We celebrated Star-Fest XIII on Sunday, September 18th, our first time in-person, since COVID. It was a beautiful day, very hot, but the trees and a tent provided Shade in a different location on the property.
That was not the only difference from other Star-Fests. Three weeks before the event, our MC, JP Schultz informed us that he was ill and that cast members could not perform due to other engagements. So that gave us a very little time. We are so grateful to those who stepped up to help us to pull this together. 

Sister Nancy Richter
took on the task of being the MC and she did a great job welcoming guests and introducing the Phoenix Theatre production, “The Harmfulness of Tobacco” by Anton Chekhov, that included a singer with an accompanist and a surprise visitor who interrupted the singing to the surprise of the audience. It was strange and one of the attendees remarked, “Well, that is Anton Chekhov”.

Fr. Tom Kunnel helped us with equipment and Alex Flores was there to monitor the sound. We moved into lighter music with Tom Fabry from the Music Ministry at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Tappan.
He got us back into the 60’s with folk music, Dillon style. We ctually saved the best to the last with singers from St. John the Baptist Church in Piermont, Diana Martinez Ramirez and her daughter Haley,playing the guitar and sing- ing some beautiful and touching songs that she had written at difficult times in her life. They were followed by William Martinez and his daughter, Ariana, singing a song dedicated to Sister Cecilia and the beautiful song, “Raise Me Up”. We had a super raffle in which many went home with great prizes. Something else that was different from other years was that we did not have the usual buffet due to COVID concerns. Wonderful picnic supper baskets, containing delicious sandwiches, wraps and salads donated by our faithful restau- rants, plantain chips, cookies, and water, were delivered to each participant by volunteers from STAC and many others from the Board of “One to One”. Let’s see what Star-Fest XIV will bring.