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Catholic News Headlines for Tuesday 1/21/2025

Pro-abortion advocates can sometimes include doctors and hospitals. Meet a couple from Queens, New York, who don’t regret going against doctor’s orders and choosing life for their daughter.

On day one of his second term, President Donald Trump hit the ground running, signing dozens of executive orders shortly after being sworn in. It’s captured the attention of Pope Francis.

A Diocese of Brooklyn priest was among those praying for the Trump presidency and the nation at the inauguration. Learn how he struck up an unlikely friendship with the Commander in Chief.

Queens Parents Chose Life for Daughter Despite Doctors Orders

By Katie Vasquez

In 1996, Laura Vasquez learned she was pregnant.

It was a moment of joy for her and her husband, Andrew Rios. 

“To me, carrying life was God’s gift. I saw it as God’s gift,” Laura, a parishioner at St. Helen’s Church in Howard Beach, Queens, tells Currents News about that day. “I just broke down in tears,” adds Andrew while reflecting on the memories.

Laura says she had a difficult pregnancy filled with multiple hospital stays. At one point, she and her husband had a chilling discussion with doctors. 

“I remember hearing the word ‘terminate,’ and I said, ‘Excuse me. What do you mean by ‘terminate,'” she explains. 

“It took all of about 30 seconds to decide. You know, that’s not an option for us,” says Andrew. 

The parishioners at St. Helen’s leaned on their faith, and viewed their daughter Isabella as a miracle child when she was born.

Days later, doctors noticed some issues. 

“‘Her eyes are rolling up. We want to do a CAT scan of her brain and so on,'” doctors told Andrew at the time.

It took two years of tests to get Isabella’s diagnosis, a rare genetic disorder called Cornelia-DeLange syndrome.

“Failure to thrive is one of the conditions, delayed in walking, delayed and talking,” says Laura, “sshe checked the boxes for all those milestones.” 

Isabella is now 28 years old and has defied the odds.

She loves to dance and do puzzles, just like anyone her age. 

“Isabella has a love for life. She loves to go out. She loves to shop,” Andrew says of his daughter.

And although she has limitations, her parents say they always knew God wouldn’t give them more than they could handle. 

“The phone rings and she video calls and says ‘Hi, daddy,’the best part of my day,” Andrew tells Currents News.

“I always say, ‘God, I know what you wanted,. You gave me this child because you know my resilience and you know that, no matter what, I am going to do everything that I can just to make her live a sound, a sound life,” says Laura,

The Catholic couple is happy that they chose life, because they now have the light of their lives. 

Meet the 90-Year-Old Tailor Styling Vice President JD Vance

By Currents News

An Ohio master tailor is living the American dream now that he’s dressed Vice President JD Vance for Jan. 20’s presidential inauguration ceremony.

In the sewing room of a custom men’s clothing store that bares his name, 90-year-old Romualdo Pelle, an immigrant from Italy, reflects on his life’s work in fashion saying, “it’s my life I guess, my way to express myself.”

Despite his age he doesn’t need glasses to thread a needle, and doesn’t need to put on airs either. “Are you kidding me? A hillbilly from Italy with a small town for maybe 15,000 people,” he says when asked if he every dreamed of tailoring suits for a U.S. vice president. “No, I would never dream of that.”

He’s been sewing since he was nine yeas old, having learned the skill from a godfather before he immigrated to the states in 1960. His career as spanned more than history, and now includes some notable customers from Vance to Neil Armstrong.

Vice President Vance has now been seen around the globe in Pelle’s handiwork, and the order he placed for the inauguration weekend includes eight shirts, six ties, four suits, three belts, two overcoats and two pairs of gloves. The store’s co-owner Chris Berre says Vance has been a loyal customer of theirs since he first stepped into politics and won a Senate seat.

“The fact that he’s taking time to find a small business in what is now his hometown and supporting a small business in the story like Romulo has, it’s surreal,” he tells Currents News.

Vice President Vance even hand-wrote a note to the tailor that reads “For Romualdo, with admiration for tour hard work and dedication. Pelle says there’s been “so much sacrifice” to get to this point, but with sacrifice comes honor: he’s outfitting the vice president of the United States.

 

Catholic News Headlines for Friday 1/17/2025

While firefighters in California are making progress in putting out the flames, students at Brooklyn’s St. Ephrem Catholic Academy are doing their part to help the wildfire victims.
On Jan. 20, President-elect Donald Trump will take the Oath of Office for the second time, and preparations for the indoor inauguration are in full swing in Washington, D.C.
The Diocese of Brooklyn is the place if you want to live in the Big Apple: Brooklyn and Queens communities are dominating StreetEasy’s “Ten New York City Neighborhoods To Watch” report.

