Six Nuns Who Were Captured In Haiti Have Been Released

The six sisters and two others were kidnapped almost a week ago by armed men in Haiti’s capital city, Port Au-Prince. The Archbishop there confirmed their release in a statement- thanking those who “offered their support.”

This includes Pope Francis, who just a few days after their capture, used his Angelus greeting to petition for the release of the religious.

“I have painfully learned of the news of the kidnapping in Haiti of a group of people, including six nuns,” Pope Francis said. “In earnestly requesting their release, I pray for social harmony in the country and call on everyone to stop violence, which causes so much suffering to that beloved people.”

The day before the hostages were freed, the Catholic Church in Haiti held a day of prayer and Eucharistic Adoration to organize quote “a chain of unceasing prayers” for those kidnapped.

The issue of gang violence in Haiti has grown increasingly in the last year. According to the United Nations, about 2,500 people were kidnapped by gangs in 2023, an 80% rise from the previous year.

It is not clear who was responsible for the nuns’ kidnapping, but it is believed to be one of the gangs that has taken over Port Au-Prince.

Queens Church Celebrates Black History With Art Contest

by Katie Vasquez

Allison Attong-Rogers has always felt inspired by her parish, and loves capturing the multicultural community at St. Clare Church in Rosedale, Queens.

“So people can see what is being done at our church,” said St. Clare parishioner, Attong-Rogers. “Maybe it’ll bring them in when they see how vibrant St. Clare is.”

Now her snapshots are serving a bigger purpose, as part of St. Clare’s Black History Month art and literature contest.

“I called her, I said, I want to do it because I love taking pictures and I have about 40,000 pictures in my phone,” said Attong-Rogers.

Her contribution combines her faith and culture, showcasing how St. Clare often celebrates both for their parishioners.

“Over the years since we have had minority priests at St. Clare and I tried to depict, I’m from Trinidad and Tobago, so I put my Caribbean heritage in there,” said Attong-Rogers.

The competition at the Queens church is tied with the nation’s theme for this Black History Month, African American contribution in the arts.

“We’ve contributed a lot to the culture,” said Black History Committee member at St. Clare Church, Deborah Wright, “but we also included that the experience is also under the influence of Caribbean, not just African, Hispanic, and Asian, and our church is very diversified and so we thought the theme of it should be open to everyone.”

They are asking parishioners and people from the community to submit their best creations by this Saturday, Jan. 27.

“It could be paintings, colorings, it could be photographs, it could be collages, it could be sculptures, any form of art,” said Wright.

Those works will be showcased after their Black History Month Mass on Feb. 4.

Beyond Black History Month, St. Clare’s hopes to remind people year-round of how important their culture is.

“If you don’t know your history, if you don’t know your past, you’re not going to be able to go on to your future,” said Wright.

The church won’t stop here; they will devote a section of the bulletin to informing parishioners of exhibits, movies, and books that highlight black history.

The deadline to submit your work is fast approaching. Anyone who wants to contribute can drop off their work at the rectory basement of St Clare, that’s near the church at 137-35 Brookville Boulevard in Rosedale, this Saturday, Jan. 27, between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.

The work will be displayed following a reception after mass on Feb. 4 where parishioners can vote for their top choices.

The winners will be announced at the end of the month.

Catholic News Headlines for Thursday 1/25/2024

St. Clare Church in Rosedale is looking to celebrate Black History Month with a creative contest.

Six religious sisters who were kidnapped in Haiti have been released.

Pope Francis has appointed a new bishop in China.

Today is the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul.

City Withdraws Wrongful Violation After Buildings Dept Asks Resident to Remove Flags ‘in Error’

By Jessica Easthope

Joe Maffia calls himself a proud patriot, and this is how he expresses himself.

American flags aren’t uncommon on his Gerritsen Beach block, but on Jan. 19, Maffia was the only person asked to take his down.

The New York City Buildings Department showed up and called his “Let’s Go Brandon” flag, a popular flag flown by Trump supporters, and his American flag illegal signs in a residential district.

Maffia refused to remove them, deciding instead to evoke his First Amendment rights and fight for his freedom of speech.

