PRELUDE, November 2004

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR:

GIVING SQUANTO HIS DUE

Americans like to celebrate religious liberty at Thanksgiving, recalling how a brave band of English Separatists came to Massachusetts in search of freedom of worship and freedom of conscience. We do not always recall that the King of England also was throwing Catholics in jail, along with nearly everyone else who would not worship in his denomination. Most Americans have heard of Squanto, the Native American who saved the Pilgrims from starvation in the New World, but few of us know the whole story of his remarkable life. It is precisely those parts of his story that you have not heard that provide the best material for a Thanksgiving sermon, a children's message (there's one in my book "Sharing the Good News with Children" by St. Anthony Messenger Press), or your personal devotions in November.

Squanto grew up on Cape Cod, near the future site of Plymouth. While still a boy, he was kidnapped by an English sea captain who sold him into slavery, as were many indigenous people in their first encounters with Europeans, a part of our history we tend to ignore and one of the reasons that so many Americans have both Native and African ancestors. He finally escaped with the help of two Catholic priests, another aspect of his life that few Protestants know. With the help of an English merchant, he managed to make his way home, only to find that his tribe had contracted a foreign disease from English slave-traders: his family, his friends, and everyone he loved had died or had fled in fear.

When Squanto, lonely and hungry himself, saw this band of sick, starving English invaders, he could have easily lamented, "Well, there goes the neighborhood!" He had every reason to hate them and every reason to think that he could easily be rid of them: they did not know how to hunt, fish, farm, or gather wild plants to eat. He could have left them to die.

Instead, in an extraordinary act of interracial, interreligious hospitality he gathered food from the woods for them. He helped them buy corn and beans from nearby tribes. He showed them how to hunt deer and turkey with a bow and arrow, how to find eels and scallops to eat, how to dig clams out of the mud, how to find the best places to fish, and how to build traps to catch fish. He taught them to use big seashells as hoes. He showed them how to grow corn, which the English had never seen, putting tiny fish in the ground with corn seeds so the rotting fish would nourish the corn plants. Squanto also taught the Pilgrims which plants were good to eat, which were poisonous, and which ones could be used as medicine. He showed them how to cook fish over a fire, how to bake corn bread, and how to make maple syrup.

This last bit is probably the part of his life that you already knew. Even more important, though, he helped them make peace with the Native American tribes that lived nearby. Unlike my ancestors, the Puritans, the Pilgrims lived in harmony with the First Americans for generations. Without Squanto, they would not have lasted a few months.

After their first year in Massachusetts, the Pilgrims knew that they had much to thank God for: food, peace with their neighbors, and freedom to worship God the way they wanted. For hundreds of years, Native Americans had celebrated a harvest celebration every fall and they taught this custom to the English. The Pilgrims invited the Wampanoags, to come and make a peace treaty with them. Over 90 natives came to the feast, including their sachem Massasoit. The Wampanoags far outnumbered the 50 or so Pilgrims, and they brought most of the food for the feast, including five deer. For three days and nights, the Pilgrims and the natives ate together, prayed together, played games and sports, and sang and danced in a glorious multi-faith festival.

During this first Thanksgiving feast, the Pilgrim leader William Bradford said Squanto was "a special instrument sent by God to help us." We would do well to offer thanks to God ourselves for those Catholic priests whose compassion for an American slave helped religious liberty to flourish on these shores and for mercy shown to a band of new immigrants, and for the triumph over division of race and creed which is America at its best.

Shalom/Salaam/Shanti/Pax,
Tom



HELP OFFERED TO SOLDIERS AND VETERANS

Americans like to thank our soldiers and veterans for their military service on Veterans Day, but many of the men and women who are now serving face real financial hardships. This is particularly true of the families who have lost income while Guard, and Reserve members face extended tours of duty, and the Pentagon recently announced that their service in Iraq will be extended again, at least through January. The Long Island Housing Partnership, to which the LICC belongs, has a program called HEMAP that provides mortgage counseling, loans and grants to help those who are serving now or have served recently to prevent them from defaulting on their mortgages. For more information call 631-435-4710. And the LICC would be happy to present a free seminars on managing your money and avoiding bad loans in your church, senior centers, youth group, etc. Call 516-565-0290, ext. 206 to request a seminar on finances and stewardship.



