The National Revival Campaign was started by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and was just one of the things they recently discussed during their meeting in Baltimore.
National Correspondent for The Tablet and Crux, John Lavenburg, joins Currents News to talk more about the fall assembly.
Young people from across the Diocese of Brooklyn are taking part in the National Eucharistic Revival, getting closer to Christ during a Holy Hour at Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Church in Queens.
Hundreds of kids from the Ridgewood church’s religious education and sacramental programs sat in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament Wednesday night.
The pastor, Father Anthony Sansone, said the annual Holy Hour helps them understand the underlying message of the national campaign.
During the Holy Hour, the young people and their parents also prayed for vocations.
By Jessica Easthope
A watched pot never boils.
“I’m gonna be watching forever because it’s still not boiled yet,” said Lyndia Bitler, a tenant at the Bland Houses NYCHA complex.
Bitler usually does Thanksgiving big, but without gas in her NYCHA apartment, holiday plans have been canceled, a single hot plate isn’t going to cut it.
“I wanted to do a turkey,” Bitler said. “I usually either do a lasagna or baked macaroni and cheese and I can’t do that on a hot plate.”
Bitler and her neighbors in this building of the Flushing NYCHA complex haven’t had gas for a month. They were given a hot plate and crock pot to hold them over until repairs to a gas leak are made, but Bitler has a family to cook for, which includes four children, all with developmental or physical disabilities. NYCHA said what they gave her is good enough but Bitler believes otherwise.
“I’m used to cooking on the stove, cooking in the oven,” Bitler said. “I can’t do that now. It’s taking a toll on me.”
We tested just how long it would take the hot plate to bring a medium pot of water to a rolling boil. On a stove it takes anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes.
It took 23 minutes and Bitler worries she’ll be waiting much longer. She heard her gas could be out for six months.
“I got kids I gotta feed, [and] a husband,” Bitler said. “It’s really not acceptable.”
She currently has 31 open work tickets NYCHA hasn’t responded to, for mold, leaks, holes in her walls, cracked ceilings, and Bitler’s biggest concern, mice.
“Every time they put holes in the walls they come, 30 in three days,” Bitler said. “I’ve been hounding them. Hello, I have a rodent problem here. Oh we don’t do that. What do you mean you don’t do that? You’re Housing! It really makes me cringe.”
Bitler said at this point her issues have become an emergency. She’s even taken NYCHA to court. She expects Thanksgiving to come and go.
“I have prayed a lot, the ongoing problems here has really tested my faith a lot,” Bitler said. “If they don’t turn the gas on, what am I supposed to do? It’s just gonna be another day.”
Currents News reached out to NYCHA about Bitler’s issues but we have not yet received a response.
The nightmares at NYCHA were the focus of an exhibit in The Bronx.
Twenty people who lived in public housing in the borough were interviewed and photographed for the “speak out” exhibit at The Bronx Documentary Center.
It depicts the yearslong struggle to secure better living conditions for the residents.
While the exhibit is now closed, you can read and see more of it in this week’s tablet.
The U.S. bishops are still in Baltimore for the Fall General Assembly, although the public portion is over.
There was a revival event in Queens last night at Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal church in Ridgewood.
Tenants of the NYCHA complex, Bland Houses in Flushing said they don’t have any gas to fire up their ovens.
By Jessica Easthope
Many anticipated a passionate debate, but there was none.
The more than 200 voting members of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops voted to approve amendments to “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship,” a guide for Catholics on how to carry out their civic duty in a way that’s consistent with their faith.
The voting document doesn’t tell Catholics who to vote for, but it does touch on moral issues such as abortion, assisted suicide, and treatment of the poor.
The guide’s characterization of abortion as a preeminent issue has sparked debate in years past; however, it didn’t this year. The wording stands in the most recent edition.
“Thanks Archbishop Lori to you and the task force for this very important work,” said Archbishop Timothy Broglio, president of the USCCB and archbishop of Military Services in the U.S.
The USCCB voted in new chairmen of several committees on Tuesday Nov. 14. Diocese of Brooklyn Bishop Robert Brennan was elected to lead the Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church. He said his biggest qualification heading into the role are the two boroughs he shepherds.
“I bring with me the experience of our many different communities in the diocese,” Bishop Brennan said. “It sounds like very exciting work, it’s all very new to me but it’s very interesting and very exciting.”
As for the “Faithful Citizenship” document, for the past several years it has been updated ahead of each presidential election. Last year the bishops voted to postpone writing a full revision until after 2024.
The National Correspondent for The Tablet and Crux, John Lavenburg, talks with Currents News from Baltimore, where the U.S. bishops are holding their fall general assembly, to talk about the topics that were discussed on Nov. 15.
People heading to church in Houston Tuesday night were concerned about a man police are calling a fake priest who targeted St. Thomas More Church.
“I don’t have words for that, trying to impersonate someone,” a parishioner at the church said. “It’s sad. You would wish that that didn’t happen.”
Parishioners said they were just recently alerted to the crime, which happened on Oct. 27.
New details from Houston police are emerging about what happened. They said the man seen in these surveillance images claimed to be “Father Martin,” a visiting priest from Chicago.
He said he’d left his keys in the priests’ residence and bluffed his way past a church staffer.
Once inside, police said, he stole cash from the rooms of the rectory.
In all, they say he was on the church grounds for 30 minutes before leaving in a vehicle he’d left parked nearby.
This week the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston shared this memo with its parishes, a security alert, concerned this imposter priest could try to hit other churches.
They said he’s on the radar of Dallas police and has warrants out in California and Pennsylvania.
Parishioners at St. Thomas More said they’re on the lookout and are praying for the man who’s accused of victimizing their church.
“People don’t always make the best choices and certainly hope that they can turn around choices they’re making,” the parishioner said.
The memo from the archdiocese says the man posing as a priest actually does research on the church he plans to target, so he knows the names of the priests there in order to more easily gain access.
The USCCB fall assembly in Baltimore is underway.
U.S. bishops voted to move forward with the sainthood cause of a native New Yorker.
Catholics in Texas are on high alert after an imposter priest allegedly robbed a Houston church.
The National Correspondent for The Tablet and Crux, John Lavenburg, talks with Currents News from Baltimore, where the U.S. bishops are holding their Fall General Assembly, to talk about the topics that were discussed.
By Katie Vasquez
The line at one Brooklyn church wrapped around the block on Tuesday, Nov. 14.
People have been waiting outside Holy Innocents Church for hours hoping to bring home a Thanksgiving turkey.
One thousand birds were waiting for the long line of people outside the Flatbush church.
Many had been standing outside in the cold since 6 a.m., hoping to receive a turkey from Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens.
They were handed out on a first-come, first-served basis.
Catholic Charities CEO Msgr. Alfred LoPinto said the line of people further highlights the great need for the annual giveaway.
“These are difficult times, people are struggling at this point,” Msgr. LoPinto said.”So this is an opportunity to give them a little bit of support so that hopefully they can have a celebration with their family and friends and forget all the misery that’s around us.”
“Things are very hard right now,” said Nancy Duval, from Flatbush. “I’m not working so it’s going to be very helpful for my family.”
Those who came to the giveaway also received a $50 food voucher so they can pick up the rest of their holiday meal.
Catholic Charities is planning to give away more birds ahead of Thanksgiving. For more information, just go to CCBQ.ORG.