An EPIC day (above): Youth gathered at St. Joseph’s Villa, Richmond, for the annual middle school rally, EPIC, on Aug. 3. The day began with a keynote speaker, followed by adoration; then, the middle schoolers played field games, talked about faith in small groups, and volunteered with Rise Against Hunger, packing 22,000 meals. They closed the day with Sunday Vigil Mass in the St. Joseph’s Villa chapel.
Making way to grow and learn (below): St. Mary’s, Lovingston, will soon have seven classrooms and a large meeting room for its religious education program.
Ceremonial groundbreaking took place on the parish grounds July 14. Religious education coordinator Brian Dudley said that the building will be an improved learning environment for children and teens who attend religious education classes.
Father Rogelio Abadano, pastor at St. Mary’s, said that the parish’s growing population of young people required a larger space. “Teaching the faith to the next generation is essential to the future of the Church,” he said.
Ladies’ luncheon in Lynchburg (below): The Ladies of Charity, a service group affiliated with Holy Cross, Lynchburg, celebrated another year of giving to the community with a luncheon at Charley’s Restaurant in Lynchburg June 11. Since 1898, the Ladies of Charity have organized service projects in the area, most famously packing lunch bags for soldiers during World War I and World War II.
Today, the Ladies of Charity raise money and donate to various organizations, including Miriam’s House, a shelter for battered women; Isaiah House 117, a temporary home for children transitioning to foster care; and Lynchburg Grows, a local vegetable garden. Their next big fundraiser is a bake sale scheduled for November.
Deacon Christopher Malone honored (below): Deacon Christopher Malone, who serves at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Richmond, was honored July 30 with the Distinguished Alumnus Award at the St. Meinrad Alumni Reunion. The seminary initiated its Permanent Deacon Formation program in 1999, and Deacon Malone was part of the first cohort of deacons to complete the program. He was ordained in 2003.
As a lawyer, Deacon Malone works with the homeless population and provides pro bono legal services to clients in need. At the cathedral, he serves on the parish council, is involved with the Haiti Committee, and serves as chair of the Social Justice Committee. Deacon Malone is president of the Board of Directors of St. Francis – Manchester, an assisted living community, and he is active in campus ministry.
The Distinguished Alumnus Award was established in 1990 to honor alumni who exemplify Gospel values.
Parties for past and present priests (below): Parishioners at Church of the Vietnamese Martyrs, Richmond, gathered twice in recent weeks to celebrate their priests. First, on July 28, a thanksgiving Mass and farewell reception was held for Dominican Father John Baptist Nghieu Nguyen, pastor for the last seven years. Afterward, he learned he was given permission to remain at the parish as priest-in-residence.
Then, a week later on Aug. 4, there was another thanksgiving Mass and reception – this time to welcome the two new priests, Dominican Father Anthony Tien Minh Dinh, the new pastor, and Dominican Father Joseph Chinh Trong Dinh, the new parochial vicar.
Knights of Columbus scholarship (right): Caelen Kucha, rising freshman at the University of Virginia and parishioner at Church of the Good Shepherd, Smithfield, received the Charles D. Arinello Memorial Scholarship, established by the Knights of Columbus Council #17335 of Smithfield last December. Charles Arinello, parishioner at Church of the Good Shepherd, died Jan. 24, 2020; his wife, Marie Arinello, and Robert Hickman, treasurer of the Knights of Columbus #17335, presented Kucha with the award.