CCBQ’s “Kids Fun Day” Brings Families Together in Astoria

by Katie Vasquez

ASTORIA, Queens — Families gathered in Astoria on Aug. 21 for Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens’ annual Kids Fun Day, a free community event offering children games, music, books and toys while connecting parents and guardians with resources and services.

The event was held in the parking lot of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church and featured community-based organizations offering information on health care, dental services and other assistance.

For children like Greyson Mercado, the day was all about having fun.

“I like to play games, and I like to read books,” Mercado said. “And I like to play, and I like my toys, and I like to dance, and I like to sing.”

The event began 18 years ago as a backpack giveaway. Since then, it has grown into a larger community event where families can receive school supplies, backpacks and toys while learning about services available to them.

“We really started this event because we had a few backpacks to give out,” said Debbie Hampson, senior director of Community Outreach Services at Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens. “Well, that has morphed into this amazing event where we have a lot of our community-based organizations.”

Hampson said the organizations provide families with information and resources, while Catholic Charities distributes backpacks, school supplies and toys.

For some parents, the event offered an opportunity to find services they otherwise may have struggled to access.

Helen Merino, who attended the event, said she had been looking for affordable dental care and other assistance.

“I’ve needed a teeth cleaning for so long, and I haven’t been able to get it because I don’t have insurance here,” Merino said.

She said she was connected with resources that could help her receive dental treatment at a reduced cost and apply for health insurance.

“But I think that the community needs things like this,” Merino said.

Volunteers also played a key role in helping families navigate the event and take part in its activities.

Adriana Dorner, a Catholic Charities volunteer, said volunteering gives her an opportunity to support children and families in the community.

“A lot of my friends, I don’t see a lot of volunteering, especially working with children or food distribution or other services that are needed,” Dorner said. “So just being able to give back and, like, put my hand out there to give back to those in need, it means something to me.”

The annual Kids Fun Day brought together families, volunteers and community organizations for a day focused on fun, support and giving back.

Martyr St. Maximilian Kolbe Honored at Auschwitz on the 85th Anniversary of His Death

by Currents Staff

A memorial was held August 14 at Auschwitz to honor St. Maximilian Kolbe who was martyred during the Holocaust. The Franciscan friar volunteered to die in place of another prisoner in the notorious Nazi death camp.

Hundreds attended the memorial including pilgrims from a center and parish named for the Polish martyr. During the memorial flowers were laid at the place of St. Kolbe’s murder in the starvation cell of Block 11. St. Kolbe was killed with a phenol injection.

The prisoner who was saved by St. Kolbe survived Auschwitz and died in 1995. St. Kolbe was canonized in 1982 by Pope St. John Paul II.

Feast for Blessed Father McGivney Celebrated to Inspire Clergy to be Like Him

by Currents News Bill Miller

PROSPECT HEIGHTS — About 100 members of the Knights of Columbus from across Long Island came to the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph on the evening of Aug. 13 to honor their founder, Blessed Father Michael McGivney.

Born in 1852 to Irish immigrants, Blessed Father McGivney became a champion for working-class families and immigrants, especially widows and orphans. He founded the Knights in 1882 in New Haven, Connecticut, as a fraternal benefit society rooted in charity and patriotism.

Father McGivney died in 1890 at age 38 from a deadly combination of tuberculosis and pneumonia, but his legacy endures. The Knights of Columbus began as a small gathering of men from St. Mary’s Parish in New Haven, but today there are some 2 million Knights worldwide.

The Mass, celebrated by Bishop Robert Brennan, also honored clergy from the dioceses of Brooklyn and Rockville Centre for their ministries modeled in the tradition of Blessed Father McGivney.

“They’re the spiritual guides for everything we do,” said Rick Kinney, the Knights’ master of the First New York District. “We do a lot of patriotic stuff, but you have to be motivated to do that.

“The chaplains — the deacons, the priests — they motivate us, and they tell us why and how the faith is also impacted by what we do.”

Kinney, who belongs to St. Anthony-St. Alphonsus Parish in Greenpoint, said there are about 5,000 Knights on Long Island, and about 2,000 of them are in the Diocese of Brooklyn.

