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Brooklyn Dad Leaves Behind a Life of Crime to Follow Jesus

by Katie Vasquez

When Johnny Chavez walks around South Williamsburg, he’s reminded of another life.

He grew up here, in a small apartment with his parents and two sisters, but that all changed when Johnny’s parents divorced when he was a teenager.

“I had to find some sense of gratification, some sense of belonging, and my friends were my, my refuge.”

Johnny got involved with a gang and started selling drugs.

“We were selling heroin, a lot of heroin.”

At 17 he was arrested for armed robbery; it was the final straw.

Johnny wanted to change his life, but he didn’t know how.

“There was nothing that was making me stop. I was making a lot of money. I was doing whatever I wanted.”

Until Johnny’s godfather invited him back to church and God opened the door for Johnny to find a new life.

“I went to the Eucharist, and some of them were talking about drugs, about alcohol, and nobody was standing up to accuse them. Nobody was judging them, so I felt like I belonged there.”

Now Johnny is paying it forward, as a member of the Neocatechumenal Way, a spiritual movement that aims to deepen the faith of its members through ongoing formation.

He devotes his time to showing others the right path, through catechesis.

“We help them so that this calling, which is very fragile, can maintain a sense of spark,” said Chavez.

He now has a devotion to his faith he is passing on to his eight children.

“The biggest gift today that I am receiving from the Lord, that he is helping my children to stay in the Church. They are staying in the Church. It is a blessing because today is hard to stay in the Church.”

Despite his past, Johnny says he has no regrets.

“So if you ask me, what would you want to change of your life? I would say nothing, because if I was to tell you that if my parents could be together, that means that I wouldn’t. I would have missed the encounter of Christ.”

He knows it was all part of his journey and God is with him every step of the way.

St. Andrew Avellino Catholic Academy Pre-K Science Class Goes Viral on Instagram

By Jessica Easthope

It’s just another Wednesday in the STEM lab at St. Andrew Avellino Catholic Academy in Flushing. Pre-K students jump over candles to see how a running start affects their distance. It’s the latest of Maureen O’Brien’s science experiments.

“Teaching is about creativity, at this age it is, and getting them engaged, they have to realize it’s not about getting the right answer, it’s about the exploration, I really believe that,” she said.

O’Brien has been teaching for more than 20 years. She’s seen it all when it comes to these kids but recently she started navigating some new territory — going viral on Instagram.

“I think it’s hysterical, I was teaching them primary colors and how to make them, at least it was science, I can incorporate my love of science into my day, I think it’s hysterical that I went viral, as does my family,” O’Brien said.

The video of one of her recent experiments has more than 127,000 views. Principal Debbie Hanna says: Who wouldn’t want to watch O’Brien’s methods in action?

“At first it was a regular video and then all of a sudden it hits 50 and then 68 and now we’re up to 127,000 views,” Hanna said. “It’s fun, people need fun things to view and Ms. O’Brien, she’s fun to view.”

In the STEM lab, O’Brien uses strategies that work, like experimentation, repetition, and movement to make sure for her kids her lessons stick.

“They leave pre-K knowing science like no other, they’re having fun but the beauty of it is they’re remembering what they learned,” Hanna said.

“We learn that we have to use all our muscles and all our strength and all our power and it’s crazy how we’re smart and we have to use our brain power and our brain is like a giant computer, that’s crazy,” said 4-year-old Owen Deieso.

“We use energy and we use our gravity, we need muscles and our brain gets even bigger because we learn,” said Mackenzie Travis, one of O’Brien’s students.

In class she addresses the students as scientists, empowering them to come to their own conclusions.

“I tell them that all the time, I don’t look for perfection, I look for effort, I look for exploration. If I can instill that in them, the confidence that it’s OK to make a mistake they’ll always feel good about what they learn and how they learn and that’s my goal to give them confidence to learn,” O’Brien said.

Even if O’Brien’s viral moment ends soon, the attention of her class is the only attention she’s looking to gain.

U.S. Demands Release of Nicaraguan Bishop, Catholic Leaders Being ‘Unjustly Detained’

U.S. officials are stepping in, demanding a Nicaraguan bishop and other imprisoned Catholic leaders there be released.

The statement by the Department of State said leaders like Bishop Rolando Álvarez are being “

unjustly detained.”

Bishop Álvarez has been in captivity for more than 500 days, convicted last year of treason by the regime of President Daniel Ortega. 

Bishop Álvarez is one of more than a dozen Catholics currently facing persecution in Nicaragua. 

John Lavenburg, the National Correspondent for The Tablet and Crux, joins Currents News to talk more about it.

