By Currents News
Third graders at Bay Ridge Catholic Academy in Brooklyn held an Advent presentation of songs and readings portraying the meaning of the spiritual season of preparation for the birth of Jesus.
The whole school attended a Mass on Dec. 6 which celebrated the Feast of St. Nicholas, a 4th Century bishop who was known for his generosity and is associated with the modern day Santa Claus.
By Currents News
The Vatican has unveiled its Christmas tree and nativity scene in Rome, but If you want to see a tree lighting a little closer to home the Diocese of Brooklyn is holding its ceremony on Friday, December 13.
Brooklyn Bishop Robert Brennan will flip the switch on the 28 foot Norway Spruce, turning on the more than 17,000 multicolored lights representing the diversity of the Diocese of Immigrants. Along with the tree located at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn, he will also bless the accompanying nativity scene.
Currents News anchor Christine Persichette will be emceeing the event, which starts at 5 pm on Friday.
Prior to the tree lighting, parishioners in the Diocese of Brooklyn have already been lighting up their faith through an evening of praise and worship: the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph hosted an event to celebrate the season of advent through prayer, reflection and music.
On December 7 people packed the pews to worship through song and watch Grammy-nominated Christian musician Matt Maher and singer-songwriter Sarah Kroger perform an “Advent Night of Worship” – part of their first-ever cathedrals tour.
“I think in terms of the whole tour, it really was just to call the faithful back to these spaces,” Maher tells Currents News. “It’s really an opportunity just to celebrate, I think in some ways, the gift that these spaces are and that they represent to the Body of Christ. It’s an opportunity to worship there in a new way.”
The two artists who worship together at the same church in Nashville, Tennessee say they love touring together, especially during the season of Advent when they can share their faith through their art.
“The first time that I ever really learned how to pray was because of worship music. It was what gave me language to have a personal relationship with Jesus,” Kroger explains. “From that moment on it was just like, ‘That’s what I want to do.’ That’s what I want to do for other people, lead people into an encounter with love.
The Co-Cathedral was the second to last stop on their joint tour.
By Katie Vasquez
The world famous Notre Dame Cathedral has reopened to massive crowds, but if you can’t make it to France to see it in person, an exhibition at Cathedral of St John the Divine in Manhattan brings the sacred space to you through digital tablets called “histopads.”
Visitors can use scan-to-view technology at designated spots around the cathedral, and they are transported from Morningside Heights New York, to Paris, France with a view of some of the renovations. Visitors to the experience, called “Notre Dame de Paris: the Augmented Exhibition,” can also travel through time, both to the 2019 fire and to 1160 during the early stages of the cathedral. Church officials and visitors alike say that the incredible European building has the ability to speak to people of all faiths.
“Through history we see people seeking this thing we call God, this reality we call God,” says Father Patrick Malloy, Dean of Cathedral of St John The Divine. “In a sense, stepping into a place like Notre Dame is not only stepping into a wonderful place of architecture. It’s stepping into history. It’s stepping into the past,” he explains.
“My father’s French so I guess that’s part of my roots,” visitor Marianne Tremarolai tells Currents News. “I think the cathedral is such a stunning and beautiful place and we can’t beat that window. I’m sorry, it’s just absolutely gorgeous – nothing like it anywhere.”
“The architecture, I mean it’s just so majestic, it’s gorgeous and there’s nothing like it around,” Steven Tremarolai adds, accompanying Marianne. “It’s just a beautiful piece of architecture so it’s hard not to be able to appreciate it.”
You can see the exhibit at the Cathedral of St John the Divine Monday through Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm and Sundays from 12 pm to 4 pm.
There’s a small $10 fee to get in, but you can stay as long as you like. The exhibit will run until the end of January.
For more information and to get tickets, go to https://stjohndivine.org/ and search for “Notre Dame de Paris: the Augmented Exhibition.”
By Currents News
While the Diocese of Brooklyn is preparing for Christmas, The Tablet newspaper is helping you remember the reason for the season! They are kicking off their Bright Christmas campaign, which for the last 60 years has fulfilled a promise to households around the Diocese of Brooklyn that every child will have a present under the tree on Christmas. The campaign raises hundreds of thousands of dollars to make this happen, and they need your help. Just go online to thetablet.org/brightchristmas.
