This past week the Feast of St. Ann's began in Hoboken, and on Friday, the day of the procession, I was at YES Gallery. I had heard from the marvelous Monte San Giacomo members only club around the corner that they would be offering roast beef sandwiches with hot peppers for anyone who wanted to join them that day, and I made sure to stop by because it's such a special place and a special time and roast beef with hot peppers is a favorite.
I'd just finished my sandwich at YES Gallery when I heard the faint sound of drums and a marching band, and so I began taking a video thinking that the procession would go by the gallery. They went around the corner to the left first and then came around again on the street below, so I didn't see them but I could hear them beautifully. After taking some time in front of the club, the procession continued on to the church and the festival area. There was something that was so joyful about seeing and hearing this happening on a beautiful summer day, and I found myself feeling so happy and energized with the feeling of community that this event brought together.
On Saturday afternoon I received a message from one of my dearest friends, the Reverend Maria Isabel Santiviago, who is now retired, that she would be one of the women honored in a celebration at St. Ann's Church For The Deaf in Manhattan for Women In Ministry. St. Ann's Church For the Deaf is the church where we met in 2009 when I first began teaching Nutrition and Health Classes with Cornell University Cooperative Extension in New York City as part of a program called "Making The Most Of Food" which was the expanded version of a pilot program I'd participated in the year before named "Kitchens Of Faith." She asked me if I'd be willing to teach to the Deaf Community if she translated and I said yes, and then we went on from there to collaborate together and teach several workshop series. It was the first time that anyone from Cooperative Extension in New York had taught that community in the 40 year history of the nutrition and health program, and we were highlighted at of of the conferences and in a newsletter for the work that we did together. It was so much work but it was made so beautiful by the people involved and this beautiful Reverend, Maria.
When I heard that she would be honored at the celebration I made plans to go because I'd been wanting to see her for a while and this would be a beautiful way to share time together. I'll be writing more about that in future posts, but for now, I'll post about the St. Ann's Festival in Hoboken with some photographs and videos from the lovely people and celebrations that happened during those days when I was blessed to be at YES Gallery and enjoy the community celebration and hospitality.
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