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| Viva St. Josaphat! |
EXCITA, quæsumus, Dómine, in Ecclésia tua Spiritum, quo replétus beátus Jósaphat Martyr et Póntifex tuus àniman suam pro óvibus pósuit: ut, eo intercedénte, nos quoque eódem Spíritu moti ac roboráti, ànimam nostram pro frátribus pónere non vereámur. Per Dóminum.*
Monday evening, a couple of us took a ride to Bayside, Queens for the Patronal Feast of St. Josaphat RC Church (34-32 210th St.). Despite the traffic, we made it in time for the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and veneration of the relic of St. Josaphat. Missa cantata was celebrated by Pastor Fr. Stephen Saffron, who was dutifully assisted by a slew of altar servers and talented Schola Cantorum.
Warmly received by members of the predominantly Polish congregation, our visit to the church was edifying and uplifting. It was great catching up with Fr. Saffron, who we haven’t seen since his assignment to St. Josaphat a few months ago. Sorely missed in Brooklyn, we continue to pray for him and wish him all the best at his new parish.
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The relic of St. Josaphat with a copy of Russian
realist painter Konstantin Savitsky's Enoch the Monk |
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| Bye-altars with the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Our Lady of Grace |
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| St. Josaphat on the apse and the Black Madonna of Częstochowa |
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| St. Francis of Assisi and St. Jude Thaddeus |
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| Fr. Saffron. Church sanctuary and high altar |
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| A look inside St. Josaphat |
* Stir up in Thy Church, O Lord, the spirit with which filled blessed Josaphat, Thy Martyr and Bishop, was filled when he laid down his life for his sheep, so that, by his intercession, we also, may be moved and strengthened by the same spirit, and may not fear to lay down our lives for our brethren. Through our Lord. ~ The Collect
