Hyde Park
St. Joseph, Millbrook

Rockland:
St. Augustine, New City
St. Peter, Haverstraw

Ulster, Orange, Sullivan:
Sacred Heart, Newburgh
St. Joseph, Kingston
St. Mary of the Snow, Saugerties

The catastrophic effects of Hurricane Sandy on Staten Island have led the Regional Board of Trustees and the Office of the Superintendent of Schools for the Archdiocese of New York to engage local pastors, principals, administrators and elected officials in ongoing, in-depth discussions regarding how to best serve the needs of school families on Staten Island. These consultations are continuing as the impact of the storm on school communities is assessed, and no announcement about Catholic elementary schools on Staten Island will be made until after the New Year.
In addition to the elementary schools, the Office of the Superintendent of Schools, after consultation with school leadership, has determined that St. Agnes Boys High School in Manhattan is also "at-risk" of closure in June 2013. The number of affected secondary school students affected is 217, out of 24,830 currently enrolled across the archdiocese.
In the next step of this process, pastors and principals of the at-risk elementary schools will be invited to meet with members of the local Board or Reconfiguration Committee in their region to discuss the combination of factors that led the school to be selected and review next steps. These pastors and principals will be given the opportunity to share insights that may be relevant in the review process. The final decisions by the local Boards and Reconfiguration Committees will be made in January 2013, in consultation with the Archdiocese of New York.
“I want to express my deep appreciation to the laity and clergy serving on the local Regional Boards and ad hoc Reconfiguration Committees,” said Dr. Timothy J. McNiff, Superintendent of Schools. “These are difficult, but necessary, decisions and, working together, we will ensure that our Catholic elementary schools are stronger than ever.”

Funeral Mass - Jennifer Brune

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered for the repose of the soul of Jennifer Brune (age 27) on Monday, November 26 at 11:00 a.m. Please pray for her and for her family.

Memorial Mass - Frank Ilardi

A Memorial Mass will be offered for the repose of the soul of Frank Ilardi on Staurday, November 24 at 10:00 a.m. Please pray for Frank and for his family.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Father Micciulla and I extend to all of our parishioners our prayers for a Happy Thanksgiving! Here is our Thanksgiving schedule:

Wednesday, November 21
St. Stephen - St. Edward School Mass of Thanksgiving at 9:00 a.m.
Parish Office Closed at 4:00 p.m.
No Religious Ed Classes
Ecumenical Service of Thanksgiving at Warwick United Methodist Church at 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, November 22
Parish Mass of Thanksgiving at 9:00 a.m.
Parish Office Closed
Knights of Columbus Thanksgiving at Knights Hall, Florida at 12:00 noon to 2:00 p.m.

Friday, November 23
One Parish Mass at 9:00 a.m.
Parish Office Closed

Saturday, November 24
Office Open - Teen Staff - 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
No Religious Ed Classes

Funeral Mass - Patricia DeHaan

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered for the repose of the soul of Patricia DeHann on Saturday, November 17 at 10:00 a.m. Please pray for her and for her family.

Veteran's Day

We are grateful for the many sacrifices of our Veterans. Please thank a Veteran this weekend! On Monday, November 12, Veteran's Day, there will be one parish Mass at 9:00 a.m. All parish offices will be closed on Monday.

Wedding - Olsen & Rist

Daniel Olsen and Maegan Rist will receive the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony on Saturday, November 10 at 2:30 p.m. Please pray for the newly married couple.

Regular Mass Schedule Thursday & Friday

The Convocation of Priests has been postponed until the spring. Thus we will offer daily Mass at the regularly scheduled times on Thursday and Friday of this week: 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m.

Wednesday Cancellations

Due to the expected snow, all after school activities are cancelled. Religious Ed classes are cancelled. The Baptism Class, scheduled for tonight, has been rescheduled for Saturday, November 10 from 10:00-11:00 a.m. The parish office is now closed for the rest of the day.

Storm Update

The Parish Center electrical work was finished on Tuesday. Special thanks to Boz Electric. Also, thanks to Tree Innovations and Tim Cooper, the hemlock has been cleared so that the children can use the playground. My dad and mys sister returned to their homes on Monday. All in my family now have power restored. This is not the case for many parishioners. I met a number at the community dinner. I urge our parishioners to keep looking out for your neighbors. You are always welcome to come and charge your electronics in the atrium.

Community Dinner Tuesday

Some parishioners are getting together to offer a Community Dinner for all who are still without heat and power. Come this Tuesday, November 6 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. in the school.

Storm Update

School opened today. It was a delight to see the little ones skipping down the hall. The power was reattached to the parish center on Sunday. Boz Electric hopes to complete the installation on Tuesday morning. If they are successful, we will have the parish center up and running for Wednesday. Stay tuned.

Funeral Mass - Joan M. Maietta

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered for the repose of the soul of Joan Maietta on Friday, November 2 at 10:00 a.m. Please pray for Joan and for her family.