DEDICATION AND RIBBON CUTTING AT STUDIO TOROK

PIERMONT, New York- Members of the New York Oratory of St. Philip Neri and the Lay Associates of Hallel Institute gathered at St. John the Baptist Parish for their weekly Seder tradition on October 8, 2020.  Fr. Tom Kunnel, C.O., Administrator, and his parish staff prepared hospitality for this special gathering to mark the occasion of Provost Fr. Vladimir Chripko’s birthday. 

There was another special reason for gathering at St. John’s that afternoon though.  For years, Provost Emeritus Fr. George Torok envisioned using broadcast communication as a tool for catechesis and religious education.  Covid-19 has now created situations where remote learning is more commonplace and necessary than ever.  Parish religious education is now being taught remotely at St. John the Baptist, and with some online elements in other parishes that still try to offer an in-person component.  This is an entirely new endeavor for directors of religious education serving in the parishes where the Oratory ministers, as well as for their catechists.    

Social communication for evangelization has been part of the fiber of the New York Oratory's mission from its foundation.  Under the leadership of Fr. Tom Kunnel, a former student of Fr. George’s, the Oratory has developed a studio at St. John the Baptist.  Its honorary namesake- none other than Fr. George Torok.  Studio Torok was dedicated at the end of the gathering with a blessing offered by Fr. Joseph Ravi Narisetty, newly aggregated member of the Oratory.  His brother Oratorians asked Fr. George to cut the ribbon personally.  

To date, St. John the Baptist volunteer catechists have recorded video lessons for students in grades one through eight, with all content posted to the Oratory Web site.  Other videos that have been produced in the newly created studio are tutorials given by Steve Neier, novice member of the Oratory, to assist catechists, parents, and students with using the Christ in Us series published by Sadlier.  Studio Torok enables lessons to be recorded, edited, live streamed, and rendered on different platforms all from the Piermont location.