Ten Things We Would Like to Tell the People of Our Lady of Fatima Church in Manorhaven About Father John Derasmo...

1. Fr. John loves animals and has blessed our pets each year on the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi.

2. Fr. John plays guitar, sings and composes music for children (young and
not-so-young).

3. Although his family is Italian (Father – Barese, Mother – Sicilian) he doesn’t speak a word of it

4. Fr. John can’t cook but boy can he eat!

5. Fr. John is a good listener. He’s always ready and willing to listen to us when we need to talk things through.

6. Fr. John is known and respected by the staff as a “team” player, respecting and honoring our opinions.

7. We love the way Fr. John celebrates Mass in a prayerful and devout manner.

8. Fr. John listened to his mother who told him as a child, “You have a big mouth. Use it for some good!” So we never have a problem hearing him in church.

9. You will grow to love him inspite of his dry sense of humor, love for puns and corny jokes.

10. We will miss him while he's gone because he has become an important part of our parish family. Please take good care of him.