st vincent ferrer - News - The Coastal Star2024-03-29T00:37:15Zhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/st+vincent+ferrerDelray Beach: Care Ministry Appreciation; St. Vincent Ferrer — June 22https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/delray-beach-care-ministry-appreciation-st-vincent-ferrer-june-222022-11-01T16:15:27.000Z2022-11-01T16:15:27.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10859973298,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10859973298,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="710" alt="10859973298?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a><em>CROS Ministries, clergy and nonprofits from Delray Beach gathered to honor St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church’s Care Ministry, which closed its doors after 16 years. It served homeless people and others in need by providing rent and utility assistance, food and medical care. One of its supports for children was the Delray Beach Public Library’s literacy program for non-English-speaking preschoolers whose families didn’t speak English at home. <strong>ABOVE (back, l-r):</strong> Care Ministry members Bob Carney, Al Fries, Mike Wigderson and Frank Cottone; <strong>(front, l-r):</strong> Marge Dombroski, Noreen Ryan, Joe Mastrullo and Jackie Ermola. Members missing from the photo include MJ Cunnane, Joan Baccari, Barbara Conahan, Tom McCreary, Emily Nettles, Hank Monaco and Dan Spigai. <strong>Photo provided</strong></em></p></div>Along the Coast: The Coastal Star wins top investigative award — plus 19 othershttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/along-the-coast-the-coastal-star-wins-top-investigative-award-plu2021-08-04T17:22:50.000Z2021-08-04T17:22:50.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong> Statewide honors include 9 first places</strong></span></p>
<p><strong>By Larry Barszewski</strong></p>
<p><em>The Coastal Star</em> took home 20 Florida Press Association awards during ceremonies July 16, including the top investigative prize for its coverage of Delray Beach’s troubled water system.<br /> Judges in the annual competition said the paper’s reporting on Delray’s water situation “provided a valuable public service that showed how the government ineptitude put people at risk.” <br /> In addition to receiving the Claudia Ross Memorial Award for investigative reporting, <em>The Coastal Star</em> won eight other first-place awards, including four for feature writer Ron Hayes. The paper received five second-place and six third-place awards.<br /> The investigative award was a staff award because of the number of people involved in the coverage, which occurred over an eight-month period. <em>Coastal Star</em> Executive Editor Mary Kate Leming said two reporters played the largest roles.<br /> “This project wouldn’t have happened without Jane Smith doing excellent digging and Rich Pollack doing exemplary explanatory journalism,” Leming told colleagues in announcing the award.<br /> “This was an extensive dive into a complicated story of public malfeasance and incompetence over a public water system,” FPA judges said. “As <em>The Coastal Star</em> reported, people and pets were sickened, but the city did not report the problems to health authorities until long after they realized what had happened.”<br /> T<em>he Coastal Star</em>, a monthly publication, competed in the 2021 FPA Weekly Newspaper Contest Awards against large weeklies in the state with circulations above 15,000.<br /> “Covering the people and governments of our coastal community is our mission and it was encouraging to see these efforts recognized by judges from across the nation — especially during a global pandemic,” Leming said. “The experience and talent our journalists bring to the newspaper deserve awards every single issue. Congratulations to them all.”<br /> The complete list of award winners from <em>The Coastal Star</em>:<br /> <strong>Ron Hayes</strong>: First place for Community History (<em>100 Years of Boynton</em>), Faith & Family Reporting (L<em>essons from “Happy” and “Kind,” two nuns named Elizabeth at St. Vincent Ferrer)</em>; Feature Story Non-Profile (<em>Meals on Wheels goes extra mile to serve WWII vet</em>); and Feature Story Profile (<em>HERbert: Rescued legless crab becomes internet sensation</em>).<br /> <strong>Charles Elmore</strong>: First place for General News Story (<em>Overdose deaths double in Delray during pandemic</em>).<br /> <strong>Larry Barszewski</strong>: First place for Agricultural & Environmental Reporting (<em>The great Sea Grape debate</em>).