2024

Former President Donald Trump, now president-elect for the second time, will return to the White House after defeating Vice President Kamala Harris. Currents News is digging deep to see how the Catholic vote contributed to his victory.

A disappointing result for many Catholics, New York voters approved Proposition 1, a pro-abortion measure labeled a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” by local bishops, with 62% voting to enshrine abortion on demand in the state’s constitution.

In the Archdiocese of Newark, Elvis may have left the building, but one local deacon brought him back to the chapel. Anthony Liguori, better known as “Deacon Elvis,” pays tribute to the king of rock and roll while serving the King of Kings.

Catholic News Headlines for Tuesday 11/5/2024

As voters across the U.S. head to the polls on Election Day, New Yorkers face a pivotal choice beyond the presidential race, including Proposition 1, which would enshrine unrestricted abortion rights in the state constitution. Brooklyn Bishop Robert Brennan has spoken out against the measure, highlighting the divisive nature of this election season.

Security has been stepped up across New York City. Mayor Eric Adams says two police officers will be present at each polling site, and the FBI in New York also has a command post assessing any threats, including targeting election workers, voter fraud, and civil rights violations.

Join Current News and Bishop Brennan for the last day of our nine-day novena as we pray for our country and prepare to vote with our conscience.

On Election Day New York Catholic Voters Weigh In On Presidential Powers, Prop. 1

Donald Trump and Kamala Harris have made their final push for votes right down to the wire, hitting all of the battleground states leading up to Election Day. Hours ahead of the polls opening, Trump campaigned in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he closed out his 2016 win.

Kamala Harris made her big push in Pennsylvania, where votes are crucial. However, on Election Day, both presidential candidates hope these last-minute stops will make a difference.

Meanwhile, voters in New York State weigh in on more than just the next president as they head to the polls: Brooklyn Bishop Robert Brennan has been urging voters to say no to Proposition 1, which, if passed, cements abortion on demand without any restrictions at any point during pregnancy. Catholics are called to oppose this measure, as it disregards the sanctity of human life and risks normalizing the destruction of innocent lives.

St. John’s University’s political analyst and government affairs professor Brian Browne joins Currents News to discuss what voters weigh in on as they head to the polls.

For The Love of God and Elvis: Deacon Lives Out Faith, Pays Tribute To The King of Rock and Roll

by Jessica Easthope

When Elvis Presley’s “Amazing Grace” rings out of Corpus Christi Church in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, the music has the power to bring you back in time.

So does the musician playing the guitar – with the hair, clothes and voice to match. But Deacon Anthony Liguori doesn’t impersonate Elvis, he pays tribute to him. Better known as “Deacon Elvis,” Deacon Anthony says he and the king of rock and roll were both fans of a greater King.

“Elvis became more to me, I wasn’t obsessed in the sense of some of these fans,” he tells Currents News. “:I just really, genuinely, connected with him… Elvis would be in concert and sometimes people would scream out in the audience, ‘Elvis, you’re the king!’ And he would say, ‘No, I’m not the king. Jesus Christ is the king.’”

Deacon Anthony has been an Elvis tribute artist for decades, packing up his guitar and traveling the country performing as the late entertainer in Las Vegas, Atlantic City and Nashville. He’s someone who became a fan early on in life.

“My grandmother and my great-grandmother would watch Elvis movies, with the whole guitar and the hairdo and the motorcycles and everything that went along with it,” he recalls. “I became an instant fan.”

While wearing out the grooves on his Elvis records as a kid, Deacon Anthony realized that what kept his attention was much deeper than what first caught it.

“I guess I was intrigued by everything about his life and his generosity and the way he treated other people and his gospel music as well was a big, important influence in my life,” he explains.

But in his twenties, Deacon Anthony had a nearly fatal health scare and an experience that would go on to shape the rest of his life. “I was on the forefront of paradise, of heaven,” he tells Currents News. “I could see the golden glow and the angels singing. And that’s when I met Jesus. I could feel this warmth of love coming through him. And then ultimately, he had sent me back and said it wasn’t my time.”

Today Deacon Anthony – who is a singer-songwriter himself – still performs as Elvis, and the look and music have become his tools for evangelization.

“For me, it’s Jesus, one-on-one love, compassion. That’s where my ministry takes me,” he says, “And in the end, that’s all that really matters. And maybe someday He’ll say, ‘well done.’ I don’t know, but hopefully.”

