Youngest Priest in Diocese of Brooklyn Ordained at Cathedral Basilica of St. James

By Jessica Easthope

A homegrown vocation has come to fulfillment. At 27 years old, Paul Zwolak is now the youngest priest in the Diocese of Brooklyn.

“I’m finally going to be able to be called a priest of Christ and be a worthy priest of Christ,” Father Paul said.

He can trace the call back to seventh grade as a student at Our Lady of Hope Catholic Academy in Middle Village. On June 6 at the Cathedral Basilica of St. James in Downtown Brooklyn, Father Paul had a message for that young kid.

“I would say to him, don’t be afraid, because a vocation is something that you should. It’s a calling from God, so you really have to embrace it,” he said.

“A product of a beautiful family, faith-filled family, of a vibrant parish and of Catholic education,” Bishop Robert Brennan said.

Bishop Brennan says having a vocation from within the diocese is a point of immense pride and makes the ordination rituals especially meaningful.

“It’s a very, very moving experience. And, you get that sense of the power of the holy Spirit,” Bishop Brennan said.

During ordination more than 100 priests laid their hands on Father Paul’s head — an ancient gesture handed down from the apostles. And right after, the prayer of ordination marks the moment he becomes a priest. Father Paul is then dressed in his new priestly vestments with the help of other priests. One, Father Peter Purpura, the pastor of Our Lady of Hope has a special connection to the newly ordained.

“I recognize him. I’m not sure I recognize myself,” Father Purpura said, looking at a picture of he and Father Paul at his confirmation. “But it is a joy to think that, the young boy that I knew since he was in fifth grade today is now a brother priest. So it’s a day full of joy and pride,” Father Purpura said.

As for the people in the pews — they were also beaming with pride. Father Paul’s parents were front and center.

“We pray everyday like we pray and ask God for the holy price. Or why not our son? If this is the decision you make and God is calling. You can. You cannot say no,” Krystyna and Jacek Zwolak said.

Bishop Brennan anoints Father Paul’s hands with chrism, making them sacred instruments that will bless and accompany God’s people and consecrate the Eucharist.

“I’m just trusting in God and just going to work through his grace so that I can obey His Word and to do what he tells me by his grace,” Father Paul said.

Father Paul Zwolak will begin his ministry at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Flatlands and will celebrate his first Mass on Sunday, June 7, the Feast of Corpus Christi at his home parish of Our Lady of Hope.

Currents News Special: ‘School Year in Review’

As the academic year comes to a close in the Diocese of Brooklyn, Currents News is highlighting outstanding achievements, inspiring stories, and the lasting impact of a Catholic education throughout Brooklyn and Queens during the 2025-2026 school year.

From students who exceeded expectations to teachers who shaped both minds and hearts, “School Year in Review” is showcasing the people and programs that continue to strengthen Catholic schools and academies across the diocese.

The special features:

Public vs. Private: The Catholic School Advantage

A closer look at the data and proven outcomes behind Catholic education—and why students in Catholic schools and academies consistently outperform their public-school peers in standardized testing.

Expanding for the Future

An inside look at the growing Catholic school communities throughout the Diocese of Brooklyn. Featured stories include a Queens high school expanding to welcome middle school students and a Brooklyn school unveiling a new Exploration and Innovation Center designed to transform the student learning experience.

Trailblazing Teachers

A tribute to the educators who dedicate their lives to forming young people academically and spiritually. Among them is a pioneering educator who became the first Black Catholic school teacher in the Diocese of Rockville Centre after beginning her remarkable 40-year career in a Catholic school in the Diocese of Brooklyn.

A Vatican First: Pope Leo XIV Names Laywoman Prefect of Dicastery for Communication

By Currents News and Courtney Mares

(OSV News) — Pope Leo XIV appointed Maria Montserrat “Montse” Alvarado, president and chief operating officer of EWTN News, as prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication on June 2.

Alvarado, a Mexican-American Catholic who grew up in Miami, will succeed Paolo Ruffini, whom Pope Francis appointed in 2018 as the first lay prefect of a dicastery. She will assume the post Nov. 1.