<br /> <strong>Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley</strong>: First place for Serious Column (<em>Hallowed ground, the evolution of the National Cemetery</em>).<br /> <strong>Rachel S. O’Hara</strong>: First place for Photo Series in One Issue (<em>Paws up for pets, drive-up pet blessing</em>).<br /> <strong>Larry Keller</strong>: Second place for Agricultural & Environmental Reporting (for three stories about sea turtles) and for In-Depth Reporting Non-Investigative (<em>Feds accuse doctor of $681 million fraud in substance abuse treatment billings</em>).<br /> <strong>Steve Plunkett</strong>: Second place for Local Government Reporting (for articles about the Ocean Strand and about a duck that died) and third place for Roads & Transportation Reporting (for articles about Interstate 95 and about Tesla car popularity).<br /> <strong>Mary Hladky</strong>: Second place for COVID-19 General News Story (<em>Empty reality of virus fallout hits home</em>).<br /> <strong>Mary Thurwachter</strong>: Third place for Arts, Entertainment & Review Reporting (<em>Tabloid Tattle: Former National Enquirer staffers tell all in “Scandalous”</em>).<br /> <strong>Rich Pollack</strong>: Third place for Outdoor & Recreation Reporting (for articles about local parks).<br /> <strong>Staff</strong>: First place for Investigative Reporting (for articles and graphics about water woes in Delray Beach); second place for Page Design; and third place for General Excellence, Overall Graphic Design, and for COVID-19 Feature Story (<em>Reflections from the front line</em>). </p></div>Delray Beach: Lessons from ‘Happy’ and ‘Kind’https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/delray-beach-lessons-from-happy-and-kind2020-03-04T17:30:00.000Z2020-03-04T17:30:00.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:18pt;"><em>Two nuns named Elizabeth spark joy at St. Vincent Ferrer</em></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960930488,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960930488,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960930488?profile=original" /></a><em>Sister Elizabeth Halaj and Sister Elizabeth Kulesa attend St. Vincent Ferrer Church and School’s Parish Festival in Delray Beach. Halaj, nicknamed ‘Sister Happy,’ and Kulesa, known as ‘Sister Kind,’ teach at St. Vincent Ferrer. <strong>Rachel S. O’Hara/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
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<p style="text-align:center;"><strong><a href="https://thecoastalstar.com/photo/album/show?id=2331112%3AAlbum%3A238221&xg_source=activity" target="_blank">More Photos</a></strong><em><strong><a href="https://thecoastalstar.com/photo/album/show?id=2331112%3AAlbum%3A238221&xg_source=activity" target="_blank"></a></strong></em></p>
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<p><strong>By Ron Hayes</strong></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">St. Vincent Ferrer Church and School on George Bush Boulevard in Delray Beach is the spiritual home to 3,600 Catholics, one monsignor, five visiting priests, three deacons, 52 teachers and staff.<br /> And two nuns.<br /> Both nuns belong to The Little Servant Sisters of the Immaculate Conception. Both are from Poland. And both are named Elizabeth.<br /> Sister Elizabeth Halaj arrived from the order’s provincial house in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, in late June. Sister Elizabeth Kulesa came in early August.<br /> To avoid confusion, they are commonly referred to as Sister H. and Sister K.<br /> Sometimes, though, they’re called Sister Happy and Sister Kind.<br /> Spend a little time with them and you’ll know why.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960930873,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960930873,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="550" alt="7960930873?profile=original" /></a><em>Sister Elizabeth Halaj gives a student a high-five after he answered a question in class. <strong>Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><br /> “What letter comes before B?” Sister Elizabeth H. asks, and her class of second-graders answers, “A” and fills in the blank space on their “Setting The Table” quiz.<br /> “Correct. Now what letter comes before M?”<br /> They fill in the L. And then the T, the A again, and the R.<br /> ALTAR.<br /> “Now, how do we call this cup?”<br /> C-H-A-L-I-C-E.<br /> By the end of the hour, the children, who will make their first Holy Communion this year, have met the components of the Eucharist.<br /> “What is the Eucharist?”<br /> “Jesus’ body.”<br /> This is Sister H’s day job.