Knight honored for charity work

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The Village of Valley Stream honored a former grand knight of Valley Stream’s St. Therese the Little Flower Council of the Knights of Columbus on Aug. 17 for the work he did in the role.

Mayor Ed Fare commended Lombardo, who used to live in the village, for his efforts to recognize others while he headed the council for the past year. Lombardo said he was proud to have organized a Blue Mass to honor fallen police officers, a fire safety weekend and Red Mass at the Church of the Blessed Sacrament and a breakfast for widows of officers who died in the line of duty.

“Hopefully, that’s my legacy as a grand knight,” Lombardo said. He praised the Rev. Peter Dugandzic at Blessed Sacrament for being “very supportive” of his efforts and strengthening the council’s relationship with the church.

Sal Restivo, a state deputy with the Knights, a Catholic charity organization, said that Lombardo was an involved leader.

“He’s done some good,” Restivo said. “He was in the forefront of establishing the Hispanic council, even though he’s not Hispanic himself, and the multicultural councils. We’re focused on building the Catholic community, and we want the Knights to be inclusive.”

Lombardo said that he is proud to be a member of the “most culturally diverse council in Nassau,” with members from Hispanic, Filipino and Haitian backgrounds.

Restivo also praised him for organizing the Blue Mass in April, at a time when police officers felt pressure due to national news events. “Larry thinks outta the box,” he said. “He has a lot of great ideas, and when he’s working with a team, those ideas get realized.”

Lombardo said the council’s membership is healthy and growing, currently at 220.