Letters

Blessed to Be Back

Posted

We are truly blessed at St. Mary’s of the Falls Church in Wappingers Falls, Dutchess County. We were able to reopen our doors to parishioners in June.

We were able to celebrate weekday masses at 8 a.m. and also to celebrate the vigil Mass on Saturday evening and three Masses every Sunday. With the adherence of our parish priest with the coronavirus regulations, we have been able to sanitize our church before and after every Mass. With the cooperation of our parishioners, we wear masks and maintain social distancing during the services.  

The first week St. Mary’s reopened, only about 40 people attended the vigil Saturday Mass; the Sunday 10 a.m. Mass was significantly fuller. By the second week, we found more parishioners attending all Masses. It seemed like every week, there were more and more parishioners attending Mass and also more taking advantage of the confessional. By the third week open, we heard the wonderful sounds of babies crying and toddlers running across the back of the church.

It has been such a blessing to be back in church and receiving the sacraments. Our pastor, Father Daniel D’Alliessi, has been working very hard to manage a church, which normally would have at least two priests. We are blessed to have him.

We are doubly blessed to have Auxiliary Bishop Geraldo Colacicco residing in our rectory. The bishop has been wonderful in helping out whenever he can. His homilies are marvelous. 

Father has been smiling at the end of every Mass when he tells us how many baptisms and weddings he has celebrated during the past week. Our church is alive and vibrant.

Every day a small group of ladies meet at 4 p.m. at the statue of Our
Lady to pray the Rosary for the end of the Covid-19 virus, for our parish church and for our beloved country. As a parish we are thriving and very thankful. We humbly ask all our brothers and sisters in the archdiocese to join us daily in praying the Rosary for our country.

Brenda Von Burg
Wappingers Falls