 |
Bronze church bells on display in church plaza
Photos by New York Scugnizzo |
Looking to clear our minds and prepare for the upcoming week brimming with patronal Feast days (i.e. San Gennaro & Our Lady of La Salette on Saturday, Santa Candida & Sant’Eustachio on Sunday, San Matteo on Monday, San Maurizio on Tuesday, Padre Pio on Wednesday, et cetera), a few of us went hiking Friday morning in southern Staten Island’s vast and verdant open space reserve.  |
(L) The facade of the Old Church of St. Joachim and St. Ann.
(R) Bronze statue of Fr. John Drumgoole by sculptor Robert Cushing |
A picture-perfect day for a ramble, our little jaunt began at the the Old Church of St. Joachim and St. Anne in Pleasant Plains. Now closed, the church once served the destitute street children housed at the Mission of the Immaculate Virgin, commonly known as Mount Loreto, founded by Fr. John Drumgoole in 1871. Almost completely destroyed in a fire in 1973, all that remained was the facade. Rebuilt in 1976, the new building was incorporated into the original church exterior.
 |
Bronze statues of Sant'Anna and San Gioacchino above the entranceway
|
From the churchyard, we traversed the open space reserve and nature preserve of the Mount Loreto Unique Area. Spotting all sorts of flora and fauna (e.g. ducks, swans, and large snapping turtles), we covered a lot of contrasting terrain, including tidal and freshwater wetlands, vernal ponds, and a lengthy shoreline of ocean-facing bluffs.
 |
An ephemeral pool teeming with animal life
|
To our surprise, we stumbled across the outdoor shrine of the Immaculate Virgin, a large stone niche that once housed a statue of Our Lady. Now used as a “spontaneous shrine” memorializing the dearly departed, the space is covered with a sundry collection of statuary, prayer cards and other religious articles. The ideal spot to take a breather, we prayed the Holy Rosary for the poor and forgotten Souls of Purgatory before continuing on our way.
 |
Non-native red-ear sliders sunning themselves on a log
|
 |
| Hard to tell from this photo, but this snapping turtle was almost three feet long |
Trudging all the way up Heyerdahl Hill to the remote ruins of Heyerdahl House, one of the highest points on the eastern coast, we caught site of several white-tail deer. Used to keep watch during the Revolutionary war (1775-1783), the scenic hilltop's winding paths once crawled with British soldiers.
 |
We sauntered through the grasslands
|
 |
| Old St. Joachim and St. Ann slowly disappears behind us |
Local lore claims the woods are haunted by the ghost of a young girl on a pale horse. It is said, when a skirmish broke out between the Redcoats and Revolutionaries, she galloped off into the forest never to be seen again. Thankfully, we didn't spot any equestrian phantoms.
 |
| The Eastern Showy Aster (Eurybia Spectabilis) |
 |
The New Jersey coastline can be seen in the distance
|
Overlooking heavily wooded Bucks Hollow, we sat quietly for awhile on the abandoned stones and took in all the sites and sounds this peaceful summit had to offer. Considering urban sprawl, it was hard to believe we were still in the dystopic environs of New York City. Thank God for small mercies.
~ Giovanni di Napoli, September 20th, Feasts of Santa Candida Martire and Sant’Eustachio and Companions
 |
Discovering the Shrine of the Immaculate Virgin
|
 |
(L) The niche is used as a spontaneous shrine
(R) One of several Infant of Prague statues on the altar
|
 |
(Above & below) The shrine is covered with religious articles
|
 |
(L-R) Sant'Antonio da Padova and Our Lady stand outside the niche
|
 |
(L-R) The Gretta Moultan Gate and a wooded trail
|
 |
(Above & below) The further we delved into the forest,
the more overgrown and eldritch the foliage became
|
 |
One of several white-tail hinds we saw on our excursion
|
 |
What's left of M. Heyerdahl's stone house. One of the most isolated
parts of the city, the closest building is two miles from here.
|
