By Erin DeGregorio and Currents News Staff
WINDSOR TERRACE — Broadcast journalist Christine Persichette has been named the anchor of Currents News, a comprehensive nightly news program from the Catholic perspective.
“After a long search, it became clear Christine was the right person for this unique and important job,” said Vito Formica, executive director of news content and development at DeSales Media Group, the communications arm for the Diocese of Brooklyn that produces the program.
Her Catholic Connections
Persichette’s professional experience in New York and personal connection to the Diocese of Brooklyn brings additional credibility to the award-winning newscast. Persichette was born and raised in Long Island City, Queens, where she was a parishioner and student at St. Rita’s Church.
A lifelong Catholic, Persichette said the education she received at St. Rita’s School not only taught her academic fundamentals but also helped her to grow socially. She gives credit to all the teachers who helped her along the way, including her first-grade teacher Sister Margaret, fourth-grade teacher Mrs. Sheridan, and sixth-grade teacher Mrs. Absalom. While at St. Rita’s, she sang in the children’s choir, played on the school’s softball team, and participated in multiple math and spelling bees.
“I loved Sister Margaret. I was so shy and scared, but she was so nice and helped me come out of my shell,” Persichette said. “By the third grade, I was performing solo dances in the class play and, in the seventh grade, I was the class president.”
Persichette later attended and graduated from St. Francis Preparatory School in Fresh Meadows, Queens. Though it was the furthest high school she could have possibly gone to with her commute being an hour-and-a-half-long, she was excited to be accepted as a student and absolutely loved her four years there. At St. Francis Prep, Persichette was a retreat leader, which allowed her to get to know her classmates better by discussing things they were going through in their lives and how their Catholic faith helped them get through tough times.
While at St. Francis Prep, Persichette also learned how to square dance (and actually had fun while doing it) in the school’s gymnasium, attended the proms, and went to the Bahamas for her senior class trip. But one of Persichette’s favorite high school memories she’ll never forget was getting a perfect 100 in Chemistry — “science was never my thing, but my teacher was excellent,” she noted. Her favorite subjects growing up were English, reading, and writing.
Years later, Persichette returned to her roots at St. Rita’s when she got married to her husband Damian. Vicar for Catholic Schools in Brooklyn and Queens Monsignor David Cassato — who she had originally known as Father Dave — was a priest at St. Rita’s and presided over Persichette’s wedding ceremony, in addition to all of her siblings’ weddings and her father’s funeral Mass.
“Everyone at my wedding said it was the best church service they had ever been to,” Persichette recalled. “He’s an amazing priest.”
Becoming the Face of Currents News
Persichette began filling-in as an anchor at Currents News during the fall of 2019 when Formica was auditioning several candidates for the role. Then, news of the coronavirus began to dominate the headlines in February.
“Christine connected with the audience and guided viewers during the peak of the crisis with calmness and empathy,” said Chairman of the Board and President of DeSales Media Monsignor Kieran Harrington.
Persichette said the opportunity to join Currents News came at the right time, and the new position feels like home.
“I’m so proud to work at Currents News. I was really happy to continue my career here, especially being in the Brooklyn Diocese, where I’m from,” she said.
“I didn’t know what to expect coming in, but it’s still the same journalism I’ve always been doing — just faith-based, which is nice. Reporting the news that’s coming from a Catholic perspective adds a level of comfort. And when we’re talking about crises, whether it’s the COVID-19 pandemic or war-torn countries, we’re always looking at who’s helping and how to help,” she said.
Persichette believes that Currents News is the kind of news people are yearning for. During this turbulent time where media is often politicized and agenda-driven, Christine says Currents News is a “program people can trust.”
“We give it to our audience straight,” she explained, “The public deserves that.” Persichette believes too many news organizations are underestimating their viewers and readers, while the Currents News team strives every night to get back to the cornerstones of journalism. “We are balanced and objective. That’s not something you can easily get these days.”
Persichette currently lives in Rockland County and is a marriage prep coordinator, along with her husband, at St. Francis of Assisi parish in West Nyack. Together, they have three sons.
Before joining Currents News, Persichette worked as a morning anchor for FiOS1 News. During that time, she also hosted a half-hour show called “Heroes on Our Island,” which highlighted individuals making a difference and giving back to their communities. Currents News airs weeknight at 7 p.m. on NET-TV (Spectrum ch. 97, Optimum ch. 30, FiOS ch. 48) in the New York City viewing area and streams on netny.tv and YouTube.