She will be the first laywoman who is not a religious sister to lead a dicastery, and, at age 39, will be by far the youngest prefect in the Roman Curia.

The first woman to head a Vatican dicastery was an Italian Consolata Missionary, Sister Simona Brambilla, who was 59 when Pope Francis appointed her in January 2025 as prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.

Pope Leo XIV confirmed his predecessor’s appointment of another high ranking woman at the Vatican, Sister Raffaella Petrini, a Franciscan Sister of the Eucharist, as president of the office governing Vatican City State in May 2025. He named Sister Nina Benedikta Krapic, a Sister of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, as the deputy director of the Holy See Press Office in February.

Currently based in Washington, Alvarado holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Florida International University and a master’s degree in political management from George Washington University. She began working in communications for the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a Washington-based nonprofit law firm that defends religious freedom cases, in 2009, rising to vice president and executive director in 2017.

In 2021, she began a professional transition to Catholic media, becoming the host of the weekly news show “EWTN News In Depth” while still working for the Becket Fund. She was named president and COO of EWTN News in 2023.

Pope Francis established the Vatican Dicastery for Communication in 2015 as part of his reform of the Roman Curia. The dicastery oversees the Holy See’s communications systems, including Vatican News, Vatican Radio, L’Osservatore Romano, Vatican Media, the Holy See Press Office, the Vatican publishing house, the Vatican Printing Press and the Filmoteca Vaticana.

“The Dicastery for Communication has embedded in its very DNA the duty to remain constantly attuned to the rapidly changing world of communication,” Ruffini said in a statement on the day of Alvarado’s appointment.

“I have now entered the final lap of the race, before the moment when – in the long journey that is our working life – having reached the age of 70, the age set for retirement, I will pass the baton to Montserrat Alvarado as the next prefect,” he said. “Over the last couple of years, we have come to know each other. And in the coming months, we will work closely together, in the spirit of communion that unites us in the Church.”

In a statement about Alvarado’s appointment, Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, congratulated her on behalf of the conference.

“We are grateful for her work as a Catholic journalist, faithfully covering the work of the bishops, and also for her advocacy and dedication to upholding religious freedom and human dignity at the Becket Fund,” the archbishop said. “I assure her of our prayers as she continues to serve the universal Church with her unique talents.”

Alvarado was received in a private audience with Pope Leo XIV together with Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez of Philadelphia on Sept. 6, 2025, to discuss the pope’s digital outreach to American Catholic youth at the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis.

“I was recently told by a dear friend to thank God for the doors that open that we never knock on,” Alvarado said in a statement after her appointment. “While this appointment was unexpected, I receive it with a sincere desire to serve the Holy Father as he begins his pontificate.”

“At the beginning of his pontificate, Pope Leo XIV asked journalists and communicators to never separate the search for truth from the love with which we must humbly seek it, and to preserve human faces and voices which are God’s indelible mark on our humanity in each of us. It is with this understanding of our vocation as communicators that I receive this appointment with deep gratitude, humility, and trust in the Lord,” Alvarado said.

Pope Leo XIV Entrusts World Peace to Our Lady at Final May Angelus

By Currents News

Pope Leo XIV led the final Angelus of May in St. Peter’s Square, praying the Rosary and asking Our Lady to bring peace to a world marked by conflict.

He also offered a reflection on the Holy Trinity, calling on the faithful to embrace communion and relationship over division. Pilgrims from around the world packed the square despite the intense heat in Rome to pray alongside the Holy Father.

20 First Communicants From Queens Deanery 5 Lead Eucharistic Procession

By Currents News and Michael Rizzo

BAYSIDE — The streets of Bayside were alive with hymns and prayers during a Eucharistic procession on May 28 between Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament and Sacred Heart of Jesus parishes in the northeastern Queens community.

About 300 congregants walked the 1.1-mile route that crossed highways, prompted the NYPD to stop traffic, and grabbed the attention of homeowners and onlookers along the way.

The pilgrims were led by 20 children and their families. These young people had received their first Communion this year at parishes in Queens Deanery 5, which encouraged all of their parishioners to attend the procession.

The other deanery parishes are American Martyrs, Holy Family, Our Lady of the Snows, St. Anastasia, St. Gregory the Great, St. Josaphat, St. Kevin, and St. Robert Bellarmine.

