Campus Ministry Spring 2016 Newsletter

Newsletter

MAD@DCHunger

Spring 2016

reflection by Mr. Raimondo

During spring break, Iona Prep students traveled to our nation’s capital once again to help the marginalized and homeless of that area. This was my second time and getting a chance to chaperone the DC trip again was another tremendous, eye-opening experience.

It is a great feeling to know that we had a part in making a difference in the lives of many that struggle day to day without knowing where their next meal may come from or how are they will be able to support their families without having the wherewithal to do so.

We worked in soup kitchens, food pantries, and a children’s hospital. We split into different work groups and reassembled at the end of each day to share stories and reflect on our work. This was also an educational experience, as we had a tour of the monuments and a chance to visit the Smithsonian Museum.

Active Participation in Liturgy

by Dr. Kelton

Since the reform of the Mass in the 1960s, lay people have been encouraged to actively participate in the Mass. Several ministries are commonly performed by lay people such as those of acolyte (altar server), Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist, lector, usher, and cantor or choir member. In fact, given the liturgical principle of subsidiarity, these ministries belong more properly to the lay people than to the priest-celebrant.

Here at Iona, Campus Ministry members volunteer and serve in these functions, thus strengthening the liturgy and giving examples of leadership and active participation.

As in most things, the more we practice, the better we become. This year, for instance, the seniors serving as Eucharistic Ministers started the year shy and retiring, but by the Baccalaureate Mass they were quietly and calmly taking up their service. Indeed, as Jesus did at the Last Supper, we are called to serve others. After washing the feet of the Apostles, Jesus remarks: "I have given you example, and so, you also must do." So, the call is out for young people to step up and take an active role in the liturgies of the upcoming year.

MAD@DCHunger cont.

It is always a pleasure to witness our fine young men going out and helping those in need and truly wanting to make a difference for many people as they did on this trip. They always pulled together as a team and displayed leadership qualities throughout the week, and I was proud of them and the work that they all did.

Sophomore Retreat Reflection by Ian Mendoza ‘18 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). This Bible verse sums up what the sophomore retreat was all about: self-worth and togetherness. Through various activities like playing a special game of Jenga or watching clips from movies, my fellow sophomores and I realized gifts or qualities that we possessed. For example, in the game Jenga, each block had a number that was associated with a personal question. These questions allowed us to be more acquainted with each other and also shed light on qualities that we didn’t know we possessed. Afterwards, my fellow sophomores and I watched movie clips from Elf and Rocky that gave us an inspiring message of knowing our self-worth and the gift of being together.

Looking back on the retreat, I feel that the best part was when my Iona Brothers and I went to Mass. The Mass is called the greatest prayer, and is the perfect sacrifice. Mother Teresa once said, “If we love the Mass, we, too, will live in Jesus and he in us, and we will never be afraid.” Being with my Iona Brothers to worship Jesus demonstrates togetherness. I see that the retreat was a gift that allowed us to step out of our school routine and be together to realize that we all have gifts and that we also have a responsibility to use our gifts for the glory and praise of God.

Music Ministry: That’s a Wrap

by Mr. Donofree

2015-16 was a season of celebration for Iona Prep’s Music Ministry. “They celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness” (Psalm 145:7). The Music Ministry consists of students and faculty members who share their musical gifts to praise Jesus at our school Masses.

There were many highlights this year. In October, the group was invited to provide the music at Brother Reynolds’s Jubilee Mass, celebrating his 50 years as an Irish Christian Brother; a small group of vocalists and musicians including Joe Oleskovic, Ian O’Shea, Jack Kristensen, and Chris Gamba offered “acoustic worship” in the chapel during our annual Open House; Bernard Garbacauskus sang an original song of praise at the Junior Ring Mass; and in what has become a tradition, several Music Ministry alums returned to our campus and participated in the Thanksgiving and Christmas masses. All Iona men who participated in the Music Ministry during their time at the Prep are welcome back next year at holiday time to sing with us!

The Baccalaureate Mass was the final school Mass for several seniors who had served in the Music Ministry for all four years of their Iona Prep careers. Sebastian Nabaiho, the group’s cantor this year, played the guitar and sang “How Great is Our God.” Dante Natoli sang the lead on “You are Mine,” with Justin Jeraci adding harmonies to “He is Exalted.”

We thank these Iona men for their dedication and wish them well on the next stop on their journeys.

The Music Ministry is moderated by Mr. Donofree and Mr. Raimondo, and we are always looking for more students to participate as singers or musicians. If you are interested in serving the school community in this way, just contact us at bdonofree@ionaprep.org or jraimondo@ionaprep.org. We are looking forward to another great year in 2016-17, and hope that even more students will join and praise God with us.

Iona Prep Director of Campus Ministry Selected to Attend Prestigious Human Rights Conference

by Mr. Malecki

For 10 days in May, Mr. Casella was a student – an honors student – as he participated in a prestigious, faith-based training program in Switzerland pertaining to human rights and advocacy, the latter of which will be the next level of ministry at Iona Prep..

Casella was among 12 Catholic educators chosen to attend the conference, which kicked off May 1 in Geneva. The training program is presented by Edmund Rice International (ERI), a non-governmental organization (NGO) committed to promoting and protecting the rights of children and young adults, particularly with regard to education. The program was open to members of Christian Brother schools who can share the benefits from the training to initiate or strengthen advocacy and justice programs in their schools and in collaboration with other schools. Casella was the lone American selected from among an expansive pool of applicants from over 200 schools worldwide.