Lou Pepe, a longtime leader of the Knights, said the Mass served as a message from the Knights to all pastors, parish priests, deacons, and even religious sisters that they are loved and appreciated.

Pepe is a former Grand Knight of the Bishop Thomas V. Daily Council of the Knights of Columbus at the Cathedral Basilica of St. James in Downtown Brooklyn.

He currently serves as chairman of faith for the New York State Council. In recent years, he led an initiative for the New York State Council to raise funds for statues of Blessed Michael McGivney across the state.

“The message of the Knights to them,” Pepe said, “is that they continue in a strong vocation and that they strive to be the local parish priest that Blessed Father McGivney was.

“We hope that he blesses every one of them with his zeal to continue the calling, and to keep the faith in a steady boat, so we could all one day celebrate his canonization.”

Catholic News Headlines for Friday 8/14/26

Rescue crews are racing to find survivors after a devastating earthquake in Colombia damaged communities and landmarks, including the historic Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary.

Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens and Northwell LIJ Forest Hills have opened two new Baby Cafés in Queens to provide breastfeeding mothers and families with free professional support.

Currents News’ Supper Series visits St. Sebastian Church and Donovan’s Pub, two Woodside institutions that have shared decades of faith, food and community celebrations.

The Vatican has released new commemorative euro coins honoring Pope Leo XIV, featuring the first American pontiff’s image and coat of arms.

Lights Out Bill, or ‘Flaco’s Law,’ Advocates Rally Support

by Katie Vasquez

NEW YORK — Advocates gathered Aug. 13 in support of legislation known as the “Lights Out Bill,” or “Flaco’s Law,” which would require certain large buildings in New York City to turn off or dim lights at night to help protect birds.

The legislation is named after Flaco, a beloved owl who became a Central Park favorite after escaping the Central Park Zoo in 2023. He died in February 2024 after flying into a Manhattan building.

“We’re trying to pass this legislation through, for many large commercial buildings in Manhattan and around the city to turn the lights out,” advocates said at the rally.

The New York City Council has reintroduced the legislation, which would require office buildings and large retailers to turn off or dim exterior, decorative and nonessential interior lighting during nighttime hours.

The latest version includes changes that would exempt landmarks and add provisions addressing public safety.

Animal advocates say reducing artificial light at night could help protect birds that migrate through New York City.

Many bird species travel at night and use the stars to navigate. Artificial light can interfere with that process, causing birds to become disoriented and exhausted and increasing the risk of collisions with buildings.

Licensed wildlife rehabilitator Mary Beth Artz said light pollution can have deadly consequences for migrating birds.

“Many travel at night, and they depend on the navigation of the stars,” Artz said. “So when the light overpowers the visual of the stars, they get thrown off, they get disoriented and exhausted, and that’s when they run into problems, crash into buildings.”

Artz, a parishioner of the Diocese of Brooklyn, said the legislation also reflects a responsibility to care for the natural world.

“God created these birds for us, created this world for us,” she said. “We’ve got all of this, and it’s really up to us to carry it through and be a better steward of what we’ve been given.”

Advocates hope the Lights Out Bill will reduce light pollution, conserve energy and make New York City safer for birds during migration.

For supporters, the effort is also a way to honor Flaco’s legacy by addressing one of the dangers facing birds in the city’s built environment.

Supper Series: St. Sebastian Church and Donovan’s Pub Stand as Pillars

By Katie Vasquez and Paula Katinas

WOODSIDE — They stand across a narrow, one-way street from one another as two pillars of the community, one feeding stomachs and the other feeding the soul.

Donovan’s Pub, modeled after a traditional Irish pub, opened on the corner of Roosevelt Avenue and 58th Street in 1966. It’s across the street from St. Sebastian Church, which has stood at its current location since 1955.

Over the past 60 years, the church — on the former site of the Loew’s Woodside Theater — and the pub have watched the Woodside community change around them while they have both remained mainstays of the neighborhood.

While Woodside “was always very commercial,” with Roosevelt Avenue boasting a variety of stores under the elevated No. 7 train line, there has been significant growth in recent years, said Dan Connor, the co-owner of Donovan’s Pub.