WORTH QUOTING

The Church of Good Questions

"We are a church of good questions. We are seekers, pilgrims, saints and sinners. We are conservative, liberal, shy, certain, and doubting. Some of us are asking out loud, and others are harboring secret questions. We tend to stick around even when things get uncomfortable. We are a church that is trying to be more hospitable. Some of us are content where we are, but others are actively trying to deepen our spiritual lives. Some of us are babies when it comes to faith development, and others have been on the journey a long time. Above all, we do see faith life as a pilgrimage, a changing, moving, flowing, living thing. If this church had a motto, it might be, Travelers Wanted."
the Rev. Diane Samuels, "The Old Man's News" September 2004
(Mt. Sinai Congregational Church, UCC)


Religion as Wonder and Rejoicing

"Let religion be to us the wonder and lure of that which is only partly known and understood: an eye that glories in nature's majesty and beauty, and a heart that rejoices in deeds of kindness and of courage."
Vincent Silliman, "Singing the Living Tradition"
(shared by the Rev. Paul Johnson with our Public Issues Committee)


The Cross

"There are many things about Christianity that make it different from the other religions of the world, but the crux of all those differences lies in the story of the cross of Jesus . . .. his followers took that cross, not as a sign of shame, but as a symbol of hope and glory and declared it to be the hope of salvation for the world. Under the sign of that cross they went forth to challenge a culture and to change their world."
Dennis Kinlaw, "God on a Cross?"
Circuit Rider , September/October 2004


Getting Back Jesus

"Let's get Jesus back. The Jesus who inspired a Methodist ship-caulker named Edward Rogers to crusade across New England for an eight-hour workday. Let's get back the Jesus who caused Frances William to rise up against the sweatshop. The Jesus who called a young priest named John Ryan to champion child labor laws, unemployment insurance, a minimum wage, and decent housing for the poor - ten years before the New Deal.... The Jesus who led Martin Luther King to Memphis to join sanitation workers in their struggle for a decent wage."
Bill Moyers, "Zion's Herald" September/October 2004


LEFT BEHIND?

In recent months there has been much discussion and debate of several "overtures" or resolutions passed by the recent General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church USA. One of these condemned the theology called "Christian Zionism," which is best known through the "Left Behind" novels. Do you have any thought to share on this controversy?

The Rev. Jeff Krantz, pastor of Church of the Advent Episcopal Church in Westbury, offers his perspective at www.preachingpeace.org/NoRapture.pdf.

Lutheran pastors in Jerusalem and the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod have taken a look at these books. Bishop Munib Younan, leader of the Lutheran Church in the Holy Land, met with Lutheran pastors in Jerusalem recently and discussed a very helpful new resource examining these issues called "A Lutheran Response to the 'Left Behind' Series," developed by the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. The Bishop applauds this resource because "it reflects sound Christian theology and eschatology that needs to be emphasized and re-emphasized in today's world for the sake of the mission of the Church." Some conclusions of the study:

"The 'Left Behind' series fails to do justice to the Christ-centeredness of Scripture by encouraging people to fix their eyes on current events in the Middle East, the nuclear build up in other nations and the ongoing crisis in Israel, rather than upon Christ alone." Page 21

"The teaching that God promises through 'the rapture' to rescue true believers from the suffering of the 'great tribulation' of the end times also raises troublesome questions about God's care and compassion for the millions of believers throughout history (and in our present time) who have endured (and are enduring) unspeakable persecution and tribulation as a result of their faithful witness to Christ and His Gospel." Pages 20-21

The study considers these issues: the rapture and the millennium; Israel and the Church; the relationship of the Old Testament to the New Testament; the land of Israel; and the Book of Revelation. You can download a copy of the study at: www.lcms.org.

The Anti-Defamation League offers this analysis of the "Left Behind" series:

"Among those who have followed the series, there are varying opinions as to whether it is anti-Semitic. The fact that reasonable observers, both in and outside the church, have characterized as hostile to Jews some of the most successful books of the past decade suggests that these novels pose unusually subtle questions about what it means to be unfriendly to Jews.

"The contention is not that the Left Behind cycle is explicitly derogatory and stereotyped - it is not. It describes, however, a world in which Jews are not as fully human as Christians - unless they become Christians . . .

"Indeed, as some critics have noted, virtually every Jewish character in the series is a Messianic Jew, i.e., a Christian. Jews and Israel are accorded special regard, but solely because of their role in the unfolding of the apocalypse; neither Judaism nor Jewish history ever registers as significant in its own right.

"Again, it would be a mistake to conclude that Left Behind is expressly hostile to Jews. LaHaye and Jenkins are not haters. The series is often problematically conspiratorial, especially about government, but Jews do not secretly pull the levers. The clichéd language used by some Jewish characters is more of an artistic than ethical flaw. And, for better or worse, the authors are no more convinced of the inferiority of the Jewish faith than of any other of the non-Christian possibilities....

"Jews are not hated in the Left Behind books. They are merely different: not-quite-human pawns in God's plan, cosmic curiosities."



TV WORTH WATCHING:

"The Empty Chair"

Nearly every major denomination opposes capital punishment, as do many other faith communities, but church members often support executions. Why has our Christian witness been so ineffective?

The answer may lie, in large part, in the failure of many who object to state sanctioned killing to take seriously the experience of those left behind by murder. "The Empty Chair," a new film by Jacqui Lofaro and Victor Teich, shows us four families where there will always be "an empty chair," as Sister Helen Prejean puts it, an image stunningly symbolized by 168 tombstones shaped like empty chairs at the memorial to the victims of the Oklahoma City bombing.

