At its March monthly meeting, the Ragamuffin Parade organization voted to designate Monsignor Kevin Noone, the pastor of Our Lady of Angels Church, at 74th Street and Fourth Avenue, as the 2017 grand marshal for the group’s 51st annual parade on Saturday, October 14th.
The parade committee also elected Vietnam U.S. Air Force veteran Ray Aalbue as Ragamuffin “Man of the Year,” and he will also join Monsignor Noone at the head of the parade.
Aalbue is the current president of the United Military Veterans of Kings County, and executive director of Brooklyn’s 150th annual Kings County Memorial Day Parade, to be held in Bay Ridge on May 29.
According to Arlene Keating, the new president of the Ragamuffin Parade Committee, it’s very appropriate to have the pastor of Our Lady of Angels as grand marshal, since it was at his parish that the parade was founded over five decades ago.
This past September, the city agreed to co-name the northeast corner of Third Avenue and 74th Street as “Ragamuffin Way.”
This coming Sunday, it will be Bay Ridge’s turn to celebrate Irish heritage when the community’s 24th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade is held along Third Avenue from Marine Avenue to 67th Street, starting at 1 p.m.
Among the musical contingents will be Brooklyn’s largest and award-winning marching band from Fort Hamilton High School, which just returned from Orlando, Florida where members marched in a parade at Universal Studios Amusement Park, and competed against other high schools in a music tournament, winning top honors.
Monsignor Kieran Harrington, communications vicar for the Brooklyn Catholic Diocese, is the 2017 grand marshal. The parade committee is headed by Linda Gallagher-Lomanto.
John Quaglione held his at Positano Restaurant on Fourth Avenue and Liam McCabe held his at Chef Andrea’s Restaurant on 13th Avenue.