Maritza Cruz came from Holy Family in Fresh Meadows to walk with her granddaughter, Zaylynn Lugo.

“I’ve been doing this since I was a child, and I’m passing it on to my granddaughter, and she enjoys it,” Cruz said.

“It’s respectful to God,” Zaylynn, 8, added about the procession. “It felt like a special day. We were honoring God, and it was beautiful.”

Father Robert Whelan, pastor at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, explained before the procession that the idea came from Father Sean Suckiel, pastor of Holy Family, who cited the participation he had seen in other Eucharistic processions.

“Eucharistic processions are making the old new again,” Father Suckiel said as he vested for the veneration. “Young people today are talking about these processions, how it’s life-changing, so why not do it as a deanery?”

An opening prayer inside Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, led by Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Octavio Cisneros, began the evening’s adoration. Bishop Cisneros reminded the congregants that “this is not just a walk but an act of worship.”

The Eucharist was then placed in a monstrance that was carried outside. The procession began just after 5:50 p.m. with Bishop Cisneros, the first of several priests to carry the monstrance under a canopy held aloft by attendees.

About 20 minutes later, and after walking a half mile, the procession stopped at St. Josaphat for a 15-minute benediction on the building’s front steps. As the monstrance was blessed with incense, the sun, which had been mostly hidden behind darkened clouds, broke through in bright light.

Father Whelan said in his earlier interview that he hoped the procession would make an impact on Bayside residents. That’s exactly what happened when Lynn, who did not want to give her last name, stepped out of Vittorio’s Butcher Shop on 35th Avenue to watch the Eucharist pass by. “I’m not even Catholic, but this is good,” she said. “It gives people hope. To see people come together, that’s what we need.”

As the procession, which stretched over two blocks, snaked through side streets and stopped buses and cars as it crossed busy Bell Boulevard, the praying of the rosary and the songs of worship continued. The procession reached Sacred Heart of Jesus Church just before 7 p.m.

“It’s a matter of rejuvenating the church,” Rosetta Maguire said as she observed the people going into the church for a final benediction. “To show our solidarity with our faith and our religion and just proud to be Catholic.”

After the Eucharist was removed from the monstrance and placed in the tabernacle by Father Marc Swartvagher, presiding dean of Queens Deanery 5 and pastor at St. Kevin Parish, Father Suckiel thanked the congregants for their participation and asked for another acknowledgment of appreciation.

“Let’s also thank Jesus for leading us today,” he said to resounding applause.

Young Catholic Professionals Launches New Chapter in Diocese of Brooklyn

By Christine Persichette and Bill Miller

GOWANUS — More than 400 working professionals from the Diocese of Brooklyn turned out on May 28 to launch the newest chapter of Young Catholic Professionals.

YCP Brooklyn is the 45th chapter of the national organization that helps Catholic workers in their 20s and 30s grow closer to their faith as they endure the joys and struggles of their respective careers.

Bishop Robert Brennan offered a prayer and blessing for the young professionals from Brooklyn and Queens, plus at least one from Long Island, at the venue called 501 Union, a short stroll from the Gowanus Canal.

It was a multicultural event, with Catholics representing various ethnicities and both white-collar and blue-collar professions.

Ismenia Ginebra of New Hyde Park, New York, is a Catholic career coach who helps women in their mid 20s navigate job moves. She said there is no YCP chapter on Long Island, so joining the Brooklyn chapter was a great fit for her.

“It means so much to be part of the beginning of a new chapter here,” she said. “I’ve been to the Manhattan chapter a few times, and that’s been so nice to be part of something that’s already established.

Ginebra noted that there’s something “special” about being a part of a new community.
“To see that the faith is so alive here in this part of the city is just a testament to how much work God’s going to do here,” she said.

Peter Blute, executive director of YCP, which is based in Dallas, attended the launch party to welcome the new members. He described how the group’s founder, Jennifer Baugh, had a career, but in 2010, she felt God was calling her to create YCP.

“She quit her full-time job and embarked on this unbelievable journey,” Blute said. “Back then, she had no idea that this would eventually spread to 45 cities across the country, literally from coast to coast.”