They take many forms, all of them profoundly senseless. The killers in "The Empty Chair" range from militia members to foreign terrorists to a crazed police officer next door. Their victims include both an impoverished elderly couple in rural Oklahoma who were killed for $61 and a young man blown up over Lockerbie, Scotland, on Pan Am flight 103. The responses of their families are equally varied: some heal eventually; others rage at God for years; one sculpts stunning statues of loss.

Our criminal justice system itself does injustice to survivors, they point out, by unreasonably asking them to remain silent and unmoved in court while the accused confront the evidence against them. When it comes time to press for executions, prosecutors and politicians cite their pain and their "need for closure" - whatever that means - but do not heed their pleas for mercy.

Renny Cushing tells how hard it was to sit through the trial of his father's murderer. Much to his own amazement, though, Cushing finds himself developing sympathy for another silent witness to the proceedings, the son of his father's killer. Cushing, a state legislator, testifies before his fellow lawmakers that sending another son to witness his father's death "would only compound the pain" of the victim's family. He cannot yet forgive his father's killer, Cushing admits, but he nonetheless urges the legislature to abolish capital punishment. They ignore his anguished, heartfelt plea.

One survivor defends execution as the appropriate punishment for murder and another woman, who insists she cannot forgive, lobbies actively for capital punishment, but the death penalty appears to have done little to ease the grief of either of them. Another survivor, Sue Norton, finds that forgiving her stepparents' killer, an Aryan Brother named B. K. Knighton, was far more unnerving to this tough guy than any hatred he had experienced. It was also, she says, the beginning of healing for both of them. Sue slowly leads him to faith, despite his initial refusal to listen to anything she had to say about Jesus. Later, she pleas "do not kill in my name" and urges the abolition of the death penalty, but the state of Oklahoma "spends $3 million to send B. K. to heaven."

"The Empty Chair" is primarily about the families of victims rather than the accused killers, but it does touch upon the toll the death penalty takes on those whom we ask to do our killing for us. Donald Cabana, the former warden of Mississippi State Prison, assures us that he had no qualms whatsoever about ordering guards to open fire on rioting inmates, but carrying out an execution always left him "feeling unclean." Cabana tells how he came to have doubts about the efficacy of executing criminals: he asked hundreds of Death Row Residents if they ever thought for a moment about the death penalty before committing their crimes. It did not cross the mind of a single one. So much for deterrence. To this day the former warden is haunted by the final words of one inmate: "You are about to become a murderer."

"The Empty Chair" airs on Sunday, November 14, at noon on the Hallmark Channel. It raises good questions about justice and mercy, forgiveness and healing, advocacy and effectiveness.

--TWG-



WORTH READING:

"BETHLEHEM BESIEGED"

"Bethlehem Besieged: Stories of Hope in Times of Trouble," by Mitri Raheb, Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2004, 160 pages, paperback, $13.00.

Christians love to sing about the "little town of Bethlehem" but have little idea what it is like to a follower of Jesus there today. A new book by the Rev. Mitri Raheb, the Lutheran pastor in Bethlehem, who spoke recently at Epiphany Lutheran Church in Hempstead, may change forever the way we understand the old Christmas carols.

"Bethlehem Besieged" opens with a gripping account of the Israeli invasion in April 2002. Soldiers shell the Lutheran church center and ransack its offices. Palestinian gunmen, mostly Muslims, take shelter in the Church of the Nativity and six die there, the first time in nearly two millennia the sanctuary became a killing ground. A false report that Raheb has been killed sends panic through the community. As his family seeks shelter first in one room, then another, a neighbor watches helplessly for hours as his mother bleeds to death, with ambulances barred from coming to her aid.

The siege at Manger Square lasted six agonizing weeks, but as Raheb points out, the town itself has been besieged for years. In the wake of the invasion, anger is directed at many targets: Israeli soldiers, Muslim gunmen, and Western Christians who did little to end the siege.

Raheb describes how war, occupation, demonstrations, the first, largely peaceful Intifada, the second bloody Intifada, and years of curfews and travel restrictions have shaped his life. He does not blame Israel for all these privations but admits Palestinian leaders have made life harder for their people: "We are paying a heavy price for their miscalculations, for following false prophet, and for ill-management." He also insists Palestinians must confess that their sins have brought disaster upon themselves: "the militarization of the Intifada, the use of guns in an otherwise nonviolent struggle, and the suicide bombings against civilians." Palestinians also have been victimized by Europeans who feel guilty about the Holocaust, he notes, by Jewish reaction to their own victimization, by Arab politicians who use the Palestinian cause for political advantage rather than seek solutions to suffering, and by the Christian Right, which supports Israeli expansion because they want to hasten Armageddon and the final destruction of Judaism. There is plenty of blame to go around.

There also are grace notes, though, in the midst of trauma. A young Hamasi is so ashamed of the conduct of his fellow militants that he turns away from other Muslims and forms a friendship with the Franciscan friar who treats his illness and saves his life. After the standoff ends, worshippers are joined by Christians from Sweden, Germany, and the United States - and three Israeli peace activists. Afraid they may not be welcome, the Israelis learn that Palestinian Christians have no trouble distinguishing between Jewish neighbors and occupation troops.

