On Monday, May 4, the NYC Area celebrated our First Monday Mass in the Lady Chapel of St. Patrick’s Cathedral as we prayed for our malades and pilgrims in Lourdes. Fr. Zachariah Presutti, SJ, founder and executive director of Thrive for Life USA, a Catholic ministry dedicated to transforming lives behind and beyond prison walls, was the celebrant of the Mass. The Area is humbled to be able to partner with Thrive for Life through our Mobile Ministry. Charles Firestone East, YOF proclaimed the first reading, and Area Hospitaller Erin O’Kane, DM led the Daily Prayer.
In his homily, Fr. Presutti drew on both the first reading and the Gospel to invite us to examine where we truly place our faith. In the reading from Acts, Paul and Barnabas heal a man crippled from birth. The crowds, rather than recognizing the living God at work, immediately try to worship the apostles as Zeus and Hermes. Fr. Presutti noted that this reaction reveals something deeply human: We are always tempted to worship what is visible rather than what is absolutely true. We look outside ourselves for God, misplacing our faith in human figures, in success, in power, in control—and when we do, we are left disappointed, having missed the real and living presence of God entirely.
The Gospel offers us healing through truth. Jesus promises that whoever loves him and keeps his word will be dwelt in by the Father and the Son. And the Holy Spirit, Jesus tells us, will teach us everything and remind us of all he has said. We are not left to figure this out alone. Fr. Presutti encouraged us to ask ourselves honestly: where might we be mistaking something or someone for the living God? And are we truly allowing God to dwell within us? When we turn toward God in genuine conversion, he reminded us, everything changes. We stop grasping at idols and living in fear. Because God is not a distant judge, but a loving presence dwelling in every breath.
Following Mass, a large group enjoyed fellowship at a nearby tavern. Please join us for our next First Monday Mass and monthly social hour on Monday, June 1.
Please scroll through the slideshow below to see more photos from the Mass.
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Five of us\u2014two Knights and three Associates\u2014 prayed, made sandwich bags, walked to various"},{"id":"81174","link":"https:\/\/orderofmaltaamerican.org\/2026\/05\/22\/nyc-area-brings-lourdes-to-manhattan-for-second-annual-lourdes-in-a-day\/","name":"nyc-area-brings-lourdes-to-manhattan-for-second-annual-lourdes-in-a-day","thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/orderofmaltaamerican.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/11.png","alt":""},"title":"NYC Area Brings Lourdes to Manhattan for Second Annual \"Lourdes in a Day\"","author":{"name":"tmazza","link":"https:\/\/orderofmaltaamerican.org\/author\/tmazza\/"},"date":"May 22, 2026","dateGMT":"2026-05-22 16:10:23","modifiedDate":"2026-05-22 16:10:26","modifiedDateGMT":"2026-05-22 16:10:26","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"closed","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/orderofmaltaamerican.org\/category\/latest-news\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Latest News<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/orderofmaltaamerican.org\/category\/area-news\/new-york-nyc\/\" rel=\"category tag\">New York - NYC<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/orderofmaltaamerican.org\/category\/latest-news\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Latest News<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/orderofmaltaamerican.org\/category\/area-news\/new-york-nyc\/\" rel=\"category tag\">New York - NYC<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":""},"readTime":{"min":3,"sec":13},"status":"publish","content":"On Saturday, May 16, the NYC Area held its second annual \"Lourdes in a Day\" at Mary Manning Walsh Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center in"},{"id":"81168","link":"https:\/\/orderofmaltaamerican.org\/2026\/05\/22\/nyc-area-mobile-ministry-drives-supplies-to-lourdes-pilgrimage-flight\/","name":"nyc-area-mobile-ministry-drives-supplies-to-lourdes-pilgrimage-flight","thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/orderofmaltaamerican.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1-10.png","alt":""},"title":"NYC Area Mobile Ministry Drives Supplies to Lourdes Pilgrimage Flight","author":{"name":"tmazza","link":"https:\/\/orderofmaltaamerican.org\/author\/tmazza\/"},"date":"May 22, 2026","dateGMT":"2026-05-22 15:43:14","modifiedDate":"2026-05-22 15:43:17","modifiedDateGMT":"2026-05-22 15:43:17","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"closed","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/orderofmaltaamerican.org\/category\/latest-news\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Latest News<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/orderofmaltaamerican.org\/category\/area-news\/new-york-nyc\/\" rel=\"category tag\">New York - NYC<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/orderofmaltaamerican.org\/category\/latest-news\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Latest News<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/orderofmaltaamerican.org\/category\/area-news\/new-york-nyc\/\" rel=\"category tag\">New York - NYC<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":""},"readTime":{"min":0,"sec":59},"status":"publish","content":"On Thursday, April 23rd, Tiffany Mazza, Carla Gunerard, and Matt LaRose of the American Association Office asked Eric Vitale, KM, Steve Bujno, KM, and the"},{"id":"81159","link":"https:\/\/orderofmaltaamerican.org\/2026\/05\/22\/a-visit-to-the-cleveland-area\/","name":"a-visit-to-the-cleveland-area","thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/orderofmaltaamerican.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/5-3.png","alt":""},"title":"A Visit to the Cleveland Area","author":{"name":"tmazza","link":"https:\/\/orderofmaltaamerican.org\/author\/tmazza\/"},"date":"May 22, 2026","dateGMT":"2026-05-22 15:30:11","modifiedDate":"2026-05-22 15:31:06","modifiedDateGMT":"2026-05-22 15:31:06","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"closed","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/orderofmaltaamerican.org\/category\/latest-news\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Latest News<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/orderofmaltaamerican.org\/category\/area-news\/ohio-cleveland\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Ohio - Cleveland<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/orderofmaltaamerican.org\/category\/latest-news\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Latest News<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/orderofmaltaamerican.org\/category\/area-news\/ohio-cleveland\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Ohio - Cleveland<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":""},"readTime":{"min":0,"sec":28},"status":"publish","content":"The Cleveland Area was delighted to host a visit from Association Hospitaller Anne Peach, Executive Director Cathy Demeroto, and Area Support Chair Mary Beth Fessler"}]