YCP has chapters in large cities like Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Cleveland, and Los Angeles. They all host networking events, happy hour get-togethers, mentorship programs, and conferences with guest speakers.

“YCP continues to get better and better,” Blute said, “and it’s much better now that Brooklyn and Queens are part of the family.”

Steven Mezzacappa, the northeast regional chapter manager of YCP in Manhattan, said the group’s aim is to inspire “modern-day saints” by equipping members to integrate faith into their professional and personal lives.

“Their faith isn’t just for the weekends, it’s not for home, it’s in every area of your life, especially at work,” he said. “It’s all about bringing together people of like-minded values and building community.”

Mezzacappa said members explore hard topics, such as virtuous leadership in secular workplaces.

“It’s not a journey that you embark on alone,” he said. “It’s a journey that you embark on in fellowship and in community with other people.”

Kiana Carrington of Mill Basin, a chapter president, joined the launch team three years ago. She is an event strategist who, as a child, attended Holy Cross Catholic School in

Flatbush, Midwood Catholic Academy in Marine Park, and Bishop Ford Central Catholic High School in Windsor Terrace.

Carrington said YCP has a missionary aspect because it inspires Catholics to rekindle their faith, while drawing others to join the Church.

“I wouldn’t think of myself as an evangelist,” she said, “but this is exactly what the mission is — bringing people back into the Church and also serving as a funnel into other ministries throughout the diocese.”

Bishop Brennan told the audience how their chapter’s launch was a “dream come true” because efforts to form the group were in their opening stages when he was installed in late 2021.

But he already had experience with YCP, having supported its Columbus, Ohio chapter during his time as bishop there. He said that chapter members reached out to him soon after he arrived and helped him learn about the people and geography of the Diocese of Columbus.

“They became a network of great support, enthusiasm, and excitement,” Bishop Brennan said. “So, when there was some chatter about possibly starting a YCP chapter here, I was all in.”

The bishop also helped arrange start-up funding by enlisting the Catholic Foundation of Brooklyn and Queens and its executive director, John Notaro.

“I dreamed about this day,” Bishop Brennan told the chapter’s charter members, “and you’ve exceeded my greatest hopes.”

Catholic News Headlines for Friday 5/29/26

Hundreds of young adults gathered in Gowanus to launch Brooklyn’s chapter of Young Catholic Professionals, a new movement focusing on faith, friendship, and purpose.

New York’s new house of worship protection law creates security buffer zones and criminal penalties for those who block access to religious services.

In this year’s “Meet the Priests” series, Deacon Paul Zwolak is reflecting on his journey to the priesthood as he prepares for ordination in the Diocese of Brooklyn.

Pope Leo XIV delights Knicks fans with a thumbs-up and smile after hearing a “Go Knicks” shout during a papal procession at the Vatican.

Soon-to-Be Priest in the Diocese of Brooklyn Says Seeking God More a Marathon, Less Like a Sprint

By Bill Miller and Jessica Easthope

Transitional Deacon Paul Zwolak has more than one thing in common with the apostle who wrote 13 letters in the New Testament.

In addition to sharing a first name, both have also described what it’s like to strive toward a destiny, like running a race.

In his second letter to Timothy, St. Paul indicated his ministry and, indeed, his life were about to end. He had no regrets.

“The time of my departure is at hand.” Paul wrote to his protégé, Timothy. “I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:6-7).

Deacon Zwolak, 27, competed in cross country and track at Archbishop Molloy High School in Briarwood. He still runs, about eight to 10 miles each time he laces up his trainers.

The two Pauls, however, differ in that while St. Paul began his ministry centuries ago, Deacon Zwolak is just starting his. His ordination into the priesthood is set for 11 a.m. on June 6 at the Cathedral Basilica of St. James in Downtown Brooklyn.

Running has “really taught me a lot about my own prayer life” because communicating with God is not like a sprint, he said. Especially not while the creator of the universe is directing someone’s future, like a priestly vocation.

“It’s more like a marathon,” Deacon Zwolak added. “If you ever ran a long race, you know sometimes you’ll get tired. But you know the finish line is somewhere ahead, so you have to keep pushing.”