The ministry of the Christmas Church also provides inspiring tales of hope. They organize an international art exhibit; asked to paint Christ from a Palestinian perspective, Muslim artists depict him crucified, even though the Quran rejects this central teaching of Christianity. The Church's "Bright Stars" program convinces 1,000 Palestinian children confined by curfews and road closings that they have a future in Bethlehem that is worth living. A Lutheran pastor from Minnesota arranges for the restoration of a long-unusable hundred-year old organ - just in time for the candlelight service.

We need to know not only our own history but also that of our adversaries. In our current struggle against terrorism and Islamist extremism, we should at least learn the stories of our fellow believers in the land of Jesus.

--TWG--



DID YOU KNOW?

  • The United Methodist Church of Bay Shore recently started a soup kitchen that serves dinner every Thursday from 4:00 to 6:30 p.m. at East Main Street & Second Avenue. For more information, or to volunteer, call 631-666-7194.

  • Parkway Community Church (RCA) in Hicksville has started a "Dutch Treat Café" that offers fellowship and a hot lunch on Tuesdays and Fridays to seniors, the unemployed, and the homeless. For more information, call the Rev. Hank Lay, their pastor and a member of the LICC Board of Governors, at 516-938-1233.

  • Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, Director of the Center for Action and Contemplation, will lead a retreat on "Men Matter: A Quest for the True Self" on Saturday, Nov. 20, from 9:30 to 4:30 at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in Manhattan (405 West 59th Street, near Columbus Circle). The cost is $35 and the Center for Action & Contemplation are trying to match up anyone who needs scholarship assistance with those who might like to sponsor them. To get further information or to register on-line, visit www.cacradicalgrace.org/conferences/conferences_menmatter.html.


JOB OPENINGS

Church Custodian:
St. David's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Massapequa Park is seeking a responsible individual to join our Custodial Staff. This is a part time position with a flexible daytime schedule. It has both janitorial and custodial responsibilities. Duties include: schedule and interact with service personnel; plan and complete minor repair projects; schedule and coordinate routine maintenance of boiler and A/C units; strip, wax and buff floors on schedule; insure that entrances, sidewalks and handicap access ramps are kept clear of snow; manage fire prevention and detection program to insure that it meets all required safety standards; oversee ordering of janitorial and paper supplies; other duties that contribute to the upkeep of our building facility at St. David's. The ideal candidate will be a self-starter with keen organizational skills. Compensation will be based on experience, in the range of $12-15 per hour. Interested persons should contact Property Committee Co-Chairman Michael Maione at (516) 797-0940.

Spanish Speaking Preacher:
Prince of Peace Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brentwood is seeking someone fluent in Spanish to lead Sunday afternoons or evening worship and preach in Spanish. Please contact Prince of Peace by writing or calling the Rev. Dr. Michael L. Bennett, pastor, 800 Candlewood Road, Brentwood 11717/631-273-5444/docben2003@aol.com.


NEEDED/OFFERED

Offered:

"The Faiths of Long Island" DVD/VHS:
The new video by the Long Island Multi-Faith Forum is now available in both DVD and VHS (for your VCR) formats. This 30-minute video, made by Michael Fairchild and the Forum, quickly introduces you to eleven religions on Long Island. It is an excellent resource for confirmation classes, youth groups, social studies courses, adult education, and personal edification. The suggested donation is $30 per DVD or VHS, plus $5 for shipping and handling. Checks should be made out to LIMFF and mailed to the LICC at 1644 Denton Green, Hempstead, NY 11550. Order forms will be included in the printed and snail-mailed version of this newsletter. For bulk orders, call Arvind Vora at 631-269-1167.

Free Retreat for Those Living with HIV/AIDS:
Fr. Clark Berge will lead a retreat for persons living with HIV/AIDS December 3-5, beginning at 5:00 p.m. Friday and ending Sunday at 2:00 p.m. It is open to all persons--people living with the virus, and their caregivers, family members. The retreat will look at the impact spirituality has on living with HIV. Although we are Christian, the emphasis will be on a larger, interfaith understanding of spirituality. For those who wish to participate, the brothers will continue the regular prayer services of the friary, but guests are not expected/required to attend. We offer a very broad welcome to people of all faiths. The retreat is free of charge. He invites one and all to a concert (World Peace Party) on Saturday, November 13, at the Patchogue Theatre by Jack's Waterfall, and part of the proceeds of that concert will go to support this HIV/AIDS retreat. Tickets to the concert can be purchased at the Patchogue Theatre. (631) 207-1300. For more information and reservations for the retreat weekend, please call (631) 473-0553 or e-mail Clarkssf@aol.com.

