Ideas for 150th

Information & Ideas for 150th Anniversary Celebration

St. Augustine Church 150th Anniversary Celebration
A full year of events (2004):

Theme of 150th Anniversary Celebration should be acknowledged at every event, celebration. Every event at the church should have a 150^th component:

· Slogan

o Saint Augustine Parish - Join the Community

o Saint Augustine Parish - One in Christ

o Saint Augustine Parish - Faith, Hope, Love

· Design a logo to be used:

o Letterhead and other printed material.

o Embroidered patch: Scout Troops, school children, caps & T-shirts, and for sale.

o Sticker: for book covers for schoolbooks, car and house windows - sell.

Products:

o Publication: Keep photographic record and diary of the full celebration which will be made into a book to sell (and published on eaglepark.org. Book to also include, history, interviews with parishioners and clergy who presently or formerly belonged to parish, etc. How many baptisms, marriages, funerals in parish history. How many children graduated for school. Other statistics. List of all clergy that served in parish.
Take orders for book all year.

o T-shirts, caps, sweatshirts with logo and slogan.

o 2003 appointment book with logo in some history and parish info.

o Calendar book and wall, with logo, history, parish info.

Celebration: ponder for themes of events

Facts: Parish started by Irish immigrant workers on the New York City aqueduct in pre-civil war New York.

Questions: How did they dress, what did they eat, what was the area like then, what was Eagle Park like?

Facts: Parish grew as time changed the country and world, events shaped the parish.

Question: How and did the parish shape events?

Fact: People from small towns go on to become famous and do great things.

Question: Who from the parish has gone on to become famous or do remarkable things?

Question: How can we incorporate our anniversary into holiday celebrations?

Page 1

Events:

150^th events may be incorporate into regular annual events: Easter, Christmas, etc. See pages 4 & 5.

Special Masses: Every Feast & mass should have 150^th component:

	January, 2003: A special mass or masses to give thanks for the success of the parish and to pray for future success in the parishes mission.
	October 24, 2003: a special mass celebrating the day.
	Summer, 2003: Special outdoor service in the festival field with important guests form the archdioceses and community, including politicians in attendance.

Lecture Series: On Catholic teachings in modern life, with guest speakers (2 per event) and question and answer period.
Debate/Forums: "St. Augustine" will preside over a monthly topic specific debate/forum with a panel of 2 or 3. They will debate each other as well as the audience. They will also take questions for the audience.

	For Middle and high school students: speakers from Fordham University and CMSV about career & education planning. Knowing yourself, knowing the school: do they match? We could also have someone from St. Joseph Seminary talk about vocation.
	The River, Trains & local development.
	Immigrants
	Other area specific info.
	History of Eagle Park:

Picnic:

	Annual Picnic and regular Sunday spring thru fall picnics:
	With period theme: costumes, hats, games, crafts.
	Magician should dress in period dress.
	Picnics: Monthly or by-weekly Activity for Sunday afternoons in spring and summer:
	Food: vendors or bring your own,
	Activities: pony ride, Cows (since Eagle Park was once a Dairy farm), hoop rolling, other recreations of mid 19^th century.

Dinner Dances:

	January, 2003 (mid-month) Kick off Dinner/Dance. - Affordable, family gathering.
	October, 2003: Actual Anniversary Dinner/Dance - Affordable, family gathering.
	Period theme dances in school gym. Dances from that era, Swing, 50s Rock & Roll. Live music if possible

Page 2

Plays:

Three subjects:

	history of St. Augustine Parish
	Events in the life of St. Augustine
	Non-related plays strictly for entertainment

Three groups of actors:

	Adult/youth parishioners.
	Children/youth parishioners.
	Out of parish amateur actors & parishioners.

Indoor & Outdoor plays:

Outdoor plays for warm months, which will have the actors and audience moving around the grounds.

St. Augustine students and CCD students to put on plays for their parents.

Hudson River & Religious Art Show (photograph show also): Start with Art Show and Sale. Feature Hudson River and Religious Art. Show will announce art contest. All Visitors may vote, as well as judges?

Three categories:

Children (to age 12): Awards, gift certificates for clothing or books: $50, $25, $15.
Young adults (13 to 21) scholarships: $1,000 $700 $500.
Adults (non students 18 -plus): Awards 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, Honorable mention.

To Run Friday night, Saturday and Sunday. Have a speaker, one of the artists on Saturday evening. Sell refreshments, art starter kits.

Entertainment Program:
Italian Festival:

Should be extended (3 weeks?), and changing so that people don’t feel it will be the same thing over and over. A schedule should be printed up and given out as people come in Include big tent for dancing to live band and DJ.

Music should be theme: Swing, 50s Rock and Roll, 50s and 60s pop music (cha cha, etc. Frank Sinatra, etc and ball room dancing. Also, Irish dances that Irish of the mid 19^th Century would have danced.

Have teachers there to help teach and lead dances. Encourage youth to come and participate.

Period games, crafts and activities.

Since Ossining’s Sparta dock is where the first Elephant to arrive in the US landed, Have Elephant rides.

Professional Concerts:

Classical, Opera & Pop

Publications:

	Overview of parish history and accomplishments.
	Photo book documenting the Anniversary year's events: Orders taken throughout 2003.

Get Sponsors: GE and other local businesses.

Microsoft and other large companies.

Involvement of Archdiocese.

Comprehensive publicity campaign

Page 3

Incorporate 150^th into regular celebrations and holidays. Use theme of the parish as a community: choose, cherish, use. Choose the idea, Cherish: take it to heart, make it part of you. Use: incorporate it into your life and behavior. Choose to belong to St. Augustine parish. Cherish the community that is our parish. Use: see yourself as an important part of an important community.

2002

October: Halloween (Celtic: Simhain [sa win]) was an Irish holiday and the founders of our parish would have celebrated it. They dressed and carried lanterns carved from large turnips (pumpkins in US, since our turnips are small) to ward off spirits. Have Halloween celebration (party at school or parish house-outdoors if good weather) in period.

November:

All souls day event at cemetery.

Thanksgiving:

December

Page 4

2003

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October: Halloween (Samhain [sa win]) was originally an Irish holiday and the founders of our parish would have celebrated it. They dressed and carried lanterns carved from large turnips (pumpkins in US, since our turnips are small) to ward off spirits. Have Halloween celebration (party at school or parish house-outdoors if good weather) in period.

November: All souls day event at cemetery.