Issue 2 January 2017stanthonyoceanside.org/texts/ParishAlmanacCY2016.pdf · ·...

St. Anthony’s Church

110 Anchor Ave.

Oceanside, NY 11572 My dear parishioners and friends,

Happy New Year and thank you for

my many years here at St. Anthony’s

warm and welcoming home.

We are blessed with a wonderful par-

ish family here in Oceanside and this

Almanac expresses in so very many

ways how that comes about. Our vol-

unteers and staff and congregants

give so very much in so many minis-

tries which you can sample here in

this, our second Almanac. And this is

not even the complete picture.

Our volunteers work at so many par-

ish and community functions that

make life better for very many people.

We have women and men visiting and

bringing communion to the home

bound and the hospital, we have an

outreach program caring for over

6,000 family members in need, we

have a youth ministry that is one of

the largest and most active in the dio-

cese and I could go on and on but you

can read for yourself here in this year’s

Almanac all the good works performed.

I couldn’t praise our ministries more

and welcome you all to continue to sup-

port each and join in wherever you can.

It is in giving that we receive so much

joy and consolation.

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 almanac, our bulletin, our website,

our Facebook page, and our parish app.

There is so much that makes our parish

the great place it is. God bless you all!

Sincerely,

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

13

Tell Us What You

Think

14

Amazing Parish

Prayer

14

Almanac Sponsors 15

Inside this issue:

From Our Pastor

St. Anthony’s Almanac

January 2017 Issue 2

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Baptism 161 156 196 162 149

Confirmation 162 176 178 162 171

First Communion 218 190 202 216 196

RCIA 7 6 9 1 7

First Reconciliation 218 190 202 217 203

Weddings 29 20 22 29 24

Anointing of the Sick 81 63 77 70 49

Funerals 126 114 129 122 85

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.

ings, we continue to experience large

maintenance and repair costs, includ-

ing the need in 2014 for a $300,000

loan from the Diocese for Parish Cen-

ter roof repairs, at a time when collec-

tions were declining.

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

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

parish financial report.

Like so many of you, the parish has

felt the effects of the past 5 years, in-

cluding the financial crisis and Super-

storm Sandy. We managed a diocesan

mandated voluntary separation pro-

gram for parish employees. Due to

the aging nature of our parish build-

last 5 years.

Early reports from the new fiscal year

seem to indicate that we are entering

the post-Increased Offertory cam-

paign period, as a downward collec-

tions trend has developed. This will

require careful monitoring going for-

ward.

Please contact Deacon John O’Connor,

Parish Operations Manager, for more

information.

Catholic Ministries Appeal (cont’d.)

5-Year Parish Financial Report

Issue 2

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 2

$1,700,000

$1,800,000

$1,900,000

$2,000,000

$2,100,000

$2,200,000

$2,300,000

$2,400,000

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Revenue vs. Operating Expenses

Total Revenue

Total Operating Expenses

$500,000

$550,000

$600,000

$650,000

$700,000

$750,000

$800,000

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Collections

Collections

$200,000

$250,000

$300,000

$350,000

$400,000

$450,000

$500,000

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Building/Utilities/Maintenance Costs

Building/Utilities/Maintena…

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 Zepoli 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

25 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


The St. Anthony’s Parish Pre-Cana /

Marriage Preparation Program is led

by Deacon Mike and Doreen Monahan

along with co-facilitating couples,

Stanley & Laura Conroy and Phil &

Joanne Savarese. Since its reinvigo-

ration in the Fall of 2013, nearly 50

engaged couples have been able to

experience this in-home faith journey!

The sessions are typically in the

Spring and Fall and begin with a Kick

-off Mass followed by 3 consecutive

evenings where couples gather to-

gether to pray and share our faith and

experiences!

The program offering is $100 for the

resources that are provided to the cou-

ples (which includes the cost for the

Diocesan FOCUUS Program too) al-

though no one is ever turned away for

inability to pay.

Most recently we have enjoyed the

experience of not only facilitating the

sessions for engaged couples but Dea-

con Mike has been invited to baptize

the children of a few of the couples

from the earlier sessions and has been

honored to continue to be a part of

their lives!

years achieved by the Pastoral Coun-

cil are:

Created a Ministry List and Reg-

ister, which helped identify the

Ministry Leaders, and provided

needed information about the

Ministries and the people who are

charged with their operation

Sponsored a Ministry Fair which

brought together many ministries,

The Parish Council is a representative

body of St. Anthony’s parishioners

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 Will of God for our parish, now

and into the future. The Pastoral

Council generally meets the third

Monday night of every month. Some

accomplishments in the past few

leaders/volunteers with our Pa-

rishioners

Helped present the “Stations of

the Cross” which proved to be a

very holy, reflective and moving

experience

Joined together with other Minis-

tries to participate in the

“Welcome Back Mass” celebrated

in the courtyard this summer

Pre-Cana / Marriage Preparation Program

Pastoral (Parish) Council

chists. Over the past six years we

prepared over 1,400 children for the

sacrament of First Eucharist, and

over 1000 for the Sacrament of Confir-

mation. In 2015 we started a new

tradition of presenting a gift from our

First Eucharist and Confirmation

class to be used in our liturgies. We

raised over $7,000 in donations this

year which will provide our parish

with new altar banners for the liturgi-

cal seasons of Advent and Easter.

Our grade level masses at the 9:30am

Family Mass, followed by the Coffee

Hour, continue 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 program involves classroom

learning sessions, communal prayer

and worship experiences, service op-

portunities and sacramental prepara-

tion.

