Farewell and Appreciation Luncheon

The parishioners of Holy Cross Church on St. Croix hosted a farewell-appreciation luncheon for their pastor, Father Kenneth Gaddy, CSsR, and Brother George Armoogam, CSsR, in the St. Mary School yard on July 31, following the 11 a.m. Mass. Tributes were paid to Father Gaddy for his 21 years of dedicated service to the people of St. Croix, including a citation in the congressional record from congresswoman Donna Christensen. Pictured above, parishioner Malcom Evans sang “You’ll Never Walk Alone” from the musical Carousel to Father Gaddy, Brother Armoogam, and Father John Juszcrak, the new pastor of Holy Cross Church.

New Priest

Pictured left, His Excellency, Bishop Herbert Bevard, called forth Deacon Eduardo Ortiz Santiago to ordain him to the priesthood at Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral on St. Thomas this morning.

At the end of the two-hour Mass, Father Ortiz Santiago gave his first priestly blessing to Bishop Bevard.

New Catechism Books

Father Patrick Lynch, CSsR, diocesan Superintendent of Catholic Education, and His Excellency, Bishop Herbert Bevard, met in the Catholic Chancery on St. Thomas on July 29 to unpack the new St. Joseph Baltimore Catechisms that will be used in all Religious Education classes in schools and churches beginning this fall.

New Pastor

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The Redemptorist Fathers nominated Father John Wladyslaw Juszcrak, CSsR, as the new pastor at Holy Cross Church on St. Croix, effective August 1. Father Juszcrak was ordained in 1988 in Poland and is fluent in English, Spanish, French and Polish. He is coming to St. Croix from a two-year assignment in St. Lucia.

Father Juszcrak replaces Father Kenneth Gaddy, CSsR, who begins a study sabbatical in the states. Father Andrzej Szorc, CSsR, remains as parochial vicar at Holy Cross Church.

Pictured above, His Excellency, Bishop Herbert Bevard welcomed Father Juszcrak to his office at the Chancery on St. Thomas on July 29. Bishop Bevard will install Father Juszcrak as pastor at Holy Cross Church

New Principal

Msgr. Jerome Feudjio (right) introduced Samuel Belmar, the new principal at Ss. Peter and Paul School on St. Thomas, on Addie Ottley's radio progam on WSTA on July 28.

After the radio program, His Excellency, Bishop Herbert Bevard, welcomed Mr. Samuel to the bishop's office at the Catholic Chancery.

Missionary Speaks to Prayer Group

More than 100 people came to hear Fr. Anthony Ozele preach at Holy Family Church on St. Thomas on July 25 during the Monday night prayer meeting. Fr. Ozele is a Nigerian-born, New York-based priest who is spending the summer preaching throughout the Caribbean.

Patronal Celebration

St. Ann Church on St. Croix celebrated its patronal feast with a praise and prayer rally in the parish's Marian Hall on July 24. Fr. Anthony Ozele, a Nigerian-born priest based in Brooklyn, New York, was the main speaker. Pictured left to right are prayer team leaders Susan Wells, Callista Julian and Deacon Arnold Helenese with Fr. Ozele.

Bishop Bevard Celebrates Cathedral Mass

His Excellency, Bishop Herbert Bevard and Deacon Eduardo Ortiz Santiago greeted parishioners as they left Mass at Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral on St. Thomas on July 24. Bishop Bevard will ordain Deacon Ortiz Santiago to the priesthood at the cathedral this Saturday, July 30, at 9:30 a.m.

Hurricane Protection Procession

Each Sunday during hurricane season, parishioners at the Sunday 10:30 a.m. Mass at Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral on St. Thomas are invited to march in procession and chant a prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary asking her intercession against destructive weather.

Hurricane Supplication Mass

Father Patrick Lynch, CSsR, pastor of St. Patrick Church on St. Croix, celebrated the annual Hurricane Supplication Mass at the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Chapel outdoors in the rainforest on July 24.

St. Anne Procession/Blessing of Boats

The rain held up long enough tonight for parishioners of St. Anne Chapel on St. Thomas to make their annual procession to the bay side for the blessing of boats.

His Excellency, Bishop Herbert Bevard, blessed the boats, and then celebrated the patronal Mass at the chapel.

