Stony Point: One Busy Weekend, Many Blessings

By Jennifer Passerino, Salesian Family

(Stony Point, N.Y. – September 23) – It was another very busy weekend at the National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians!

This past Friday, September 19, the National Shrine hosted the Academy of Saint Paul in Ramsey, N.J. for a school retreat. One hundred and thirteen children from grades 4-8 spent the day learning about St. Dominic Savio. They focused on how to be a saint through St. John Bosco's guidance, which enlightened this teenage saint to grow in holiness.

The children spent the day with an opening Mass celebrated by the National Shrine’s Director Fr. Manny Gallo, talks on Dominic Savio's life by the National Shrine’s coordinator Fr. Pat Angelucci, praise and worship through music, and a spiritual hike around the National Shrine’s beautiful grounds.

The following day, over 200 catechists from around the area participated in a catechetical retreat on holiness; it was a day of retreat, renewal, and fellowship. To start the day, a prayer service was held, followed by the first of two talks given by Fr. Pat, entitled “Growing Spiritually as Catechists.”

After a large group sharing, the catechists joined the second talk, which highlighted teaching practices, based on the method and approach of Don Bosco. After adoration and the sacrament of Reconciliation, Fr. Manny celebrated the closing Sunday Vigil Mass in the National Shrine’s chapel. What a wonderful day for the catechists!

The National Shrine also hosted a weekend-long retreat for 60 young Korean adults, as well as a pilgrimage group of 50 members from St. Thomas Aquinas Church in the Bronx, N.Y., who used the outdoor pavilion for lunch and the National Shrine’s chapel for Mass. While the rain hindered plans for Mass at the outdoor altar for over 400 members of Bonds of Marian Love, the group celebrated Mass with Fr. Manny in the gym.

So many of God's blessings were felt this past weekend!