2024

The Vatican weighs in on the rising debate over end-of-life care, emphasizing Church teachings amidst global shifts.

Pope Francis urges peace for Ukraine and the Middle East while remembering victims of a tragic plane crash in Brazil.

In a gripping turn of events, seven priests have arrived at the Vatican, fleeing the unrest in Nicaragua, shrouded in mystery and tension.

St. Clare Church’s 100th anniversary Mass became even more special with a double celebration—its centennial and a beloved parishioner’s 100th birthday!

Catholic Musician and Composer Inspired by Faith

by Katie Vasquez

Karl Kilb IV plays these notes effortlessly, because he’s been playing them for as long as he could remember

“I sometimes have a melody in mind, but it’s more visual for me. So I’ll think of something or think of a memory. I think of just visualizing the future,” said Kilb.

Even though Karl had been playing since he was 5, he says it was in Ms. Hudson’s class at Saint Ignatius Loyola school on the Upper East Side, that his passion for music was allowed to thrive.

“Karl always had a love for music and he’s such a talented musician. innately musical,” said Emily Hudson, a music teacher at Saint Ignatius Loyola School.

Ms. Hudson remembers hearing the teenage boy play, and being amazed at his talent.

“It was like having a professional musician in the jazz band,” said Hudson.

As Karl’s piano playing skills continued to grow, so did his belief that someone was helping guide his hands.

“It definitely sparked a curiosity for learning about my faith and putting and also learning music,” said Kilb, “and those are the two constants in my life, music and faith.”

After graduating from NYU in May 2024, Karl says his future is already looking bright.

“Right now, I’m actually doing music therapy, and I’m also composing for films and shows. and I’m releasing my own music,” said Kilb.

Music inspired by the songs he hears at mass.

“Just knowing that I can, you know, puts a little bit of positivity into people’s lives through music and faith. I think that’s what I’m going to try to continue to do,” said Kilb.

He believes music and faith share one universal language.

Kilb said, “The piano, wherever I go in the world, it has 88 keys and wherever I go in the world. the mass is the same depending on the language.”

If you would like to listen to some of Karl’s music, you can check it out on Apple music and Spotify.

Catholic News Headlines for Friday 8/9/2024

Karl Kilb’s faith has been the steady beat driving his musical journey from Saint Ignatius Loyola School to composing success.

Pope Francis commends the Knights of Columbus for their pro-life advocacy and global charity at their annual convention in Canada.

The Vatican has approved devotion at India’s famed Marian shrine, a 16th-century miracle site drawing 20 million pilgrims annually.

A year after Maui’s wildfires, the historic Waiola Church rises from the ashes, keeping the island’s faith unbroken.

11-Year-Old Catholic Headed to College

by Katie Vasquez

Joe Petraro is enjoying the summer while he can,on the surface he looks like a regular 11-year-old, interested in basketball and video games. Unlike other 11-year-olds, he isn’t getting ready for middle school, he’s going to college this fall.

“It was easy,” said Petraro.

It all started a few years ago, Joe was attending Holy Name of Mary School in Valley Stream, he was struggling, almost put in special education until he was diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome, a neurological disorder that can cause uncontrolled rapid movements and vocal sounds.

“I’ll be thinking about something and then I’ll be like, okay doing that. all right, all right. and that would take a while, cause then like, I would tighten up the hand like my arms,” said Petraro.

The school soon realized Joe was actually a genius, with an IQ of 168. He would go on to graduate middle school and high school in two years.

“Yeah. I can’t believe it. I’m proud of him. I just can’t believe it. That’s like I’m still dreaming,” said Ozzie Petraro, Joe’s Father.

While school was easy for Joe, life outside the classroom was not.

Having Tourettes made him a target for bullies, but the altar server at St Joseph church in Hewlett says his time in mass helped him during dark times.

“It would just calm me down and like, it always takes my mind off of everything,” said Petraro.

Joe knows studying isn’t the only thing that got him into Louisiana State University.

“I think the guiding force is God, because if it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t know,” said Petraro, “that I’m smarter or like, meet all these good people.”

Joe plans to study sports leadership, attending classes fully remote, ith the dream of being a sports broadcaster.

Brooklyn Students Shoot for the Stars with ‘Our Galaxy System’ Book Launch

By Jessica Easthope

It’s the first look they’ve been waiting for, a glimpse into outer space, as told by them.

These fourth graders at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Academy in Sunset Park are finally seeing “Our Galaxy System,” a book they wrote, illustrated, and published.

