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AUGUST 2021

the phi lipian

A P U B L I C AT I O N O F S T . P H I L I P N E R I C AT H O L I C C H U R C H

LITURGICAL ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY Beautifying the Church to Enhance Our Worship

Liturgical Environment Ministry leader Diane DeSena with hydrangeas grown on parish grounds.

hen Diane and Frank DeSena moved to Indian Land seven years ago and first started attending Mass at St. Philip Neri, Diane was captivated by the sheer beauty of the church building and the sanctuary. Having an extensive background in both liturgy and liturgical décor after 30 years working for the Diocese of Rockville Centre on Long Island, N.Y., Diane knew that one day she would again hear the Lord calling her into service, but was content to simply sit back, observe and worship in the pew until that time. “We have a beautiful church just as it is, and we are very blessed,” Diane says.

“However, liturgical décor can always be enhanced to create a more welcoming environment that draws people in so they can focus on prayer and participate more fully at Mass.” Two years after joining St. Philip Neri, her beloved husband, Frank, unexpectedly passed away in December 2016. Soon after, Diane heard the Lord calling her to service once again, and she willingly answered the call. “My greatest love when I was working at my home parish in Lynbrook (N.Y.) was being on the arts and environment committee, and I knew that this was something that I could share with my parish,” she says. continued on page 7

Meet Our

Knights of Columbus Service and Catholic Brotherhood Within the St. Philip Neri Parish Community

hen Chris Alcorn was coming into the Catholic Church through RCIA at St. Philip Neri in 2005, he was first introduced to members of the local Knights of Columbus. Little did he know at the time the impact this storied Catholic organization would have on his life. “Before I became Catholic, I actually thought they were just the old guys with the funny hats, and I wasn’t sure what they did,” Chris says. “I was introduced to the Knights during my RCIA class. They were very involved in helping with anything and everything the parish needed and I wanted to be a part of helping.” More than 15 years later, Chris is now Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus Bishop Denis J. O’Connell Council #12366. The council serves the Fort Mill community and supports the mission of St. Philip Neri Parish. Our Pastor, Fr. Fabio, serves as the chaplain of the council, and monthly meetings are held at the Parish Center. More than a century ago, a small group of devoted Catholic men came together in the basement of a church in New Haven, Conn., looking for a way to bond with their brethren in faith and to positively impact the community, their parish, and the Church. Led by a young parish priest named Fr. Michael J. McGivney, these Catholic men looked to find ways to give their time, talent, and treasure as active disciples trying to live their faith when they first began formal meetings at St. Mary’s Church in New Haven. The fledgling men’s ministry founded in 1882 is now the world’s largest fraternal organization with nearly 2 million members. Today, Knights of Columbus Council #12366 is a vital ministry at our parish, serving our parish and the greater Fort Mill community by actively following the four core principles of the organization — Charity, Unity, Fraternity, and Patriotism. Since its inception in 1999, the local Knights council has actively supported the mission, the ministries, and the parishioners of St. Philip Neri, aiding seminarians,

Knights of Columbus Council #12366 Grand Knight Chris Alcorn (from left) with St. Philip Neri pastor and council chaplain Fr. Fabio, and former Grand Knight Carson Luger.

donating to community charities, supporting local veterans groups, and providing assistance to the needy in the Fort Mill/Rock Hill community. Over the past 20plus years, Council #12366 has grown from its initial 30 members to more than 130 members today. Local charitable endeavors spearheaded by Council #12366 include organizing food drives for a local food pantry and assisting with local blood drives. The Knights also generate donations for Camp CARE, which hosts a summer camp and other year-round activities for children with cancer, and Operation HOPE, an organization that supports intellectually challenged children. From their annual Thanksgiving food drive and Breakfast with St. Nick each December to support the community, to their Lenten Fish Fry Dinners to raise funds for pro-life organizations, our parish Knights are truly living out their calling as stewards through intentional discipleship in the parish and throughout the Fort Mill community. “It started for me as a way to get more involved in helping the parish, as the Knights were always visible during every church event,” says Chris, who was installed as Grand Knight for Council #12366 on June 1. “I try to practice my faith to support the Knights’ core principles of Charity, Unity, Fraternity, and Patriotism.” What’s more, Chris has not only grown in his faith through service with the Knights of Columbus. He has also developed lifelong friendships with his fellow Knights, and also has enjoyed having his wife, Valarie, and 12-year-old son, Gavin, involved in council events. They help out with support during the annual Breakfast with St. Nick event and the Lenten Fish Fry Dinners. “My brother Knights are always there during times of need — it is great to be part of an organization that allows me to get directly involved in helping the church and our local community,” Chris says.