Open Doors International Releases Latest Report on Christian Persecution

By Currents News

According to the 2025 world watch list by the organization Open Doors International, the top five countries where Christians face persecution for their faith are:

  • North Korea
  •  Somalia
  • Yemen
  • Libya
  • Sudan

It is similar to the 2024 list but Yemen rose from the fifth to the third spot, Libya decreased from third to fourth, and Sudan was added to the top five. Here to talk more about this report and what it means for Christians around the globe is the national correspondent for The Tablet and Crux, John Lavenburg.

St. Ephrem Catholic Academy Raises Funds for California Wildfire Victims

By Jessica Easthope

They may be far away, but students here at St. Ephrem Catholic Academy are sending more than prayers to Los Angeles, and making their own efforts towards supporting community recovery initiatives.

There wasn’t a uniform in sight Jan. 17 as students and faculty at the Dyker Heights, Brooklyn school prayed for those who lost everything in the deadly Los Angeles area fires. 

The students donated two dollars each to “dress down,” and the school’s principal Michael Phillips is hoping to send around $400 to California. 

“I kept watching videos of everybody that was losing their belongings, losing their livelihood, their childhood homes, some even perishing and losing their lives. And I said, ‘we have to do something,’” he explains. “We have to show our students that our community transcends more than just the Dyker Heights, Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst area, that it also transcends 3000 miles away.”

They’re not just dressing down, but students’ families have also donated clothing, shoes, and canned food in an effort to do their part from the East Coast. 

Among the students collecting dress down money from their classmates were the Riches siblings, Thomas and Abigail, whose father is an FDNY captain.

“Hopefully, the firefighters at least help [fix] the destruction that was caused by what happened. And I’m hoping everyone’s okay,” Thomas tells Currents News. “I hope California is fine. The wildfires are gone, and everyone gets a home eventually.”

“I hope that all the wildfires are gone because all the firefighters are working a lot and I feel bad,” adds Abigail.

St. Ephrem will be making their donation through Catholic Charities Brooklyn & Queens. They expect to drop off the money and donations in the following week, where it will soon make its way to California.

Catholic News Headlines for Thursday 1/16/2025

After a delay due to what Israel called a “last minute crisis,” officials say the ceasefire deal for the war in Gaza is back on and expected to take effect on Jan. 19.

There’s new data out concerning Christian persecution: Open Doors International has released its report on countries where Christians face the most danger.

The Tablet’s “Keep Christ in Christmas” art contest awards ceremony was this week, and we’re letting you know whose masterpieces were top of the class.

The Tablet’s ‘Keep Christ in Christmas’ Art Contest Winners Awarded by Knights of Columbus

By Currents News

On Jan. 15 The Tablet showed their support for the young Picassos of the Diocese of Brooklyn, announcing the winners of the 2024 “Keep Christ in Christmas” art contest.

The paper held an awards ceremony at the Archbishop John Hughes Council of the Knights of Columbus to celebrate the students whose artwork best showcased how they kept Christ in Christmas. 

There were 17 winners and honorable mentions picked from around 200 entries and representing each grade from one to 12. They spoke to Currents News about the inspiration behind their art and entering the contest.

NYPD Holy Name Society Prepares to Celebrate Jubilee Year in Rome

By Currents News

Members of the New York City Police Department’s Holy Name society met at St. Vincent Ferrer Church on the Upper East Side of Manhattan on the evening of Jan. 15 to discuss the details of their pilgrimage to Rome this February for the Holy Year of faith and fellowship.

Part of the agenda for the 44 members of the NYPD – along with some family and three priests from the Diocese of Brooklyn and the Archdiocese of New York – will be meeting with the Swiss Guard and attending Mass at the Vatican.

Many who are preparing for the trip are excited to celebrate their faith while in the Eternal City. 

“People have an opportunity to go through the Holy Doors, not only can they pray for themselves, but they can also pray for two people who have passed per day per door so it can be members of family and what not, so really it’s a tremendous opportunity,” Monsignor Robert Romano, Assistant Chief Chaplain of the NYPD, tells Currents News. “I think that’s the exciting part is you know when you get cops to exercise their faith, it’s always a great thing. As a chaplain, that’s what we try to do. And, it pays off. “

“I’ll be praying for my members, my immediate family, but also my family and friends that have passed in recent years,” explains Lt. Steven Jerome, Commanding Officer of the NYPD Chaplains Unit. “I’ll use that opportunity to pray for them. Life you know, you realize as you get older, is so short and we got to really appreciate the time that we have here. And something like this gives us an opportunity to think and reflect.”

“I’m sure that there’ll be plenty of blessings that I’ll receive for being there during the Jubilee,” says Maria Dziergowski, an NYPD widow who will also be taking the trip to Rome. “It’s very inspiring to be with so many heroes, with the NYPD.”

The group will be going to Rome from Feb. 6 to 11, which coincides with the Jubilee of the Armed Forces, Police and Security Personnel.