Deacon Zwolak’s journey toward ordination began as a thought in the back of his mind while completing elementary school at Our Lady of Hope Catholic Academy in Middle Village.

The school is attached to the parish of the same name, where his family has belonged his entire life. His parents, Jacek and Krystyna Zwolak, immigrated from Gdańsk, Poland, to Middle Village in the 1990s.

“They were the first people that really introduced me to the Catholic faith. They brought me to church,” Deacon Zwolak said. “And growing up, they were the ones who taught me the Our Father, and the Hail Mary.

“The Catholic faith for them is really an important thing.”

Deacon Zwolak is the second of three children; his older brother, Matthew, is 28, and they have a sister, Lucyna, who is 18.

“Growing up in Catholic school, you always heard about the importance of vocations,” he said. “I always felt like, ‘Yeah, the priesthood, it sounds interesting, but let me just think about it, pray about it.’

“So, it was always in the back of my mind.”

Deacon Zwolak entered Archbishop Molloy High School, which is run by the Marist Brothers. During his senior year, the faculty invited him to a retreat at the Marist Brothers Center at Esopus, in upstate New York. There, he met Brother Alfred George, who made a great impression.

“He was a really peaceful and joy-filled person,” Deacon Zwolak said of Brother Alfred, who passed away in 2023. “He said, ‘I get my joy from my vocation,’ and I took that very seriously,’ ” the transitional deacon continued. “I thought, ‘I want to be as happy as this brother is.’

And ‘I want to serve God, just like this brother is doing.’ ”

He enrolled at St. John’s University in 2017 to study biology. A year later, however, he switched his major to philosophy and entered the undergraduate seminary at Douglaston.

While there, he endured the COVID-19 pandemic, although he said the lockdown enhanced his prayer life.

“It was just a time when everything really slowed down,” he recalled. “So, I had a lot more time to pray and to just really understand more of my vocation.

“It really taught me that God works through the silence.”

Next, in 2021, he entered St. Joseph Seminary and College in Dunwoodie, where he recently completed coursework toward a master’s degree in theology.

Deacon Zwolak is the only candidate for ordination to the priesthood for the Diocese of Brooklyn this year.

Therefore, Bishop Robert Brennan scheduled the event at the Cathedral Basilica of St. James. This church was where ordinations traditionally took place until class sizes grew, necessitating the move to the larger Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph to accommodate bigger congregations.

Like all soon-to-be ordained priests, Deacon Zwolak has no idea where Bishop Brennan will send him. Still, he hopes to have a parish assignment where he can work with youth.

“They really are an important part of the Church,” he said. “And if they know God and they love God, the Church can be built up so much more through their work.”

TONIGHT AT 7: Transitional Deacon Prepares for Priesthood in the Diocese of Brooklyn

By Jessica Easthope

Transitional Deacon Paul Zwolak will be ordinated a priest in the Diocese of Brooklyn on June 6, 2026. As he looks towards this next he’s taking, he’s also looking back on the journey that’s led him to ordination day.

Currents News Special: ‘School Year in Review’ To Air Friday, June 5 at 7 PM

By Currents News

“School Year in Review,” a special edition of Currents News, is airing on Friday, June 5, 2026, at 7 p.m. EST on NET-TV.

The half-hour broadcast will highlight outstanding achievements, inspiring stories, and the lasting impact of a Catholic education throughout the Diocese of Brooklyn during the 2025-2026 academic year.

From students who exceeded expectations to teachers who shaped both minds and hearts, “School Year in Review” showcases the people and programs that continue to strengthen Catholic schools and academies across Brooklyn in Queens

The special will feature:

Public vs. Private: The Catholic School Advantage

A closer look at the data and proven outcomes behind Catholic education—and why students in Catholic schools and academies consistently outperform their public-school peers in standardized testing.

Expanding for the Future

Trailblazing Teachers

Currents News is produced by NET-TV, an Emmy Award-winning cable network featuring news and information from the Catholic perspective.

It is available in the New York area on Spectrum Channel 97, Optimum Channel 30, and Verizon Fios Channel 548. Viewers can also watch the programming live at www.netny.tv/watchnow and on YouTube.