Syracuse Plans Summer of Service, Celebration, and Defense of Faith

Greetings from the most northern outpost of the Federal Association, the Syracuse Region, just below the Arctic Circle. Although we endured a cold snowy winter, we also experienced a cold snowy and rainy spring. We have recently thawed, but we are still wet. Even in the face of the elements, we continue to do the good works of the Order with warmth and love for our lords the poor and the sick, and to defend the faith.

Eighteen of our dames, knights, spouses, and family members were on the Lourdes pilgrimage this year. We were blessed to serve and have fellowship with our beloved malades and to make new friends and renew friendships with many of you who also participated in the pilgrimage. Next year we expect to have even more members of our region attend.

Earlier in June we participated in our diocesan Mass for the sacrament of Holy Orders. We have two new priests in our diocese and more on the way. We will enlist our new priests to say First Friday Mass for us so as to get to know them better.

We continue to serve and feed the poor in our community by offering Saturday morning pancake breakfasts at the Road to Emmaus Center in one of Syracuse’s poorest neighborhoods. In May we served over 250 breakfasts, and we will return to Emmaus this summer.

Our region, through our treasure and our professional efforts, provides support and assistance to our local Franciscan friars, brothers, and sisters. At the inner-city Assumption Church, the Franciscans provide food, medical, and dental services to the poor who are primarily refugees.

Many of the region’s knights and dames participate in prison ministry through Friends with Pens, visits to our local prisons, one-on-one relationships with inmates, and accompaniment after they leave prison.

We are also involved at Joseph’s House, Syracuse’s only home for women in crisis during pregnancy and after. We volunteer, provide legal services, and serve on the Joseph’s House board of directors.

We individually and as a region provide financial support both to prison ministry and Joseph’s House. We have sponsored several grant requests to the Federal Association for the capital needs of Joseph’s House. We are grateful to the association for funding these grant requests.

We celebrate a monthly “birthday party” at the Malta House for the elderly, beginning with a rosary, followed by lunch and dessert. We also provide musical entertainment during the afternoon. This month’s party theme is “Picnic.” The residents of Malta House look forward to the birthday parties, especially those who are celebrating a birthday in a particular month. We celebrate the birthday of each person with song and recognition.

Among our spiritual exercises, we conduct a weekly rosary by way of Zoom. We Zoom every Tuesday night at 8:00. We invite any of our confreres of the Order to join us by using this link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86927726682?pwd=gJlTpbaupXjqgTs12aZ8nqzFVKU6YW.1

Late this month, we have scheduled a Defense of the Faith Forum at St. Mary’s of the Lake Church in Skaneateles, New York, presented by the Rev. Michael Joly on the subject of “Conversion and Reconversion.” Father Joly, who has been blind since childhood, is an accomplished author and recording artist. On the next day, also we have scheduled a Day of Reflection and prayer.

To round out our summer, shortly before the snow returns, we are planning a series of events for the Feast of the Assumption on August 15, beginning with a gathering at 3 p.m. in a park along the shore of Skaneateles Lake to say the rosary in public. We will then process through the Village of Skaneateles following a float with a large statue of the Blessed Mother up to St. Mary’s (about a third of a mile). We will provide a comfortable bus for those who cannot walk in the procession. At St. Mary’s we will have Mass in special honor of the beloved malades we have taken to Lourdes over the years. At the end of Mass, the Anointing of the Sick will be offered to all those who need this special grace. After Mass we will have dinner with our malades, companions, and families in the St. Mary’s Parish Center.

We would love to see any of our brothers and sisters in our Federal Association at this special Feast of the Assumption celebration. If you would like to join us, we can find accommodation for you. Contact me at tom@cameronllc.com or 315-727-9388.