“I was thinking, I wonder how it will be like when people read the book that my class wrote, and how proud my parents will be of me and how proud my teacher is of me and of my class of writing the book,” said Sabrina Seweryn, a 4th grader at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Academy.

“You just feel like you accomplished something,” said Israel Gomez, a 4th grader at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Academy.

It took three months for teacher, Nichola Seteratne, to assign topics, for the students to conduct research, and to actually start putting pen, not pencil, to paper, something Israel Gomez was nervous about.

“You need to make no mistakes to write the things on the paper with a pen,” Gomez said.

Israel wrote about the first man on the moon. The book covers more than a dozen other topics, from the power of the sun to extraterrestrial life.

“It’s not just like ELA or math, like theoretical work or practical work they need to know, but they need to know about the outside world too,” Ms. Seteratne said.

Once the final draft was in, Ms. Seteratne sent it to Student Treasures Publishing. Now, each student has their own copy to treasure for life.

“They will always remember, even if they go to middle school or the upper grades, there will be something they will always remember about their fourth grade,” Ms. Seteratne said.

Their passion for outer space is still burning bright.

“It was fun to research,” Seweryn said. “There are many different things in the galaxy, and there are new things to come there, like the Andromeda galaxy system, and there’s all different planets to learn about.”

“There are different kinds of planets to see. And there are nebulas, which is like a cloud in space, but it’s like a gas,” Gomez said. “Because they say space is infinite, so we have a lot to learn about space, but we still have a lot because we only explored a little bit of it.”

Now that the book is finally in the hands of her 4th graders, Ms. Seteratne is looking to put it in the hands of anyone else who’s interested by publishing it on Amazon.

If you want to send your children to Catholic school, just visit catholicschoolsbq.org or call 718-965-7380 for more information.

Catholic News Headlines for Thursday 8/8/2024

Meet Joe Petraro, an extraordinary 11-year-old from Long Island. Unlike his peers who are heading to middle school, Joe is embarking on a unique journey to college at Louisiana State University. His unwavering faith has been a guiding light in his remarkable journey, showcasing the power of belief in achieving one’s dreams.

Explore the cosmos through the eyes of fourth graders from Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Academy in Brooklyn. These young authors and illustrators have just published their book, Our Galaxy System, and it’s a stellar achievement you won’t want to miss.

A significant development in New York’s abortion debate: Manhattan’s Planned Parenthood, the only clinic in the state offering abortions after 20 weeks, is no longer performing the procedure past that time frame. Learn more about this significant change and the closures of other clinics in the state.

Students and teachers from Cathedral High School in Indianapolis had the thrill of a lifetime, rallying behind their alum, Cole Hocker, as he competed in the 2024 Olympics.

Brooklyn Cancer Survivor Beats Disease Twice, Finds Strength in St. Sharbel’s Grace

By Katie Vasquez

Christopher Safi can laugh and smile now, but there was a moment he didn’t expect to make it this far.

At just 14 months old he was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a rare pediatric cancer in his kidney. Then, at four years old, doctors found a cancerous tumor in the back of his neck.

“Doctors tried their best, but they wasn’t expecting me to have the outcome that I that I have today,” said Safi. “I was in very critical condition.”

The Brooklyn resident thought his days in the hospital were over at the age of six when he was cleared.

But years later he was back when the tumor returned, eventually having brain surgery in 2019 at the age of 17.

“Life is limited and just do what you love,” said Safi.

As he recovered he leaned on his faith to get through.

“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for St. Sharbel,” said Safi. “He’s been or he’s been on my side since day one of diagnosis. I go and I thank him. and every time I’m walking around everyday he’s always in my pocket protecting me.”

Christopher is a parishioner and altar server at Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Cathedral in Brooklyn Heights.

The rector says his life journey can be a lesson to others.

“I think his resiliency is speaks speaks volumes to the people,” said Father Dominique Hanna, the rector of Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Cathedral. “I’m sure they would look at Chris and say you know he’s doing all that and we are kind of not suffering from anything and we can’t do probably half of what he does.”

The 21 year old says his experience pushed him to help others which is why he started Little Golden Light, a non profit that helps pediatric cancer patients.

“God has a plan for everybody,” said Safi. “I think my path is to focus on helping the children, helping the families.”

He also has another reason to be happy, a clean bill of health.

“I think you just got to stay in there, have faith, trust god,” Safi added.

If you want to learn more about Christopher’s organization you can visit its website: Little Golden Light

Catholic News Headlines for Wednesday 8/7/2024

A young Brooklyn man has overcome cancer twice by the age of 21. Meet Christopher Safi, who spent much of his childhood in hospitals, battling the disease.