New videos in the LICC lending library:
"Hunger No More: Faces behind the Facts" - the recent ABC/NCC documentary

Alternative to Violence Workshop:
Westbury Friends Meeting (550 Post Avenue, the southeast corner of Post and Jericho Turnpike) is offering a workshop on "Alternatives to Violence" November 19 through 21. The registration fee of $45 includes all meals. To register or receive further information, call Daisy Palmer at 516-333-7173.


Needed:

Drivers:
The LICC needs drivers to pick up food donations in Garden City on Saturday, Nov. 20, from 1:00 to 5:00 and then schlep them to our 404 Peninsula Blvd. Center in Hempstead, either that afternoon or during the week. To volunteer, please call Alric Kennedy, our Director of Community Resources, at 516-0265-0290, ext. 204, or email alrickennedy@optonline.net.

Thanksgiving Baskets:
We expect to give out about 300 baskets at our Hempstead Food Pantry. You can help! If possible, donations should be received by the first week of November so distribution can start on Monday, November 15, 2004. Donations will be gratefully accepted for:
  • Frozen Turkeys
  • Bread for stuffing
  • Canned white & sweet potatoes
  • Cranberry sauce
  • Canned corn, beans, greens
  • Corn bread mix
  • Powdered or canned milk
  • Canned pumpkin, pie crust mix
  • Coffee, tea, juice
Donations of money are also needed! Thank you for your assistance! Donations can be delivered to the Long Island Council of Churches Food Pantry at 404 Peninsula Boulevard in Hempstead.
  • 516-486-2272 (pantry)
  • 516-565-0290/0390 (office)


WORSHIP IN MANY LANGUAGES

Does your local clergy association include non-English language congregations in community gatherings for Thanksgiving, Epiphany, Martin Luther King Day, Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, or Easter? Having a Scripture reading in Spanish, an anthem in Malayalam and a Benediction in Vietnamese might make your worship much livelier. Here are some services and what we know about those who lead them:

SPANISH WORSHIP SERVICES IN NASSAU COUNTY:

Elmont:
•St. Boniface, Sunday, 1 p.m., Fr. Angelo Resulto , 354-0715
Farmingdale:
•St. Killian's, 285 Conklin Avenue, Saturday, 6:15 pm, Rev. Angelo Resultay, , 249-0127
Freeport:
•Iglesia Luterana de Cristo, 61 N. Grove Street, Sunday, 10:00 a.m., Pastor Michael Wilker, 378-1258
•United Methodist Church, 46 Pine St., Pastor Nelson Bonilla, 546-3745
•Our Holy Redeemer, 37 South Ocean Avenue, Sunday, 1 pm; Thursday, 7:30 pm, Saturday, 7 pm, Rev. Freddy Lozzano Cruz, 378-0665
•Church of the Nazarene, Alexander & Amanda Madrigal, 867-3351
Glen Cove:
•St. Patrick's, 235 Gleen Street, Sunday, 9 a.m., 378-0665
•Iglesia Apostolica--at 1st Presbyterian--Rev. Christinos Fuentes
•Seventh-Day Adventist--at 1st Presbyterian, Saturday, Rev Samuel Orozco 294-0745
Glenwood Landing:
•Iglesia Pentecostal Nueva Vida Assemblia de Dios, (at Glenwood Presbyterian Church, 71 Grove Street), Sunday, 2 p.m. & Thursday, 7:30 p.m.
Great Neck:
•St. Aloysius, 590 Middle Neck Road, Saturday, 7:30 pm, Rev. Jose Quiocate, 482-2770
Hempstead:
•Hispanic United Methodist Pastor Victoria Luna, 486-8495
•Iglesia Presbiteria, 1644 Denton Green, Sunday, 10:30 a.m., Pastor Rudolfo Saborio, 564-0201
•Iglesia Lutherana, 536 South Franklin, Pastor Heriberto Prudencio, 486-3287
•Our Lady of Loretto, Sat, 9 am; Sun, 9 am & 12:30 pm; Mon-Wed-Fri, 7:30 p.m., 489-3675
Hicksville:
•St. Ignatius Loyolla, Sunday, 7:15 pm, 931-0056
Inwood:
•Our Lady of Good Counsel, Sunday, 8:30 a.m., 239-0953
Island Park:
•At United Methodist Church, Pastor Domingo Moro
Long Beach:
•St. Mary of the Isle, Sunday, 10 a.m.
Manorhaven:
•Our Lady of Fatima, Saturday, 7 p.m.
Mineola:
•Corpus Christi, 155 Garfield Ave., Saturday, 8 p.m., Rev. Tomaz Gomide, 746-1223
New Hyde Park:
•Notre Dame, Sunday, 7 p.m.
Oceanside:
•St. Anthony, Sunday, 12:30 p.m.
Oyster Bay:
•St. Dominic, 93 Anstice Street, Saturday, 7 p.m., 922-4488
Rockville Centre:
•St. Agnes Cathedral, Saturdays, 7:30 p.m.
•Seventh Day Adventist Church, 280 Lakeview Ave., Sat. 9:30 a.m., Wed. 7:30 p.m., Carlos Aragones
Roosevelt:
•Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, 196 W. Centennial Ave., Sunday, 1:15, 378-1315,
•Iglesia Pentecostal de Jesucristo Refugio Eterno, 184 Nassau Rd., Sunday, 3 & 6 p.m., Rev. Jose Arnoldo Munoz, 379-0658
Uniondale:
•St. Martha's, 546 Greengrove Avenue, 481-2550, Sunday, 8:45 am, Rev. Edward Sullivan
Valley Stream:
•Church of the Nazarene, Rev. Magdiel Alvarez 718-323-1954
Westbury:
•St. Brigid, Sunday, 11:30 a.m.


