Catholics in the Diocese Of Brooklyn have been preparing for Easter by going on a widespread Lenten Pilgrimage.
The journey began back on Ash Wednesday from the Cathedral Basilica of St. James In Brooklyn.
It then spread all over the diocese as people traveled with their passports in hand and made special stops at different churches across Brooklyn and Queens.
Bishop Robert Brennan joined pilgrims for a majority of the journey visiting more than 30 churches along the way.
Bishop Robert Brennan will celebrate the Mass of The Lord’s Supper tonight at the Cathedral Basilica of St. James, where he will re-enact the washing of the feet.
At the Vatican, Pope Francis is also presiding over Holy Thursday Mass but in a juvenile prison, just as he did when he was first elected pope.
Prayers are going out for an NYPD officer who was shot while on duty yesterday in Jamaica, Queens.
At the Vatican, Pope Francis had a jam-packed Holy Thursday beginning with the Chrism Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica and ending with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper at a local prison.
To celebrate the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, Pope Francis traveled to the Casal Del Marmo Juvenile Prison on the outskirts of Rome, where he washed the feet of the young inmates.
The Holy Father also had some words of encouragement for them, telling them to be open to Jesus and not to be afraid to share their struggles with him.
“Each of us can say but if the pope knew the things I have inside,” Pope Francis said. “Jesus knows them and loves us as we are and washes our feet. Jesus is never afraid of our weaknesses.”
The Pope explained that the washing of the feet was a sign both for the apostles and the church today. He reminded the inmates that no matter what they’ve done Jesus will never leave them.
The Inspector General Of Italy’s Prison Chaplains says he was personally moved by the pope’s visit to this prison and says it shows the Holy Father’s closeness to those who are often rejected by society.
Bishop Robert Brennan delivered a strong message of faith to hundreds of priests at the annual Chrism Mass on Tuesday, April 4, calling on the assembled clergy to become even closer to Jesus Christ than they are now and to urge all Catholics to do the same.
“For the majority of Christians, Jesus is a personality, not a person,” Bishop Brennan said, adding that there is a “crisis of faith” in the world.
In his homily, Bishop Brennan told priests that the duty of proclaiming the Gospel also calls on them to have the ability to see Jesus as a real person. “If we don’t see Jesus as a real person, how can we speak of his presence? Jesus calls on us not only to preach the content of the Gospel but to preach it as he did,” he said.
The Mass, which took place at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph, is a long-cherished tradition of the Catholic Church in which a bishop consecrates the chrism oil and blesses the other sacred oils that are used for baptisms, confirmations, anointing of the sick, and other rituals in churches throughout the year.
A highlight of the Mass came when Bishop Brennan breathed into the vessel containing the chrism oil, a gesture that reminds all that the Holy Spirit is coming down to consecrate the oil.
But the chrism Mass, which takes place during Holy Week, has also traditionally served as a vehicle for a bishop to deliver a yearly message of encouragement to his priests.
Hundreds of priests, deacons, auxiliary bishops, women and men religious, and laypeople filled the pews at the co-cathedral Tuesday night to hear Bishop Brennan’s message.
He said the priests of the diocese inspire him every day. “I come to you in profound gratitude, inspired by your love of Jesus and your desire to serve,” he said.
“We have many challenges together but many joys,” added Bishop Brennan, who asked the priests to pray for him.
In another tradition of the chrism Mass, all of the priests renewed their vows of obedience to the bishop — the same vows they made at their ordinations.
It was a big moment for many of the clergy members, who said it gave them a chance to reflect on their lives.
“I am looking forward to renewing my vows,” said Father Rony Mendes, parochial vicar for St. Sebastian Church in Woodside, as he awaited the start of the Mass. “I was ordained 18 years ago, and I still remember reciting my vows at my ordination. I was excited and a little nervous, but deep down, I felt at peace.”
Father Mendes also recalled the first time as a young priest he was handed bottles of chrism oil from Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, the bishop of Diocese of Brooklyn at the time, following a chrism Mass. “It was quite a big moment for me to receive these oils that are an important part of our faith,” he explained.