For more info on Council #12366, contact Grand Knight Chris Alcorn at calcorn19@yahoo.com or 803-652-4334. Website: www.uknight.org/CouncilSite/index.asp?CNO=12366 v Facebook: www.facebook.com/council12366.

A Letter From Our Pastor

What Are You Going to Do With Your Life? Dear Parishioners,

e are called to be the disciples of Jesus Christ. Discipleship is our calling — stewardship is the way we are to live the life we have been given. I don’t think we believers would or should argue the point. It begins with our Baptism and our new life as members of the Church. There are no questions about it, even though we may not always remember that we have been called to discipleship — it is a lifelong process, and we are all works in progress. But please remember, we are God’s “works” that evolve moment by moment, day by day, and year after year. To get more specific, we need to not only understand that stewardship is the expression of discipleship, but it is also the way in which we are to live our life. It is not a program — it is a way of life. I suppose at least once in our lifetime, we have been asked, “What are you going to do with your life?” Usually, that will happen at graduation, and how many of us have followed the path we thought we would at that time in our life? Perhaps we replied with a certain profession that may have interested us at the time. But there is always more to our answer than the title of a profession, just as there is more to our lives than just breathing. How do we use the gifts God has given to us? How we do so will define the life we live for God and the Church. That is our call to discipleship. It is how we should understand stewardship. Many people ask me why I am so convinced that stewardship is a way of life. The simple answer I give is always the easy one and the most practical. My life as a faithful steward makes sense. The story of Christianity is filled with people like you and me who wonder and

desire how to live as a disciple of Jesus Christ. It is what we are to do with our lives. Our attitude must be formed to spend the time and the talents we have, to do our part for God’s Church. When does that become our priority? When does it become our way of life? These are the questions any believer must ask themselves when we think about our relationship with God, His Church, and the people around us. But, throughout my time in life as a priest, stewardship as my way of life makes sense and is more than possible with what God has given me to work with. It is the same with each of us. I am grateful for what God has given me and thankful I can live my life as His disciple. I say that not just as a priest, but as a baptized member of His family. I am thankful my parents brought me to be baptized a Christian and begin a life that would lead me, like all of us, to be the disciple we are called to be. When we were baptized, no one asked us, “What are you going to do with your life?” If my parents and Godparents understood why we were all there, it should have been clear that we are all to be faithful stewards of all that God provides, beginning with the gift of life. That is why stewardship as a way of life is in my mind, heart and soul. That, too, was a gift from God for which I am most grateful. This is my calling, and “this” is what I am going to do with the rest of my life. What will you do with yours? Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Fabio Refosco, C.O.

Meet Parishioner

TOM TORR A Life of

veryone at St. Philip Neri Parish knows Tom. Some even think he lives at the parish. “They kiddingly ask me if I have a cot here,” he says, with a laugh. “I do not.” No, Tom Torrese does not live at our parish. But it sure seems like he does. That’s because the longtime parishioner is always here. He seems to be involved in every ministry and event at St. Philip Neri. And in many ways, he is. Some would say he is the definition of stewardship in action. “I consider St. Philip Neri my second home,” Tom says. “I am here at the campus every day, sometimes twice or three times. I only live a 10-minute drive away in good driving conditions. I enjoy all I do here at St. Philip Neri. Everything I do, I do because God allows me the time to do it.” The stewardship story of Tom Torrese began in 2013 when the parish moved from the old church — now the Parish Center — to the beautiful new church we know today. At a ministry fair, Tom signed up to be an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion and a lector, and he also signed up for adoration on Saturday mornings from 4 to 5 a.m. That was just the beginning of the journey at St. Philip Neri for Tom. His involvement continued to grow over the years, and he hasn’t looked back. He has made this parish his home away from home. “As far as stewardship is concerned, yes, I am involved in parish life,” Tom says. “I encourage everyone to get involved in parish life. If everyone would get involved with their time and talents, it would make it easier on everyone who serves in our church.” A native of Philadelphia, Tom grew up with a large extended family, attended Catholic schools with his sister, and regularly attended Mass with his family. After graduating high school, he attended a technical school and eventually moved to the Baltimore area, where he worked for Westinghouse and later Northrop Grumman for 30 years. When he