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960931270,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960931270,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="550" alt="7960931270?profile=original" /></a><em>Sister Elizabeth Halaj and Sister Elizabeth Kulesa pray in the convent in which they live near St. Vincent Ferrer Church and School in Delray Beach. Halaj previously worked in the Philippines and Jamaica. Kulesa taught in her native Poland and in the U.S. Northeast. <strong>Rachel S. O’Hara/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">When she was a kid herself, Sister Elizabeth Halaj didn’t want to be a nun.<br /> She wanted to be a clown.<br /> And then one day, as she walked with her brother near their home in southeast Poland, a drunk driver swerved off the road.<br /> Her brother was 15. She was 9. He was killed. She was unharmed.<br /> “That was the last time I spoke with my brother,” she says, “and the first time we had dinner without him. My brother was ready for heaven, but God had a plan on Earth for me.”<br /> At 19, just out of high school, she joined the Little Servant Sisters. That was 28 years ago.<br /> “We are not brainwashed,” she exclaims. “If someone had forced me to be in the convent, I would be the first to run.<br /> “Of course, if I compare myself to my friends from high school, I do not have what they have. A car, a bank account, a credit card. But I have what I need. I’m surrounded by people who love me, food on the table, a place to stay, and most of all, I have Jesus in my heart.”<br /> She smiles a huge, joyful smile.<br /> “As a little kid, I wanted to be a clown and make people happy. And my dream came true! I make people happy!”</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>***</strong></span></p>
<p>The Little Servant Sisters of the Immaculate Conception was founded in 1850 by a man whose dream didn’t come true.<br /> Edmund Bojanowski was born in Warsaw in 1814, a son of the nobility with devout parents. At age 4, he became ill, and doctors doubted he would survive. According to church history, the boy died, but returned to life a short while later and dedicated his life to the Virgin Mary.<br /> Too ill to study for the priesthood, Bojanowski read Scripture constantly and attended confession weekly. He fed the hungry, established libraries, hospitals and nursing homes, and founded or co-founded four separate religious orders, including the Little Servant Sisters.<br /> In 1869, Bojanowski attempted to resume his studies for the priesthood, but died on Aug. 7, 1871, before he could be ordained. He was 56.<br /> Today, the Little Servant Sisters has about 1,300 members worldwide.<br /> On June 13, 1999, Pope John Paul II beatified Bojanowski — a step toward sainthood — after doctors concluded a miraculous healing had occurred because of his intercession.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960931055,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960931055,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="600" alt="7960931055?profile=original" /></a><em>Sister Elizabeth Kulesa lifts her arms during a song with students at St. Vincent Ferrer School, which has students from prekindergarten through eighth grade. <strong>Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
<p>A poster on the wall in Sister Elizabeth Kulesa’s classroom reminds her third-graders that Sacraments Are Signs Of God’s Love For Us.<br /> “Baptism is the first sacrament,” she tells them. “The candle is the symbol of baptism.”<br /> “Thank you, Jesus,” the children respond in unison, “for the sacrament of baptism.”<br /> “This is a stole, the symbol of the priest.”<br /> “Thank you, Jesus,” the children respond.<br /> By the end of the hour, the children will have thanked Jesus for all seven Catholic sacraments.<br /> “Beautiful,” Sister K. says, and they all face a TV screen and sing along to a video.<br /> “Our God is a great big God,” they sing, “and he holds us in his hands.”<br /> Sister K. sings along softly, lifting her arms with the children to show God holding them all in his hands.<br /> “I try my best,” she says as they leave, “and I put everything in God’s hands.”</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>***</strong></span></p>