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“What you’re really seeing over the past decade or so is high-rises coming in, just building after building being built,” said Connor, who bought the restaurant with his brother-in-law James Jacobson from the original owner Joe Donovan in 2013. “And it’s just bringing more and more people to the neighborhood.”

St. Sebastian Church is “the heart of this community,” said Connor, a lifelong parishioner. He noted that Donovan’s Pub is the go-to place for many churchgoers for parties for baptisms, communion, confirmations, and even weddings.

“We just go great together, and everything that happens in this community happens between these buildings, whether you’re getting married, or having a baptism, or saying goodbye to someone you love,” Connor said. “It all happens in that building across the street, and then people come here and remember and celebrate as well.”

Father Patrick West, pastor of St. Sebastian Church, said Donovan’s Pub is “an institution in Woodside, adding that the two are connected by community spirit.

“Everyone from the neighborhood comes to worship, even from outside the neighborhood. People who have moved from here are always coming back,” Father West said. “Donovan’s is an important part of their growing up in family life.”

Donovan’s Pub is famous for its hamburgers, but the restaurant also prides itself on its corned beef and cabbage, which is a Thursday night tradition. Father West said his favorite dish is the bacon cheeseburger, nicknamed “Woodside” on the menu. He said when he wants a healthier option, he turns to the chicken breast with asparagus.

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Connor also touted the restaurant’s expertly poured Guinness. Bartender Christine D’Alonzo said the key to a perfect Guinness is to let the foam settle for nearly two minutes before serving.

“If you’re sitting at the bar having a drink, having dinner, we pour a proper Guinness like nobody else in New York,” Connor said.

In another nod to tradition, Donovan’s Pub has not changed the main dining room, though it has expanded its dining areas over the years. It’s modeled after a cozy Irish pub that one would find in Dublin.

“The one thing we promised the community,” Connor said, “is that if they still supported us, we would bring back a little more life, but we wouldn’t change the charm.”

TONIGHT AT 7: St. Sebastian Church and Donovan’s Pub Share Decades-Long Connection in Queens

By Katie Vasquez

For generations, St. Sebastian Church and Donovan’s Pub have stood across the street from one another in Woodside, sharing a connection that has become part of the neighborhood’s story.

Currents News takes a look at the bond between the two longtime institutions and why residents keep coming back.

Italian Man Ordained Permanent Deacon From Hospital Bed

By Currents News

Pino Cannavò, an Italian husband and father, fulfilled his dream of becoming a permanent deacon in an unexpected setting: an intensive care unit in Catania.

His wife, María Rita, told Rome Reports that Cannavò remains hospitalized as he continues battling illness.

“God willing, there’s still a road ahead, although it could be challenging,” she said. “But we don’t put limits on divine providence.”

Cannavò was diagnosed with a tumor in June 2025 that gradually worsened. He later began chemotherapy, but the treatment was unsuccessful.

“It hasn’t had the expected result, so we’ve tried other forms of care,” María Rita said.

Cannavò underwent surgery July 31, which removed part, or possibly all, of the visible disease. His recovery, however, has been slow because the surgical wound did not heal properly from the inside, his wife said.

After a lifetime devoted to work, Cannavò enrolled in a theology program and was nearing the end of his studies and formation for the permanent diaconate when he became ill.

Despite his condition, his desire to be ordained remained.

“When it all happened in the intensive care unit, his reaction was one of pure happiness and tears from the very moment he saw the archbishop walk in and embrace him,” María Rita said.

She said Archbishop Renna of the Archdiocese of Catania had been willing to help Cannavò fulfill his dream of ordination.

“When it finally happened, there were almost tears of relief as well, because his dream had come true,” she said.

Archbishop Renna ordained Cannavò to the permanent diaconate in the intensive care unit, surrounded by medical equipment, his wife and their two children, both of whom are nurses at the hospital.

“It’s not every day that certain celebrations can take place in a setting like this,” María Rita said. “But as Monsignor Renna said, my husband’s hospital bed became the altar, and therefore the entire intensive care unit was the cathedral at that moment.”