The Mass also served as a salute to jubilarians — priests marking milestone anniversaries of their ordinations. There were priests at the co-cathedral celebrating their 65, 60, 50th, and 25th anniversaries.
For Father Sebastian Andro, administrator of the Basilica of Regina Pacis, this year marks his 25th anniversary as a priest.
He vividly remembers the day of his ordination in 1998. “I felt the Holy Spirit at work,” he said. He also recalled how happy his family and friends were for him. “There was a lot of joy that day. It was a real celebration for all of us,” he said.
When asked what advice he has for young men just entering the priesthood, Father Andro summed up his answer in one word: service.
“I would tell them to always put service at the head of everything — service to God, service to the people,” he explained. “If you do that, you can’t go wrong,”
Dennie Foster did not plan to journey the 2023 Diocesan Lenten Pilgrimage, but she changed her mind after stumbling onto it halfway through Lent.
The pilgrimage involved stops at 42 parishes in the Diocese of Brooklyn for eucharistic adoration during the holy season leading up to Easter Sunday. At each stop, the “pilgrims” received “passports,” a purple-covered booklet that was stamped at each parish they visited.
Foster’s parish, St. Teresa of Avila-St. Anthony of Padua, South Ozone Park, hosted one of the two stops scheduled for March 10. She is her parish’s director of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults.
So joining in that particular eucharistic adoration — the act of silent prayer of praise in the presence of the body of Christ — was convenient for Foster, but it also turned out to be life-changing.
“That day, something just changed for me, sitting there with the Lord for so long,” she said on Wednesday, April 5. “And then I was like, ‘You know what? I feel so different. I think I’m gonna use this passport and see other churches.’ And that’s when it started. Today makes 21.”
Foster was one of about 50 pilgrims and parishioners who, on April 5, attended Mass and adoration at the final pilgrimage parish stop — Holy Cross Parish in Maspeth.
Bishop Robert Brennan celebrated Mass there, with Auxiliary Bishop Witold Mroziewski, the pastor at Holy Cross, concelebrating. Students in grades 5-8 from nearby St. Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Academy also attended.
The pilgrimage had begun on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 22, at the Cathedral Basilica of St. James in Downtown Brooklyn. Bishop Brennan suggested it as part of the ongoing National Eucharistic Revival to reinvigorate the faith in the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.
“Honestly, I never did that much sitting with the Lord,” Foster said. “Now I am absolutely in it because it’s something that has changed so much about me. I really know now that Jesus is there in the Eucharist, and I felt that way just sitting there — sitting with Jesus. Now, I can see he’s really the center of my heart.”
Madeline Flood, a member of St. Mary Mother of Jesus in southwest Brooklyn, managed to make each stop. Her visit to Holy Cross was brief because she was on a break from her job as a deliverer for an auto parts retailer.
When asked for a comment, Flood cheerfully agreed but asked, “Do you mind if I say hello to Jesus first?”
Flood hurried up the main aisle and then lay on the floor for a few moments in front of the altar, which supported the Eucharist in an ornate monstrance.
“I’ve learned to surrender to God,” she said after returning to the back of the church. “It has been a long, winding road. But for a long time, it was, ‘Let’s do it my way.’
“But I think being on this pilgrimage, and seeing all the different kinds of churches, and meeting all the different kinds of people, I’ve learned to surrender my way to His way.”
Bishop Brennan also suggested the pilgrimage to address goals expressed in the synod process, such as more of an emphasis on youth and young adults and adult faith formation.
Two sixth graders at St. Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Academy discussed the powerful presence of the Lord during the stop at Holy Cross Parish.
“It was more in-depth,” said Matthew Wylez, whose family attends Holy Cross. “You could feel it a lot more.”
Classmate Nathaly Tovas agreed and added that the presence of the Lord helped prepare her heart for Easter Sunday.
“I feel like it was more important than most of the other Masses,” she said. “It was much more medicating — focusing on everything that is going to happen.”
