By Jessica Easthope

Driving around Astoria is something Father Allan Basilio and Benita Herrera do often during the summer.

They’re bringing communion to the sick and homebound parishioners of Immaculate Conception Church in Astoria, Queens. It’s a job that’s given Herrera, a Eucharistic minister and volunteer at the church, a sense of purpose. 

“He makes me feel like I’m important to him and the church,” Herrera said. “I always think that I am not worthy and I can’t do things and Father Allan trusted me.”

It might not look like it, but Father Basilio is on vacation. It’s the same trip he’s taken every summer for two decades. It’s the type of rest and change of pace that feeds his soul.

“Actually this is my vacation time,” Father Basilio said. “Vacation for me is different people, different environment, different culture. I would like to sometimes go away from my regular routine in the parish, so this is a challenge and opportunity for me.” 

But Father Basilio is only visiting. 

Back home in the Philippines, he’s the Vicar General for the Diocese of Virac, the moderator of the Curia, a teacher and a pastor of St. John the Baptist church. 

Here at Immaculate Conception he just gets to be a priest of the people.

“I have a soft spot for this parish,” Father Basilio said. “I love the parishioners, I love the priests of course. I’m celebrating my 30th anniversary in November and half of my priestly life has been spent here. I consider this place and my second home, my second family away from home.” 

Herrera became one of those people early on.

“It’s like I saw him yesterday like he never went, he’s always here in our lives, I think he’s praying for us over there that’s why we feel that way.” 

For Herrera, Father Basilio is a spiritual advisor, confidant and friend.

“If she has a problem she will approach me and ask for counseling,” Father Basilio said. “She will always look forward to me coming to this place.”

“He helps me pray for my kids,” Herrera said. “I have three boys and not everything is perfect as I wish it could be but Father Allan helps me pray for them always and I know God hears his prayers.” 

Father Jim Huges, the Associate Pastor at Immaculate Conception, said in the two summers he’s seen Father Basilio in action, he can understand why people are drawn to him.

“The priesthood is an action,” Father Huges said. “It’s what’s in your heart, whether you’re on vacation or in the office, it’s ‘how do you share that with everybody’ and I think he has a gift for that. His style of priesthood I think it’s amazing.”

Father Huges said having visiting priests like Father Basilio is invaluable for priests and parishioners. 

“We learn from them as much as they learn from us,” Father Huges said. “For the people it gives them a sense of this is church. “It’s totally inclusive and I think it can help them dream [that] I can be part of this. I don’t have to be an observer, I can be part of this.” 

Over the last 20 years Father Basilio says he’s seen the parish and community change.

“There are a lot of new buildings here, who passed away, who’s moving out, who’s moving into the parish,” Father Basilio said. “I see the growth of the faith community and I’m so lucky because I journey with them.”

What began three years ago as The Tablet’s “COVID Relief Fundraiser for Catholic Schools” will be back in September, allowing all participating schools and their students in the Diocese of Brooklyn to directly benefit from the campaign by earning cash.

Students will be challenged to sell or renew subscriptions to The Tablet newspaper, and more than 80% of funds raised will be distributed to the students and their schools.

By Katie Vasquez

The students in the Father Troike Summer Leadership Program at Cathedral Prep and Seminary in Elmhurst, Queens are celebrating Mass with one special guest. 

Father James Kuroly, the rector president at Cathedral Prep, was in Northern Italy during Easter week when he noticed portraits of Blessed Rolando Rivi in a church. 

“His face reminded me of the faces of many of our students so I wrote to the church,” Father Kuroly said. “I told [them] who we were as a high school and a place for young men to discern God’s call and as a gift to the school they had given us this relic.”

During his homily, he explained the story of the seminarian, a man he hopes these young catholics will view as a hero. 

“When the seminary closed, because of World War II, he continued to wear the cassock and his mother said please take it off because we don’t want you to be a victim,” Father Kuroly said. “He said ‘I can’t because I belong to Christ.’”

Rivi was only 14 when he was executed by fascists who declared there would be “one less future priest.”

It was something that struck a chord with students.

“Oftentimes in the matter of faith, the strongest flames often die out the fastest,” Kevin Wilfinger, a student at Cathedral Prep said.

“It is inspirational because it shows you a guy who really didn’t back down with what his religion was, what his beliefs were,” Joshua Francisco, a student at Cathedral Prep said. “It showed us that no matter what dark times are there, there’s always a light somewhere.”

Each of these young men were able to venerate the relic, a piece of a man not unlike themselves.

“The fact that you’re able to walk up to it, and just like you know, most people never get a chance to touch a piece of someone’s hair, a sliver of their heart, or something like that,” Gabriel Lopez, a student at Cathedral Prep said. “It was special like that.”