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Catholic News Headlines for Monday 09/12/22

Brooklyn Bishop Robert Brennan marched over the Brooklyn Bridge with members of the FDNY to remember their fallen heroes.

The city is now saying there was never arsenic in the water at the Jacob Riis Houses in Manhattan.

NYCHA Resident Tests Positive for Arsenic Poisoning as City Urges Water is Clean

By Jessica Easthope

Beads of sweat form on Dennis Diaz’s forehead, but it’s not the late summer heat – it’s arsenicosis.

“Diarrhea, headaches, dizziness, sweating, vibration in my legs, really scary,” Dennis said of his symptoms.

On Saturday, Mayor Eric Adams announced tests showing traces of arsenic in the Riis Houses tap water were false. This coming days after the nearly 4,000 residents were told to stop drinking it. But Dennis, who’s lived in the complex his entire life, has a lot of questions he wants answered.

Dennis says if there was never any arsenic, what were those particles? And how could it be that a test showed he had a level of one milligram per deciliter of arsenic in his blood.

“I felt betrayed, I should be safe drinking water, we live in New York City in the United States,” he said.

The test was done days after he stopped drinking that water and started drinking the bottled water NYCHA was giving out. But Dennis said his doctor’s not convinced it’s making its way out of his system – because he’s still sick. He has to collect his own urine for 24 hours for another test. According to the CDC traces of arsenic stay in urine longer than blood.

“I’ll never lose my faith in God and in Jesus, I’m hoping this is out of my system with this next test,” said Dennis.

Only adding to Dennis’ confusion, according to a statement from mayor Eric Adams’ office, the lab that initially tested the water admitted to introducing arsenic into the samples that led to false results. Dennis says he doesn’t know who to believe.

“I suffer from mental illness and chronic panic and anxiety attacks, post-traumatic stress and on top of that this has got my head spinning,” Dennis said.

Currents News reached out to NYCHA but a spokesperson declined to comment. Other tests done by the same lab showed legionella bacteria present in the Riis Houses water; the city is claiming those results are also false. Despite the latest reports the city is still urging residents not to drink their tap water until final results are analyzed.

Bishop Robert Brennan Processes Over Brooklyn Bridge, Leads Brooklyn FDNY Mass This September 11th

Bishop Robert Brennan joined members of the FDNY’s Battalion 57 in Brooklyn as they processed over the Brooklyn Bridge to the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph. Bishop Brennan met the marchers, who were coming from Lower Manhattan, as they entered Brooklyn.

The marchers carried 25 flags; 24 FDNY flags represented the 23 members of Battalion 57 who were lost at the World Trade Center and a Battalion member’s brother who also died that day, and one American flag.

The procession ended at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph, located at 856 Pacific Street in Brooklyn, where the 11 a.m. Mass commemorated the 21st Anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001.

At the start of the Mass, the names of the fallen firefighters from Battalion 57 were read aloud.

In his homily, Bishop Brennan preached, “That day saw the worst of humanity in those attacks, but you know what, it saw also the greatness of humanity, in the men and women who responded so courageously, and so generously, many of your companions, many of your coworkers, collaborators, colleagues, and many who were in these places before you. We saw the goodness and the bravery, the courage of people.”

Bishop Brennan continued, “Today as you marched, as you came in here with those flags standing for those firefighters, your companies, from our companies from here, the fire companies who serve us, I saw the icon, stark icon of the horrors of September 11th, 2001. But as I look beyond and I see all of you here in this church gathered in prayer, I see an icon not only of September 11th, but I see an icon of September 12th, of September 13th. I see an icon of 2002, 2003, 2021, 2022. I see the icon of people who, even in spite of some of those most horrendous things we have witnessed, still stand up and offer themselves in service to their neighbor with courage and generosity; I see you as icons of that courage and generosity; I see you as icons of those who never ever give up.”

Battalion 57 consists of several fire stations and multiple fire companies, including 4 Battalion Chiefs, Engine Companies 217, 219, 230, and 235, as well as Ladder Companies 102 and 105.

Catholic News Headlines for Friday 09/09/22

The first week of school is in the books for kids in the Diocese of Brooklyn.

As Britain mourns the loss of their Queen, we’re taking a closer look at Her Majesty’s faith.