On three Sunday mornings in May – the 1st, the 8th, and the 15th – St. Anselm celebrated First Communion for the children in the parish, both those from Saint Anselm Catholic Academy and the St. Anselm Religious Education Program.
The Mass on Sunday, May 1st was particularly splendid as Bishop DiMarzio, on a Pastoral Visit to the parish, was the principal celebrant, along with Msgr. Maloney and the priests of St. Anselm Parish as co-celebrants.
The May celebrations were the culmination of a two-year formation process that included a Family Commitment Mass in September of 2015, First Penance in March and Faith Formation classes for the parents. Moreover, the priests of the parish interviewed all the children and parents. Bro. Robert Duffy, O.S.F. directed the Faith Formation Classes with the assistance of Mrs. Ann Lynch and Mrs. Theresa Torre, and all the catechist of the Parish and the Academy.
For each First Communion Mass the pews along the center aisle were decorated with banners designed by the children and their families, as an expression of their faith and joy at receiving Our Lord in this their First Communion.
With altar servers leading the procession, each First Communion Mass concluded with a solemn crowning of the statue of the Virgin Mary, either in the church garden on 82nd Street or within the church itself – depending on the weather (May was a cold and rainy month). The girls in white dresses and veils and the boys in suits joined their families in singing hymns in honor of the Virgin as a beautiful crown was placed on the statue’s head.
Congratulations to the children of the St. Anselm First Communion Class of 2016. Thank you to Brother Robert Duffy, to Mrs. Ann Lynch, and Mrs. Theresa Torre, and to the priests of St. Anselm Parish for their dedicated and tireless work in bringing the children to this point along the way in their walk with Christ. A special thank you to the parents for being the children’s first model of God’s love, for having presented their children for Baptism, for having nurtured them in the Faith, and for continuing to provide homes in which the love of Christ is enshrined.
Saint Anselm First Communion Class
May 1, 8 & 15, 2016
JOHN ALMARY NANDANA ATHIYUNTHAN
RAHUL ATHIYUNTHAN CHRISTOPHER AULETTI
MALLORY AZZOLINO ERIC BARBIERE
ANNIKA BARTON SEBASTIAN BENITEZ
MEGHAN BRENNAN KATERINA CEVALLOS
VIVIEN COSMO CATHERINE DEAN
MICHAEL DIRIENZO NICHOLAS DIRIENZO
ANGELINA FALLAH NICHOLAS FELICIANO
ISABELLA FRIEDMAN CHRISTOPHER GHORRA
KEIRA GRANT THOMAS HART
ERNEST KARAS LEAH MEDINA
KYLE MEOLI EMILY MILANOVICH
SIENNA MORGAN ANGELINA PARK
ANGELINA RUMAYOR DONNA SAAD
JONATHAN SAFFAYEH CHRISTIAN SAFFAYEH
MAXWELL SANYER JIM SARJI
ISABEL SCHOELLER MAEVE SHEEHAN
CHRISTOPHER STUDZINSKI GIACOMO TARASCO
KIERA THOMAS JEREMIAH TRACEY
MICHAEL TUOHY ETHAN VALERIO
PAIGE VOLK CHRISTOPHER VOLPER
NOREEN WHITE LUKAS YAN
All the Best,
The St. Anselm Publicity Committee