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Week of Aug. 30, 2023 Home of The Hurlburt Family
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‘Adirondack Escape’ Artist paints a massive mural at the Village Mall
Submitted photos
Jillian Hagadorn and Liverpool Art Center owner Sandra Sabene created “Adirondack Escape” including images of fir trees and chairs, a sleeping canine, mountainous landscape and misty waterways. Sabene also created a mural at the Amazon Fulfillment Center that is titled “Yeti Summer.”
Submitted photo
Liverpool veteran Brett Hurlburt was recently recognized for his work with #StillServing by the VFW.
By Russ Tarby Contributing Writer The parking lot at the Village Mall now basks in
the azure glow of a massive new mural painted by Liverpool Art Center owner Sandra Sabene and her as-
sistant, Jillian Hagadorn. “Our landlord here really supports the arts,” SaMural l Page 13
Immaculate Heart Church closing
Longtime parish to host its final mass on Sept. 23 By Russ Tarby Contributing Writer
Since 1950, the Immaculate Heart of Mary Roman Catholic Church has faithfully served its Galeville congregation. On Aug. 15, a letter from Bishop Douglas Lucia announced that next month the 73-year-old parish would be dissolved and its buildings put up for sale. In an effort to resolve various “pastoral challenges” in 2011, the parishes of Saint Joseph the Worker in the village of Liverpool and the Immaculate Heart of Mary consolidated, eventually forming Epiphany Parish in 2019. “Nevertheless, Epiphany Parish finds itself at another crossroads,” Lucia wrote. In 2020, the parish trustees, along with members of the parish council began considering the future. “The result of their deliberations, presented at various town hall meetings, was that maintaining both church buildings of the parish is no longer possible,” the bishop wrote. “This realization is based on the needs of the parish for the care of souls, the condition of the buildings, the continual maintenance they require, and the limited resources -- financial and other – available.” According to Lucia’s announcement, it is “unfortunate that the number of faithful who take an active part in the mission of the church at these parishes has experienced a significant decline. Sadly, the same
decline is present in many of the parishes and in all the vicariates of our diocese.” Lucia’s decree will be available on Sept. 8, 2023 at the diocesan website syracusediocese.org also at thecatholicsun.com and on the parish website liverpoolnycatholic. org. It will also be available at all masses on the weekend of Sept. 9 and 10 when it will be discussed. “I am grateful to your parish trustees and parish council and to Father O’Hara not only for tending to your pastoral needs but for leading you through this difficult and challenging time,” Lucia wrote. A final Mass of Thanksgiving will be celebrated at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 23. Lucia’s announcement of the Galeville church closing comes just 20 days after the bishop announced on July 27 that the Syracuse Diocese had agreed to pay sexabuse survivors $100 million as part of its bankruptcy settlement, the latest payment by the diocese to survivors and the largest single settlement the Catholic Church has agreed to in the U.S. since 2007. Of the $100 million, the diocese will pay $50 million and its parishes would contribute $45 million. The diocese is comprised of fewer that 200 parishes in its seven counties in Upstate New York. The settlement’s remaining $5 million would come from other diocesan entities, Lucia said.
Veteran recognized again for #StillServing Frances Sharples
Veteran, West Point alum, and upstanding community member Brett Hurlburt is being recognized by the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) #StillServing campaign for the second time in two years. The campaign, according to the VFW website, honors and platforms the stories of hundreds of veterans worldwide who continue to support their respective communities through volunteerism. “The VFW likes to highlight veterans that are still serving their communities in several different ways,” Hurlburt said. “I just happened to be picked up for ‘Still Serving’ when you have a service dog or an animal with you.” Hurlburt’s #StillServing feature would not be complete without the lovable support of his dog, Rotary, or Roty, for short. Growing up on a farm, Hurlburt’s life has been consistently affected by animal companionship, leading him to his current volunteerism at Sunshine Horses. Hurlburt’s work with animals, along with Rotary’s role as a service dog for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), has helped him manage some of his anxieties and become more outgoing. “I think animals just add a lot to our lives, and they pick up on things that we don’t know about,” Hurlburt said. “When I found out I had PTSD and that I could get a service dog, it just made sense. Roty picks up on things that I don’t even know are coming.” Hurlburt’s understanding of care and devotion for animals, however, is not by any means a one-way street. “If you have empathy for animals, you
have empathy for people,” he said. “There’s a nice connection with them—they don’t question, they don’t ask things about you. They just want love, and they give it freely in return.” This free-flowing nature of connection and belonging is one that Hurlburt relates to adjusting to his life post-service. “I have capacity in my life for other people,” Hurlburt said. “When you decide to serve your country, you’re trying to serve for the greater good, and I’m still doing that—it’s still for the greater good…I was medically discharged and kind of told, ‘Hey, you can’t run and jump like the rest of the kids—you gotta find another path.’ You kind of feel shut off from your community; but in doing the things that I’m doing, it’s like going into a new family.” The principles of the #StillServing campaign as a whole reflect the honorable commitment of the veterans the campaign recognizes. “This just really does show that even though we might leave service, we really never leave service,” Hurlburt said. “[We] serve the country in uniform, and now we go out and serve our communities.” In addition to advocating for the benefits of community service and interconnectedness with the world around us as steps toward healing, Hurlburt emphasized the importance of resources for veterans, such as those provided by the organization Clear Path for Veterans. With locations in Vestal, Syracuse, and Chittenango—the location where Hurlburt and Rotary first connected—the wellness and enrichment-focused resources that Clear Path provides are accessible to veterans throughout New York State.
Volume 131, Number 35 The Star-Review is published weekly by Eagle News. Office of Publication: 2501 James St., Suite 100, Syracuse, NY 13206. Periodical Postage Paid at Syracuse, NY 13220, USPS 316060. POSTMASTER: Send change of address to Star-Review, 2501 James St., Suite 100, Syracuse, NY 13206.
school news: LHS holds summer graduation ceremony.
sports: C-NS leads, Liverpool chases in AA football.
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LABOR DAY
death notices ����������� 4 Editorial ��������������������� 6 letters ������������������������ 6 Obituaries ������������������ 4
PennySaver ���������������� 8 schools ���������������������� 2 Sports ������������������������� 2