Durland Day

Durland Day

On St. Patrick's Day I was hiking, not marching; and then offering Saturday Vigil Mass for the Scouts and Scouters prepping for a NYLT (National Youth Leadership Training) program at Durland Scout Reservation in Putnam Valley, N.Y.
The Scout camp was called Clear Lake Reservation until a couple of years ago. This is a little portion of Clear Lake, one of 2 ponds in the camp. The area has many other lakes.

I hiked north on the blue trail--not from its starting point by Sperling Pond but after parking by campsite 38 and taking a woods trail to intersect it between Sperling Pond and Clear Lake. Going north after leaving the lake, you come to one of the many swamps along the trails--at this time alive with noisy peepers.

Entering the northern part of the camp, one's on trails accessible to the general public, e.g. from Fahnestock State Park. I went east on the white trail and met a large troop of not-large Scouts coming the other way. I'd already seen them twice on the road up to site 38 and then at site 38; they were making a very long hike. Good for them!

The white trail in the northeast section of the reservation seems to go thru old, old farmland, crisscrossed everywhere by stone walls.

A long stretch of the trail passes between these stone walls. I suppose the trail was once a farm road.

Behind some of the walls there are the ruins of foundations--whether of houses, barns, or root cellars, it's hard to tell.

The white trail twice crosses this brook, and between the crossings it's not far away much of the route.

My hike was only an hour and 45 minutes; mileage unknown. I had to be back at NYLT's cabin by 4:15 to change for sacramental ministry. Some Scouts had asked me to be available for Reconciliation, which I was at 4:30.
Then the Catholics doing NYLT (about half the gang) and Troop 312 from Island Park, N.Y., assembled for Mass.

The 4th Sunday of Lent, called Laetare Sunday from the 1st word of the Entrance Antiphon in Latin, meaning "Rejoice!", is one of 2 Sundays in the year when the celebrant has the option of wearing rose-colored vestments as a break from the more somber violet ones of Lent (and Advent), marking more or less the halfway point thru the seasons. As I vested, I explained each vestment to the Scouts; to my chagrin, even one of my former Ad Altare Dei boys didn't remember their names!--which reflects on teacher as well as on pupil.

My thanks to Donna Ragusa for using my camera during Mass; she wanted pix, and I was happy to oblige her.

It's not always easy to get teen boys to sing in church, but these lads joined in heartily with a Lenten hymn (instead of the "Rejoice, Jerusalem" antiphon).

They were even attentive during the homily! A slightly longer version of it is posted below.

Using the new Roman Missal....
At the end of Mass, Troop 312 asked for a photo with me. I joked that some CCD teacher must want proof that Confirmation students were at Mass. "No," they said, "we've got to show our priest!" Yes, Fr. Tutone, they attended Mass this weekend.

After Mass our excellent trio of chefs (Gordon Hamilton, Donna Ragusa, and Bob Ciralli) continued/resumed working on supper--not only the traditional Irish recollection of their immigrant misery (aka corned beef, cabbage, and potatoes) but also turkey breast, sauteed onions, and garden salad. Excellent! Topped off by "oreo cake," i.e. cheesecake with chocolate top and bottom (that they didn't make).

While Gordon, Donna, and Bob prepared supper, the rest of the valiant corps of adult guides relaxed on the porch: Jaime Feliberty, Mike Herbert, and Fred Gervat.

The NYLT Scouters and the Scouts are a great crew, and I've been privileged to minister to them for quite a few years (neither Fred nor I have kept count).