Celebrating Jubilees in the East
We gathered on a magnificent Spring morning at St. Anastasia’s Church in Teaneck, NJ to celebrate with our four Jubilarians: Anne Croghan - 75 years; Eleanor Maraglianoand Kathleen Stack - 70 years; and Suzanne Golas - 60 years!
Mindy McDonald, CSJP welcomed us and thanked the parishioners of St. Anastasia’s for sharing their church with us since renovations on the building in which our chapel is have not been completed . She reminded us of how united we are with the entire Congregation when she spoke of Katrina Alton, CSJP who in Nottingham, England was professing her final vows as a Sister of St. Joseph of Peace today also!
Mindy quoted from one of our favorite songs: “I am standing on the shoulders of the ones who came before us. I am stronger for their courage, I am wiser for their words. I will stand a little taller, I will work a little longer. And my shoulders will be there to hold the ones who follow me….This liturgy is a celebration of faithfully living and passing on the traditions we hold sacred.”
Our celebrant, Ed Cuba, in his homily spoke of deeper reasons we come together for jubilee celebrations: “perhaps more than ever before, our society is in need of the stimulus and inspiration of communities like this one to offset a pervasive and corrosive individualism. Why a life of relationships can make us a better people…We worship individual status and self-sufficiency and, in the process we cover over what is the most beautiful in each human heart and soul.
There is another way to find meaning and purpose in life - another vision of a healthy society - it is through relationships. We need to articulate a creed that puts relationships at the center - not the individual. We are formed by relationship, and we long for relationship, we are nourished by relationship. Life is not a solitary journey. It is building a common home together. A community of faith like this on is based on a relationship with God, with one another, and with nature.”
After the liturgy, we journeyed back to Englewood Cliffs to complete the celebration by sharing our meal, stories and each other’s company. One of the highlights of this part of the day was our 95 year-old 70-year jubilarian, Anne Croghan singing (once again) Our Lady of Knock.
Thank you to Peter Pieroni for the photos
and to Pat Holliday, CSJP-A for the video.
