Community Rallies After Vandal Damages Statues at Bensonhurst Church

by Katie Vasquez

These parishioners at St. Dominic’s Church are hoping to raise their spirits.

“I was shocked. I was, you know, upset and dismayed,” said St. Dominic’s Church parishioner, Mary Ellen Piorkowski Lane.

Those feelings after destruction at St. Dominic’s in Bensonhurst after a 30-year-old man smashed two statues outside and damaged the windows.

“It’s not right to come to a church and do what he did,” said St. Dominic’s Church parishioner, Maria Del Priore.

According to officials, on June 10, the hammer-welding vandal went on a rampage, smashing things at the church and all over the neighborhood

Video from a neighbor shows him in action, destroying a statue of Pope Saint John XXIII in the middle of the afternoon!

He also destroyed an image of Saint Teresa of Calcutta, that neighbor then called the cops

“We had a wonderful neighbor across the street who could have looked the other way, but found it in her heart to capture the event on video, immediately notify the police and the police came with a very rapid response,” said St. Dominic’s Church pastoral associate, Deacon Anthony Mammoliti.

The man was arrested and police have identified him as Randy Maldonado Avila.

He was charged with criminal mischief and criminal possession of a weapon.

The pastor of St Dominic’s, Father Michael Lynch only caught the aftermath of the chaos.

As volunteers helped board up the windows and cover the statues, Father Lynch says the emotional wounds still remain.

“No one was hurt physically. hearts and minds are scarred a little bit and probably wounded,” said Father Lynch, pastor of St. Dominic’s Church.

Still the parishioners of St Dominic’s say they will continue to pray for this person.

“We have to face it. pray for the person, and we pray, god, that he helps us to fix all this mess,” said St. Dominic’s Church parishioner, Grace.

“We’re a strong community, so we’re going to get through this,” said Piorkowski Lane

“We forgive and forget in this instance. right. we do forget that someone did something wrong or bad to us, but we never forget to pray for them,” said Father Lynch.

A donor has stepped up to pay for the repairs of both statues.

Catholic News Headlines for Tuesday 6/11/2024

A 30-year-old man with a hammer was arrested in Bensonhurst on Monday, after smashing statues and windows at St. Dominic Church.

Hear about a big honor for Pax Christi USA! It’s an award for promoting peace through non-violence.

And this just in, but not in time for those graduating seniors — the New York Education Department is proposing to make Regents exams optional.

Tis the season! Cristo Rey Brooklyn High School celebrates 67 college-bound graduates.

Nuns to Travel Entire Pilgrimage, Sisters Update Thousands of Followers on Journey

Catholics across the country are encouraged to join the pilgrimage at any point in the journey, but four nuns are taking up the challenge to travel the entire route.

These women, from the order “Daughters of Mary, Mother of Healing Love,” said they felt called to travel the Seton Route since they first heard about it.

However, when they reached out to the Congress about being perpetual pilgrims, they found out it was only for young people.

Later, they talked to the priest in charge of the Northeast journey, who said they could join as long as they had a support vehicle.

Merely hours later, the nuns received the donation they needed to make that happen.

Since then, they have been happily traveling alongside the pilgrims and updating their more than 10,000 followers on social media.

EXCLUSIVE: Saint-To-Be Carlo Acutis’ Mother Reflects on Her Blessed Son

Antonia Salzano is celebrating the news that her son will soon be a saint. The woman who raised Carlo Acutis and took pictures of him playing in the snow, dressed as superheroes, and celebrating birthdays said he was just your average kid.

“He lived a daily life with his classmates, he used to do sports, he used to be a normal young boy,” Salzano said.

However, there was one big exception: Jesus was the center of Acutis’ life.

“Carlo lived this presence of Jesus in everything he used to do,” Salzano said.

She said Acutis started going to Mass every day at seven years old. He took part in Eucharistic adoration, prayed the Rosary, and read the Bible.

He even sparked her conversion.

“Carlo was for me like a little savior, because before I was like a Protestant,” Salzano said. “I thought the sacraments were symbols. Simple symbols. And the Blessed Sacrament was a normal piece of bread, even after the consecration.”

Her child made her a believer, especially after the teenaged computer whiz created a virtual exhibition on Eucharistic miracles, which has led to the conversion of thousands.

At the end of his life, when he was just 15 years old, Salzano said Acutis was not afraid to die.

