Deacon at Work: Visiting Oneonta, NY

I’m home!

I spent Monday night and Tuesday morning in scenic Oneonta, New York, not far from Cooperstown, in the Diocese of Albany. I was privileged to speak at St. Mary’s Catholic Church as part of their “Lent for Real Life” series. My topic: CNEWA and the work we are doing on behalf of persecuted Christians in the Middle East.

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The audience was small but enthusiastic.

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I spoke Monday night, with an encore Tuesday morning.

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The parish is a vibrant place, and pastor Fr. David Mickiewicz, the only priest on staff, does an amazing job keeping a lot of plates spinning week after week.  I have to sing the praises of his lay team, too; they are superb. Clearly, they love both him and the parish.

My CNEWA colleague Chris Kennedy, from our development office, was a great traveling companion, as always. He drove us up there in a little over three hours. (I would have been useless; if something isn’t on the subway line, I can’t begin to tell you how to get there.)

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We hope to pay a return visit sometime soon.  Thank you, Dave, and thank you, St. Mary’s!

If you ever find yourself near Oneonta, folks, stop by the church for a visit. Great parish, great pastor, great people.

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Deacon Greg, Fr. David, Chris Kennedy