“I told them I’d remove the bottom flag, no problem,” Maffia said. “They said no, both flags, or you’re going to get a summons for $500. I said, ‘Give me the summons; people died for that flag.’ “

It was all captured on the Resurrection parishioner’s doorbell camera — the inspectors were following up after getting a 311 call from a neighbor. Maffia doesn’t know who it was.

“Thank God for the Ring doorbell that caught it because I don’t think anyone would believe what I was saying,” Maffia said. “I’m a simple person; I don’t want the spotlight on me, but it’s not right what the city is doing.”

After Currents News reached out to the Department of Buildings to investigate, the city withdrew the violation, saying it was issued ‘in error’; they even left Joe a voicemail.

“How can you tell somebody you have to take down an American flag?” Maffia said. “Even the other flag, freedom of speech. It’s like they’re trying to take everything away from people, and it’s insane, take a little bit and a little bit and see what they can get.”

But what’s disturbing Maffia and his neighbors is that a city agency would act on a civilian complaint without following protocol.

“I think it’s a disgrace, it’s America, and we should be allowed to have our American flags,” neighbor Bernadette McNally said. “That’s the government now; we have no rights anymore. It’s like a communist country.”

“We’ve wanted speed bumps on the street and to make the street a one-way for years now, but the flag situation’s getting taken care of pretty quickly,” said Frank Lobasso, another neighbor.

Joe’s waiting for the official notice that the violation has been withdrawn and his court hearing has been canceled.

“And I just want to thank Currents News for bringing this to everyone’s attention and getting this somewhat resolved,” Maffia said. “It’s not in writing yet, but hopefully, it is on the way.”

Maffia said this is a clear example of government overreach and though he’s happy his case is getting resolved he, unfortunately, thinks it will happen again to someone else.

You can read more about this story online at TheTablet.Org.

Church Caretaker Slashed During Confrontation

by Katie Vasquez

John Mach showed off dozens of stitches which mend a serious cut that he received Sunday evening.

The caretaker at the Church of the Immaculate Conception was going about his normal duties, when he says he spotted a man urinating on a nearby car and confronted him.

“I got physical with him because he was exposing himself, he left,” said Mach.

But that wasn’t the end, John says later on as he was trying to help a parishioner who was in a wheelchair, the man returned, slashing him in his neck from behind his ear almost down to his chin.

“He just cut me without me looking,” said Mach. “I felt something hot go down my throat. I broke my long john, wrapped it around my neck, and I started chasing him out of the premises.”

John didn’t catch the suspect and EMS took him to Mount Sinai Beth Israel.

According to the NYPD crimes went down in 2023, murder dropping 12 percent and shooting incidents falling 25 percent.

Longtime East Village resident Sarah Ferguson says while this isn’t a violent neighborhood, this corner has gone downhill.

“I don’t know the exact cause or why it’s kind of off the hook. But that particular block between First avenue and A has definitely changed.”

John says he wouldn’t hesitate to stand up for his church if it happened again.

“If I have to get another one, I’ll get it. I don’t care. This is the church of the community. I’m not going to let nobody violate our rights,” said Mach. “We are fighting basically. I’m fighting for my parishioners. This is proof. It ain’t supposed to be like that.

Meanwhile police say the suspect is still on the loose and are asking for the public’s help.

Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477)

Catholic News Headlines for Tuesday 1/23/2024

Police are searching for a man who they say slashed a church worker in Manhattan.

On the anniversary of the Roe v Wade ruling, which has since been overturned, the Biden administration is trying to make abortion more accessible.

A parishioner at Resurrection Church in Brooklyn is speaking out after the New York City Department of Buildings issued him a summons for refusing to remove flags from his own property.

The winners of The Tablet’s 2024 Keep Christ In Christmas Art Contest have been announced.

“Witness For Life” Group Defends the Unborn Outside Clinics

by Katie Vasquez

Prayers for the unborn, outside a planned parenthood in Brooklyn Heights.

Every second Saturday of every month, the Brooklyn segment of the group “Witness for Life” is outside the Planned Parenthood on Court Street, praying for the lives of the unborn.

“I think for us as Catholics, we’re obligated to continue with what Christ taught us in light of what we see, what’s happening in the world, and how we need to defend all forms of life from conception to natural death,” said Witness for Life member, Omar Castro.

They hope their presence will help the women getting an abortion consider another path.