“He was not scared about death,” Salzano said. “He used to say death is the passage to the true life.”

Even after his death from leukemia, Carlo Acutis continues to evangelize.

Hundreds of thousands viewed his beatification Mass, and with his canonization ahead, Salzano has just one hope.

“I hope Carlo will switch on the faith,” Salzano said.

Another story she told was that after her father died, Acutis, who was not even five years old, told her his grandfather came to him and asked him to pray for him since he was in purgatory.

Salzano said Acutis started praying for the souls in purgatory and never stopped.

Queens Students Visit Blessed Carlo Acutis Statue During Lesson on Soon-To-Be Saint

By Katie Vasquez

The lesson of the day in Mrs. Mickey Grieco’s 5th grade class was about a young man not much older than her students, Blessed Carlo Acutis.

“It has proven to be a great inspiration to the children because they really relate to a child of this new millennium,” said Mickey Grieco, a teacher at St. Joseph Catholic Academy.

Students created drawings and some facts they learned about the 15-year-old soon-to-be-saint.

“Every time he passes a church, he would go in to say hello to Jesus,” said Anthony Primiani, a 5th grader at St. Joseph Catholic Academy. “He would say, ‘The Eucharist is my highway to heaven.’ He would never miss Mass. Carlo only gave himself one hour of screen time and spent the rest of the day doing good deeds.”

It involved a quick field trip to St. Joseph Church next door where Pastor Father Vincent Chirichella offered some insight into the life of the soon-to-be saint.

The Queens church has a statue dedicated to Blessed Carlo where he’s holding a cell phone, a key part of his life.

“Technology can be used to evangelize, and he did that through his Eucharistic exhibition of all the Eucharistic miracles and how Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist,” said Father Vincent Chirichella, pastor of St. Joseph Church. “He wants the young people to really step away from their video games for a while and draw closer to Christ, go to Mass, go to church, be present to their faith.”

Teaching these young minds more about the boy that could become the first millennial saint.

“The most interesting thing I learned was when he was little, he predicted that he would die young,” said Nola Lafield, a 5th grader at St. Joseph’s. “He predicted what he would die from, and even what his weight at the time would be. I think that’s the most remarkable thing.”

Blessed Carlo died of leukemia in 2006, seven years before most of the students in Mrs. Grieco’s class were born. But they believe it is uplifting to have a young Catholic poised for sainthood.

“I think he’s a role model to everyone, especially younger children, that if you work hard to be devoted to your faith, you can really do something.” Hunter Hodes, a 5th grader said. “I think that, like people at a young age, if they work hard, they can achieve their goals.”

And they will pray for his intercession.

A few weeks ago, Pope Francis recognized a miracle attributed to the intercession of Blessed Carlo Acutis, clearing the last hurdle for his canonization.

He is set to get final approval for his sainthood cause over the summer.

Catholic News Headlines for Monday 6/10/2024

The canonization of the first millennial saint could happen this summer. Blessed Carlo Acutis is being considered for the momentous title, and ahead of that milestone, St. Joseph Catholic Academy in Astoria students took a saintly field trip to learn more about him.

Among those eagerly anticipating the canonization is Antonia Salzano, the mother of Carlo Acutis. In an intimate interview with Currents News, she shared her memories of raising Carlo, from the snowball fights to the superhero costumes and birthday celebrations. To her, he was just an ordinary child, now on the path to sainthood.

Pilgrims on the Seton Route are making their way through Pennsylvania. They’ll visit churches there for the next few days before moving on to West Virginia and Ohio and then crossing into Indiana, where the National Eucharistic Congress is being held.

The sisters from the “Daughters of Mary, Mother of Healing Love” order in New Hampshire are participating in the 65-day pilgrimage. They’ve been very active on social media, keeping people updated on their whereabouts.

This Was How The Vatican Prayed For Peace in the Holy Land

Pope Francis presided over a ceremony to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the prayer for peace in the Holy Land. It was on June 8, 2014 when the presidents of Israel and Palestine traveled to the Vatican.

A decade later, the prayer ceremony took place in the same place in the Vatican Gardens where the leaders planted olive trees. Representatives of the Muslim and Jewish communities were present at the event as well as ambassadors and some 20 cardinals.

Seniors in Williamsburg Show Off Their Skills in Annual Art Show

Works of art that could rival any gallery are on display at the Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens Northside Older Adult Center.

