The Sentinel of the Saints

At one time during the Middle Ages, Sicily was being tortured by a drought. No crops could be grown and the people were dying of famine. In their need, the peasants turned to St. Joseph, asking him to intercede with God I and send them rain. He heard their prayers, the rains came, and the crops were planted. As a token of their gratitude, the people prepared a feast in his honor from their first harvest. Since then, it has become tradition to use this festivity whenever a favor is obtained through St. Joseph's intercession.

Throughout our Academy's search for new facilities, St. Joseph has been besought, besieged, and bothered for his assistance. He was not deaf to our entreaties, but on the contrary has shown himself to be a very generous intercessor on our behalf. With his help, we have been able to overcome every obstacle that has presented itself.

It was only appropriate, then, to make some return for the vast debt of gratitude that we owe this great man of God. On Saturday, March 24th, a parish festival in his honor was held inside the very building that he has been so instrumental in obtaining. St. Joseph has his foot in the door!

Delightful Dining The evening began with a family style dinner featuring traditional Italian cuisine: ravioli with meatballs and sausage, fresh bread, tossed salad, and an assortment of exquisite pastries. This delicious fare was served to the patrons by BVM's own high school girls. After a long day on the basketball courts for some (and a long day of Lenten fasting for everyone) good sustenance and a chance to relax were welcomed by all! Those present were also encouraged to take home a memento of the evening in the guise of delectable baked goods. With tables full of mouth-watering choices, there was something to suit every taste!

Evening Entertainment After a long day and a delicious meal, the temptation is to lean back comfortably in a chair and doze. On this occasion, no one was given the chance! Once everyone's hunger pangs had been assuaged, tables and chairs were whisked away and the floor cleared for entertainment. The band West O'Clare soon chased any drowsiness from the air with their foot tapping array of Irish melodies. Young and old alike needed little encouragement to step out on the floor for a dance or two.

Adding to the excitement were an amazmg acrobatics display, a German folk dance executed by the elementary school, and the drawing for a raffle (grand prize: a trip for two to Alaska)!

With so much to enjoy, the evening's end arrived much too soon. Yet it really was not an ending: it was the beginning of a grand and hopeful future for our school and parish at our superb new facility delivered to us at the behest of St. Joseph. Husband of the Mother of God, pray for us as we begin this monumental phase in Syracuse!

A number of our readers might be familiar with BVM Academy's Ukrainian Dancers. Started last year by Fr. Hewko to give high schoolers a taste of authentic Catholic folk culture, dancing, and music, this group has performed at a number of different venues over the past year, including the 2006 Auriesville pilgrimage.

This past February 3rd, Fr. Hewko took his dancers to perform at St. Jude's Chapel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After Father celebrated High Mass and gave a sermon about the need for Catholic entertainment, the Ukrainian dancers took the stage and performed their high flying, but at the same time graceful, acrobatics to the delight of the audience. The girls opened up the performance with their elegant routine. Shortly thereafter, the boys joined them for two mixed presentations, and the boys closed out the performance with their stylish tumblings.

The parishioners from St. Jude's were grateful and enthusiastic hosts, providing excellent food and a generous donation to the school.

Start lacing up your sneakers; it's time once again for BVM Academy's annual Jogathon! Saturday May 19th, 2007 marks the date which our school will have its 6th annual Jogathon, followed by its 2nd annual neighborhood festival. Like last year, both events will take place at Leavenworth Park, just down the street from BVM Church and Academy. Last year marked an incredible success in which the school was able to exceed its goal and raise $60,000. This year, Father Pfeiffer has set the goal at $100,000. While this might seem to be an impossible task, several factors mitigate this conclusion. Firstly, as recent events have indicated, St. Joseph has proven to be a great advocate for our efforts, and we hope and pray he will continue to deliver for our temporal growth and well-being. Secondly, Mother of God Academy's enrollment has increased from last year's total of 80 students to nearly 120 this year, marking a 50% increase in the total student body. We hope this fact will boost results. Lastly, we have you, our generous friends and benefactors to help us accomplish this task.

Following the Jogathon will be the neighborhood festival, hopefully to celebrate the successful fundraising effort, but also to give thanks to the Mother of God in the month dedicated to her for her support of her namesake's school. Following Holy Mass at the park, there will be lots of food, games, sports, hay rides, music, and entertainment for everyone. It promises to be even more triumphant and enjoyable than last year's successful event.

As the days begin to lengthen and spring comes in sight, a strange malady may be observed sweeping the nation. With symptoms such as a "dribbling" twitch, sudden vertical leaps, and watebasket hoop shots, the prognosis is grim: March Madness is here!

For those in search of a cure, the Saints had just what the doctor ordered! On March 24th, Syracuse hosted its 5th annual invitational basketball tournament at Morrisville State College. Teams from across the nation faced each other on the hardwood, vying for the coveted tournament trophy.

From the first buzzer at seven, the day was fast-paced and fiercely competitive. All of the teams displayed impressive tenacity and skill, and fortune changed sides frequently. The outcome of many games was hotly contested up until the very last seconds.

In the end, however, the grain was separated from the chaff, and the championship players were announced. The Syracuse Massett team defended the court against the intrepid contingent from Nicholville. Though this was the third consecutive game that both teams had played, they went at it manfully. Nicholville rallied several times and put forth a valiant effort until the end, but the Massett team emerged victorious 33-23.

In 2004 they tickled your wit with Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. In 2005 they brought the old Greek tragedies to life.

Under the dauntless direction of Miss Margaret Stevens, our highschool thespians have set a precedent for trying new styles of theatre each year. With their latest production, our dramatists tackled yet another "first": Gilbert & Sullivan's renowned operetta, The Pirates of Penzance. Encompassing a challenging vocal score and an abundance of verbal sword play, this production entailed a lot of work. With our talented seniors in the lead, however, the girls were up for the challenge.

Elizabeth Mariani shined as the Pirate King, while Emily Minehart and freshman Joan Fullerton shined as Frederick and the Major General, respectively. Michelle Hill, Grace Reilly, and Brigid Caley also gave strong performances.

Best of all, this year's performance took place at the Palace Theater in Syracuse, a 1920s style theater with a grand maruis. This allowed an audience of several hundred to attend the operetta.