Celebrating the Feast of Our Patron Saint
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| Fr. Fesniak celebrated Mass in the Ruthenian Rite. |
On April 28, feast of our patron St. Louis de Montfort, we attended Mass in our chapel to honor and venerate the great saint.
Thanks to a generous donation from Mr. Steven Lee, a beautiful oak altar was installed for the occasion. Mr. Lee is a long-time friend and donor of the Academy. His son graduated from here in 2000.
Fr. Mark Fesniak, pastor of Transfiguration Church in Shamokin, celebrated Mass in the Ruthenian Rite. He also gave an insightful sermon on Saint Louis, emphasizing true devotion to Mary. Father's favorite saying of the saint is: "God the Father gathered all the waters together and called them the seas (maria). He gathered all his graces together and called them Mary (Maria)."
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| Afterwards, instructor Mr. Byron Whitcraft cooked an Italian meal of fettucini alfredo. |
The new altar, stained a dark brown, the golden chalice, and the liturgical vestments all united to form a magnificent ensemble. The altar candlesticks appeared more golden with the candles lit. Between the candlesticks was a colorful bouquet of flowers arranged by one of our seniors. To one side of the altar was a relic of St. Louis de Montfort in front of a statue of Our Lady of Fatima. Opposite, was a red banner with a rampant lion. Everything looked perfect with the new altar. The atmosphere was so wonderful that all felt that St. Louis de Montfort was watching over us.
As the students filed into the dining room after Mass singing the alma mater "We Want God," their thoughts may have wandered toward the meal that awaited them. It was a special dinner made by one of our teachers, Mr. Byron Whitcraft.
The meal started with a caesar salad topped with Parmesan. Next came steaming platters of pasta with shrimp or, as Italians call it, "fettucini alfredo con gamberetto di mare," accompanied by beef spedini or roll-ups. After everybody had enjoyed this delicacy, a dessert of mascarpone cream with slivered almonds and whipped cream was served.
Joseph Gallagher, a junior, said of the meal: "It is one of the best Italian meals I ever had." Other students also praised it. Those at a loss for words to express how much they liked it, all agreed it tasted really good.
