Tagaste Newsletter
Spring, 2020
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Lenten greetings to all of our SAR, Guild members, and the Hispanic Committee!
 
 

St. Augustine presides over the entrance to Tagaste Monastery as cherry and tulip trees
begin to bloom on a normal spring day; but nothing else is normal as all religious services
at Tagaste, at Sacred Heart Church, and throughout Rockland County have been suspended
 due to a frightening viral outbreak. St. Augustine: Pray for us!
 
 
We share with our brothers and sisters at Tagaste Monastery, Sacred Heart Parish, our Province of St. Nicholas, and the Order of Augustinian Recollects around the world in the physical, emotional, and spiritual pain resulting from the spread of the Corona Virus pandemic. It has been said so often in recent days that our world has changed, and our experience confirms that sad fact. Our community as well as our economic and liturgical life have been disrupted in so many ways, especially with the necessity of “social distancing” which prevents us from gathering for our SAR, Guild, and other activities that are so important for us in expressing our Augustinian Recollect charism. Unfortunately, this plague comes at a time when our Holy Week celebrations are imminent. Following archdiocesan directives, there can be no public celebration of Easter this year. We have had to forego our Day of Reconciliation (Confessions) and interrupt our catechetical and RCIA preparations so that the Sacraments of Initiation will have to be postponed until a later date.
 
Our most important message to all the Tagaste family is: please take care of yourselves and your families by following all health precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and continue your prayers unceasingly for God’s mercy and healing grace for the Church and the whole human family.
 
All religious and social activities have been suspended until further notice at Tagaste as well as at Sacred Heart Church (including, at the moment, even private devotion). Mass can now be viewed on the parish website ( www.sacredheartparish.org) streaming live on Sunday at noon and weekdays at 5:00 PM, subject, of course, to change. We are hoping that Masses will soon be taped so that they can be viewed at other times during the day on the website. Distribution of palms will not take place on Palm Sunday but at a later date (perhaps Corpus Christi).
 
Guild Activities. As you know, we made the decision for safety sake to cancel our St. Patrick’s dinner-dance sponsored by the Pius X Guild (March 14), the first time—I believe—in 50 years when we did not hold this traditional fund-raiser. Our annual Tagaste Golf Outing (May 13) is also cancelled in advance. Our deep appreciation to members of the Golf Committee for their hard work on this biggest Tagaste fund-raiser over the last 22 years. Hopefully we will be able to pick up on this great event again next year. The next meeting of the Guild, scheduled for April 19, is also suspended unless otherwise announced.
 
SAR activities. Our SAR fraternity met on March 4 for its regular monthly meeting and a reflection on one of Augustine’s Lenten sermons. The April meeting is, of course, suspended. As in the case of the Guild, we will regretfully have to wait for further developments before we can resume our meetings. On another sad note, we received word that our West Orange SAR president, Joseph Gruszczynski, died on March 27 at St. Barnabas Hospital in Livingston, NJ. Our deep condolences and prayers for his wife, Ella, daughters Elaine and Valerie, and the rest of the family, as well as to our West Orange fraternity.
 
St. Zita’s Villa. We must also reach out with our prayers and concern in a special way to the stricken community of St. Zita’s Villa in Monsey that has been so wounded by this terrible virus. Sr. Maureen Francis O’Shea, long time superior and friend of the Tagaste friars for decades, has recently died along with a number of the other residents including SAR professed member Susan Jarkiewitz. A Memorial Mass will be offered for all of our good friends at St. Zita’s when it is safe to gather once again. Continue to remember also Sr. Mary John Burke, last surviving member of the Congregation of Reparation of St. Zita who is critically ill at The Willows (Ramapo Nursing Home) and is a shining example of faith and even cheerfulness in the face of a painful and debilitating disease.
 
Greetings from Ireland. As most of you know, our former Guild president and SAR member, Peggy Evans, is now living in Ireland with her sister, Betty Lynch, in Bally Bunion. I speak to Peggy from time to time and she always expresses her interest in and love for Tagaste and all the members of the Guild. Peggy has been a shining example of dedication and generosity for so many years and—in the midst of so much bad news—its good to hear she is doing well. God bless Peggy: Lets accompany each other with our mutual prayers!