At the close of the Mass, Bishop Brennan praised the pilgrims.
“This has been an extraordinary Lent, and you made that happen,” he said. “Your prayer, your fidelity, and your perseverance have been a blessing for the whole Church. And again, I repeat my thanks to all the parishes that hosted, to all the pastors and administrators who have accommodated and have done the work.
“As we enter into the solemn days, we step a little closer to Jesus. Listen to Him a little more carefully, and try to be more aware of how much He loves us so that on Easter Sunday, we can sing with joy that Jesus has risen.”
In turn, Joseph Guirrier, a member of St. Therese of Lisieux Parish in Brooklyn’s “Little Haiti” neighborhood, praised Bishop Brennan for making it part of “his job” to lead the pilgrims.
Guirrier said he made all but one stop because of a medical appointment, and he insisted that participating in the pilgrimage had transformed him.
“This is one of the best things that happened to me in my life because I see things,” Guirrier exclaimed.
He noted that he had long known the power of adoration. “But now,” he said, “I understand more.”
Priests across the Diocese of Brooklyn are reflecting on the words of their bishop today—Holy Wednesday.
Pope Francis will celebrate Mass at a prison this Thursday, just as he did when he was elected 10 years ago.
Church leaders are calling for more security in Jerusalem during Holy Week as violence continues to escalate in the Holy Land.
The Lenten Pilgrimage in the Diocese of Brooklyn comes to an end with pilgrims making one more stop at the Holy Cross Church in Maspeth, Queens.
Pope Francis is keeping busy this Holy Week, despite his recent stint in the hospital.
He is back in full force and this year he’s coming full circle.
The Pontiff is returning to the first place he celebrated Holy Thursday Mass as Pope, a juvenile prison.
The choice may be a familiar one, because exactly 15 days into his pontificate back in 2013, Pope Francis had celebrated Holy Thursday the same way.
He washed the feet of 12 young prisoners at the Casal Del Marmo Juvenile Prison on the outskirts of Rome, where he will be tomorrow.
“This is a gesture that says: ‘I do not judge anyone. I try to serve everyone,’” The Pope said. “There is one who judges, but He is a somewhat strange judge because the Lord both judges and forgives.”
Pope Francis has celebrated Holy Thursday Mass in a prison several times throughout his papacy.
It’s a tradition he began as the bishop of Buenos Aires but had to pause for a couple of years because of the pandemic.
This is Bishop Robert Brennan’s full homily from the Diocese of Brooklyn’s 2023 Chrism Mass.
Last year I shared with you the story of my crozier – broken, mended and stronger – and how it reflects back to me precisely who I am – broken in my weakness and sin, mended through God’s mercy, and stronger for the experience of that mercy. With your indulgence, I will share a story about another crozier, not mine, and a story I have told in other circumstances so begging your further indulgence, I may repeat myself to some of you.
You see, in 2021, just before St. Patrick’s Day, a good friend of mine from Ireland sent me an article from the Irish secular press about St. Patrick in art. This particular piece focused in on stained glass windows in two Churches – one in Ireland and the other right in Columbus Ohio, in the Church of St. Patrick where I was to celebrate Mass that St. Patrick Day. The window tells the legend of the Saint baptizing the King of Cashel. There you see St. Patrick in all his Episcopal regalia and the king on one knee bowing reverently as Patrick pours the water. If you look carefully, you will see the king grimacing in pain. Look again more carefully and you will see the crozier of St. Patrick (in those days designed more authentically as a shepherd’s staff – complete with a pointed spike on the end meant to catch the ground when climbing the hills – planted firmly on the king’s feet.
The story goes that when all was done, and Patrick learned what happened he was mortified! He asked the king “Why didn’t you say something?”, to which the king replied, “I thought it was part of the ceremony! After all, didn’t you say that Baptism meant being conformed to Christ crucified and risen?”
