Bay Ridge

St. Anselm retreat helps parishioners understand Lent

March 25, 2015 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Ann Kelly, a parishioner of Saint Anselm Church, and the Rev. Stephen Saffron take the opportunity to bless one another during a parish’s recent Lenten Mission. Photo courtesy St. Anselm Publicity Committee
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Lent, the 40-day period between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday, is usually a time of reflection and prayer by Catholics. At Saint Anselm Catholic Church in Bay Ridge, parishioners got the chance to delve deeper into their faith by taking part in a recent four-night retreat called a Parish Lenten Mission.

The Parish Lenten Mission, which took place on March 9-12, featured scripture readings, homilies, sacramental rituals and the opportunity to go to confession. The four-night event at the church at 356 82nd St. helped parishioners better understand Lent and their Catholic faith as they prepare for Easter Sunday on April 5, according to the Rev. Msgr. John Maloney, the church’s pastor.

“Lent is supposed to be a time to step back and take a look at our life and see where we are in this journey of life and to look at where we are in relation to our faith,” Maloney told the Brooklyn Eagle on Wednesday.

The Parish Lenten Mission also featured get-togethers, called social hours, in St. Anselm Catholic Academy, a school located next door to the church. The social hours, featuring coffee and cake, allowed participants to form deeper friendships within the parish community, according to organizers.

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The Rev. Francis Gargani and Rev. Edmund Faliskie, two members of the Redemptorists, a Catholic religious order of priests, led the Parish Lenten Mission. Brother Robert Duffy, parishioner Christine Deem, and the Parish Lenten Mission Committee also organized the four-night event.

Maloney said the parishioners greatly benefitted from the four-night event.

“Every age group took part, from student in our academy to senior citizens. You like to see that as a pastor. You like to see the parishioners take ownership of the church,” he told the Eagle.

On the first night of the mission, parishioners were invited to bless one another with Holy Water as a sign of Baptism.

Students from St. Anselm Catholic Academy presented a play on the Gospel parable of the Prodigal Son to remind parishioners of God’s love and mercy.

On the final night, the theme was love. The Mission concluded with the celebration of Mass, during which parishioners participated in the ritual of the washing of hands.

In his homily at the Mass, Gargani told participants that when they see the poor, the disenfranchised, and those who suffer discrimination, they are seeing Christ

Each night of the Lenten Mission featured musical performances under the direction of Therese Panicali, the parish’s music director. Both the Adult Choir and the Children’s Choir performed. The performances also featured Carlos David Bernales Vilca on the organ.

Various organizations assisted the committee in preparing the event, including the Home Academy Association of St. Anselm Catholic Academy, the parents of the St. Anselm School of Religious Education, Boy Scout Troop 13, the Young at Heart Club, the Respect Life Ministry, the Holy Name Society, the St. Anselm Confirmation Class, members of the Right of Christian Initiation for Adults program and the parish’s ushers and lectors.

The success of the Lenten Mission could mean that another retreat will be held next year, Maloney said. “Next year, we might do something between Easter and Pentecost Sunday,” he said.

Pentecost Sunday, which marks the end of the Easter season, commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Jesus Christ, an event described in the New Testament of the Bible. 


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