One Hundred Years of Service: St. Augustine's Honors Two Priests
by Bill McGuire
(May 15, 2004) When last we looked in on St. Augustine’s,
the church was celebrating the 75th anniversary of its Larchmont
Avenue building. That was last spring, and now this current
season brings what is in many ways an even more imposing occasion,
and as it turns out, a double distinction.
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| Monsignor Walter
F. Kenny
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The church was packed Saturday evening, May 15, at 5:00 p.m.,
for a concelebrated mass to mark the 50th anniversary of the
ordinations of both the pastor, Monsignor Walter F. Kenny
and of the associate Pastor, Father Joseph DeSanto. The priests
were in the same seminary class at St. Joseph’s in Dunwoodie,
NY and were ordained together on May 14, 1954 at St. Patrick’s
Cathedral in New York City.
Msgr. Kenny has served as pastor of St. Augustine’s
since July 15, 1986. Fr. DeSanto joined the Larchmont parish
September 1, 1975. He has also enjoyed a long association
with Iona College, New Rochelle, as a faculty member.
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| Father Joseph
DeSanto
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Joining the two Fathers in the celebration of the Mass Saturday
were three additional members of their 1954 class, and present
and former clergymen of St. Augustine’s, including Adjunct
Pastor Father Antony Gatt, and past Pastor Father William
V. Reynolds. The long procession of priests and acolytes made
its way to the flower-festooned altar as the congregation
and choir, under the direction of Michael P. Ward, sang “Alleluia,
Alleluia! Let the Holy Anthem Rise.”
Following the reading of the Gospel (John 14: 23-29), Monsignor
Kenny’s homily centered on the idea of service as an
outgrowth of God’s love for us. He said that human celebration
too, is a reflection of that love. Noting that the expression
of love requires work, he said, “We priests love the
work that we do.” The Monsignor punctuated his remarks
with personal references. He tied the idea of “God’s
love being mediated by the love of others, who help us in
our work,” to the many people living and dead who touched
his life and his years at St. Augustine’s.
Father DeSanto closed the mass with a personal reflection
which, unusually for him, he said, he had actually written
down, “So I won’t make a fool of myself.”
“Fifty years of the priesthood,” he began; “Wow.
Who would have thought!” He recalled that while teaching
at Iona he had a hard time finding a parish to take him in.
He thanked Father Reynolds and Monsignor Kenny for allowing
him to hang his hat at St. Augustine’s for what became
29 years and counting. “I was like “The Man Who
Came To Dinner,”” he quipped. His thoughts then
turned to “All the people. Family. Loved ones. Friends,
living and dead,” and the almost constant stream of
encounters in the life of a priest: “From the sacraments,
to counseling, to brief off-handed exchanges.” “Hopefully,”
he concluded, “I may have done some good, more than
harm. I thank God for all these experiences and reflections,
and all of you.”
Before the Pastor’s final blessing, the congregation
heartily applauded the two men. And the sustained applause
swelled on to become a standing ovation.

Jerry Baum with Monsignor
Kenny and Father DeSanto holding their proclamations from
the
Town of Mamaroneck and Village of Larchmont photo
courtesy Kate Fleming
Further honors and warm words followed the mass at a truly
gala reception in the St. Augustine’s auditorium. Speakers
included parish representatives Jerry Baum and Joseph Vandernoot,
followed by Mamaroneck Town Supervisor Valerie O’Keeffe
and Larchmont Mayor Ken Bialo, who acknowledged the contributions
of the two honorees to the community. They also informed the
more than 400 guests that they both brought proclamations
declaring May 15 “Monsignor Kenny and Father DeSanto
Day.”
In addition to the events of this past weekend, the church
has announced that a special children’s appreciation
for the two Fathers will take place Sunday, May 23, at the
10:30 a.m. family mass.
Further biographical information on Fathers Kenny and DeSanto
is available on the St.
Augustine’s website.
Bill McGuire is a St. Augustine
parishoner.
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