VI Priests on Retreat

All the priests serving the Diocese of St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands are on retreat this week at Columban Hall on St. Thomas, beginning tonight. Msgr. Gerard Dennis Gill, Director of Worship for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, is leading conferences on liturgy in preparation for the revised liturgy that all parishes will begin celebrating in November 2011.

Charismatic Prayer Meetings

Pictured above is tonight's meeting at Holy Family Church,
which should be ending right about now.

The spirituality of charismatic prayer, which came to the Catholic Church in the 1970s, is still alive and well in our Virgin Islands parishes.
Holy Family Church on St. Thomas has charismatic prayer meetings on Mondays, St. Ann Church on St. Croix on Tuesdays, and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church on St. John on Thursdays. All meetings begin at 7 p.m.

Parishioners of Honor

Five parishioners of St. Patrick Church on St. Croix were honored for outstanding service to the parish's liturgical life at a reception for all the liturgical ministers at St. Gerard Hall yesterday. Left to right, Jeanne Garcia, Bernadine Christmas, Deacon Emith Fludd, Theresa Duval, and Gwendolyn Lukas posed with His Excellency, Bishop Herbert Bevard, who celebrated the Mass.

Parish Council Commissioned

Fr. Neil Scantlebury, pastor of Holy Family Church on St. Thomas, commissioned the members of the Parish Council at the end of Mass this morning.

Altar Servers Promote Divine Mercy Devotion

Steven Olive and his altar servers from the various St. Thomas parishes visit the sick and elderly in Frenchtown and Nordseid each month and pray with them the Divine Mercy chaplet.

The altar servers pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet together at the St. Therese Chapel each Monday at 3 p.m.

Three Bishops Concelebrate Mass

His Excellency, Bishop Herbert Bevard, (center) receives many visiting clergy during the winter months!
Left to right, master of ceremonies Steven Olive; Most Rev. James Conley, Auxiliary Bishop of Denver, Colorado; Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Bishop Bevard; altar servers Xuxa Fraites and Bryan Turbe; master of ceremonies John MacDonald; and Fr. Gerald Baker of Owensboro, Kentucky after Mass at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church on St. Thomas.

Generating Funds for World Youth Day Pilgrimage

The Young Vincentians, the youth division of the St. Vincent de Paul Society at Holy Family Church on St. Thomas, are planning on attending World Youth Day in Spain this summer, so the members are organizing a series of car washes and bake sales to generate funds for travel expenses. They will have a food sale in the Holy Family Church parking lot on Saturday, March 12.

Preparations for Confirmation

Confirmation students at St. Anne Chapel on St. Thomas prepare for reception of the sacrament at Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral on May 15. They meet in the chapel's choir loft on Sundays after Mass.

Intercessory Prayer Warrior

Deacon Hyacinthe George of St. Ann Church on St. Croix intercedes for the parish and diocese and is available for prayer and counseling in the chapel every Wednesday and Friday from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Our Mother of Perpetual Help Devotion

Many parishes in the Virgin Islands have devotions to Our Mother of Perpetual Help on Wednesdays. (See the schedules on our St. Thomas Calendar and St. Croix Calendar pages.)

Pictured left, Deacon Bernard Gibs leads the devotion at St. Anne Chapel on St. Thomas.

Knights of Columbus Help St. Joseph High School

Acting Grand Knight Louis Soto, Jr. is shown presenting a check from the St. Croix chapter of the Knights of Columbus to Fr. John Mark, pastor of St. Joseph Church and president of St. Joseph High School, on February 13. The check was a donation to help with the chapel that is being made in Building 8 on the school campus.

Cathedral Restoration Project

The mid-day weekday Masses at Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral on St. Thomas are increasingly being moved to the St. Therese Chapel next door so that workmen can continue the restoration work begun in early January. Now that the columns are exposed, the cathedral's structural support system is being reinforced with steel bars. In coming months, workers will restore the exterior of the pillars, install a new roof, repair the bell tower and create a new trench system.
More photographs can be seen at www.flickr.com/photos/catholicislander.

Spelling Bee Champ

Justine Arevalo, an eighth grader at St. Mary School, won the St. Croix District Spelling Bee on February 11, beating 23 other students ranging in age from 8 to 13. After more than two hours, the 13-year-old won in the 21st round after a nine-round bout with a former Virgin Islands Territorial Bee champion by spelling "veracious" veraciously. She will compete next in the Territorial Spelling Bee.

Birthday Blessings for Sr. Marina Picardal, ICM

The Shepherds of Christ Associates on St. Croix honored Sr. Marina Picardal, ICM, on her birthday and Fr. John Mark gave her a blessing yesterday.