The ERI program coincides with a session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. Casella and other participants offered input on the various mechanisms of the Human Rights Council and the Universal Periodic Review, as well as the Committee on the Rights of the Child; attended sessions of the Human Rights Council and viewed its workings first hand; met representatives of the UN, diplomatic missions and likeminded non-governmental organizations; learned about the work of ERI and ways to facilitate effective advocacy by affiliated organizations; and prepared an advocacy plan to be presented to local leadership for discussion and approval.

“This is a unique opportunity for me to connect with other Christian Brother schools worldwide and lay the groundwork for how, together, we can unite to transform our individual advocacy efforts into collective h u m a n rights activism,” Casella said.

Mission Peru Reflection by Mr. D’Alfonso This past February, Iona Prep continued the great tradition of Project Mission Peru, and sent 12 students and 3 teachers to serve the marginalized in Peru. For 10 days, students immersed themselves in Peruvian culture and lived in solidarity with some of the most impoverished people in the country. Students spent the first 6 days in the country’s capital, Lima, where they visited people in Canto Grande, the neighborhood where the Christian Brothers’ school, Fe y Alegria 26, is located. In Canto Grande, students learned how difficult life is there, as they helped peel habba beans for a few hours. Many women peel dozens of pounds of these beans for 12 hours or more each day, just to earn $5-6 dollars to support their family. Students also visited the home of a man who survived tuberculosis. This man told students how difficult it is living without convenient access to healthcare, and how treatment required him to take numerous, painful bus rides to get treatment in the center of the city. The last experience students had was in Villa Salvador, a newer neighborhood of Lima, which is still very impoverished.

Here students brought donated medical items to the neighborhood’s clinic and visited a daycare center for young children. These programs are crucial to the neighborhood, as they are affordable, realistic programs for the residents. Throughout the week, students also visited a number of sites to see the “other” side of Lima, which included visits to the Plaza de Armas, San Francisco Church, and Lima’s first water park, a site of great pride for Lima residents. The experience in Lima allowed students to see both sides of Lima and to live the life of the marginalized in Peru.

After spending time in Lima, our group flew to Cuzco to learn about the roots of many of the Peruvian people in the Andes Mountains. In Cuzco, students visited a number of ancient ruins, where they learned about the Incan empire and its influence on modern Peru. While many people only go to Peru to see this part of the country, students appreciated the juxtaposition between the landscape, culture and people of Lima and Cusco.

The trip to Cuzco culminated in a visit to one of the Wonders of the World, the Incan city of Machu Picchu. Students explored the ancient city, and hiked to the top of Machu Picchu Mountain, which gave students an incredible, bird’s eye view of the ruins.

Although this year’s trip to Peru didn’t include the usual construction of a home, the experiences students had in Lima greatly shaped their trip. The time we spent with families, in neighborhoods, and learning about the way of life in Lima gave students a new understanding of life in a developing country. Students were amazed by the disparity between the impoverished areas of Lima and the more affluent, trendy areas that receive more funding to attract tourists. Students returned home tired but inspired to continue their efforts to serve the poor. Next year, students will work to create awareness and advocate for those living in Peru’s most marginalized areas.

by: Brother Lucian Knaap

Outreach to the Catherine Corry Learning Center in the Bronx Grade 2 Reconciliation Retreat led by grade 6 boys Buddy Bingo Catholic Schools Week Weekend service trip to the Bronx.

Father and son at the Ash Wednesday Mass Lunch bag decorated to Lamp Ministries Eighth graders taking a break at the food pantry after bagging 300 bags of food for the needy Sandwiches to Lamp Ministries First Communion retreat, learning about the Mass Grade 7 retreat day Making food bags at the food pantry

Below are the 2016-2017 student Campus Ministers for the Upper and Lower School . Each year the process expands and more students apply. Iona Prep is very blessed to have so many great students willing to help serve the spiritual needs of their peers. Thank you and welcome to these fine young men:

Frank Adipietro '17 Christian Alvarez '17 Asberto Alvero '17 Michael Apostolopoulos '17 Michael Badey '17 Robert Baldoni, Jr. '17 David Bannon '17 John-Carlo Bautista '17 Marco Bonaiuto '17 James Bonanno '17 Leonardo Castellaneta '17 Giuseppe Catalano '17 Eric Chin '17 Leonard Corelli '17 Michael Coviello '17

Gregory Cramer '17 Robert D'Armiento '17 Nigel Dawson '17 Mario De Lorenzo '17 Jack Degen '17 Zachary Falch '17 Matthew Fanelli '17 Liam Foster '17 Christopher Gamba '17 Kyle Gangi '17 Damian Garcia '17 Jerome Harkins '17 Woo Hyeon (Luke) Her '17 Gian-Luca Iannace '17 Tate Illers '17 Matthew Kamin '17 Ciaran Lafferty ‘17 William Lemoine '17 Jack Lipsky '17 Frank Pirraglia '17 Joseph Porpora '17 Brandon Shaer '17

Elijah Simpson '17 John Skroly '17 Louis Berardi '18 Kevin Bomba '18 Christopher Condon '18 Emmett Degen '18 Charlie Flanagan '18 Joseph Kramer '18 Joseph Marraccini '18 Ian Mendoza '18 Gibran-Marc Mourani '18 Danny Paez '18 Connor Tormey '18 Kyle Vidal '18 Matthew Worth '18

Special Thanks to: Brother Leto & Mr. Kavanah (Copyeditors), Mr. Horton (logo design)