<p>Poland is the most devoutly Catholic country in Europe, and Tarnow the most devout city in Poland. In 2007, church statistics found 72.5% of the city’s diocese attending Mass every week.<br /> Sister Elizabeth Kulesa grew up in Tarnow.<br /> “I recognized my vocation in second grade,” she recalls. “I was 10 years old and I felt the calling.”<br /> As a little girl, she and her friends would visit an elderly woman who lived near their school, a lonely woman who enjoyed their visits. This was when she first knew she should serve Jesus by serving others.<br /> When she was a young teen, a priest organized a youth group that visited shrines. Once, after a visit to a monastery, she made a commitment to pray for the monks for two years.<br /> At 15, she made a vow of abstinence.<br /> “My friends said, ‘How could you do it?’” she remembers. “I was called to give up my country and give the light to Jesus.”<br /> Does she remember the day she took her first vows as a Little Servant Sister?<br /> “Of course!” she says. “Feb. 2, 1979. I was 17.”<br /> Now she is 58. <br /> “But I feel very young because the soul is immortal. It never gets old. You experience more love as you grow older.<br /> “The body gets old, but I feel very young in my soul.”</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>***</strong></span></p>
<p>Now they have come to serve the faithful of St. Vincent Ferrer, but only after their God had called them to other places.<br /> “God sent me to Delray Beach,” Sister Elizabeth H. says. But he sent her to the Philippines first, where she taught the children of domestic workers in a town where there was no school and she sometimes drew her lessons on the ground with a stick. In Jamaica, she was a preschool principal.<br /> Sister K. had spent nearly a decade teaching in Poland before coming to America, where she taught in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, and Staten Island, New York.<br /> “Now it’s God’s gift for me to be here,” she says. “Florida! I love the nature here.”<br /> Ask about their social lives, and they are vague.<br /> Sometimes in the evenings they watch I Love Lucy on tapes.<br /> The church and its people are their life.<br /> “I could go to Disney World,” Sister H. says. “Mother Superior would give us the money. But how many people could I feed with that money? I remember children in Jamaica coming from the bush, hungry.”</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960931285,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960931285,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="600" alt="7960931285?profile=original" /></a><em>ABOVE: Sister Elizabeth Halaj rides a Tilt-A-Whirl with (l-r) students Dominic Deluca, 4, Riley Hernandez, 8, Ava Hernandez, 4, Alyana Brammeier, 4, and George St. Hilaire during the Parish Festival last month at St. Vincent Ferrer. BELOW: Sister Elizabeth Kulesa tries her hand at the Water Gun Fun game at the Parish Festival. She said she didn’t know how the game worked well enough and won nothing. <strong>Photos by Rachel S. O’Hara/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960931085,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960931085,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="550" alt="7960931085?profile=original" /></a></p>
<p>On Saturday, Feb. 22, as throngs of men, women and children in blue jeans, shorts and T-shirts wandered among the carnival rides at the church’s 54th annual Parish Festival, the Sisters Elizabeth did the same in their habits and veils.<br /> At the Tacos Veracruz wagon, Sister H. finished off a pork taco as a gaggle of children watched.<br /> “Do you want to go for a ride?” she asked. “Let’s go!”<br /> Like a devout pied piper, she led them swiftly to the Tilt-A-Whirl and squeezed into a car with four preteens and another boy, to be lifted, dropped and spun at a dizzying speed, smiling all the while.<br /> Later, she found Sister K. at the Water Gun Fun game.<br /> “What are you doing!” Sister H. gasped, mouth agape in mock horror.<br /> A nun with a gun! What would Jesus say?<br /> It’s a water gun, Sister K. told her, patiently. And besides, she didn’t understand the rules and didn’t win anything anyway.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960931861,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960931861,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="550" alt="7960931861?profile=original" /></a><em>Sister Elizabeth Halaj laughs with soccer players from the junior high after their team won a match. <strong>Rachel S. O’Hara/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
