PEOPLE OF FAITH
MEMORIAL DAY
Catholic lays wreath at Tomb of Unknowns
John W. LaClair, a parishioner of St. Clare's Church in Colonie, was granted the honor of placing a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington Cemetery in Washington, D.C., last month.
VALEDICTORIAN
Presidential Scholar looks to the future
Though June Criscione excels at virtually everything she does, none of it is without effort. "What really comes to me naturally is the determination to do well," explained June, the assumed valedictorian for Albany High School's graduating class.
RELIGIOUS ART
Cooperstown parish gets new Kateri icon
Joan Bennett's recently-completed icon of St. Kateri Tekakwitha is supposed to be symbolic - so she hopes people aren't confused by the simultaneous rising and midday suns, nighttime constellations and yellow sky it portrays.
STATE LEGISLATION
Junior Leaguer fights human trafficking
When the 10 points of New York State's Women's Equality Act were reintroduced as separate bills last week, one local Catholic's reaction didn't relate to the hotly-contested abortion provision that may have propelled Gov. Andrew Cuomo's decision to split up the bill.
YOUTH PROGRAM
Want to be a leader? Try CLI
In a rustic wooden chapel on the Albany Diocese's 800-acre property on Pyramid Lake in Paradox, 26 teenagers huddled in circles last week, spiritedly debating which members of their group would get to survive if they were in a plane crash.
VA HOSPITAL
Deacon's call of duty: easing veterans' pain
"Nine out of 10 people don't even know we're at war," laments Deacon Gerald Ladouceur. "These guys come back broken and [civilians are] like, 'Don't remind me there's a war going on.'"
MURDER AND MEMORY
Albany native pens dramatic novel
Murder, organized crime and corruption are tempered by themes of justice, love and forgiveness in Rosemary Dronchi's new novel, "Blood Feud." Characters tend to "take over" as the Catholic author writes. "Sometimes I just have to walk away," she told The Evangelist. "The assassin [character] gets so evil that I …
TEEN RETREAT
Youth conference is a chance to connect - and disconnect
Teens from the Albany Diocese and several other dioceses will gather Aug. 9-11 at Camp Scully on Snyder's Lake in Rensselaer County for a weekend of vibrant worship, workshops and guest speakers, eucharistic adoration, confession, spiritual guidance and Mass.
VOLUNTEERING
WorkCamp gives Catholic youth a chance to shine
Despite oppressive heat and a broken-down van, 19 young Catholics from the Albany Diocese kept their complaints to a minimum during last week's WorkCamp, a three-day community service blitz.
ENVIRONMENT
Local Catholics fighting climate change
Many Catholics agree that global climate change is a moral issue - and say their faith obligates them to do something about it. The Evangelist spoke with a cross-section of parishioners in the Albany Diocese who are taking action in various ways.
ADVOCACY
At 91, Mabel Gil is still demandingjustice for needy
Farming and nutrition issues have seen a lot of reform in New York State since Mabel Gil helped start a dedicated task force in the State Legislature in the mid-1970s. But the work is not finished, said the now 91-year-old activist.
PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
Catholic surgeon educates on treating patients as people
Soon after earning an engineering degree, Joseph Dutkowsky landed a job as a rocket scientist. But apparently, the Holy Spirit had other plans for his intelligence. "I was looking at all this technology that was being used to blow people up," Dr. Dutkowsky explained, "and I wondered what would happen …
LAY MOVEMENT
Cursillo participants explain retreat weekends
At any parish in the Albany Diocese, it's likely there's a member of Cursillo: More than 1,000 local Catholics have made the retreat weekends since the lay movement's introduction here in 1970, and dozens are involved in reunions and ongoing faith-sharing groups.
BACK HOME
Local teens recap World Youth Day
Seven teenagers from the Albany Diocese who traveled to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for World Youth Day last month are still digesting the experience and its impact on them.
LEADERSHIP SKILLS
Lessons from conference: 'Be happy; don't be a snot'
When a fellow participant got homesick during the Junior National Young Leaders Conference in Washington, D.C., last month, 11-year-old Maegan Stewart of Malta took to mothering him.
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