Hate Crime at Brooklyn Church, Stained Glass Window Broken and Crucifix Damaged

The NYPD is searching for four individuals they say committed a hate crime at a church in Marine Park.

According to clergy at St. Columba, the group attempted to break in early one Saturday morning more than a week ago.

Police said they then broke a stained glass window, before stabbing and trying to take down the 10-foot-tall metal cross outside.

St. Columba’s Deacon Tom Gleason helped clean up the damage and tape the window.

He spoke to Currents News about the case.

Deacon Gleason said the perpetrators are misguided and he forgives them.

The church is in contact with a stained glass company to fix the window, however, the marks on the crucifix cannot be repaired.

Despite the incident at St. Colomba, crime is down in New York City.

According to the NYPD, crime dropped 2.9 % in comparison to January of last year.

Breaking it down even further, murder dropped by 25%, burglary by 19%, and serious assaults by 1.5 %.

Bambino Gesù Hospital Helps Children with Medical Needs Escape War Zone

They’ve faced war, and now they’re being treated by the Holy See’s hospital.

“They said they came out of hell and they came here to Italy. For them, it was like the dream. “

Bambino Gesu Hospital was among the first to welcome these children from Gaza.

They’re part of a program where Egyptian, Palestinian and Israeli institutions worked together to get kids who are injured or in need of medical treatment out of the war zone.

Already two groups have gotten out, with 24 arriving last week.

On monday, that number more than doubled as 62 kids escaped.

The Vicar of the Custody of the Holy Land, Father Ibrahim Faltas, said the kids are doing well and adjusting to their new lives.

“They have changed. They are much better,” Father Faltas said. “We saw them smile and they are happy.”

Father Faltas hopes to expand the operation to help more children in need get out of Gaza.

Already the groups are coordinating the next list of kids coming to Italy.

The President of Bambino Gesu, Tiziano Onesti, said they are ready and waiting to help.

“We welcome everyone regardless of religion, of wealth,” Onesti said. “We provide healthcare for all children in a special way but here the door is always open for everyone. And we consider that the Bambino Gesù carries out a whole international activity that is very important, which then concretely expresses the mission of the Church in this sense.

Catholic News Headlines for Wednesday 2/7/2024

The Vatican’s hospital is taking in the most vulnerable victims of the war in the Holy Land.

Police are investigating a hate crime at St. Columba Church in Marine Park.

We’ll hear from the Catholic father from North Carolina about why he’s sprinting toward deeper love of the Eucharist.

Family Life Catechesis: Parents at St. Anastasia Church Take Part in Faith Formation

By Jessica Easthope

In a traditional catechesis classroom, 10-year-old Christopher Padilla would be reading a passage one time in front of other kids and a teacher.

But at home, he can read it, re-read it, and discuss it as much as he likes because he’s doing it with his mom, Dawn.

“When the teacher is talking about it, she can’t go back in a whole lesson just to talk about it with you all on your own. On your free time you get a whole book, you can go back to it and just keep on reading it for yourself,” Christopher said. “So I think that’s great.”

“It’s great that we have time at home together with us bonding and learning but he’s also able to go participate in actual in-person events at the church so it’s great for us to be able to do both,” Dawn said.

Christopher, Dawn, and her husband, Christopher’s dad, Randolph, are parishioners at St. Anastasia Church in Douglaston. Christopher attends P.S. 221. When it came time to enroll him in catechesis, their family opted for a unique set up, a model that’s totally online.

At first the main reason was scheduling. Dawn is the executive assistant to the chief financial officer at NASDAQ. Randolph is a mortgage broker. Their jobs didn’t afford them the flexibility to take Christopher to catechesis at 4 in the afternoon on Wednesdays.

“Getting him to class and home and coordinating is difficult for me,” Dawn said. “So being able to have the ability and flexibility at home is amazing.”

Rose Ruesing, the director of faith formation at St. Anastasia, created the parish’s online family life catechesis. The model takes scheduling conflicts out of the equation, and adds in something invaluable.

“We found that families were comfortable teaching their kids, we would offer them advice, offer them help and it was also great for flexibility,” Ruesing said. “The best feedback we’ve gotten is that parents are saying they’ve learned things they forgot after going to Catholic school or religious ed themselves.”

Dawn found she was relearning her faith, and she was gaining the confidence to pass it on.

“I do believe that in the home you’re the first educators for life in general, but absolutely faith,” Dawn said. “This is something that we want to carry on and our legacy that we’re leaving behind for our children that God is our guide in this life and He’s the one that we go to and we answer to first and foremost.”

The program has allowed the Padillas to strengthen their family and their home church all at once.

“When we’re baptizing our child, it is said in the ritual we are the first teachers of our children,” Ruesing said. “We are the first catechists and the responsibility falls on us. It’s our job to learn the faith and transmit the faith.”

Christopher isn’t just learning about his faith but how to live it.