<p>The pastor at St. Vincent Ferrer Church is Monsignor Thomas Skindeleski — a tall, burly, beaming man known to one and all as Monsignor Tom.<br /> While the Sisters Elizabeth enjoy the rides and games, he’s in the kitchen, stirring and tasting the famous clam chowder he makes for the festival, 32 gallons every year. <br /> “Sister H. and Sister K.,” Monsignor Tom says with a chuckle, “Sister Happy and Sister Kind. I’m so glad to have them here. They’re very present among the people of the parish.”<br /> Not pleasant — though they are that — but present.<br /> One day after class, Sister K. confessed that teaching children to say “Thank you” for each of the seven sacraments is not exhausting or difficult work.<br /> “It’s not the work we are doing,” she said. “Anybody can do it. It’s what we are. We are an example of being 100% for Jesus.”<br /> In other words, these nuns’ greatest present to this parish is simply their presence.<br /> Sister Kind glows with a quiet inner peace. Her walk is purposeful, but she doesn’t rush. Her smile is gentle, her voice is soft. She embodies the patient kindness that makes those who meet her want to be more kind.<br /> Sister Happy sparks and crackles with her love for Jesus. She strides quickly along the halls. Her smile is huge, her laugh is loud. She is, to be honest, a bit of a clown.<br /> “I have never gotten even one paycheck with my name on it,” she will tell you. “Our benefits are very small, but our retirement plan is out of this world.”<br /> And her face breaks into that huge, joyful smile. <br /> “Heaven!”</p></div>Letter to the Editor: Church festival wrong place for alcohol saleshttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/letter-to-the-editor-church-festival-wrong-place-for-alcohol-sale2019-04-03T18:55:28.000Z2019-04-03T18:55:28.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p class="p1">As a business owner on George Bush Boulevard in Delray Beach, I would like to share my concerns about St. Vincent’s Church festival that takes place each spring.</p>
<p class="p1">To the best of my knowledge this event is a family outing. I don’t feel that the serving of alcoholic beverages (not just beer) is appropriate at an event such as this.</p>
<p class="p1">I’m sure you are aware of all the drug and alcoholic treatment centers here in Delray. This event made it very easy for anyone to get a drink.</p>
<p class="p1">Considering that this was a church-sponsored event to raise money, it could have been done without alcoholic beverages, especially considering these people driving with their children after a few drinks.</p>
<p class="p2"><i>Susan McTighe </i></p>
<p class="p2"><i>Delray Beach</i></p></div>Religion Notes: First responders honored during Blue Masshttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/religion-notes-first-responders-honored-during-blue-mass2018-10-03T01:30:00.000Z2018-10-03T01:30:00.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p class="p1" style="text-align:center;"><em><span class="s1"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960811701,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960811701,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="442" class="align-center" alt="7960811701?profile=original" /></a>Every year police and firefighters honor those who have died in the line of duty with a Blue Mass. The event is also a celebration of their faith and service to the community. <b>ABOVE:</b> (l-r) Boynton Beach Fire Chiefs Kathy Cline and</span> <span class="s1">Latosha Clemons, Delray Beach Fire Capt. Brian Pollack, firefighter Scott Bitzer, driver/engineer Keith Meyerson and firefighter Fernando Faubla at the Sept. 12 Mass at St. Vincent Ferrer. <b>Photo provided by Marie Ryan</b></span></em></p>
<p class="p1"></p>
<p class="p1">More than 100 people took part in the Blue Mass to honor law enforcement, fire safety personnel and first responders from federal, state and local jurisdictions held at St. Vincent Ferrer Church on Sept. 12.</p>
<p class="p3">The Mass gives the community the opportunity to honor those who have died or been injured in the line of duty, as well as to show gratitude for those who serve.</p>
<p class="p3">The first Blue Mass was celebrated by Father Thomas Dade on Sept. 29, 1934, in Baltimore. Blue Masses have become more popular since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.</p>
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<p class="p5"><span class="s1"><b>Help fight hunger</b></span></p>
<p class="p3">CROS Ministries will host its annual Hustle2EndHunger, a 5K run/walk and family fun day on Oct. 6 at John Prince Park in Lake Worth.</p>
<p class="p3">Registration begins at 6 a.m., the run starts at 7 and the walk begins at 8:15, followed by family activities from 9:30 to noon. The fee for runners is $40, including the running chip, T-shirt and family fun day activities. For walkers, registration is free.</p>
