The late Msgr. John Tosi. Courtesy of Vallone’s offi ce
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.2 COM | NOV. 6-NOV. 12, 2020
Suozzi distributes PPE
across the borough
BY QNS STAFF
Congressman Tom Suozzi
went on a personal protective
equipment (PPE) distribution
tour across Queens earlier
this week.
On Monday, Oct. 26, and
Tuesday, Oct. 27, Suozzi
handed out over 10,000 pieces
of PPE to residents, hospitals
and community groups
across Queens.
He made stops throughout
the borough, including at the
Korean Church of Queens in
Elmhurst, St. Mary’s Hospital
for Children in Bayside,
Commonpoint Queens in
Little Neck and the Queens
County Farm Museum in
Glen Oaks.
The distributed masks
were donated by the City of
New York.
Suozzi’s donation at Commonpoint
Queens marked an
important milestone for the
community group.
Tuesday, Oct. 27 marked
the 1 millionth pound of food
distributed by the group
since the start of the pandemic
in March. In celebration of
their efforts, acting Queens
Borough President Sharon
Lee declared Oct. 27 Commonpoint
Queens Day.
“In such a dangerous
time, Commonpoint’s staff
and volunteers risked their
lives to get food delivered to
our homebound elders and
families,” Lee said. “This has
truly been an amazing team
effort, so we declare Oct. 27 as
Commonpoint Queens Day.”
Suozzi also praised the
organization for their work
during COVID-19.
“Thank you, thank you,
thank you Commonpoint
Queens for delivering so
many meals to the elderly and
other vulnerable neighbors
in our community. Working
together and looking after
neighbors and one another,
we will get through this,”
Suozzi said.
BY CARLOTTA
MOHAMED
Councilman Paul
Vallone has submitted
legislation to coname
an intersection
of Clintonville Street
and Locke Avenue in
Whitestone as “Msgr.
John C. Tosi Way.”
Community Board
7 voted on and approved
the co-naming
at their meeting on
Monday, Oct. 26, and
the bill is currently
being reviewed by the
Speaker’s office.
Tosi was a priest
for over 45 years and
a monsignor for 23
years in the Diocese of
Brooklyn & Queens.
Tosi died on May 23
after suffering from
a coronary condition
for the past several
years. He was 73 years
old.
“Monsignor Tosi
was a man of deep
faith and firm commitment
to bettering each
and every community
he served throughout
his lifetime,” Vallone
said. “His loss is felt
profoundly throughout
the Whitestone
community and I’m
proud to propose this
street co-naming in
his honor.”
Born in Flushing,
Tosi attended St.
Ann’s School, Msgr.
McClancy H.S., Cathedral
College, Douglaston,
and Immaculate
Conception Seminary,
Huntington.
Tosi was ordained
in May 1973 by Bishop
Francis J. Mugavero
at St. James Pro-Cathedral
in downtown
Brooklyn. He served
as an assistant at Our
Lady of Grace in Howard
Beach from 1973-
87 and Resurrection-
Ascension in Rego
Park from 1987-91.
In 1991, he was
appointed executive
secretary of the Diocesan
Liturgical Commission,
a position he
held until 2005, and
in 1995, he assumed
the additional duty of
rector of St. James Cathedral.
In 1997, Tosi was
named Monsignor. In
January 2005, he was
named pastor of St.
Luke’s in Whitestone,
where he remained
until his death. Tosi
rebuilt St. Luke’s
Church and made
many renovations to
the Queens parish
based on his experiences
with the Diocesan
Liturgical Commission.
Enrico Urgo,
Grand Knight of the
Msgr. Francis Dillon
Council #5872, said
they had proposed and
requested the street
co-naming to honor
Tosi for all of his
dedication, not only
to their council, but to
the elderly, veterans,
and the children of
St. Luke school in the
community.
“We felt, what better
way to memorialize
him than to have
the street co-named in
front of the very own
rectory/church where
he served for 15 years
and touched the lives
of many parishioners
as well as community
members,” Urgo said.
“So now this is an opportunity
to say thank
you, not only from myself,
but also from all
the brother knights
of the Msgr. Francis
Dillon Council #5872
and all those in the St.
Luke community.”
The City Council
is scheduled to vote
on a slate of street conamings
this winter.
Reach reporter
Carlotta Mohamed by
e-mail at cmohamed@
schnepsmedia.com or
by phone at (718) 260–
4526.
Photos by Dean Moses
Councilman proposes street
co-naming in honor of late
Whitestone Monsignor
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