Despite the difficulties he faced, Cannavò was able to give his “Here I am,” like any other candidate for the diaconate, and fulfill his desire to serve God and the Church.

NYPD Detective Killed in 1902 Receives Headstone

By Katie Vasquez

ASTORIA, N.Y. — More than 120 years after Detective Sergeant John Sheridan was killed in the line of duty, his grave at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cemetery has finally been marked with a headstone.

For cemetery volunteer Anthony Pisciotta, making sure Sheridan was remembered was a matter of honoring a man who gave his life serving New York City.

“It’s shameful that anybody have an unmarked grave, but it’s shameful if it’s a person that fell in the line of duty, in service to the city,” Pisciotta said.

Sheridan was working in Long Island City in 1902 when he spotted two suspicious men. He sent his partner ahead to stop them, but one of the men confronted Sheridan and shot him.

Sheridan was killed in the line of duty.

Three men were arrested and charged with murder, but the suspects were acquitted at trial.

For years, Sheridan’s grave in Astoria remained unmarked.

Pisciotta eventually stepped in to change that, working to secure a headstone for the fallen detective.

“It feels like I accomplished something. We accomplished something,” Pisciotta said.

Brotherhood for the Fallen New York City helped fund the marker, which can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars.

Jason Marsman, a member of the organization, said the effort is part of a larger mission to ensure fallen officers are not forgotten.

“It’s unsettling to know that these people were just lost to history, really,” Marsman said. “And 100 years from now, could that be one of us?”

Sheridan’s family still has reminders of the officer he was. His great-granddaughter, Loretta Sheridan, has his badge and one of his nightsticks.

She never knew her great-grandfather. Sheridan’s son died in 1949, before Loretta was born, leaving her to learn about him through stories passed down through the family.

“My father’s father was his son,” she said. “He died in 1949, well before I was ever born. So, you know, we’re kind of getting stuff a little thirdhand by what my grandfather told my father.”

For Loretta, seeing Sheridan’s name finally marked at his grave was deeply meaningful — particularly because it was a stranger who took the initiative to honor him.

“I was really moved,” she said. “I think that’s a fantastic thing that he’s doing, not just for my family, but for all the families who he’s helping memorialize their loved one.”

Pisciotta hopes the headstone will ensure Sheridan’s story continues to be told.

“For future generations, people come here and see it and know who he was and maybe ask questions of what happened to him and how he lost his life,” he said.

Marsman said fallen officers deserve to be remembered in the communities they served.

“These are officers that walk these same streets that we do now, and they deserve to have, you know, a dignified burial place,” he said.

More than a century after Sheridan’s death, his grave is no longer unmarked — giving his family, fellow officers and future generations a place to remember his sacrifice.

Pope Leo XIV Prays for Victims of Colombia Earthquake at General Audience

by Currents News

On Aug. 11 Pope Leo XIV sent a letter of support to the victims of the Aug. 10 earthquake in Colombia. The next day, on August 12, he expressed his solidarity with those affected. He did so during his general audience, which was held for the second time inside of St. Peter’s Basilica.

“I wish to express my closeness to our Colombian brothers and sisters who suffered the effects of the recent earthquake, which claimed many lives, injured many others, and caused extensive material damage,” the Holy Father said. “As I pray to the Lord for the eternal rest of those who have died, I assure their families and all those affected by this tragedy of my prayers. I express my gratitude to everyone working in rescue and relief efforts for those who suffer.”

During his greeting to the Polish faithful present at the audience, the pope also referred to two important dates for the country which are celebrated in August.

“Through Mary’s intercession, victory was achieved in the Battle of Warsaw on August 15th, 1920, changing the course of history for Poland and all of Europe,” he explained. “The liturgical memorial of St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe is celebrated on the eve of the Assumption. He gave his life for a fellow prisoner at the German Nazi camp of Auschwitz.”

That day, Pope Leo XIV also continued his catechesis on the documents of the Second Vatican Council. In particular, he focused his reflection on the Sacrosanctum Concilium on the Liturgical Year.