Parish Council Commissioned

His Excellency, Bishop Herbert Bevard, and Msgr. Jerome Feudjio, rector of Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral on St. Thomas, posed with members of the cathedral's newly commissioned Parish Council after Mass yesterday.

World Marriage Day

All parishes in the Virgin Islands celebrated World Marriage Day at Mass this past weekend. Pictured right, three couples were honored for the longevity of their marriages and awarded certificates signed by His Excellency, Bishop Herbert Bevard, at the Spanish Mass at Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral on St. Thomas. Left to right, they are Deacon Jose and Petra "Tati" Vazquez (54 years), Eduardo and Luzgarda O'Neal (45 years) and Antonia and Eddy Rivera (52 years).

Pictured left, Fr. Louis Kemayou, pastor of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church on St. John, blessed all couples at Sunday Mass, including Velma Costanzo, 91, and Arthur Costanzo, 93, of Pennsylvania, who have been married 65 years!



Pictured above, married couples were recognized at all the Masses at St. Ann Church on St. Croix.





 

Prayer Group Celebrates Anniversary

Members of the prayer group at St. Patrick Church on St. Croix posed with their pastor, Father Patrick Lynch, CSsR, after its 29th anniversary celebration last night. St. Patrick Church has charismatic prayer in the chapel this coming Friday, February 18, and the third Friday of each month at 5:30 p.m.

New Chief Financial Officer

His Excellency, Bishop Herbert Bevard, welcomed Jerome Esterson to the diocesan staff. Mr. Esterson is the new chief financial officer of the diocese and is working out of the Catholic Chancery building on St. Thomas.

Catholic Schools Week: Career Day

St. Mary School on St. Croix held a Career Day during Catholic Schools Week.

Attorney Robert Molloy

Dr. Manning with Grades 3 and 4.

Horace and Jeff Clarke with Grade 1

St. Mary School Auction

St. Mary School on St. Croix held its annual fundraising dinner and auction at the Divi Carina Bay Ballroom on February 5. The theme this year was “Love Is in the Air.” Pictured above are paintings by students Jenee Santos and Chelsea Maccow that were auctioned.

Pictured left, guests admired a clutch bag donated by His Excellency, Bishop Herbert Bevard.

St. Thomas/St. John Dominica Society

Members of the St. Thomas/St. John Dominica Society attended Mass at Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral this morning. They are pictured with Msgr. Jerome Feudjio, rector.

Students Vs. Faculty Volleyball Game

The faculty beat the students in volleyball at St. Joseph High School on St. Croix on Thursday. The game was part of the celebration of Catholic Schools Week.

Students Take Time to Pray the Rosary

All students at Ss. Peter and Paul School on St. Thomas prayed the rosary during morning assembly.

Induction into the National Honors Society

Eight students of Ss. Peter and Paul School on St. Thomas accepted induction into the National Honors Society in a ceremony at Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral yesterday.

Catholic Schools Week Draws Supportive Parents

The courtyard of Ss. Peter and Paul School on St. Thomas was filled with families this morning for a very successful Muffins with Mom event.

Parents Interaction Day at St. Mary School on St. Croix.

Blessing of Throats

All churches today will honor St. Blaise, the patron saint of throats, by offering congregants the traditional blessing of throats. Pictured above, Deacon Bernard Gibs was among those blessing throats this morning at Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral on St. Thomas.

Retreat Center Receives Gift

Julia Pankey (right), a parishioner of St. Patrick Church on St. Croix, donated a framed icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help to Light of Christ Retreat Center. Pictured above, Sr. Patricia Alexander, WIF, the director of the center, accepted the gift from her on January 29.

Catholic Schools Week March

Students and staff of Ss. Peter and Paul School on St. Thomas marched on the Waterfront and Main Street this morning to announce Catholic Schools Week.

Blessing of Candles

Fr. Charles Crespo did the traditional blessing of candles for the Presentation of the Lord Mass at Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral on St. Thomas tonight.

New Acolyte Serves the Spanish Mass

Who says you have to be young to serve at the altar? Petra "Tati" Vazquez, wife of Deacon Jose Vazquez, tonight became an altar server at the Spanish Mass at Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral on St. Thomas. The Mass now has three adult servers.

Catholic Schools Week

Students, parents and staff at our Catholic schools enjoy Catholic Schools Week. Pictured above, dads sat with their children at Ss. Peter and Paul School on St. Thomas after Doughnuts with Dad this morning.

Ms. Arther, K-2 teacher at St. Mary School on St. Croix, dressed for Wacky Day.

Jacqueline Vante, physical education teacher at Ss. Peter and Paul School on St. Thomas, coached her students as they picked up trash and weeded the garden outside their school.