Tom Torrese and his beloved late wife, Mary, who passed away in 2007

first started his career at Westinghouse, Tom admits he was busy and sometimes would not make it to Sunday Mass. But he felt that void and said he had a spiritual awakening when he was introduced to the Catholic charismatic movement as a young man in the 1970s. “I met some Pentecostal Christians (at Westinghouse) and because of their faith, I started going to evening Mass at St. Rose of Lima and was introduced to this movement,” he says. “I had a hunger to know all I could about the Lord and the Holy Spirit, so I started attending Catholic charismatic conferences in Atlantic City before it became (a gambling town), and at the University of Notre Dame for the big yearly Catholic charismatic conference. That changed my life.” At St. Rose of Lima in Baltimore, Tom got involved in parish service for the first time in his life when he signed up to be an usher at Mass. He then met Mary,

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Stewardship and Active Discipleship the woman who would eventually become his wife, and they began attending Mass at the renowned Manresa Jesuit Retreat House in Annapolis, Md., and together they served as lectors and Extraordinary Ministers. Mary worked as the Chief of Chaplains' secretary at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis. After a failed first marriage, Mary was truly the soulmate that God had promised. Marrying Mary gave Tom an instant family with three of her children. Son, Doyle, at the time, was 12, and daughters Susan and Jennifer were 10 and 8, respectively. When Mary’s children graduated high school in Maryland, they eventually moved to Summerville, S.C. Eventually, Susan and her husband moved to Fort Mill and became St. Philip Neri parishioners, and soon after, Tom and Mary also moved to Fort Mill. Unfortunately, Mary’s health issues were worsening a few years after moving to the area, and she passed away in 2007. Tom also suffered the loss of several other close family members around the same time, and as always, he turned to the Lord to pull him through his darkest days. Since then, Tom’s involvement in the parish has grown exponentially. Adding to his service as an Extraordinary Minister, lector, and adoration nighttime attendant, Tom also serves as an usher and became involved with the Sound and Video Board Ministry after the pandemic created a need for online streaming of Masses. “The audio/visual work I do keeps me involved in the Mass,” Tom says. But of all the different service and liturgical ministries in which he is involved, adoration and serving as an Extraordinary Minister are what mean the most to Tom. “As a Eucharistic Minister, I count it as a privilege to distribute the Body and Blood of Jesus to our parish community,” Tom says. “We are so blessed to receive the Body and Blood of Jesus whenever

we attend Mass or a Communion service. And with adoration, I love my time spent before the Good Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. It’s not easy getting up at 2 a.m., but the time spent with my best friend is well worth it. It helps to spend quiet time before our Lord and Savior.” From our Pastor, Fr. Fabio, to members of our parish staff to the many parishioners whose lives Tom has touched, everyone at St. Philip Neri would say that the parish would be lost and would not keep on running without the selfless stewardship of Tom Torrese. But Tom would tell you it’s the other way around. “One of my favorite Scriptures is Philippians 4:13, which says, ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me’ and I try to always ask God for His assistance, then after, thank Him for His help,” Tom says. “Everything I do is in service to Him and His Church. I am so blessed to do what I do for our wonderful parish. To me, we seem like a big family with love and concern for one another, not just parishioners who don’t care about you and your family.”