Gathered today as the Church of Brooklyn and Queens here at the Co-cathedral for the Chrism Mass we celebrate the bonds of communion through that gift of Baptism by which we are all conformed to Christ, priest, prophet and king, living always as a member of his body sharing in his everlasting life. The Holy Oils used in the sacramental life of the Church will be blessed and sent forth from here to the parishes and schools in our local church. Today we pray for the priests of our diocese as they renew their promises of Ordination and they/we in turn are renewed by Christ for His service. Thank you one and all for your joyful and prayerful presence here this evening.
So, what then Fathers, does it mean to be conformed to Christ. Back in January of 2019, Pope Francis called together the bishops of the United States for retreat sending his own papal preacher the Father Raniero Cantelemesa to preach it. The theme Father Cantelemasa chose was “He appointed Twelve that they might be with him and send them forth to preach.” (Mark 3:14). Doesn’t that cover it for us as priests? To be with Jesus and to preach the Gospel – this is one way of expressing what it means for us as priests to be conformed to Christ.
Being with Jesus:
Let me quote Fr. Cantelemesa. “We know from the Gospels what “being with Jesus” meant to the Twelve. It involved leaving one’s home and work to follow him as he moved from place to place, and sharing everything with him: meals, rest, travels and hardships. In the biblical world, the teacher-disciple relationship was very different from what it is today. It involved more than just listening to lectures. The disciple actually went to spend quality time with the teacher; he learned the lessons from watching how the teacher lived. And that’s how it was for the apostles. Theirs was a “seminary on the move” because the Teacher didn’t have a fixed residence.”
How often has each of us spoken about the difference between knowing about Jesus and actually knowing Jesus. Our retreatmaster put it this way: Is Jesus for us just a personality, a celebrity, or is he a person we can talk with and enter into friendship. Unfortunately, for a vast majority of Christians, Jesus is a personality, not a person, a part of a set of dogmas and doctrines, one who we remember on an objective level as a piece of history. Is it any wonder there is a crisis of faith in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. The root of any Eucharistic Revival has to be the rediscovery of Jesus as a real person and a meaningful encounter with him.
For us as priests, this encounter is crucial if your ministry is to be effective. How often in the Gospels do we see Jesus stepping away to pray, to be in communion with the Father. “Great crowds would assemble to listen and be cured – but he would withdraw to deserted places to pray.” Jesus would withdraw to pray before taking on any major work or decision. Jesus calls us to that same communion – to be with him, to spend quality time with the teacher.
Father Cantelemasa tells a story about St. Bernard responding to the invitation of Pope Eugenius III to apply this lesson to the life of pastor of the Church – the Pope certainly got what he asked for:
Do not trust too much to your present dispositions; nothing is so fixed in the soul as not to decay […] I am afraid that you will despair of an end to the many demands that are made upon you and will become hardened. […] It would be much wiser to remove yourself from these demands even for a while, than to allow yourself to be distracted by them and led, little by little, where you certainly do not want to go. Where? To a hard heart […] This indeed is the state to which these accursed demands can bring you if you go on as you have begun, to devote yourself totally to them, leaving no time or energy for yourself […] Now, since everyone possesses you, make sure that you too are among the possessors […] Remember this and, not always, or even often, but at least sometimes give attention to yourself. Among the many others, or at least after them, do please have recourse to yourself.”
We need both formal time in prayer and to cultivate what Father Cantelmesa calls a prayer of “Desire”, something very deep; a habitual reaching for God; the yearning of the entire being, the longing for God, with the Risen Christ who promises to be with us always, until the end of the age.
I remember speaking about the importance of prayer in the life of a priest when someone objected: “But, Father, do you know how busy we priests are? How many demands are placed on us? When the house is on fire, how can we remain calm in prayer?” I answered: “You’re right, brother, but imagine this: firefighters get a call; there’s a fire. They race to the scene, with sirens blaring, but when they arrive, they realize that they have not even a drop of water in their tanks. When we neglect prayer, we have nothing with which to meet the needs of our people
Preaching the Gospel
This evening we hear the content of “preaching the Gospel of Jesus”.
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.