It’s part of their annual art show where seniors get to show off their skills.

Music was performed for the small crowd that came to view the work of the 15 artists.

Each of the 70 works was unique, reflecting the artists’ experiences from landscapes to self-portraits and abstract pieces.

Many say it’s a soothing experience to put their ideas to canvas.

Although the 70 pieces of work might look professional, several artists just picked up the hobby within the last year.

The show will run until September 7th.

People can pop in throughout the week between 8 AM and 4 PM.

Select works will be up for sale as well.

Xaverian High School Valedictorian Harmonizes Music and Academics

By Jessica Easthope

Christopher LeDoux has played on stages around the world with the most talented musicians in elite youth orchestras, but this might be the last note he ever plays on the stage where he feels most at home: Xaverian High School’s auditorium.

“Balancing music and academics has taught me invaluable life lessons. Going to weekly rehearsals is a seven-hour endeavor every weekend, and with assignments and tests throughout the four years, time management is imperative,” LeDoux said.

This summer, the Class of 2024’s valedictorian is going on tour in Latin America with Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Orchestra and to Greece as a member of the Grammy-winning New York Youth Symphony.

“I always like to play up, and I think that playing with older musicians helped me have a more comprehensive view of music in general and life lessons such as musicianship and punctuality,” LeDoux said.

He has earned many opportunities to share his gift. He has a natural ability but has never allowed himself to get too comfortable.

“I think complacency is mediocrity,” LeDoux said. “Striving for excellence and seeing others around me perform at high levels definitely inspires me.”

Joseph Loposky, Xaverian’s Director of Music, has known LeDoux since he was 10 years old—first as a private music teacher, and today as a mentor and friend. He knows exactly how to challenge a student who has already achieved so much.

“I tried to show him the way that he’d be the best person he could be, based on what I went through,” Loposky said “Also as a trumpet player, as a young trumpet player, and coming through and doing what I did professionally before I came to Xaverian.”

LeDoux is hoping to use his fingers in his future career not in a music theater but an operating theater. He has been accepted into Hofstra University’s 4+4 Program that fast tracks him into medical school right after college.

“I like neurosurgery and cardiothoracic surgery,” LeDoux said. “They’re very competitive and ambitious fields. So we’ll see where life takes me. The goal is to have classical music in the O.R. while I’m operating. That would be ideal,” he said.

LeDoux wants to leave the world a better place, and he’s already done that at Xaverian.

“Xaverian is a very service-oriented school,” LeDoux said. “I’ve had a plethora of opportunities to exercise my faith, practice my faith, and share it with others. There should be some sort of foundation, a moral compass that should guide you. For me, that’s Catholicism. That’s my faith,” LeDoux said.

High-level academics, high-level performing arts, his Catholic identity—Xaverian wants more Chris LeDouxs in the future.

St. Adalbert Parishioner Turns Hobby into Fundraiser for Children

By Katie Vasquez

With just a crochet needle and some yarn, Zofia Ucinek creates whimsical items like a bear or peas in a pod.

The 16-year-old picked up the hobby two years ago; it wasn’t like she had free time since she is a swimmer and tennis player on top of schoolwork.

“I come home, sit down, do my homework, and then crochet until like one in the morning,” said Ucinek, a parishioner at St Adalbert Church.

During lent, she decided to use her skills for good. She made dozens of bunnies and baby chicks to sell after the Polish mass at St Adalbert church.

“Even before the mass finished, when people saw us leaving there, they were starting to follow us. They were already starting to follow us, asking, you know, like purchasing everything. And then once the mass finished and everybody was starting to leave, people were like asking, oh my gosh, do you have more? Do you have this one?” said Ucinek.

In just two Sundays, Zofia raised 800 dollars. As a sign of gratitude, she gave 200 to the Elmhurst church and 600 to St Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. A facility that treats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

“My first thought was, I want to give to children. I want to give to children in hospitals, you know, who can’t like going to parks with their friends,” said Ucinek.

Zofia’s strong catholic faith motivates her to show kindness to others, and she’s proud of the help she can provide young people.

“I felt amazing. It’s like being unable even to describe what I’m feeling because it felt so good. I love helping people.”

The Queen’s student plans to spend her summer stitching more items to raise money for St Jude around Christmas.

If you want to learn more about Zofia’s crocheted creations, call St. Adalbert church at 718-639-0212.