NEWBURGH – Five students from Mount Saint Mary College received the Sacrament of Confirmation in the college’s Chapel of the Most Holy Rosary on April 15.
The students were James Farrell of East Brunswick, N.J.; Derek O’Hanlon of Goshen, N.Y.; Courtney Raifstanger of Webster, N.Y.; Megan Rodriguez of Godeffroy, N.Y.; and Danielle Zaleski of Walden, N.Y. They were confirmed by Bishop Dominick Lagonegro, an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of New York.
Fr. Gregoire Fluet, chaplain and director of Campus Ministry at the Mount, helped to prepare the students for reception of the sacrament and congratulated them on their hard work.
“I want to thank [the students] for their dedication to preparing to receive this Sacrament,” he said. “I also want to thank all those who supported them in this preparation and those who showed this support by attending the Mass.”
The students were grateful for Fr. Fluet’s direction and guidance throughout the process.
“Fr. Greg is a truly amazing person who’s always there for anyone who needs help or just wants to talk,” said Rodriguez. “I am very grateful he was here to guide me along the entire process.”
Zaleski agreed. The senior resident assistant first met Fr. Fluet, who joined the Mount during the summer of 2017, at a Residence Life dinner. She knew right away “that he would be an asset to the Mount Saint Mary College campus. He welcomes all students with open arms and generously goes above and beyond to get involved in all activities on campus and in the community.”
She adds, “Receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation was a very important time for me. I have to thank Fr. Greg for being so encouraging and for his guidance in my journey to discover my faith.”