In Esopus, Town Board NIXES more reefer madness…On the night of December 16, the efforts of prayer, advocacy, and outreach by clerics and parishioners – cooperating with neighbors of good will – to keep Esopus a family-friendly place to live when the Town Board passed Local Law 13. After numerous parishioners and two of our clerics made their presence felt and voices heard at three hearings of the Board, despite anti-Catholic barbs during the lively hearings, Esopus has become the first municipality in Ulster County to opt out fully from allowing “cannabis based dispensaries” (read: weed shops) and “consumption sites” (read: pot lounges) in our town. Upon learning of the bill’s passage, enthused Dcn. Timothy J. Dean, who spoke at the second hearing on December 2nd, “The Town of Esopus got it correct. We are trying to make our town a family-friendly place to live with businesses that are conducive to the lifestyle we desire.”

“Thanks be to God for blessing our efforts.” stated Fr. Arthur Rojas, Administrator, “We have addressed this moral issue with public policy impact via sustained prayer for our local authorities as well as seeking to evangelize them and our neighbors on the true common good of our town and in defense of our currently pro-family environment.” In addition to Presentation-Sacred Heart Parish’s efforts via Article 4 of the N.Y.S. Cannabis Law to limit the threats to impressionable children, youths, and families from the recent legalization of recreational marijuana, Fr. Rojas noted that in the Town of Wawarsing, Fr. Kenneth Riello, pastor of St. Mary-St. Andrew Parish in Ellenville is leading similar efforts there. “We urge all our parishioners and people of good will to keep Fr. Riello, his parishioners, and the local authorities in prayer as the Wawarsing Town Board meets on December 21st to consider Local Laws 3 and 4, which are their equivalents to our newly enacted Local Law 13.”, exhorted Fr. Rojas.


Presentation – Sacred Heart Parish
Port Ewen, New York – Esopus, New York