Christmas in Queens

A few shots from around my place on Christmas Eve, just before Midnight Mass.

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Crozier and mitre, ready to go.

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The trumpeter warmed up in the basement.

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Roger Aguinaldo, a parish trustee, recently received the honor of being inducted into the Order of St. Gregory in the Knights of Malta. For Midnight Mass, he wore his robes and medal.

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Our administrator, Fr. Frank Passenant, pastor Bishop Paul Sanchez, and Sir Roger.

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You want altar servers? We got ’em. They were everywhere—about 50 in all. Something new (I wish I’d gotten a picture of this): a few of the older kids now wear earpieces for big liturgies like this, so that the head of the servers, David James, can communicate from the sacristy by walkie-talkie and make sure people are where they are supposed to be at the right time, in the right order.  If they keep this up, next the altar servers will be playing Vegas.

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Lined up for the processional.

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One of our parishioners, Thomas Jorge, is in formation for the diaconate, to be ordained in 2017. I’m serving as his mentor. I gave him an alb for a Christmas present.

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And we’re ready to start. Merry Christmas, one and all!

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