The Eucharistic Revival is entering a new phase. After the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, the campaign announces we are now in a Year of Mission. Catholics are being called to spread the movement and ignite their communities with Eucharistic love.

Pope Francis is back to holding his general audiences after a July break. He focused on the role of the Holy Spirit, emphasizing that without it, the Church can’t move forward, grow, or preach.

This is a remarkable story from Spain: a young girl named Jimena, who had nearly lost her sight, claims she was cured a year ago during World Youth Day. She regained her vision after receiving communion and praying at Fatima. Now, she’s heading to Rome to share her story of faith.

From Blindness to Vision: Young Woman Travels to Rome to Thank Our Lady

It has been one year since Our Lady of the Snows worked an alleged miracle for a young Spanish girl. Jimena had lost 95% of her sight and was already reading Braille. But at a Mass during World Youth Day in Lisbon, she unexpectedly regained her sight.

“After receiving Communion, I went to the pew. I started crying a lot because it was the last day of the novena and I wanted to be cured,” Jimena said. “I begged God a lot. And then, when I opened my eyes, I could see perfectly. It was overwhelming.”

This deed of Our Lady even caught the attention of Pope Francis. Jimena then traveled to Rome to visit the Pope at Casa Santa Marta.

The young woman’s family says Pope Francis encouraged them to go on a pilgrimage to St. Mary Major Basilica and spread their devotion. As soon as the Archpriest of the Basilica heard what had happened, he contacted them and invited the family to visit the Roman church.

“This family was truly touched by this special grace,” said ABP. Rolandas Makrickas
Coadjutor Archpriest, St. Mary Major. “They also wanted to thank the Blessed Mother in this very shrine. Last year, they came at the end of December. They met the Holy Father and, afterwards, they participated in a Mass in this basilica. I got to know this family and we were able to share their experiences, which was very touching.”

And the family did what the Pope recommended: on August 5 they went to St. Mary Major, where they witnessed what is known as the “miracle of the snow.” It was the first time that Pope Francis visited the basilica on this special day.

United in Mission: The Bridge to Life and Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens Collaborate to Serve Families in Need

By Jessica Easthope

Another day, another shipment. Dust doesn’t have a chance to settle on these boxes at the Monsignor Joseph Pfeiffer Resource Center because somewhere, someone needs what’s inside of them.

Francesca Yellico, the Executive Director of The Bridge to Life, is focused more on where it’s going than where it came from.

“At the end of the day, it’s not about, oh, The Bridge to Life did this. Oh, Catholic Charities did that. It’s we, we did this,” Yellico said. “We are working together.”

The Bridge to Life and Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens are now sharing clothes for all ages, personal hygiene items, essentials, and food.

It happened by accident late last year. The Bridge to Life got a massive shipment they couldn’t store, but CCBQ opened their doors, and they’ve been open ever since.

“And little did I know, like that was the start of it,” Yellico said.

“Now we’re able to take in donations that can go out into the community,” said Richard Slizeski, Senior Vice President of Mission at CCBQ. “Our goal is always to empty this place, not to just kind of gather stuff, but it’s to go out into different places that it’s needed.”

Slizeski said there’s no competition when it comes to the work they do.

“In society, we’ve become very divisive,” Slizeski said. “If we’re about serving the people of God, this division really shouldn’t be there. It’s about taking care of God’s people.”

Debbie Hampson, CCBQ’s Senior Director of Community Outreach Services, oversees what comes in and goes out of the Howard Beach warehouse. She says this is where CCBQ and Bridge to Life’s missions become one.

“The need continues to grow and grow and grow. But now we actually have physical things to give them,” Hampson said. “And it just keeps coming, and we’re especially grateful for our partnership with Bridge to Life.”

This collaboration has shaped the future of these two organizations. With every box and every donation, they’re meeting the need with faith.

“It’s just such a wonderful, wonderful collaboration,” Yellico said. “You see the hand of God in every single one of these encounters.”

“The mission of it is best accomplished not trying to go solo because there’s just too much to be done,” Slizeski said. “And so, we need each other.”

“It’s an absolute win-win. And it’s God’s work, our hands,” Hampson said.

The Bridge to Life serves more than 5,000 women and children every year, and Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens reports hundreds of thousands of clients.

According to the research, emergency contraceptions made up almost 30 percent of all unsupervised abortions in 2023, chemical abortions made up about 24%, and a scary number to report, almost 22% of women tried to abort their babies by hitting themselves in the stomach.