Transfiguration of Our Lord Parish

We are the "Salty Servers" of Transfiguration Church of Syracuse.  From left to right we are:  Vincenza, Letty, Ana and Piri.

My name is Vincenza (aka Vinni).  After attending my first coffee and donuts after the Latin Mass and a "Mothers Rest" event, I could see the possibilities of our parish hall.  I gathered a few people that wanted to help and now have a wonderful time putting events together with Ana, Letty and Piri.  I'm always ready to do what I can to help our church grow in love, spirit and community.  

My name is Ana McConnell, and I help serve in our Hospitality Ministry. All I can share is my personal experience and that is that when I am sincerely and happily doing the Lord’s work with other like-minded people, there is a kind of joy that comes from it which cannot be explained. It is a contagious joy that lifts your spirit beyond words… it’s the reason you can be exhausted beyond belief and still have a smile on your face! 

Recently, Letty joined the Hospitality Ministry. She’s been a Transfiguration parishioner for a little over a year and it was just after the recent Pig Roast that she decided to take a leap of faith and offer us her help. 2 days later, she started cooking for the priests (something they have been looking forward to) and then decided she’d like to make almost 200 Bunuelos for the Pancake Breakfast… from scratch! These were her words at the end of an exhausting week of hard work for the Lord, “This has been the best week of my life!” So, you see… giving,
for the Lord, is undeniably amazing.

Having been a teacher and a principal in both public and Catholic schools offered many opportunities for organizing events, but most importantly, it revealed the importance of all community members to become contributers to their valued organization whether that was a school , a church or a social organization. My personal faith journey went full circle  -from the Latin Rite of my childhood through the changes and energy of the Second Vatican Council, back to the majesty and beauty of the Latin Rite. I have found great joy in becoming a member of this parish. I value my parish more each day and try to give from what I value.. I am Hungarian by ethnicity. The preparation and offering of hospitality is in the DNA of Hungarians. Working with the Salty Servers simply means being in sync with what is programmed into me. I am very much at home in my church and in its kitchen.  /s/ Piri Taborosi

Jesus told us that we are "the Salt of the Earth!"  Won't you prayfully consider joining the Salty Servers and together we'll sprinkle our salt on those we serve with joy!

Several weeks ago, I came across this reflection from One Bread, One Body, 8/10/2023. It was the perfect inspiration on how to arouse hearts and minds to the idea of serving our Lord and His people right here in our Parish Home. Let’s face it, we are a continually-growing church community and our priests have many pastoral duties and sacramental obligations which leave plenty of room for all of us to step up to plate and help fill-in the gaps.

Reflection: Almsgiving & All-Giving

There is “giving,” of which Jesus Himself said: “There is more happiness in giving than in receiving” (Acts 20:35). Then, there is giving bountifully (2Cor 9:6) and cheerfully, “for God loves a cheerful giver” (2Cor 9:7).

Next, there is “giving till it hurts,” that is, sacrificially. Finally, there is “giving all,” everything we have to live on (see Lk 21:4).

This last kind of giving is the giving:

• Done by Jesus on the cross and by the martyrs
• Called for by the first commandment, that is, loving God with all our hearts, all our souls, all our minds, and all our strength (Lk 10:27)
• By which we receive God’s kingdom (Mt 13:44-46)
• In which we, by faith, possess everlasting life (see Mt 19:16,21)
• Which is multipliable (see e.g. Mt14:17-21), and
• Which is dying to self and bears much fruit (Jn 12:24)

For love of Jesus crucified, give all.

Prayer: Father, may I not diminish the meaning of my life by giving less than “all”.
Promise: “God can multiply His favors among you so that you may always have enough of everything. 2 Cor 9:8.

Are you searching for ways to serve our Lord in a new and more meaningful way?  People with a Servant’s Heart are alive and well at Transfiguration Church… Will you give your all?

Submitted by Ana McConnell, September 2023
 

Day-of-Event Volunteers:

• Pick-up catered foods and deliver to church at the set time
• Receive and place pot-luck foods as they arrive in the Parish hall
• Re-plate foods onto serving platters, as needed
• Setup refreshments:  coffee prep, place serving utensils, place plates/napkins/silverware
• Serve food at the food line, replenish as needed.  Interact with those being served.  Remember to be Jesus to those we serve!
• Cook indoors (kitchen grill, stove, oven)
• Cook outdoors on Blackstone* or conventional grill
• Clean Up: 
  • clear hall of dirty dishes and cups,
  • wash and dry dishes and put away,
  • wipe all kitchen counters, dining hall tables/chairs, sweep around tables, Swiffer* if necessary,
  • take all garbage out to bins outside

 

Pre-event Volunteers:

• Plan the theme/event's purpose: Father Schultz, Holly, Vinni, Ana
• Shop for groceries.  The Church can provide gift cards for you or you can shop and submit receipts for reimbursement.
• Event Setup.  This usually starts on Wednesday afternoons, but we can meet on another day before the event.  Tasks include:
  • Clean-up Parish Hall, as needed
  • Arrange tables and chairs
  • Set the tables with tablecloths, place settings, etc.
  • Make and distribute centerpieces and other decorations
• Plan next setup day, if needed.