September
7 , 2008
Happy
90th Birthday
September
11th Anniversary
This
Thursday our nation remembers the terrorist attacks on our country in
which four planes, the Twin Towers, the Pentegon Building and the crash
site in Pennsylvania were the sites of so much death and fear. We have
not been the same since then, and the families of those who lost loved
ones in that tragedy continue to feel the burden of such violence. Seven
years later, the beautiful first days of September eerily recall that
picture-perfect morning when it all went wrong.
At St. Brigid’s we continue to honor the memory of those who lost
their lives that day. We’ll be remembering them at our masses
with special prayers. Join us at the 7am, 9am or 12:10pm Mass on September
11th.
Let us continue to pray for peace throughout the world, especially that
God will turn the minds of terrorists to thoughts and actions of peace
instead of destruction.
e-mail Father Ralph:
Past
Columns:
August 31: From "saint"
to "Satan"
August 24: So you're not
the Pope
August 17: When God says
"no"
August 10: The Tiny Whispering
Sound
August 3: A Proud and Tender
Moment
July 27: What
would you ask for?
July 20: Waiting
for the Wheat
July
13: What we Wear
uly
6: We Welcome Westbrook
June
29: Sommer in the Summer
June 22: Welcome
Father Jaime
June 15: Father
Gonzalo Lopez
June 8: What happened
on Sunday
June 1: Where
do you belong?
May
25: We are the Body of Christ
May 18: Trinity,
It's About Unity
May 11: We are
One in the Spirit
May 4: Who's in
Your Top Twelve?
April 27: Now
that he's gone...
April 20: Yay
Deacons!
April 13: Here
comes the Pope
April 6: Fresh Oil
March 30: What are you doing
for Easter?
March 23: Can Easter come
too early?
March 16: Which crowd is
yours?
March 9: We believe, yet...
March 2: Oil or Mud
February
24: What are you thirsting for?
February 17: Who are You
Wearing?
February 10: Just Say No
February
3: The January
20: Being Safer
January 13: Conversations
in 2008
January 6: Matthew's Magi
December 30:
What's Next?
Columns from
2007
Columns
from 2005
Columns
from 2004
Columns
from 2003
Columns from 2002
Few
people alive today remember the end of World War I, ninety years ago.
One third of the population of Europe had died -- but not from the war
-- rather from a particularly deadly strain of the flu that killed millions
in 1918. So world history might not have noticed that in the little village
of Westbury, NY, a new school opened in a little building on Post Ave.
The “little building” was actually St. Brigid’s second
church building which was moved to the west side of Post Ave in 1915.
The church was divided into two floors in order to accommodate 8 classrooms.
(This building still stands today and is known as “St. Anthony’s
Hall.”)
All that was needed was a staff
and in 1918 the School Sisters of Notre Dame moved to the parish and began
a decades-long
commitment to educating the children of our parish. To this day, a member
of this religious order teaches in our school -- Sister Marie Patrick.
(As a side note, the pastor at the time, Fr. William McGinness, was also
the President of the Board of Education in Westbury until 1922.)
The school moved to bigger quarters
on St. Brigid’s Lane in 1955 and that building was expanded in the
1960’s to its current size. After the parish of St. Brigid’s
was split, creating Our Lady of Hope Parish in Carle Place, the school
became a Regional School: St Brigid/Our Lady of Hope School and it continues
to serve the community in Westbury, Carle Place and beyond.
This weekend we begin the celebration of the 90-year history of St. Brigid’s
school in our community. Bishop John Dunne presided at the opening Mass
on Saturday morning, September 6th. Throughout the year we’ll be
commemorating the good that our school has done throughout the past nine
decades and look to the future of this dynamic and excellent elementary
school.
We take this time to remember the
thousands of generous people who built and supported the school over the
past generations, the thousands of students who were educated there, and
hundreds of dedicated faculty and staff that formed and guided the young
people who spent their formative years within the caring community that
has been our beloved school.
Happy 90th Birthday!
