Anglicans came together to celebrate the Patronal Festival at St. Andrew's Church in Whymms, Long Island, and to begin another church liturgical year. The celebration was special also in that the church had been closed for a number of years before it received extensive renovations. The first Mass after it reopened was held in July 2010. Last year Diocesan Bishop Laish Boyd rededicated the edifice.
Canon Harry Ward, interim priest-in-charge for St. Paul's in South Long Island in his sermon, preached on the simple, yet profound words of Jesus when he told Andrew and his brother Simon Peter that he would make them fishers of men.
Ward made it absolutely clear that Matthew's account of the call of Andrew and Simon Peter is significantly different that the account in John's gospel. And he asked the congregation whether they wanted to be considered an "Andrew".
He admonished the congregation that Jesus picked some of the most unlikely characters to assist him with spreading the Gospel message and told the congregation they were no different than Andrew. He told them that the mere thought of the two brothers along with the sons of Zebedee leaving their father in the boat and following Jesus should sensitize each Christian of their duty and obligation to be a witness and fisherman for God and his Son Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Father Chester Burton, priest-in-charge at St. Andrew's also recognized five catechists for their service to the parish -- Lawrence Adderley, Dan Deal, Mavis Knowles, Jerry Harding and Frieda Fox.

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