STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Fr. Rhey Garcia quipped, “Nothing brings Americans together faster than faith, freedom and free dessert.”
The joke drew laughter from several hundred people attending a solemn observance marking the consecration of the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, held as the nation approaches its 250th anniversary.
Inside the church as the ceremony unfolded in traditional form, many parishioners wore the colors of the flag, with Knicks shirts sprinkled in the mix, creating a sea of predominantly blue.
After Communion, the pastor prepared the monstrance for exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. Capt. Doreen McCarthy of the U.S. Coast Guard recited the Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and Col. Paul Capofari, a retired U.S. Army officer, led the prayer of consecration. Bishop Peter Byrne then delivered a solemn benediction in Latin as church bells rang…