From Monsignor Ryan

Every Sunday throughout the Diocese of Brooklyn and Queens the Faithful in some 200 parishes like St. Anastasia come together to share the Good News of our Catholic faith. But 365 days out of the year members of our diocesan family and our own parish family are living out the Scriptures in ways that continuously respond and renew us in our faith. So the motto for this year's Annual Catholic Appeal reflects well our Catholic mission and life: 'LIVE THE GOSPEL, SHARE THE GOOD NEWS'.

The Catholic Appeal helps to provide support for the various diocesan ministries like Catholic Charities, Migration Services, Faith Formation, Seminarian Scholarship Assistance and Catholic Education. These are wonderful active ministries which assist many, many people. The Appeal also helps us support our parish ministries and other special projects.

This year our parish goal is $91,218. This goal has been increased by 7.5% over last year's. As you know the Diocese receives their goal and then the Parish receives all the monies over goal. The people of St. Anastasia have always been generous and we have always gone over goal. I am once again appealing to your generosity and for your personal participation in the Appeal. My hope is that every parishioner will make a financial pledge according to his or her means. I am grateful for your assistance and assure you of my prayers and those of the Bishop. We have all responded to the call of Jesus: 'LIVE THE GOSPEL, SHARE THE GOOD NEWS'

So many generous parishioners during the ninety-four years of our parish history have been extra generous in supporting the needs and ministries of the parish. Some of them were named on plaques that were on the walls throughout the Church building. Removing the plaques at the time that the Church was painted and decorated offered an opportunity to rethink how we wish to remember these people.  The plaques distributed around the Church didn’t highlight our responsibility of gratefully praying for them. The church is a house of prayer and the best way to remember our benefactors is to pray for them. So to make all of us more conscious of this responsibility we have placed the names of these benefactors in a memorial prayer book which has now been placed inside the church to the left near the Sacred Heart statue. It is a prayerful space where we can remember and pray for all our benefactors both living and dead. We will have a special prayer service and blessing of this Memorial Book after Easter. 

If any parishioner wishes the original name plaque, please call the rectory and you can arrange to pick it up or have it sent to you.

The new liturgical year begins this weekend with the Season of Advent. The green Mass vestments of Ordinary time give way to the rich purples of Advent. This season has a twofold character: as a season to prepare for Christmas, when Christ's first coming among us is remembered  and as a season when that remembrance directs the mind and heart to await Christ's second coming at the end of time. Advent is thus a period for devout and prayerful preparation. Let me state the various ways this preparation will take place at St. Anastasia.

Last June I invited the local clergy of Douglaston/Little Neck to the rectory for lunch. We had the pastors of Zion Episcopal, Community Church of Douglaston, Community Church of Little Neck, and the Rabbis of the Marathon Jewish Community Center and the Little Neck Jewish Center, Fr. Chris and myself. We have met twice since then and are now jointly hosting the screening of “Elisabeth of Berlin.” I hope you will attend and as usual show our hospitality and welcome to our friends and neighbors. Here is the release we are sending to various groups.