SPANISH WORSHIP IN SUFFOLK:

Aquebogue:
•Ministerios Sion (at 1st Parish Church) Pastor Enrique Carbajal, Sunday, 1:30; Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, 7:30 p.m.
Amagansett:
•St. Michael's Lutheran Saturday, 7 p.m. 631-267-6351
Babylon:
•St. Joseph's , Sunday, 10 a.m., 631-669-0068
Bay Shore:
•Church of the Nazarene Rev. Florentino Murillo, 968-5269
•Iglesia Bautista, 33 Connecticut Ave., 665-2457
•Seventh-Day Adventist, 1721 N. 5th Ave., Saturday, Pastor Efrain Pena, 631-951-4263
Brentwood:
•Christ Episcopal Church, 155 3rd Avenue, Sunday, noon, Rev. Frank Elcock, 273-9504
•Church of the Nazarene Rev. John Robalino, 952-3226
•Iglesia Bautista de el Valle 28 6th Avenue, 273-5563
•Iglesia Presbitera, 140 McNair Street, Sunday, 10 a.m., Mario Fernandez & Enrique Rivas, 631-273-2320
•Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Dr. Michael Bennett, 273-5444
•St. Anne's, Saturday, 7 p.m., Sunday, 9 a.m., Thursday 7:30 p.m., 631-273-8113
•St. Luke's, 266 Wicks Rd., Wed., Thurs., Sat., 8:30 a.m.; Sat., 7 p.m. & Sun., 9:15 a.m., Fr. Raul Londono, 631-273-1110
•Primera Iglesia Pentecostal Roca de Salvaction, 65 Bradley St., Sunday, 3:00, Pastor Jose Espinal, 434-1038
Bridgehampton:
•Iglesia Cristiana Faro a las Naciones (at United Methodist Church), Sunday, 5 p.m. 537-4864
•Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, Sunday 11:30 a.m., 537-0156
Center Moriches:
•St. John the Evangelist, Saturday, 7:30 p.m., 878-0009
Central Islip:
•Grace Lutheran Church, Rev. Morales, 234-8514
•United Methodist Church Sundays, 1 p.m. & Thursdays, 7:30 p.m., Rev. Enrique Lebron, 234-6539
•St. John of God, 84 Carleton Avenue, Sunday, 9:30 a.m. 5:00 pm, 12:30 p.m.; Tuesday, 7:30 p.m., Rev. James Kissane, 234-6535
•Iglesia de Cristo de Long Island (at NYIT on Carleton Ave.), Sunday, 10:30 & noon, 772-2889
Copiague:
•Our Lady of the Assumption, 1 Molloy Street, Sunday, 11:45 am, Rev. Camillo Lugo, 842-5211
Coram:
•St. Frances Cabrini, Monday-Friday, 10:45 a.m., 732-8445
Dix Hills:
•St. Matthew's, 35 N. Service Road, Saturday, 7:30 pm, Rev. Bonaventure Thekkeveetil, 499-8520
East Hampton:
•Church of the Nazarene (at United Methodist Church) Sunday, Wednesday & Friday, 7:30 p.m. Pastor Hector Ocasio.
•Iglesia De Cristo, 500 Route 114, Sunday, 10:00 & noon, Ministro Emanuel Chinchilla, 728-3872
•Most Holy Trinity, 44 Meadow Way, Sunday 7 p.m. 342-0134
East Patchogue:
•St. Joseph the Worker, Saturday, 7 p.m., 286-9133
Farmingville:
•Church of the Resurrection, 50 Granny Street, Sunday, 6:30 pm, 696-0232
Greenport:
•St. Agnes (Front & 6th) Saturday, 8 p.m.
Hampton Bays:
•St. Rosalie, Montauk Highway, Sunday, 4 p.m., 283-4379
Huntington Station:
•St. Hugh of Lincoln, Sunday, 8:15 a.m. & Wed. 7:30 p.m. 427-0638
•Iglesia Centro Evangelistica Cristo el Salvador, 1799 New York Ave., Sunday 2 p.m., Pastor Benny Valentin, 631-547-1338
Mastic Beach:
St. Jude's, 89 Overlook Drive, Saturday, 7:30 pm, Rev. Ivan Gonzalez, 281-5743
Mattituck:
•Church of New Jerusalem (at Mattituck Presbyterian), Pastor Roberto Salcedo
Montauk:
•St. Therese of Lisieux, 67 Essex, Saturday, 7 p.m., 283-4379
Moriches:
•Fuente de Jacob Pentecostal Church, Sunday, 11 a.m.; Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Pastor Enrique Guadelupe 878-0566
Patchogue:
•Iglesia Bautista Beth-El, Sunday, 11:15 & 12:15, Rev. Juan Carlos Rivera, 395-4003
•St. Francis de Sales Sunday, 9:15 a.m. & Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.
Port Jefferson:
•Infant Jesus Church, Sunday, 10 a.m.
Port Jefferson Station:
•Emmanuel Church of God, Sunday at 2:30 & Wednesday at 7 p.m., Pastors Eli & Annie Turnil, 737-5303
Riverhead:
•St. John the Evangelist, 546 St. John's Place, Sunday, 7 p.m.
Sag Harbor:
•Community Bible Church, 2837 Noyac Road, Sunday, 4:30 p.m., 897-7159
Southampton:
•Sacred Heart, 2 Hill Street, Sunday, 12:30 p.m., 283-4379
•United Methodist Church, 160 Main St., Sunday, 8:30 p.m.
Watermill:
•Christian & Missionary Alliace, 1225 Montauk Highway, Sunday, 10 a.m., 726-4889
Westhampton Beach:
•Immaculate Conception, 580 West Main St., Sunday 5 p.m.
Wyandanch:
•Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Sunday, 9:45 a.m.


