Our team returned to the Apple Festival for another consecutive year this past weekend. This year, the festival changed its layout, sprawling down the Commons all the way to and along Geneva Street. Although this meant closing off our church parking lot (and some chaos for those who were coming to Sunday Mass via car), it gave us the incredible opportunity to set up our street evangelization table right by the steps of our own church and invite festival-goers inside -- which certainly bore fruit! We encountered countless people at our table, including:

• A number of young Catholic students from Ithaca College who did not know about our parish, but stepped inside for Eucharistic Adoration during the festival. One of them was even at daily Mass at the parish a few days later!
• A young student from Syracuse University who was in a terrible car accident but walked away unscathed -- which she attributed to the St. Christopher medal she had in her glove compartment. She brought her non-Catholic friend to our table, who took an interest in our St. Michael and St. Benedict medals.
• An elderly man who went to a Catholic school for eight years as a child, but had since stopped practicing his faith. He accepted our invitation to step inside the church for a moment of prayer, and when he saw the beauty of our renovations, he said, "I'm going to kneel right over there and pray!"
• A young non-Catholic woman with cancer, who was intrigued by the Rosary and asked us to explain how she could pray it.
• A little girl who had received a Guardian Angel medal from us at a previous festival, and stopped by this year to see what else we were offering.
• An older man who, when we showed him a St. Rita medal and mentioned she was the patron of impossible causes, exclaimed, "Oh, I definitely need her!"

Glory to Jesus Christ for this opportunity this weekend and for all those we encountered and spoke with. Please pray that Jesus may draw them to Him and to His Church, especially through answers to the prayer intentions that they entrusted to us. Please pray for the following:

S: For my family to remain safe and happy forever
K: For prosperity, abundance, strength, courage, more life, consistent love and support
S: For my breast cancer surgery to go well, and for God to watch over me
A & L: For baby
J: For my family
M: For love, light, kindness and peace in this world.
K: For Albina's soul, on the first anniversary of her passing
E: For healing and togetherness in our family

Anonymous:
- For our finances/economy to improve
- For good health for mankind
- For the Ithaca Mobile Pack, that we would bring in many volunteers to provide meals and that all who provide and receive the work would be blessed
- For Mira’s health and future
- For a successful career in film or directing for Nicholas Nappi
- For my family, and to be wealthy
- For success in school
- For Albert and for health
- For a good semester in my last year, and for happiness and joy
- For those suffering from the ill effects and consequences of abuse, especially child emotional and verbal abuse
- For T1 to win Worlds
- For my daughter Alana to be healed in her body
- For Allegra's life to become better
- For Jackie to overcome addiction
- For my sobriety
- For Francesca
- For my best friend, Steven, to return to me and be safe from the people that tried to kill him
- For my deceased stepdad and my healing (As written: "I wish I could see my stepdad and hug him but I can't. He passed.")
- For my brother, who just had to get surgery for his foot
- For my sister Valentina, who is sick and needs help
- For Luke and Abby who suffered severe damage to their new home in Asheville due to Hurricane Helene
- For the health of my parents and for the joy of my friends, and for my happiness
- For my mother and father's health, luck, and strength, and for my grandparents
- For my family, health, and education
- For this school year to be guided in love and light
- For my sister's happiness and strength
- For my health
- For a new job and hope for a happy & quick resolution. Also for my dad and grandfather

From our team:
- For Morgan and Janaye, sisters who were baptized when they were babies but never received the Sacrament of Holy Communion, who want to return to the Church
- For Evan, a bright, inquisitive seven-year old, to find God in his heart