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For the first decade or so of Holy Spirit parish’s existence, if you asked a parishioner where they were going on Sunday, they could have answered with “to a convent” or “to a theater.”
The Cortlandt Manor parish, which just concluded its 50th jubilee year, may not have a long history, but it sure has an interesting one. For the first decade, Masses weren’t celebrated in a church building but at the former Villa Loretto, a convent of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, and later, at Beach Theater, located inside a shopping mall.
From 1976 through 2011, Masses were celebrated in an all-purpose parish center. It wasn’t until five years ago that the parish had a specific church building.
“It definitely is a very prayerful place,” said Father John DeBellis, who has served as pastor since the summer of 2013.
He described the church as traditional, noting in particular a stained-glass window created for the new church. “The main window is one of the Holy Spirit, which was also on our prayer card for the anniversary,” the pastor said.
Cardinal Dolan celebrated an outdoor Mass on May 15 to mark the parish anniversary. More than 800 people attended. The Knights of Columbus Color Corps were present. Other anniversary activities included a concert performed by the TreasureHouse Chorale of Westchester, a golf outing, and a parish mission featuring Paulist Father John Collins.
Situated on a hill, the church is on the border of Cortlandt Manor and Peekskill. Parishioners come from both towns as well as from nearby Mohegan Lake, Jefferson Valley and Crompond.
Holy Spirit has 1,750 registered families. There are 650 children in the religious education program, and an average of 10 people participate annually in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults program.
Parishioners are active, welcoming and friendly, Father DeBellis said in an interview last week. “There is a great interest in community and service,” he said. “What I hope to do over the coming years is develop and establish more outlets for service and community.”
That interest in service is not merely local. “Our Family Life and Respect Life group is currently working on developing a relationship with Catholics in Syria. We are looking to find ways to be helpful to them amidst the current global crisis.” The parish made the connection with the Syrian church through Sister Lorelle Elcock, O.P., of the Dominican Sisters of Hope. She knows sisters within the Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine of Siena serving people there.
Father DeBellis has established a bereavement support group. “It gives people the opportunity to express and to rediscover their faith again and to connect with others who are experiencing similar things.”
Another active group is called Catholics in Real Life for those in their 30s and 40s. The group has about 70 members from Holy Spirit and surrounding parishes. It is open to single people and married couples. They hold gatherings, barbecues, mornings of recollection, Lenten suppers and other events.
Tracy Shields is one of four organizers. “Often, unless a person our age has kids, there are few links that keep them connected to Church outside of Sunday Mass,” she said.
“We wanted to bridge that gap, which is why our tag line is ‘Living our faith beyond Sunday.’ Engaging in interesting, fun activities in a casual setting makes it easy for someone—wherever they are in their relationship with God and the Church—to come to our events. That’s a major part of our goal as a group.”
Father DeBellis and the parish also do outreach to senior citizens. He noted that some seniors have a propensity toward isolation and loneliness. He said, “Anything we can do to help them have more social time with others is great—to let them know that there are others here that are interested in their needs.”
He praised his parishioners for their generosity of time and talent. “They have made my time as pastor a very simple one because they are always ready and willing. My desire for a sense of real community and service is certainly matched by their own desire for it as well. It’s a good marriage.”
