Parish senior clubs offer fun, fellowship

Each month, a family gets together at Our Lady of Grace parish hall in Ballston Lake, and none of its members is under the age of 50.

The "family" is actually Nifty Plus Fifty, a seniors group that meets on the second Tuesday of each month to socialize and plan trips to such places as the Statue of Liberty, Moreau State Park and Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut.

"We have become very close friends. We think of it as a little family," said Domenick Arbitrio, a group member.

Clubs in Diocese

Nifty Plus Fifty is one of several seniors groups in the Albany Diocese that coordinates its activities at a parish facility. Members say they enjoy the camaraderie and entertainment that comes with being involved.

About 80 men and women belong to the Senior Saints, a group comprised primarily of parishioners of St. Patrick's, St. Casimir's and Our Lady of Angels, all in Albany. The Senior Saints meet every few months to plan visits to Lake George, Our Lady of Knock Shrine and other sites.

Not only does the group participate in activities on its own, it also joins other seniors groups for dinner and social events through the Italian American Community Center in Albany.

Busy times

Although the Senior Saints have been in existence for only two years, they've been very busy, according to Phil Maiello, treasurer.

"We've done quite a bit. I think it's great to get the parishes together like that," he said.

One event that stood out in his mind was a day of recollection last autumn at the former Vincentian Institute in Albany. Rev. Francis O'Connor, administrator of St. Patrick's, and Rev. Joe Angelini, pastor of Our Lady of Angels, led the service, which was followed by dinner catered by the Schuyler Inn in Menands.

Active lives

The Beman Park Leisure Group counts approximately 100 seniors among its membership. The group meets at St. Paul the Apostle parish in Troy on the second Tuesday of each month and is named for the section of the city in which the parish is located.

Although not affiliated with the parish, many members are St. Paul's parishioners, according to Mary Grimaldi, president, who has been involved in the group for nearly 20 years.

Among the activities in which they participate are trips to Lake George and the Saratoga flat track, Bingo and card games, covered dish suppers, 50/50 raffles, and white elephant sales.

The group also has a party in June to celebrate the birthday of every member, complete with gift-giving and cake. In addition, speakers meet with seniors to talk about law enforcement and wildlife.

Turnout for meetings is generally around 50 percent of the total membership, but Ms. Grimaldi understands why some people can't make it all the time. "You may be retired, but you're busy as heck," she said.

Fellowship

Nifty Plus Fifty, the group at Our Lady of Grace in Ballston Lake, was founded four years ago by Bonnie Arbitrio. Most members belong to the parish and range in age from early 50s to 90.

The group gathers each month to play cards, have lunch and discuss upcoming events. There usually aren't fund-raisers or guest speakers; Nifty Plus Fifty members are just happy to have each other as company.

The Stow Area Seniors meet at St. Michael the Archangel Church in Troy on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month. They occasionally have guest speakers, but most of their meetings are spent planning trips and activities. Many of their events are done in conjunction with the Troy Seniors, since the Stow Area Seniors only have 16 members, according to its president, Amelia Griffin.

Meetings begin and end with prayer, and the group has Mass celebrated once in a while. The group has been in existence for 22 years, and its members appreciate having the opportunity to socialize as they grow older.

"We just try to stay together, just to have someone to talk to," Ms. Griffin said. "It's the only outlet that some of the people have."

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