Tom Torrese (seated) with Fr. Fabio, and Audio/Visual Ministry members Sabina Fernandez and Joe Donnelly

OUR PARISH STAFF:

Serving and Evangelizing

he St. Philip Neri parish staff values serving the community and evangelizing through actions as evident in their Staff Mission Statement, “As a staff, we seek to find joy in all things in the Spirit of Saint Philip Neri. We evangelize through our actions and service and are enthusiastic in sharing Christ within our parish and local community.” Throughout the year, the staff serves the parish through parish service days and helping with various ministries. For Lent this year, the SPN staff decided to go outside the parish and into the community to serve with joy. In this way, the staff kept in mind one of the pillars of Lent — almsgiving. Reflecting on what the parish staff has received from God, they were ready to give back. Samaritan’s Feet collects, sorts, and sends shoes from a warehouse in Charlotte, N.C. — a short distance from St. Philip Neri in Fort Mill, S.C. The parish staff spent a day at the warehouse, sorting shoes to be sent throughout the world. When shoes

are distributed to communities, missionaries pray with the people, wash their feet, and gift them with brand-new socks and shoes. Volunteering as a staff is not just simply a way to serve the community but is also an opportunity for building community within the staff. Lynda Curry, the business manager of St. Philip Neri, shares why building a community among the staff is important. “As a child, our first community is our family,” Lynda says. “As we grow in faith, our community expands to include our neighbors, our faith family, and our co-workers. The importance of community service lies in the fact that it connects and binds us together. We are bound together in service to our community, our faith family, and each other.” By serving together, the staff grows beyond being simply co-workers in the office — the staff becomes co-workers in the vineyard, sowing the seeds of the Gospel through evangelization and sharing joy.

Liturgical Environment Ministry continued from front cover Diane’s vision for the ministry was to enhance the architectural and natural beauty of the sanctuary and gathering space simply and subtly. Taking a leap of faith, Diane reached out to Fr. Fabio to share her ideas and was given the green light to move forward, taking over what is now known as our Liturgical Environment Ministry. The mission of the ministry is a simple one — create and preserve a prayerful and welcoming environment for worship by arranging flowers and other adornments that tie into the key times of the liturgical calendar and seasons of the calendar year. But for Diane and her ministry co-leader, Teresa Thompson, along with the members of this talented group of women, it is so much more than that. The work of this ministry beautifully and synergistically connects with the stewardship pillars of hospitality and prayer. “With the liturgical environment, it’s all about being comfortable,” Diane says. “We strive to create a welcoming and reverential environment to help people focus on prayer as well as more fully participate in the liturgy.” We celebrate the seasons of the liturgical church year with various colors, as the colors and different types of flowers that the ministry uses help how the people worship in the true spirit of the season. Throughout the year, parishioners can view the work of this ministry and can experience how the chosen décor beautifully ties in with each season. During the summer months, with the Church in Ordinary Time, an array of summer greens and colorful flowers adorn the sanctuary and gathering space. As winter approaches, the ministry will shift its floral designs to the purples, and then the pinks of Advent. During Lent, the décor will reflect the austerity of the penitential season with barren desert flowers, and the environment in the church will also feature other symbols associated with Lenten Scripture readings. “Our designs during Lent have been especially gratifying as the ministry knows the importance of helping fellow parishioners gain a sense of what the season is truly about as it leads to Easter, the holiest time we share as Catholic Christians,” Diane says. All these decorative elements throughout the

year come together to draw parishioners and visitors more deeply into the liturgical experience. Although Diane has been more involved in the life of the Catholic Church than most — she once was a Dominican Sister and has worked virtually her entire adult life at the diocesan and parish levels — serving here at St. Philip Neri on the Pastoral Council, as a Eucharistic Minister, and with continued on back cover

A floral arrangement at the altar this spring.

Desert grasses and rocks displayed in the narthex to reflect the penitential season of Lent.

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Liturgical Environment Ministry the Liturgical Environment Ministry, has helped her grow even more in her faith. She credits her co-leader Teresa and their work with the Liturgical Environmental Ministry for helping her do just that. The next time you come to Mass, look around our beautiful church and take a moment to appreciate all the visual cues that help guide our worship throughout the liturgical year. You may find there is more meaning than you ever realized behind every careful detail that goes into the decoration of our church environment.

continued from page 7

Thanks to the Liturgical Environment Ministry, an array of colorful flowers was on display at the altar to celebrate that Christ is Risen this past Easter. And, a very special thanks to Fr. Fabio who singlehandedly did the arranging.

Interested in helping with the Liturgical Environment Ministry? Please contact ministry co-leader Diane DeSena at 772-359-0188 or didesena09@gmail.com.