CHINESE:

Lake Grove:
•Elim Chinese Baptist Church, 163 Hallock Rd., Sunday, 11 a.m. (Cantonese & Mandarin), Pastor Timothy T. L. Wong 631-467-4507


FRENCH/HAITIAN:

Amityville:
•Ephraim Seventh-Day Adventist, 85 Coolidge St., Sat., 9:30; Wed., 7:30 p.m., Louis Matellus, 516-997-8477
Brentwood:
•St. Anne's Catholic Church, 88 Second Avenue, Sunday 1 pm., Rev. Marc Jerome 631-273-8113
Elmont:
•St. Boniface Catholic Church, 631 Elmont Road, Sunday, 10:30 am, Rev. Ricardo Patrick, 354-0715
Roosevelt:
•Eglise de Dieu de la Prophetie, 39 Mansfield Ave., Sunday, 11:15 am, 516-379-4879
•Eglise Pentecotiste des Pecheurs D'Hommes. 47 E. Fulton Avenue, Sunday, 10 a.m. 516-377-8875
•Roosevelt-Freeport Church of Christ, 24 Woods Avenue, Sunday, 11 am, 516-378-0380
Uniondale:
•St. Martha's Church, 546 Greengrove Ave., Sun. 1:30 & Wed 7 pm, Rev. Sully Sam, 516-481-2550
•St. Brigid's Church, 75 Post Avenue, Westbury 11590, Sunday, 2:30 pm
•Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, 1434 Straight Path, Wyandanch, Sunday, 7:30 p.m., Rev. Moise Aime, 631-643-7568


ITALIAN:

Elmont:
•St. Vincent de Paul Church, 1500 De Paul St., Sunday, 9 am, 516-352-2127
Glen Cove:
•St. Rocco's, 18 Third Avenue, Sunday, 8:45 am, Rev. Aaron Vellaramparmpil 516-676-2482
Mastic Beach:
•St. Jude's Church, 89 Overlook Drive, Sunday, 8 am, Rev. James Atkins, 631-281-5743


KOREAN

Bethpage:
•Arumdaun Presbyterian Church, 995 Stewart Ave., Sunday 8:30 & 11 a.m., Pastor Il Michael Hwang, 516-349-5559
Commack:
•LI Korean United Methodist Church, 486 Town Line Road, Sunday, 6 a.m. & 2 p.m.; Wednesday, 8:30 p.m., Rev. Soo Cheon Kim, 631-499-1260
Dix Hills:
•Bible United Methodist Church of New York, 1201 Carl's Straight Path, Rev. Chong Il Kim, 631-243-5683
•New Life Presbyterian Church, at St. Lawrence of Canterbury Church, 655 Old Country Road, Sunday at 1 pm
Garden City:
•Korean Church of Long Island, 91 Chester Avenue, Sunday 10 a.m., Pastor Choong Sik Ahn, 516-775-0016
Great Neck:
•Korean United Methodist Church of New York, 715 Northern Blvd., Rev. John Seongmo Park, 516-466-8063
•St. Aloysius, 590 Middle Neck Road, Sunday, 8:45 am and 3 pm, Rev. Benadictus Do Ha Bae, 516-482-2770
Lake Grove:
•Korean Presbyterian Church of Suffolk, 163 Hallock Rd., Sun. 9 a.m. Pastor Joseph Yoon 631-467-4507
Old Westbury:
•Ban Suk United Methodist Church, 11 Powells Lane, Rev. Dea Hee Kim, 516-997-8620
Oyster Bay:
•St. Dominic Church, 93 Anstice Street, Sunday, 10:30 a.m., Rev. Paul Do, 516-922-4488.
Plainview:
•United Methodist Church, 992 Old Country Road, Rev. Kenny Yi, 516-681-1713
Rockville Centre:
•St. Mark's Korean United Methodist Church, 200 Hempstead Avenue, Rev. Young Shik Kim, 516-678-6625
Smithtown:
•Nanime Presbyterian Church, 175 East Main St., Sunday, 1:30 p.m.
Syosset:
•Faith Korean Presbyterian Church, 220 Berry Hill Road, Pastors Jinsuk Kim & Yoonhwan Monch Kim, 516-364-9848
•Soung Young Church, 36 Church Street, Sunday, noon, Rev. Tae Kean Kim, 718-225-2990