We currently have 1,400 students in

our program and 120 volunteer cate-

Religious Education

Over 1,400 Students

120 Volunteer Catechists

Issue 2

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

Baptism and Prayer Connection

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

26th year of

operation

Issue 2

a parents’ prayer; 2) the provision of

hospitality at the monthly Baptism

class; 3) the offering of welcome to the

families and guests on the day of Bap-

tism; assistance to the presider during

the Baptism ritual.

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 vol-

unteer types the petitions over the

period of a month. A group of volun-

teers meets at the end of the month to

prepare the mailing, which includes a

letter, the petitions, and a copy of

“Exploring the Sunday Readings.”

The members end their meeting by

praying and reading the petitions.

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 through this sacra-

ment of initiation. It is comprised of

three aspects: 1) the preparation of a

welcome packet, which includes a

hand-made needlepoint cross, a book-

let on the stresses of parenthood, and

mailto:[email protected]



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

gym window cages that previously

prevented the parish from easily

opening the windows when the

weather got hot, or quickly closing

them when the weather turned in-

clement. They also conducted the first

ever Christmas tree lighting for the

parish -- purchasing and decorating

the tree, and organizing the event. In

addition, the Fathers Club stepped up

to help provide security assistance at

the Feast and other events, served the

food at the parish outdoor masses and

poured beer and 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, and larger events designed to

bring fathers and families closer to-

gether. The group holds meetings

over drinks and dinner approximately

once a month during the school year.

Larger group social events organized

by the Fathers Club have include bar-

becue outings to the Long Island

Ducks and the Brooklyn Cyclones,

outdoor movie nights in the summer,

and comedy club outings 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

and social mission (or dads just look-

ing to have fun). For more informa-

tion on the Fathers Club, contact

[email protected].

The St. Anthony’s Fathers Club

started in 2014 when a group of dads

were waiting for their wives to stop

talking after the 9:30am Family Mass.

As they commiserated with each other

as to how often women in the commu-

nity managed to get together and talk,

an idea was born: a group of fathers

that would provide both service to St.

Anthony’s and a social avenue for fa-

thers in the community to meet and

get to know the other fathers in the

parish.

The Fathers Club’s first event oc-

curred in Spring of 2014 and was a

combination flower planting project to

beautify the Church grounds, an int-

ergenerational whiffle ball game and

a barbecue. More than 50 people

came out for this inaugural event, and

the dads knew they were onto some-

thing. The Fathers Club reprised

their gardening efforts by conducting

fall bulb plantings to brighten up

First Communion pictures on the par-

ish grounds in the spring, but not all

of their service projects are related to

the parish landscape. Indeed, the Fa-

thers Club tackled the repair of the


Issue 2

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…Never Quit” with Deacon Mike

with the children in the Parish Gym /

Auditorium on 5 consecutive Saturday

mornings from 8 am to 9:30 am in the

Fall and the Spring.

Since its inception the program has

created a community of faith that em-

phasizes friendship and discipleship

through kindness and a respect for

ourselves and for one another.

The program has had over 100 partici-

pants since it began nearly 4 years

ago and there is no cost although

nominal donations to the parish are

always welcome!

Each week the children re-

flect with Deacon Mike on

the Gospel for the next day

and learn lessons through

cardio workouts and basket-

ball drills about themselves

and their ability to work

together as a team!

Please join the Deacon Mike

and the other coaches, Do-

reen, Kevin and Sarah so

that we might together bear

witness to the impact we

can have when we give of

ourselves for the greater glory of God

and do so completely in Mind, Body

and Spirit! Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam

The "Faith and Fitness…Never Quit”

with Deacon Mike Program is a true

Christian expression of our need to be

committed to taking care of ourselves

and each other in mind, body and

spirit AND to never

let anyone or any-

thing distract us from

our Christian calling

to love no matter how

we might be perse-

cuted for our beliefs

or how tired we might

become from all the

negative energy di-

rected at people of

faith!

The program started

in the Spring of 2013

and it is a program

for the children in our

parish from Grade 3 through Grade 8

that are seeking an opportunity to

integrate a physical fitness experience

with morning prayers and discussions

about the Gospel. Deacon Mike meets



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

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

$9,000, which enabled us to give each

family that we assist (approximately

408 individuals, consisting of 51 sen-

iors, 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 2015-

September 2016, Parish Outreach

received 2,016 client visits which

served 6,006 family members (685

seniors, 3,278 adults and 2,043 chil-

dren). In November of 2016 alone, we

provided clothing to over 100 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 approximately 18 volunteers and 2

staff members, the Outreach Center

interviews prospective clients to as-

sess their need for food, clothing and

financial 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.

Each year we have a Giving Tree

From Oct.2015 to

Sep.2016, there were

2,016 client visits which

served 6,006 family

members: 685 seniors,

3,278 adults and 2,043

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 2


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.

www.facebook.com/stanthonyoceanside

Tell us what you think...

This is our second 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 2

Please thank our generous sponsors with your patronage...

Issue 2


“Serving Our Community”

Issue 2

69 Atlantic Avenue

Oceanside, NY 11572

(516) 678-3535

Monday, Wednesday - Sunday, 8 AM - 6 PM

http://www.deesnursery.com

tel://1-516-678-3535


PARTIES LEAGUES FUNDRAISERS

PRO SHOP TOURNAMENTS SPECIALS

LESSONS COSMIC BOWLING

YOUTH PROGRAMS

FOOD & BEVERAGE

Issue 2

Please thank

our generous

sponsors with

your

patronage

www.egpoceanside.com

Issue 2

42 Atlantic Avenue

Oceanside, NY

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


2863 Woods Ave.

Oceanside, NY

516-678-5888 http://www.aliassmithandjonesoceanside.com

* Lunch * Dinner * Sunday Brunch * Catering *

Issue 2

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

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