<p class="p3">Walkers who raise more than $40 get a T-shirt, water bottle and admission to the family fun day. For non-runners and non-walkers, entry to the family fun day is a suggested donation of $20. All proceeds benefit CROS hunger programs.</p>
<p class="p3">For more information or to register, go to <a href="http://www.crosministries.org">www.crosministries.org</a> or call 233-9009, extension 108.</p>
<p class="p4"></p>
<p class="p5"><span class="s1"><b>Progressive dinner</b></span></p>
<p class="p3">First Presbyterian Church will hold its annual meet and greet and progressive dinner on Oct. 24. Reconnect with your church family at this event beginning at 5 p.m. with appetizers in Holly House, where you can do a little holiday shopping. From 6 to 7, dinner is served in Fellowship Hall. The cost is $8 per person or $28 per family. Reservations are encouraged for planning purposes. First Presbyterian is at 33 Gleason St., Delray Beach. Call 276-6338.</p>
<p class="p4"></p>
<p class="p5"><span class="s1"><b>Class registration at Chabad</b></span></p>
<p class="p3">Chabad of South Palm Beach in the Plaza del Mar, 224 S. Ocean Blvd., Manalapan, is offering two extended-week classes starting in October.</p>
<p class="p3">The first, the Jewish Learning Institute’s Wrestling With Faith, meets for six Tuesdays at 7 p.m. from Oct. 23 to Nov. 27.</p>
<p class="p3">The second, Read It in Hebrew, meets at 11 a.m. Mondays from Oct. 15 to Nov. 12. This course is $50, which includes a set of flash cards.</p>
<p class="p3">Register at chabadspb.org or call 889-3499.</p>
<p class="p4"></p>
<p class="p6"><i>Send religion notes to Janis Fontaine at janisfontaine@outlook.com.</i></p></div>Super time at Sports Camp: St. Vincent Ferrer, Delray Beach – June 22https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/super-time-at-sports-camp-st-vincent-ferrer-delray-beach-june-222016-06-29T12:47:52.000Z2016-06-29T12:47:52.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960660263,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="500" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960660263,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="7960660263?profile=original" /></a><em>William Romac of Delray Beach shows fine form while catching a football at Palm Beach Sport Camp.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em>He was one of dozens of kids taking part in non-contact sports games. </em><br /><strong>Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star</strong><br /><br /></p></div>Private school soccer championship: Seacrest Field, Delray Beach – Dec. 9https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/private-school-soccer-championship-seacrest-field-delray-beach2015-12-29T18:28:14.000Z2015-12-29T18:28:14.000ZChris Felkerhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/ChrisFelker<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960625670,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="550" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960625670,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="7960625670?profile=original" /></a><em>Gulf Stream School students celebrate after winning their fourth consecutive division title</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em>against rival St. Vincent Ferrer, which was previously undefeated. Gulf Stream School goalie Tyler Zankl (center)</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em>runs with teammates (l-r) Landon Brady, Charlie Shannon, Joseph Fimiani, Kyale Shirajee, Liam Hart,</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em>Pierce Silver, Addison Linch, Jack Liebowitz, Alex Erbstein, Rainer Radke, Barrett White and Nickolas Zalenikovski.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong>Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star</strong><br /><br /></p></div>St. Vincent Ferrer Parish Festivalhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/st-vincent-ferrer-parish-festival2012-02-29T18:15:55.000Z2012-02-29T18:15:55.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960377058,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960377058,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="576" alt="7960377058?profile=original" /></a>St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church members Quinn Doyle, 11, and Deena Rizzo, 7, have fun on the bumper cars during the 45th Annual St. Vincent Ferrer Parish Festival in Delray Beach on Feb. 24.