 St. Matthew Church |
| This weekend I was speaking about mission and Cambodia and Maryknoll at St. Matthew Church in Tolland, Connecticut. Tolland is a pleasant two-hour drive from Maryknoll, New York. The trip was really delightful, especially so because the pastor there, Fr. Jim Carini, is an old friend from the Catholic deaf work. We have known each other for more than thirty years and it was good to catch up with each other again. |
| Saturday night after the evening mass, Fr. Jim Carini checked his pager and found that the local hospital had called for him to anoint a patient. We drove to the hospital and found there was a second person to be anointed also. |
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| Not many parishes in the United States have more than one priest, but St. Matthew Church where Fr. Jim Carini is pastor is blessed with the presence of Fr. Joseph Thundyll Chacko who has come to serve in the United States from his home diocese in Kerala in south India. |
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| The parish was extremely active on this Sunday. In addition to the two morning masses, there was a birthday celebration for the pastor, an open house in the rectory, a concert in the parish center, and then a priests meeting in the evening. |
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| After the 8:30 and 10:30 AM Sunday masses, the parishioners are invited to go downstairs to the parish center for coffee and donuts. It is a wonderful opportunity to meet people and to build up the parish community. Here Fr. Carini sits with several of the ladies of the parish after the 8:30 AM mass. |
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| After the 10:30 AM mass, the coffee and donuts activity was turned into a birthday party for Fr. Carini who turned 70 years of age this day. |
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| Quite a few of the parishioners gathered after mass to sing "Happy Birthday" to Fr. Carini. |
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| Ms. Rochelle Bard is the Parish Music Coordinator in addition to being a professional opera singer. She sang a special song for Fr. Carini's birthday. |
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| Two years ago the parish built a new rectory but they never had an open house so it was decided to celebrate Fr. Carini's birthday with tours of the "new" rectory and then a parish concert. |
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| After the last morning mass, several women of the parish scurried about the rectory kitchen to prepare various snacks and foods for visitors to the open house. |
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| Quite a few people came by the rectory during the open house. They had a chance to see the new building and also to chat with each other. |
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| Fr. Joe Bruce (left) is a Jesuit who is deaf. He now works with the deaf community in Providence, Rhode Island. Joe and Jim and Charlie have all known each other for years, and Joe made a special trip up to Connecticut to see Charlie and share in the day's festivities. |
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| The parish had arranged for a 25-piece orchestra to hold an outdoor concert on the rectory lawn but early morning showers and continuing clouds caused the concert to be move indoors. |
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| The music was big band favorites, many from the 1940s, and it brought several couples to their feet to enjoy the old music again. |
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