The prodigal children returned.
St. Anselm’s Parish, on 82nd Street between Third and Fourth avenues, hosted a wine and cheese party for its former congregants and pupils on Saturday — drawing more than 300 people to mix and mingle with old friends.
The event was part of a year-long celebration marking the parish’s 90th year, said the parish’s pastor, Monsigneur John Maloney. A mass before the party kicked it off.
“It was a mass to welcome back those people who used to attend the parish and went to the school,” said Maloney. “This was a chance for them to see the parish that they grew up in and to celebrate because they are part of the parish; they helped to build it.”
The parish first opened in 1922 with just a school, where mass was held in the auditorium.
Then, in 1952, the parish expanded with a church on Fourth Avenue, Maloney said.
Reach reporter Dan MacLeod at dmacleod@cnglocal.com or by calling him at (718) 260-4507. You can also follow his Tweets at @dsmacleod.
