Family Reunion – We do it every two years!

Sarra Family Reunion 2024

         It all started with my niece, Kathryn, asking about relatives whose names she had heard but whom she never met. She had an idea: why don’t we bring the family together for a reunion of some sort? 2012 seemed like a good time to begin. I had just been named an Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn, so we had something special to celebrate!

         New York was chosen as the site, and we picked a date. Over 25 family members registered to attend. We had the opening dinner in a restaurant in Manhattan on a Friday night. Cousins were meeting for the first time, and there was excitement in the air!

         Saturday was a free day to do whatever. Many of us attended a New York Mets baseball game. Others went sightseeing in NYC. Then on Sunday, we celebrated Mass in Astoria at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, where our grandparents, Luisa and Antonio Sarra, immigrants from Italy, eventually settled.

         A brunch followed Mass, and then on Sunday afternoon, family members began to depart for their homes as some traveled from Florida and California. We decided to try to do this type of event every two years. We have been faithful to it, except for the Covid year!

         In 2014, it was held in Coronado Beach, California. 2016 brought us to Cocoa Beach, Florida. 2018, back to California in Redondo Beach. We had to skip 2020 because no one was traveling at that time, but we resumed in 2022 with a gathering in New York, and our most recent reunion was this year (2024) back in Redondo Beach, California. So, we flip-flop (East Coast – West Coast) and everyone gets a chance to host!

         Every reunion includes a welcome dinner, free time to see things or just hang out with each other, and a celebration of Mass and a brunch. We enjoy each other’s company, and the good part about it – we stay in touch with each other during the time between reunions. So, how far in advance do we plan?

         2026 is already scheduled, and the winning city is Tampa, Florida!

         The idea of a family reunion every two years has taken hold. Both young and old look forward to it. When you are young, it seems that we are more independent. But as we get older, family means more to us – and we desire more and more to be connected with one another.

         We want to know more about our roots and how we are related. The family reunion has provided a forum for connecting with our relatives. Texting, email, and FaceTime are great ways to stay in touch. However, the in-person event is a spectacular means to be connected. I am grateful that we do this, keeping my mom’s side of the family together at the Sarra Family Reunions.