MALAYALAM/SYRO-MALABAR:

Floral Park:
•Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church, (Syro-Malabar Catholic), Rev. Joseph Kandathikudy
•St. Gregorios Malankara Orthodox, 175 Cherry Lane, Sunday, 9 am, Rev. Thomas Paul, 516-775-2281
Franklin Square:
•St. Basil Malankara Orthodox, 17 Randolph Ave., Sunday, 8:15 am, Rev. P. S. Samuel, 516-561-7377
vHempstead:
•St. John Chrysostom Malankara, 115 Greenwich St., Rev. Saji George Mukkoot 516-825-2210
Lynbrook:
•St. Mary's Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church, Carpenter Ave. & Union Place, Sundays 9:30 a.m., Fr. Rajan Peter 516-887-1699
Merrick:
•Long Island Mar Thoma Church, 2350 South Merrick Ave., Vicar K. P. Sabu 516-623-1456
Seaford:
•Church of South India, 3833 Jerusalem Ave., Sunday, 10:30 a.m., Rev. Sam Mathew
Westbury:
•St. Peter's & St. Paul Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church, 555 Advent St.-Winthrop Hall
Williston Park:
•Jubilee Memorial Church of South India, 147 Campbell Avenue, Sunday, 10:30 a.m. Rev. Sabu Cherian


POLISH:

Copiague:
•Our Lady of the Assumption, 1 Molloy Street, Saturday, 7:15 pm & Sunday 9 am, Rev. Leszek Wieaszek, 631-842-5211
Cutchogue:
•Our Lady of Ostrabrama 3000 Depot Lane, Sunday, 9:15 am, Pastor Wladyslaw Rudnicki 631-734-6446
Floral Park:
•St. Hedwig Church, 1 Depan Avenue, Sunday, 11 am; Monday-Saturday, 8 am, Rev. Francis Filmanski 516-354-0042
Hempstead:
•St. Ladislaus, 18 Richardson Place, Sunday, 9:30 am, Msgr. Edward Wawerski 516-489-0368
Lindenhurst:
•Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Sat. 7:30 pm, 226-7725
Riverhead:
•St. Isadore 622 Pulaski Street, Sunday, 10:30 am, Fr. Joseph Walas, 727-2114
Southampton:
•Our Lady of Poland, 35 Maple Avenue, Sunday, 8 pm, Pastor Stanislaw Kondeja 631-283-0667


PORTUGESE:

Brentwood:
•Assembly of God, at Brentwood Presbyterian Church, 125 Second Avenue, Pastor Coelho, 631-968-8935.
Farmingville:
•Church of the Resurrection, 50 Granny Street, Sunday, 10:30 am, Rev. Tomaz Doming, 696-0232
Mineola:
•Corpus Christi Church, 155 Garfield Ave., Sunday, 8:30 a.m., Rev. Tomaz Gomede, 516-746-1223.


UKRANIAN:

Hempstead:
•St. Vladimir's Ukranian Catholic Church, 709 Front Street, Sunday, 9 & 11 a.m., Rev. Maxim Kobasuk, 516-481-7717
West Islip:
•Holy Family Ukranian Catholic Church, 471 Montauk Highway, Sundays at 10:15 a.m., Father Nicholas Popovici, 631-661-0031


And the most multilingual of all:

•St. John the Theologian (Orthodox Church in America) 158 West End Avenue, Shirley, Sunday, 10 a.m., blends English, Greek, Russian, Bularian, Slavonic, and Romanian. Fr. Jonathan Ivanoff 631-281-5960


If you have updates or additions for this list, please send them to the LICC via phone (516-565-0290 ext.206), fax (516-565-0291), email (licc@optonline.net), or snail mail (1644 Denton Green, Hempstead, NY 11550).



The Long Island Council of Churches is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit. All gifts are deeply appreciated and are tax-deductible.

Tom Goodhue
Executive Director
Long Island Council of Churches
1644 Denton Green
Hempstead, NY 11550
voice: 516-565-0290, ext. 206
fax: 516-565-0291
email: licchemp@aol.com
Web: www.ncccusa.org/ecmin/licc


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