“We’ve gotten a lot closer because we can say stuff about what we’ve learned and how that’s so cool,” Christopher said. “It’s a refresher for them and it’s knowledge for me so it’s like we’re all learning and I feel like that’s just great and I feel like more families should do it as well.”

There are nearly 27,000 children just like Christopher who participate in catechesis across the diocese of brooklyn, and 2,700 catechists who guide their religious instruction, most of them are volunteers.

So what does it take to teach them?

First you must be 19 years old and fully initiated in the Church.

Diocese of Brooklyn officials also require that you’re a practicing Catholic and active parishioner.

You must be comfortable witnessing the faith and working with the youth.

You have to be open to an interview, background check, and attending “Virtus” training, which helps you protect young people from sexual abuse.

If you meet all these requirements, just reach out to your parish for more information.

Catholic News Headlines for Tuesday 2/6/2024

Every year, thousands of public school students in the Diocese of Brooklyn enroll in faith formation classes.

We’ll speak with Father Joseph Gibino, the Diocese of Brooklyn’s vicar for evangelization and catechesis, about the plan to have this program in more parishes.

Right now, there are nearly 27,000 children who participate in catechesis across the Diocese of Brooklyn.

The USCCB is responding to the senate’s new border deal package.

Migrant Student Becomes Chess Champion in Less Than a Year

by Katie Vasquez

Watching Mariangel Vargas play chess, you might be surprised to learn she has only been playing for a year.

“I feel, like, nervous,” Mariangel said. “And at the same time when you play, you’ll feel like, I mean, you’re very focused on the game.”

The 12-year-old grew up in Colombia, where she says chess isn’t common, but something her family was familiar with was gang violence.

“They [gang members] forced me to kneel and I refused. They threw me, hit me and took out their weapons and put them to my head,” said Vargas’ mother, Alexandra Gomez.

In October 2022, Mariangel’s parents decided the danger was too much, and made a brutal journey, traveling through the desert in Mexico to come to the U.S.

“The United States defends the rights of people and it was there that we decided to undertake this. It was a painful path, but here we are,” Gomez said.

As Mariangel was adjusting to her new life in New York, she saw a flyer at her school, P.S. 11, advertising Spanish chess lessons.

The charity in charge, The Gift of Chess, had noticed the influx of Spanish speaking migrants, and founder Russell Makofsky wanted to help.

“It’s like a curriculum in itself with incredible educational benefits. and then once you learn the game, you can begin to interact with your classmates that speak English because you’re sharing that language, that universal language of the game of chess,” Makofsky said.

Quickly, Makofsky noticed Mariangel becoming a master.

“She’s currently ranked in the top 50 of players, girls her age in the United States,” Makofsky said.

Mariangel says every move on this board is guided by God.

“I pray before the game because I think that can bring me a lot of luck,” Mariangel said.

And her favorite part?

“When I’m winning,” she said.

The game has helped Mariangel adjust and succeed in a new life.

Her father, Francisco Vargas, says she’s achieving the dream that they came here for.

“We’re proud of her, as parents, watching her grow little by little, because that is beautiful, for dad and mom, to see that their children are growing,” Francisco said.

Mariangel wants to take her skills to the top. She hopes to eventually become a grandmaster which is the highest title a person can receive in chess.

For more information on “The Gift of Chess” head to their website: thegiftofchess.org

Catholic News Headlines for Monday 2/5/2024

Thanks to a charity called, the Gift of Chess, a young girl who just arrived in the U.S. from Colombia last year is now a nationally ranked player.

New York City has come up with a new pilot program to deal with the migrant crisis.

The highest court in the land is considering a case involving herring fishermen that may have an impact on certain religious liberty cases.

Pope Francis has penned a letter– addressed to “My Jewish brothers and sisters in Israel.”

Catholic News Headlines for Friday 2/2/2024

A special look at Catholic Schools Week in the Diocese of Brooklyn.

In particular, Currents News reports on the strides Catholic schools have made when it comes to special education and a move towards full inclusion inspired by faith-based learning.

Our Lady of Trust Students Study Holy Men and Women for Saints Fair

The students from the Canarsie school put faith behind their lessons and on Thursday, Feb. 1, they had a lesson in faith from the saints.

Students at Our Lady of Trust spoke about the holy men and women at their saints fair.

They studied the lives of a saint of their choice and presented what they learned to their classmates.

Be sure to stay with Currents News and The Tablet for continuing coverage of Catholic Schools Week.

If you’re interested in sending your children to catholic school, just visit catholicschoolsbq.org or call 718-965-7380 for more information.

New Survey on Religiously Unaffiliated Americans Shows Many Do Believe in God

A new study is showing the power of faith. According to a survey from the Pew Research Center, 70% of American “nones,“ that’s people with no religious affiliation, still believe in God or a higher power.

This comes as the number of “nuns,” meaning religious sisters, is dropping across the country. According to a projection from the U.S. bishops’ conference, the amount of religious men and women in the U.S. will drop over 50% in the next decade.

National Correspondent for The Tablet and Crux, John Lavenburg, breaks down the numbers and what they all mean.