You can also make a check out to Bright Christmas and mail it to 856 Pacific Street in Brooklyn, NY 11238. Details on how to give, plus stories about the families your donation will help, are in this week’s Tablet. The paper is also getting kids into the Christmas spirit with their annual art contest. Children and teens across the Diocese of Brooklyn are invited to grab their pencils, paintbrushes, crayons, and markers to show how they are keeping Christ in Christmas.
For contest rules and entry details, pick up this weekend’s edition of The Tablet from your local church. It includes all the information and a special QR code to take you directly to the contest homepage.
Some of the young people in the Diocese of Brooklyn are already in the Christmas spirit! Fontbonne Hall Academy in Bay Ridge opened its doors Wednesday for “Carols on the Narrows.” The Fontbonne Chamber Choir performed holiday classics in front of roughly 100 guests. This cherished Christmas tradition at the all-girls high school helps spread holiday cheer while celebrating Fontbonne’s steadfast connection with its community.
The Diocese of Brooklyn is preparing for Christmas with a grand 30-foot Norway spruce now standing in Grand Army Plaza. The official Christmas tree will be celebrated with a tree lighting ceremony featuring prayer, music, and emcee Christine Persichette. The event invites the community to join the festivities. Mark your calendars for Friday, December 13th, at 5 PM.
In a special edition of Currents News, hosted by Christine Persichette, we bring you inside the iconic cathedral with a complete wrap-up of the Notre Dame reopening, highlighting key moments like the door-opening rite, the awakening of the great organ, and the consecration of the high altar.
We also will feature a timeline of the monumental restoration effort, showcasing the work of craftsmen and artists who rebuilt the cathedral in five years.
Finally, discover an interactive exhibit that brings Notre Dame’s rich history to life in New York City.
By Katie Vasquez
St John’s University remembering a life filled with faith, family and basketball.
The Catholic college celebrated a funeral mass for Coach Lou Carnesecca, who died at the age of 99, five weeks shy of his 100th birthday.
“What a life, what a legacy, what a man,” said St John’s University president, Father Brian Shanley, OP.
He was known as a true St John’s man, leading the men’s basketball team to 526 wins over 24 seasons. Former St John’s basketball player Billy Schaeffer offered the eulogy, speaking about how he admired the coach’s style on the court.
“He would be running a fast break, or playing defense from the sidelines. Sometimes he would even be on the floor,” said Schaeffer.
But it was his actions on and off the court that caught the world’s attention.
In a tribute on X, formerly known as Twitter, Brooklyn Bishop Robert Brennan said, “in a fatherly way he also followed his players–showing interest in their careers and their lives.”
There were fond memories shared of his time with students at his funeral, including one season where things weren’t going well.
“He called the sports psychologist in and it didn’t work. and finally he said “I got the answer one word, graduation,” said Campus Minister for Athletics at St John’s University, Father Richard Rock, CM.
Lou was also a man of great faith, living out the Vincentian mission of St John’s.
“The church lost a child of god, who loved the church, who loved to receive the Eucharist which gave him strength to do all the things,” said Father Rock.
While Lou came to his eternal rest, his legacy continues at the Queens campus, with an arena that bears his name and a statue in the lobby showing him fist-pumping.
Those that knew him say they will always remember his kind soul.
“He didn’t just teach basketball, he taught about life with grace and warmth and wit,” said Father Shanley.
“We love you coach, and we will never forget you, how could we?” said Schaeffer.
St John’s plans to continue honoring coach Carnesecca with events through January 11th, including a celebration for what would have been his 100th birthday.
We bid final farewell to iconic St. John’s University coach Lou Carnesecca, who passed away just weeks shy of his 100th birthday. He coached his beloved alma mater over 24 seasons, leading the team to 526 wins.
The Holy Father has a new ride: Pope Francis has been gifted a new Mercedes-Benz Popemobile complete with special features.
Fontbonne Hall Academy is spreading holiday cheer in Bay Ridge with its annual “Carol on the Narrows” – an evening filled with musical performances from the school’s chamber choir.
Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is getting ready to reopen its doors this weekend, five years after flames tore through the landmark. We’re taking a look at the time that has passed since then.
Francophone parishioners at St. Paul and St. Agnes Church in Brooklyn were devastated to see the flames but held onto hope and took comfort in their faith.
Thousands of people, from architects to artisans, have worked to fulfill French President Emmanuel Macron’s 2019 promise that Notre Dame would be restored entirely in just five years.
The cathedral’s reopening has stirred a resurgence in faith: a record-breaking number of people were baptized in France this Easter.