Seventh Sunday of Easter

5/16/21

Dear St. Joseph Parish Family,

Good news! I've been working to raise money for the new perpetual adoration chapel, focusing on people outside of St. Joseph's because the chapel will be open to more than just our parish community. We've raised enough money at this point to start moving towards construction, which I hope will begin by the end of summer or early fall and be completed by Easter of '22. Please keep this project in your prayers – this will be the first perpetual adoration chapel in Manhattan and will bring many graces to our parish and city.

Also, this summer we will repair our church bell and have it in operation again. The story behind this project starts when I noticed a black box outside the sacristy, across from the church bathroom, and wondered what it was. It is the control panel for the church bell, but it doesn't work. I called the company whose name is on the box and they had a lot of information about our bell. It's a 600lbs. bell and a top-of-the-line bell from the best American bell manufacturer in the 19th century. They said that they last repaired the bell in 1991 and they sent a technician to examine the current condition of the bell. The bell is on top of the school building, just below the cross on top of the school. They said the bell is in great shape and that they can repair its housing and machinery and get it up and ringing again. So I'm planning on bringing our bell back online again sometime this summer. We'll be able to use it to mark the beginning of Masses, toll it during funerals, and ring it during weddings. 

Finally, this Corpus Christi we're going to revive an old parish tradition – we'll have a Corpus Christi procession around the block after the 11:30 Mass (June 6th). The people at the 11:30 am Mass (and anyone else who comes) can join us as we process around the block with the Blessed Sacrament in a monstrance (the gold holder for the Eucharist used during adoration). I look forward to us restarting this old and venerable tradition!