<br /><strong>Kurtis Boggs/The Coastal Star</strong></p></div>Delray Beach: First parish surviving, thriving at 70https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/delray-beach-first-parish-surviving-thriving-at-702012-01-04T22:30:00.000Z2012-01-04T22:30:00.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960363481,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960363481,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="238" alt="7960363481?profile=original" /></a><strong>By Tim Pallesen</strong><br /> <br /> Catholics were few in number when the Delray Beach Catholic Women’s Club started the first parish.<br /> St. Vincent Ferrer Church celebrated its first Mass at the old Delray Theatre in 1941.<br /> Today, the region from Boynton Beach to Boca Raton has nine Catholic parishes.<br /> But St. Vincent’s remains strong in its 70th anniversary year because of a focus on families, a growing school and its own special charm.<br /> “The first families were very strong in their faith,” said Judy Palivoda, whose parents were among the founders.<br /> “We had mostly farmland and dairy then,” she said. “The theater was the place to use because there wasn’t any place else.”<br /> Baptists outnumbered Catholics by a wide margin at the time. No Catholic parish existed between Lake Worth and Fort Lauderdale when the 10 ladies of the Catholic Women’s Club started St. Vincent’s with help with a Lake Worth priest while their husbands were busy in the fields.<br /> Palivoda’s mother, Maurieta Nichols, wrote as church historian that Catholics here were “elated and grateful” when Irish priests and nuns then embraced St. Vincent’s as their mission.<br /> The Rev. John Kellaghan arrived from Ireland in 1944 as the perfect personality to promote the new congregation.<br /> “He was full of life and out in the community doing community things,” Palivoda said. “That had a lot to do with the early popularity of the church and school.”<br /> The Irish priest even became the first charter member of the Delray Beach Elks Club to spread word around town that the Catholics had arrived.<br /> “People knew Father Kellaghan, whether they were Catholic or not.”<br /> Kellaghan negotiated the purchase of seven acres on what’s now George Bush Boulevard and began raising money to build St. Vincent’s first church.<br /> Masses at the Delray Theatre ended in 1949 when St. Vincent’s dedicated its church with a capacity for 500 people.<br /> The 100-by-51-foot concrete structure often had pigeons in the rafters that required special attention before worship services could begin. “We had to make sure the seats were clean before Mass,” Palivoda laughed.<br /> The opening of St. Vincent’s school in 1955 would prove to be important for the congregation’s long-term success.<br /> “Father Kellaghan wanted to help families,” the school’s current principal, Vikki Delgado, said. “What better way to carry out the mission of the parish than by building a school?”<br /> Children who lived in the south county had risen before dawn to ride a bus to attend Sacred Heart Catholic School in Lake Worth. “But that was quite a trek in those days. It made for a long day,” Palivoda said.<br /> The opening of the south county’s first Catholic school brought more families into the parish.<br /> “People from surrounding towns came to St. Vincent’s,” she said. “We needed more church services to accommodate all the people.”<br /> <br /> <strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960364062,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960364062,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="360" alt="7960364062?profile=original" /></a>First nuns arrive</strong><br /> Four Sisters of Mercy nuns arrived from Ireland that year to educate the Catholic children. Both parents and students at St. Vincent’s were delighted.<br /> “The nuns were strict but a lot of fun,” said Palivoda, who enrolled in the school’s first graduating class.<br /> “They had quite a brogue,” she recalled. “Sometimes we didn’t quite catch what they were telling us.”<br /> Sister Mary Clare was Ana McNamara’s favorite teacher.<br /> “She radiated like a gentle spirit. She never raised her voice in the classroom. I loved going to her classroom,” said McNamara, who was so inspired by Sister Mary Clare that she is now a teacher at St. Vincent’s herself.<br /> “The nuns believe that faith formation is first and foremost in education,” McNamara said.<br /> A convent was built next to the school in 1961 for the increasing number of Sisters of Mercy nuns. The Rev. John Skehan replaced Kellaghan in 1963. A new church with seating for 1,100 opened in 1970.