“We’re not there to judge. we’re not there to confront anybody. we cannot make these mothers who are already under stress feel even worse. we’re there to help,” said Castro.

The peaceful prayers happening after they’ve said their morning prayers.

The group walks to the clinic after 8am mass at St. Charles Borromeo church. It’s not a long journey, only taking the space of 2 blocks but the path has sometimes been blocked by pro-abortion protestors.

“I did have fear for the priests because they were all over them being irreverent to them, blowing pot smoke in their face and calling all kinds of obscenities and all kinds of things that the clergy has done and throwing it out on their face,” said Witness for Life member, Maria Cardenas.

“We’re just simply praying there and all the people, all of them all for Planned Parenthood, you saw that. Really it is disheartening really, you know, and even elderly people, nobody seems to be for Jesus,” said

Despite the danger, the group says they will still march for the unborn, both here in the diocese of Brooklyn, and in D.C. during the national March for Life.

“Through prayer and with the marches that we do, God is listening to us and, you know, we’re making strides and we must continue to fight.” said Cardenas.

And just like the March for Life, they hope to change the culture of America, to one where abortion is unthinkable.

If you’d like to join the group, you can meet up with them after the 8am mass on the second Saturday of the month.

That’s at St. Charles Borromeo church, 19 Sidney Place in Brooklyn Heights.

Catholic News Headlines for Monday 1/22/2024

Tens of thousands marched for life in Washington D.C. despite the snow and the freezing cold hoping to end abortion around the country.

But the fight for life isn’t just once a year, every day’s a battle. Whether it be outside a Planned Parenthood or in the hearts of mothers. The Diocese of Brooklyn is protecting the unborn. Join Currents News for their March for Life special.

Supporting Women Year Round as a Sidewalk Counselor

by Katie Vasquez

Before the sun rises, a few people pile into the pews at the Church of St. Catherine of Siena on the Upper East Side.

One of them is Bernadette Patel. This is how she starts her day as a sidewalk counselor.

“I’ll pray. One that God can use me as an instrument and that if I can say anything or do anything to help a woman choose life, that she does it,” said Patel.

Once a week for almost five years, Bernadette boards the subway downtown to Planned Parenthood on Bleecker street, praying the rosary along the way.

Donning her signature pink vest, she hopes she can change the minds of women going in.

Patel said, “Most of them, it’s like feeling forced to because of circumstances and then that prompts the question of like, how is this a choice?”

While Currents News was there, two women tried to enter the clinic but Bernadette convinced them to not support the abortion provider.

“Planned Parenthood is famous for like, abortions, and when they find that out, they’re like, oh, I don’t want to support this place. like, you don’t have to. there’s different places you can go. so, like, the, just like regular, well, women’s exams or things like that,” said Patel.

Her ministry is not always met with positivity.

“People that come up and just like, scream nasty things. We’ve had cases where we had to file police reports,” said Patel.

But it’s the rare success stories that motivate her.

“We had a turnaround with this, so it was a couple, handed her this and with the pictures of development and the father just started crying and like the woman seemed really shaken,” said Patel.

Even when she’s faced with difficult situations, she reminds herself why she started this work.

“So many women just going in. and i was like, they like someone needs to just talk to them. and then like, god just put on my heart, it’s you,” said Patel.

A calling she will continue for as long as she’s able.

National Prayer Vigil for Life Held in D.C.

March for Life activities really kicked off last night, at the National Prayer Vigil for Life.

Almost 7,000 pro-lifers prayed for the unborn at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

Bishop Michael Burbidge, the chair of the US Bishops pro-life committee, was the main celebrant. In his homily he reminded the crowd that though Roe V. Wade being overturned was a victory, the unborn are still in danger.

His message was a rallying cry for the young pro-lifers, who want to keep advocating for unborn babies and their mothers.

“We should be standing behind this like this is the true feminist movement. The movement to be there as a supporter of life, to be proud supporters of expectant mothers and to stand right by their throughout all of it,” said Sofia Tweed who attended the vigil mass.

“Every single life is sacred, no matter when, what, where or what opportunity. and just to make it known to everyone that we care both about the mother and the child and that life is important no matter what stage,” said Maribel Boutrous, who attended the vigil mass.

Pope Francis also sent a letter to the marchers, thanking them for “this eloquent witness to the inviolable right to life of every person.”