In the end, his goal will always be to be remembered as someone who helped and made a difference – not as Elvis – but as Anthony.

Lost WWII Purple Heart Medal Returns to NJ Family After 31 Years, Rekindling Memories of Veteran’s Sacrifice and Smile

For Margarita Manhardt, her Uncle George Cerrito’s memory was all she thought she had left. But after more than three decades, a lost Purple Heart medal and other mementos have reconnected her with his life story.

George Cerrito was a man full of life. He wore a suit every day, loved a good day at the racetrack, and served as a devoted usher at two New Jersey parishes. But what Manhardt remembers most was his smile.

“He couldn’t explain his feelings very well,” Manhardt said, “but you could see the joy in his face. He was a very happy, jovial guy all through his life.”

During World War II, Cerrito served as a turret gunner in General Patton’s 3rd Army.

In the Battle of Bastogne, a mortar shell hit his tank. He was shot in the head, sustaining a traumatic brain injury.

Another crew member pulled him to safety, but Cerrito returned home needing intensive therapy to walk and talk again.

“The first time I saw Uncle George after he was wounded, he couldn’t walk, he couldn’t talk. But he could laugh, and his face lit up when he saw the family,” Manhardt recalled.

One thing that kept him going was his Purple Heart, his most treasured possession.

After his death in 1993, his belongings, including the Purple Heart, were taken by a relative’s fiancée who was unknown to the family.

For decades, the medal was lost.

“We no longer had access to Grandma and Grandpa’s house, and I knew in my heart his things were gone,” Manhardt said.

Then, after 31 years, Manhardt received a life-changing call.

Cerrito’s Purple Heart and other medals had been found at a flea market in Dallas, Texas, and returned to Purple Hearts Reunited, an organization that returns lost military medals to veterans’ families.

“I almost fell out of my chair,” she said. “It was so emotional. I couldn’t believe it. Knowing what he did for us, what it cost him. This means everything.”

Manhardt doesn’t know how her uncle’s medals ended up 1,500 miles away. But now, they’re back in her hands, where she believes they belong.

“He’d be thrilled that they’re found, and that the family has them again. I can see his smile. He wouldn’t be able to talk, but the smile would be so great,” she said.

Recently, Manhardt discovered more of her uncle’s wartime items, including a blood-stained coat and shirt. With his Purple Heart home, George Cerrito’s legacy and sacrifice are safe in the family’s memory, alongside his unforgettable smile.

TONIGHT AT 7: Brooklyn, Queens Residents Show Up to Polls, Prepared to Vote on Key Social Issues

One of the most divisive election seasons in the nation’s history is ending. In New York City, voter turnout and outrage have been off the charts, and many expect the aftermath to be just as contentious.

This Election Day, Currents News is out at the polls with voters throughout the Diocese of Brooklyn, where those waiting in line are voicing their day-of concerns on what issues they believe Donald Trump and Kamala Harris need to tackle as part of their political platform.

Catholic Baker Creates Pastries of Both Presidential Candidates

by Katie Vasquez

Most bakeries offer you flavor choices like vanilla or chocolate, but Circo’s Pastry shop gives you the choice between Democrat or Republican.

It’s “a fun way to finish off this election, keep it light,” explains Circo’s Pastry Shop co-owner, Anthony Pierdipino.

His Bushwick bakery is folding politics into their pastries by selling sweet treats bearing the faces of both presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.

But unlike the two candidates, there’s no difference between the two cookies.

“Both taste exactly the same,” he tells Currents News. “There’s no difference. It’s a shortbread cookie, crunchy, glazed with a little bit of vanilla icing and the edible picture on top.”

Pierdipino only made a few dozen initially but the sweet treat has taken off, selling close to 500.

“I started it as a joke, to be honest with you,” he admits. “I brought them out to the store and a couple guys said ‘let me get some of those’ and started making a big deal about it. I was like, ‘Wow, people really like these.”

One longtime customer, Manuel Montanez, bought one to show off his patriotism.

“It’s pride,” he says. “Pride in the country, that’s it. Pride in whoever I think offers me the most,” he adds.

Fellow patron Jonathan Evans says the cookies are a good reminder.

“At one point I didn’t want to vote,” he admits. “So now I’m voting now, too. I think everybody should do it.”

