Bishop Ray’s Blog
Finding Meaning in Each Day
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Summers in Mastic Beach – An unforgettable time!
Read more: Summers in Mastic Beach – An unforgettable time!The Chappetto brothers in front of their Mastic Beach bungalow in 1960: front, Richie, left, and Tom; back, Raymond, left, Charlie and Lou. It all began on Memorial Day in the year 1950 when my parents put down a deposit of $50 on a beautiful bungalow in Mastic Beach. It seemed like an enormous amount of money to spend on a house, but compared to today’s standards, $3800 was dirt cheap for a summer get-a-way place. There were four boys in the family at that time, with the fifth boy to be born one year later. Well, this purchase…
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Confirmation Experiences – Our Hope for the Future!
Read more: Confirmation Experiences – Our Hope for the Future!Confirmation at Saint Luke RC Church in Whitestone, May 16, 2023 These days, we Bishops (in Brooklyn) average around 10-12 celebrations of Confirmation in the Spring season, and 4-6 Confirmations in the Fall season. For the past 12 years, since my Ordination as a Bishop in 2012, one of the most joyful experiences I have encountered is the celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation. I look forward to these liturgies because, as the Ordinary minister of Confirmation, I have the opportunity to teach and instruct the candidates during the homily about the meaning and purpose of this sacrament. …
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My Prayer List – it keeps growing!
Read more: My Prayer List – it keeps growing!It happens very frequently. Sometimes before Mass but most often after Mass. People approach me with prayer requests – mostly for their family members who are seriously ill, undergoing surgery, or awaiting a diagnosis after a test. I’m humbled that they ask me to do this for them. I always ask for the first name of the person who needs prayer and people readily offer the name. I immediately make a mental note to include that person on my list of people who have been on the list for a long time or those who are recently added. …
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Family Reunion – We do it every two years!
Read more: 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…
Bishop Ray's Blog 