<br /> <br /> <strong>Crime takes wind out</strong><br /> The momentum at St. Vincent’s suffered a blow when Skehan and his successor, the Rev. Francis Guinan, were convicted of misusing church funds in 2009. Police originally said $8.6 million in church money was missing, though that number has been disputed.<br /> St. Vincent’s parish lost 500 families as a result of the scandal.<br /> But now the parish is growing again. Membership is up to 2,900 families after 100 new families joined the congregation this past year.<br /> Monsignor Thomas J. Skindeleski, the first American-born priest at St. Vincent’s, replaced Guinan in 2005. He credits the renewed popularity of the school for making the turnaround happen.<br /> “The school is our big feature once again,” Skindeleski said. “Parents are moving into the parish because they want to get our quality education.”<br /> Delgado was hired as its new school principal in 2008. Class sizes were reduced while the school was able to keep tuition costs low to increase enrollment.<br /> <br /> <strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960364090,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960364090,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="238" alt="7960364090?profile=original" /></a>Fest, nuns distinguish school</strong><br /> St. Vincent’s annual festival — the largest by any parish in the diocese — raises more than $100,000 each February to support the school. The festival began as a one-day St. Patrick’s Day event to honor the parish’s Irish tradition. Now it’s a three-day multicultural celebration that reflects the many ethnic backgrounds at St. Vincent’s.<br /> Delgado sent schoolchildren out into the community to feed the poor after the scandal.<br /> “The worst thing we could have done afterward would have been to hide,” Delgado said. “We needed to let the community know that St. Vincent’s is still here and vibrant.”<br /> Most Catholic parishes in South Florida no longer have nuns. The Sisters of Mercy at St. Vincent’s have retired one-by-one and returned to Ireland.<br /> But Skindeleski invited other nuns in 2008 to give children the same spiritual guidance. The three Servant Sisters of the Immaculate Conception who answered his call are easy to distinguish in their full-length habits.<br /> “Nuns make a real difference by their presence in modern-day parishes, as much as their predecessors did in the old days,” Skindeleski said.<br /> “The sisters are back to develop that spiritual component to education that parents see as important,” said McNamara, who gives tours to new students and parents.<br /> “With all the chaos in today’s world, St. Vincent’s is still the solid ground for families to stand on.” </p>
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<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960364266,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-full" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960364266,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="360" alt="7960364266?profile=original" /></a><strong>St. Vincent Ferrer February Festival</strong><br /> Friday, Saturday and Sunday,<br /> Feb. 24-26<br /> St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church, 840 George Bush Blvd., <br /> Delray Beach<br /> Live music in outside tent and indoor Irish pub, carnival rides including roller coaster and Ferris wheel, food, flea market and entertainment. Highlights include antique car show and fish fry Friday night, Dolphins cheerleaders Saturday, and Irish dancers after Sunday morning pancake breakfast.<br /> Free general admission.<br /> Unlimited rides $30 (one day) and $60 (weekend) or $25 and $50 in advance.<br /> Call 276-6892 or see <a href="http://www.stvincentferrer.com">www.stvincentferrer.com</a> for details.</p></div>Blue Mass at St Vincent’shttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/blue-mass-at-st-vincent-s2011-09-28T18:57:29.000Z2011-09-28T18:57:29.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960349462,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960349462,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="360" alt="7960349462?profile=original" /></a><br />Brittany Carrillo, a Palm Beach County fire cadet, places the American flag at the side of the altar during a ‘Blue Mass’ held at St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church in Delray Beach. The Mass was held to honor both the ongoing service of local police and firefighters and those who died in the 9/11 attack. Children from the St. Vincent’s school created cards and posters that were given to the police and fire departments as a token of their appreciation. Photo by Jerry Lower</div>