As it turns out, it’s not just Brooklynites buying these cookies. Pierdipino says he’s getting orders from as far away as California.

“We go nationwide from all over the states and you have people, people from left and right. It’s quite interesting,” he adds.

The Catholic baker hopes the cookies encourage people not only to head to the ballot box in November, but to vote their conscience come Election Day.

“We’re electing a lawmaker and the presidential position is very important. Let’s not forget about our God in our laws that we live by,” says Pierdipino. “Whoever wins or loses, it’s definitely in God’s hands.”

The shop has orders continuing, even after the polls close.

If you would like to buy your own cookies, you can visit the shop at 312 Knickerbocker Avenue in Bushwick, Brooklyn.

You can also order online at https://circospastryshop.com/.

Catholic News Headlines for Monday 11/4/2024

Despite facing pressure to abort and now battling for her son’s medical care, Yami Johnson remains unwavering in her support for her special needs child.

Bishop Robert Brennan celebrated All Souls Day Mass at Mount St. Mary Cemetery in Queens, one of several field masses across the Diocese of Brooklyn.

Election Day is tomorrow and the Catholic co-owner of Circo’s Pastry Shop in Brooklyn is encouraging customers to vote with cookies in the likenesses of Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.

As Currents News nears the end of our nine-day novena, we mark day eight with a prayer to guide voters’ consciences.

In Brooklyn, Circo’s Bakery Catholic Baker Creates Presidential Cookies for Election Day

by Currents News

Polls are closed for voting today but the co-owner of Circo’s – one of Brooklyn’s most popular bakeries – is getting the vote out with pastries. The shop has created cookies with the faces of presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump on them. Anthony Pierdipino, a Catholic baker, hopes the cookies encourage voters to head to the ballot box and vote their conscience tomorrow on Election Day.

Mom of Child With Down Syndrome Struggles With Insurance Needs

By Jessica Easthope

Six-year-old Noah Jacob’s communication is limited, but his eyes say it all. Noah is a model who’s appeared in national campaigns for big brands like Target, boosting visibility and inclusivity for the special needs community.

Currents News reported on Noah earlier this year: his mom, Yami Johnson, fought to give Noah life. Ever since, it’s been a battle to keep him healthy.

Noah has been wearing glasses since he was three months old as his down syndrome diagnosis comes with progressive vision loss. “I just noticed after having three children prior to Noah, that he wasn’t really looking at us,” she tells Currents News of how she discovered his health need. “He had a lazy eye, he had blurry vision, he has astigmatism,” she adds. “He sees the eye doctor about every three months and the prescription has changed every time since he was three months old.”

Yami says his eyes still stand out – even behind his glasses – but their struggle to get her health insurance plan to cover his vision needs feels like this is yet another way in which families and mothers who choose to bring a baby with special needs into the world are left unsupported.

WATCH: Daughter With Down Syndrome Brings Joy, Love to Comedian’s Family

She says her insurance plan through Medicaid Fidelis covers new lenses and frames for Noah every two years. But in two years he goes through eight new prescriptions and the rest of the cost falls on her.

“Sometimes before the month is over, he’s lost the glasses,” she explains. “I’ve had those incidents at school on the bus where they don’t know if he got on the bus with the glasses at the school. You have to say to yourself, well, what’s more important, you know, putting food on the table or keeping the lights on or paying almost $300 for a pair of glasses.”

Noah’s eyesight affects his quality of life in school, at home, and on set. Yami says that’s where her insurance coverage falls flat: “They actually haven’t realized that our babies are special and they do require more coverage.”

After Noah’s diagnosis when Yami was still pregnant she was pressured to abort him. She advocated for him and his life then, and continues to do so now.

“I always say that you never get a ‘congratulations’ with a down syndrome diagnosis, you never get that,” she tells Currents News. “And it’s hard because you don’t really feel like you have the support. They kind of remind you that you should have just made a different choice because then it wouldn’t be this hard.”

Both Yami and Noah do the best they can to be models not just for him, but for every child with special needs .

“I was happy to see that during his last shoot with Target they allowed the glasses. The stylist fought for that, and we were able to get him to shoot, so I’m looking forward to his new ad that’s coming up with his glasses,” she says.

There have been plenty of times when Yami was forced to choose, and she continues to choose Noah every day.