Food Sale

Parishioners of St. Anne Chapel on St. Thomas began the chapel's annual patronal feast celebrations this morning with a food sale at the Joseph Aubain Field concession stand. Funds will be used to help repaint the roof of the chapel.
This evening, His Excellency, Bishop Herbert Bevard, will lead a procession to the blessing of boats at the bayside at 4:30 p.m. and celebrate the patronal Mass at the chapel at 5 p.m.
The actual feast day of St. Anne is July 26.

More Fun for Summer Campers

Campers from Catholic Charities' KidsLearn Summer Enrichment program on St. Thomas visited Coral World on July 20. They are shown here by the sting ray pond.

Cathedral Restoration Progresses

The scaffolds have returned to the interior of the Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral on St. Thomas as additional reinforcements will be installed high up in the cornices. A steel plate will be riveted on both sides of the walls of the arches, adding additional reinforcing to the tops of these walls. Those channels will allow for the base of a lighting cove which will illuminate the artwork on the ceiling.

Adult Baptism

Shani Harris, a St. Joseph High School graduate, Class of 2011, was baptized in St. Ann Chapel on St. Croix by Msgr. Michael Kosak, pastor, on July 16. Her grandmother, Jeanne Farrelly, also was her godmother. Family, friends and members of the Third Order of Discalced Carmelites were in attendance.

New Spanish Lector

Jose Cossio, sacristan at Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral on St. Thomas, coached new lector Clary Richards as she prepared to read for the first time at the Spanish Mass on July 12.

Jesus Explosion

Parishioners of Holy Family Church on St Thomas gathered at the airport to attend Jesus Explosion in Trinidad on July 12.

Summer Camp is Fun

Catholic Charities of the Virgin Islands conducted the KidsLearn Summer Enrichment Summer Camp at Ss. Peter and Paul School on St. Thomas in July. The campers enjoyed an excursion to Paradise Point on July 12 and posed for a photograph with a carnival-styled “mocko jumbie.”

Scholarship Assistance

The St. Joseph Workers of Holy Family Church on St. Thomas, awarded partial scholarships to parishioners preparing to go to college after Mass on July 10. Pictured left to right are Vice President Joseph Toussaint, students Yasmine Heliger, Joel Deserve and Ryan John, and Secretary Eubald Rene.

Farewell Blessing

Nigel Noel, sacristan at Holy Family Church on St. Thomas, resigned so that he could relocate to New York. Fr. Neil Scantlebury, pastor, gave him a blessing at the end of Sunday Mass on July 10.

Children's Homily

Using pictures they pinned to a bulletin board, Fr. Charles Crespo taught younger children the parable of the sower and the seed at Sunday Mass at St. Anne Chapel on St. Thomas on July 10.

Homeless Shelter Volunteers

Rotary Club of St. Thomas II prepares and serves lunch at Catholic Charities’ Bethlehem House Shelter for the Homeless on Saturdays. Thanks to Jose Gonzalez Espinosa, General Manager, the Marriott Frenchman’s Reef Resort prepares and donates the food one Saturday each month. Pictured above is shelter staff member Vanelda Jolly, Rotarian Alicia Boatwright, volunteer Yolanda Thomas, Rotarian Archie Ogden and volunteer Vanessa Blake on July 9.

Cathedral Restoration Project Progresses

The restoration of the roof at Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral on St. Thomas is almost complete. Coming soon: the restoration of the belltower. Pictured left, a new scaffold encircles the belltower.

Brushing Up at School

Henkel Hurtault used a high pressure water system to clean the premises at St. Joseph High School on St. Croix on July 5. He power washed all the buildings and the concrete ground around them, including the steps in front of the office building.

Diocesan seminarian John Fewel painted a hallway inside a trailer classroom at St. Joseph High School on July 6. He arrived at St. Joseph Church for a two-week assignment on July 4. 

Sacred Heart Society

Members of the Sacred Heart Society at St. Patrick Church on St. Croix presented the offertory to Father Patrick Lynch, CSsR, pastor, and Deacon Louis Soto, at Sunday Mass on July 3.

Emancipation Day

The prayer group at St. Patrick Church on St. Croix recognized Emancipation Day by paying tribute to the enslaved African men and women who demanded and won their freedom. The 15-minute tributes were done before all the weekend Masses on July 2-3.

Pictured above, parishioner Iris Richards read a tribute poem. Pictured left, parishioners dressed in cultural attire presented gifts to Fr. Kevin MacDonald, CSsR, during the offertory procession at Sunday Mass at St. Patrick Church.