Jesus returns to the Synagogue where he learned the scriptures and takes upon Himself the prophecy of Isaiah. Indeed, he will bring good news to the poor, liberty to those who are captive by the power of evil, sin and rejection, recovery of sight and freedom. This is the Gospel we preach when we preach Christ. But let’s be honest, Jesus calls us, not only to preach the content of the Gospel but to preach in the manner in which he did so. With simplicity of life, and profound respect for those who suffer and are rejected, Jesus empties himself, self-emptying love. We heard it on Sunday:
though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.
Jesus, the Good Shepherd, walked with people, listened, engaged, encouraged, healed and called to conversion. He laid down his life for his sheep and He calls us to do the same.
In the first reading we find the full text of the prophecy Jesus quotes. There are two images that fascinate me: To place on those who mourn in Zion a diadem instead of ashes, to give them oil of gladness in place of mourning a glorious mantle instead of a listless spirit.
Mourning, listless spirits – Jesus lifts the burdens by sharing the task of carrying them bestowing dignity and healing in the truth. How many listless spirits are out there, how many are mourning.
Being conformed to Christ involves being with the Lord and preaching His Gospel through simplicity of life and self-emptying love. I recollect these reflections with you brother priests, not in any judgment, but rather as a call to myself in these days of Holy Week. As I will ask all of you here present during the renewal of promises, I ask you to pray for me, that I may grow in this lifelong process of conversion, desiring more and more to be conformed to the Lord.
If anything, brother priest, a year and a half in, I come before you with profound gratitude, always inspired by your holiness, your love of Jesus and your desire to serve. If these thoughts can speak to you, terrific! We have many challenges together, but many joys. I welcome our jubilarians today: LIST
Last year I had the privilege of ordaining three priests: Father Andrew Tsiu, Father Vincent Vu, and Father Alex Olszecki. In June I look forward to ordaining 4 priests: Deacon Eusebius, Deacon Timothe, Deacon Ernesto and Deacon Samuel. And in the days to come we look forward to welcoming into our number through incardination Father Paul Anel, Father Alex, Father…. And Fr. Liju Agustine. We thank our senior priests who are retiring, and all our senior priests and we pray for those who have died.
Having the chance to speak TO the priests, may I speak for them. Thank you! Thanks to all of you, God’s faithful people whom we have the privilege to serve. Thank you for inspiring us, for inviting us into your lives, for encouraging us and for calling us to grow in our relationship with Christ.
We thank our deacons who collaborate with us. Thank you for your generous and authentic spirit of service. Visiting our parishes, I see the many fine ways you serve the parishes, the way you know the parishioners, the ways that you work both publicly and behind the scenes. Thank you. I really do look forward to future gatherings with the Order of Deacons to celebrate and renew your diaconal ministry. Thanks as well to your families. It will be a joy in May to ordain 21 new deacons for service in the Church in Brooklyn and Queens.
We have a wonderful legacy of religious life here in our diocese and our Religious can be found in all sorts of ministry and witness. I am always amazed at everything I see you doing today and grateful for the many apostolic works that have been handed on by the Religious Congregations.
And to all of you people of God who collaborate with us in our parishes and through the different movements. God continues to do amazing things here. Through Baptism we are indeed conformed to Christ, crucified and risen and we are sent forth. As we bless the Sacred Oils of the Catechumens, of the Sick, and Chrism we give thanks for Christ, present and living among us, sharing his life and sending us in mission.
Hundreds of clergy, priests and deacons are coming together for one purpose: the blessing and consecration of the sacred oils. Tonight, a closer look. Where does the oil come from and how is it exactly used?
The Chrism Mass signals the beginning of Holy Week. Join Currents News for in-depth coverage of one of the most solemn services in the liturgical calendar.
Bishop Robert Brennan led a procession through the streets of Brooklyn on Palm Sunday before celebrating Mass.
At the Vatican Pope Francis presided over Palm Sunday Mass in st Peter’s Square.
With Easter fast approaching, the Diocese of Brooklyn’s Lenten Pilgrimage will soon end. Meet the nun who’s been to more than 30 stops along the journey.