Cardinal Timothy Dolan fanned the flames of religious fervor on Father’s
Day as he officiated at a mass and debt-burning ceremony at St. Ann’s
R.C. Church in Dongan Hills. The cardinal lauded the St. Ann’s Parish family, the Rev. Joy Mampilly, pastor, and the Rev. John McCarthy, a parochial vicar, for reaching the “historic marker” of being debt-free by retiring more than $600,000 in mortgage and other financial obligations in less than three years.
“This is a great evening; I’m very excited,” said Carol Kelleher, who led the debt elimination effort with fellow parish trustee Joe Perri, on her way into the 7:30 p.m. mass.
Concelebrants included Monsignor Peter Finn, co-vicar of Staten Island, Monsignor Richard Guastella, pastor of St. Clare’s R.C. Church in Great Kills and the Rev. Michael Reilly, principal of St. Joseph-by-the Sea High School.
“It really is a joy and an honor for me to be with you on Staten Island,” the cardinal said, adding that his visit was an opportunity to let the parishioners know “how proud I am of you, how grateful I am.”
Cardinal Dolan thanked the parishioners for their generosity and said that burning the mortgage was a “tangible sign” of their love and support for their parish and the Roman Catholic Church.
“I love St. Ann’s Parish, I love Staten Island,” the cardinal said.
The archbishop of New York who has paid many visits to the borough described how he ended up with “the earth of Staten Island” on his staff when he said mass on the rain soaked and muddy grounds of the Staten Island Irish Fair on June 8.
ST ANN
Cardinal Dolan spoke of the parish’s patron saint who was the mother of Mary and how she was a favorite among the Irish people — especially single women praying for a husband with the saintly qualities of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
“Your presence at St. Ann’s is a gift to us,” the Rev. Mampilly said to Cardinal Dolan.
“We are grateful for your support following Hurricane Sandy,” he continued. “You have been with us through ups and downs. You have deepened our faith and inspired our lives.”
More than 306 parish families were affected by last fall’s devastating superstorm.
Rev. Mampilly thanked his parishioners for their “generous support to the parish and the archdiocese” and noted that his flock “remained steady with unshakable faith in their hearts” despite the economic recession. “When the going got tough, you gave even more,” the pastor said to his congregation.
“Where the rubber meets the road is your generous support and enthusiasm. You followed through on your promises. You talked the talk and walked the walk.”
A HIGH NOTE
The mass concluded on a high note with the cardinal giving the pastor a bear hug and the crowd of more than 300 parishioners responding with a standing ovation.
“This is my idea of a Father’s Day cookout,” Cardinal Dolan said as he invited all to watch the debt burning ceremony.
“We commit this document to the flames,” intoned Anne-Louise DePalo, an attorney and parishioner, from the podium as members of the congregation filled the lawn and spilled out onto Cromwell Avenue.
The copy of the mortgage was handed to the cardinal by parishioner Isabella DePiero.
As the church’s debt burned, the jovial cardinal, referring to the recent selection of Pope Francis, joked, “I trust it’s white smoke.”
The cardinal then used a pun based on the Latin “Habemus Papam,”— “We have a pope” — declaring St. Ann’s parish achievement, “Non-habemus debt ... Congratulations! Hallelujah!”
The cardinal stayed until 10:30 p.m. greeting, hugging and posing for photos with parishioners at a reception afterwards in the St. Ann’s School auditorium.
STANDING ROOM ONLY
A total of 300 parishioners won their tickets by lottery to attend the mass, but the cardinal at the last minute turned it into a standing-room-only event when he invited into the church the many onlookers who had shown up to catch a glimpse of the immensely popular spiritual leader of the archdiocese.
When Father Mampilly took over leadership of St. Ann’s in July 2010, he inherited the debt, which included about $450,000 in a bank loan and about $150,000 in unpaid bills.
The parish successfully used debt donation envelopes in addition to some large contributions.
After the debt was satisfied about six months ago, the parish established an endowment fund which already has raised close to $100,000.
“This offsets any future need to go into debt again, by the grace of God,” the grateful pastor said.