For the better part of four decades, Terry Cardinal has worked at St. Joseph the Worker Roman Catholic Church in Liverpool as the parish’s director of outreach services, or “reach out” services, as she calls them.
It’s a catch-all term which means Terry welcomes newcomers, brings communion to homebound parishioners, visits the sick, runs the food pantry and helps coordinate tutoring efforts among other endless tasks.
Terry will retire from her parish position at the end of December, but she won’t retire from helping people. She looks forward to working for the Samaritan Center in downtown Syracuse.
“I’m a morning person,” Terry said, “and the center is just now starting to serve breakfast, so that’s what I’ll be working on.”
The Samaritan Center, at 310 Montgomery St., is an interfaith effort to feed the homeless men, women and children of Syracuse.
Pot-luck dinner Saturday
Father Charlie Major, who retired earlier this year after 34 years as pastor of St. Joe’s, recognized Terry’s concern for others.
“Part of her genius is that she’s very respectful of people,” he said, “especially the needy.”
Last week, Terry helped plenty of needy folks locally by overseeing the distribution of some 200 Thanksgiving baskets, including 27 that went to Jail Ministry.
The entire community is invited to celebrate Terry’s retirement at a pot-luck dinner at 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, at the Parish Center, 1001 Tulip St., at the corner of Sixth.
The church’s new pastor, the Rev. Daniel J. O’Hara, points out that the best thing parishioners can do to celebrate Cardinal’s achievements here is to build upon them.
“We encourage everyone to honor Terry by bringing an item for the food pantry,” he said.
Man of many talents
Dave Baker is a man of many talents.
He’s an experienced actor having played lead roles for countless community theater groups. Baker has twice toured Europe in the Leonard Bernstein musical “West Side Story.” He has also appeared on many local TV commercials.
Dave plays drums and sings with the Stan Colella Orchestra, and at 2 p.m. this coming Sunday, Dec. 4, he’ll front his own quartet at Liverpool Public Library in a show called “Here’s to the Guys!”
The pop concert, presented as part of the library’s Arts Alive program, pays tribute to Nat “King” Cole, Tony Bennett, Bobby Darin, Frank Sinatra and others. Tunes will include “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” and “Mack the Knife.”
Baker will be accompanied by pianist Joe Caragno, bassist James Herkimer and drummer Larry Luttinger who lives in Liverpool. The performance is free; 457-0310; lpl.org.
Now in its 26th season with Ralph D’Mello as musical director, Arts Alive is funded by the Friends of the Liverpool Public Library.
Why a Christmas tree?
Explore the origins of one of the most cherished symbols of the season at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 8, when local historian Jon Anderson presents 17th Century New World Mission Christmas Traditions at Liverpool Public Library.
Anderson, the former volunteer operations committee chairman at Sainte Marie Among the Iroquois, provides a glimpse into French traditions including the Réveillon, the Tree of Peace and the Christmas Tree.
In 1656, the French-Jesuit Missionaries ventured into the New World and established Sainte Marie among the Iroquois, a mission along the shores of Onondaga Lake.
Anderson, who often portrays a French missionary and sometimes Father Christmas himself, is the former president of Friends of Historic Onondaga Lake and was site manager at Ste. Marie in 1985.
Trustee elected president
Liverpool Village Trustee Dennis Hebert was recently elected the new president of the Greater Liverpool Chamber of Commerce. Hebert, who helms Hebert Financial Strategies, replaced outgoing prexy Bill Pastella from Merrill Lynch.
The chamber’s new first vice president is Dr. Tom Conley of Conley Chiropractic, and the new second vice president is Cristina Morrissey of AmeriCU Credit Union. The new secretary is Ted Carr of Solvay Bank. All officers are set to serve until 2013.