Catholic News Headlines for Wednesday 1/3/2024

 

A Catholic pre-k teacher in the Diocese of Brooklyn is going viral thanks to her fun lessons.

The U.S. Court of Appeals has ruled that the Biden administration cannot force emergency room doctors in Texas to perform abortions.

Plans are underway for the National March for Life in Washington D.C.

The U.S. Department of State is calling for the release of imprisoned Nicaraguan bishop, and other clergy.

Student Breaks Hoops Record as the Youngest Player at Fontbonne to Score 1,000 Points

Catholic school students score not only in the classroom but on the basketball court.

Noelle Polanco, a junior at Fontbonne Hall Academy, is making her way into the school’s Hall of Fame.

Last Saturday Polanco scored her 1,000th point while playing against Maria Regina High School. 

She is the second and youngest Fontbonne player ever to do so.

Polanco has been playing basketball since second grade and says she plans to continue playing in college.

St. Stanislaus Kostka Student Makes Strides With Individualized Education Specialized Service Plan

by Jessica Easthope

Alison Coyle knows how challenging it can be to get three kids ready and out the door. Some days it seems like there’s an endless list of worries, but when she drops her kids off at school at St. Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Academy, they all go away.

“It means a lot to be able to drop your kids off, go to work for the day and know they’re taken care of in all aspects,” Coyle said.

There was a time when Coyle didn’t feel like her kids’ needs were being met, especially that of her oldest — Raymond. From kindergarten to third grade, Raymond went to public school so he could get the extra support he needed for his Individualized Education Plan, something St. Stan’s couldn’t give him at the time.

“Even though he was getting services there, his grades were slipping, he wasn’t doing well,” Coyle said.

And Raymond soon realized it wasn’t the best fit for him.

“The classes aren’t big but they’re not tiny, in public school I had one class that was two teachers and 42 kids, it was a lot of kids,” he said.

This school year, the DOE saw a 17% decrease in kindergarten registration citywide compared to the 2016-2017 school year. Registration in the Diocese of Brooklyn is up 2.2% over last year.

It was COVID that forced the Coyles to make the switch. St. Stan’s principal Cathy Mangone says her school has gained 24 students, who like them, came during the pandemic and never left.

“That means they found something here that they wanted to be a part of. And that is what St. Stan’s is about, what Catholic school is about, forming those connections,” she said.

And now St. Stan’s offers the special education, occupational and speech therapy that students like Raymond need — all in the school building.

“We have that extra, added faith and we don’t want someone excluded from that because they have special needs,” Mangone said.

Raymond’s mom and principal can now say he’s thriving.

“He came here and all of his needs are being met, he’s thriving and that’s what we want to see,” Mangone said.

“He’s really thriving, he’s really doing great, it was kind of like COVID was a little bit of a blessing for my family,” Coyle said.

And Raymond thinks so too.

“It’s easier to work in a smaller environment. I like school, I’ve always liked school, I like to learn so I don’t mind coming here,” he said.

Coyle says it was the best decision she and her husband have ever made for their family.

“It was like a win, win for us, he was getting a smaller setting, he was now being able to get the extra support he needed and he’s doing so great,” she said.

With each passing day — there’s one less worry on the list.

Catholic News Headlines for Tuesday 1/2/2024

 

Public Schools in New York City are seeing sharp declines in kindergarten enrollment.

Students in Catholic schools don’t only excel academically but also athletically.

Pope Francis began the new year with his traditional angelus and blessing in St. Peter’s Square.

We’ll have the story of a 96-year-old in Kansas who sends out thousands of Christmas cards every year.

Pope Francis Expresses Concern for Persecuted Church in Nicaragua

Pope Francis inaugurated the new year with an Angelus on the World Day of Peace. Pilgrims from different parts of the world accompanied him in this prayer.

On this occasion, the pope shared his concern for the people of Nicaragua, where the Church is facing persecution.

“I follow with deep concern what is happening in Nicaragua, where bishops and priests have been deprived of their freedom,” Pope Francis said. “I express to them, to their families and to the entire Church in the country my closeness in prayer. I also invite all of you present here and the entire People of God to insistent prayer, while I hope that we will always seek the path of dialogue to overcome difficulties.”

Along with praying for peace in Nicaragua, Pope Francis also expressed his tireless desire for peace in Ukraine, Israel and Palestine.

Catholic News Headlines for Friday 12/22/2023

 

Currents News is turning back the clock and looking at the best Catholic headlines of 2023.
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We remember everything that happened this year in this Currents News Special Edition.