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St. Mel’s Catholic Academy Welcomes New Principal to Lead School’s Growth and Success

By Jessica Easthope

St. Mel’s Catholic Academy is excited to introduce its new principal, Lauren Giacalone, who is ready to make an impact. 

Giacalone is looking to not only help students grow but to grow alongside them.

“I’m in the classrooms all the time. That’s where I belong,” Giacalone shares. “I want the children to know me, and I want to know them. I want to help with a lesson where a child is struggling.”

Giacalone wants to be seen and accessible to everyone in the school, both staff and students. 

Her goal is to make a meaningful difference in their lives.

St. Mel’s journey has been one of resilience. 

Once at risk of closure, the school was able to maintain and expand. 

The 3rd graders, who were once the oldest in the school, will soon be the first 8th grade class, restoring the school’s full grade structure.

Since becoming principal, Giacalone immediately felt a deep sense of acceptance.

“This building has such a sense of home and family,” she said. “Everyone has taken me in as if I’ve been here forever.”

Her mission is clear: to be the kind of educator who makes a lasting difference. 

“I need to be the person who remembers each child, their story, and who they are,” Giacalone said. “That’s what changes lives,” she says.

Giacalone’s passion for Catholic education shines through as she embarks on this journey at St. Mel’s, determined to leave a lasting impact on her students and community.

Thousands Still Without Power as Catholic Churches in Florida Support Recovery Efforts After Hurricane Milton

Florida continues its recovery in the wake of Hurricane Milton’s devastation. As of Monday, Oct. 14, nearly 400,000 people remain without power, a significant drop from the nearly four million immediately after the storm hit.

Despite ongoing power outages, at least 13 Catholic churches in the Diocese of St. Petersburg held Mass over the weekend. These parishes not only opened their doors for worship but also offered critical aid to their communities, providing supplies and temporary shelter to those in need.

Hurricane Milton has left behind an estimated $160 billion in property damage and economic loss, making it one of the most destructive storms in Florida’s history. The long-term impact on homeowners and insurance rates remains uncertain, with potential changes expected next year.

Father Chuck Dornquast, the Vocations Director for the Diocese of St. Petersburg, is on the ground helping with recovery efforts. He joins Currents News to share his experience and insights as he and others help communities rebuild after the storm.

Annual Eucharistic Procession Through Midtown Manhattan Draws Thousands

By Katie Vasquez

Thousands of New Yorkers experienced a unique sight during the evening rush hour as a Eucharistic procession, led by priests, sisters, and laypeople, wound its way through the streets of Midtown Manhattan.

The procession, starting at St. Patrick’s Cathedral and passing Radio City Music Hall, brought the Body of Christ into the heart of one of the world’s busiest cities.

Kasia Domaraezka, visiting from Poland, expressed her emotions while witnessing the event.

“I really feel very touched by this,” Domaraezka said. “And I kneeled when I saw … the body of Christ.”

The event, organized by the Napa Institute, aims to inspire faith through public displays of devotion.

“It’s going out to touch people with Jesus in the real presence … and the Holy Spirit is working to bring these people into the faith,” said Tim Busch, founder of the Napa Institute.

Since its inception four years ago, the procession has seen growing popularity, with nearly 2 million online views.

For many participants, it’s a recurring experience.

“I’ve come here before … and there’s actually a lot more people,” said Joseph Herrera, a sophomore at Cathedral Prep School and Seminary in Elmhurst..

Inside St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the faithful prepared with prayer, including the rosary and a Holy Hour. Msgr. James Shea, president of the University of Mary, emphasized the spiritual importance of the procession.

“In the midst of it, we are putting out to the deep,” Msgr. Shea said. “We are going all out for Jesus.”

One of the highlights for many was the opportunity to venerate a relic of Blessed Carlo Acutis, a Millennial soon to be canonized as a saint.

“It’s a beautiful thing because next year, he’s going to be canonized a saint,” Busch said.

This moment was particularly special for Zoe Dongas, a perpetual pilgrim who has traveled across the country for the Eucharistic Revival.

“To get to experience that with the people of my city, to proclaim Jesus from the streets, there’s no higher honor,” Dongas said.

Catholic News Headlines for Wednesday 10/16/2024

Thousands gathered for the fourth annual Eucharistic Procession, stopping traffic in Midtown Manhattan as they walked with the Body of Christ from St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Participants shared their faith as they navigated through the bustling city streets during rush hour.

In Florida, thousands remain without power after the devastation caused by back-to-back storms, though recovery efforts are in full swing. While some churches faced severe flooding, others are providing shelter, masses and essential supplies for those in need.

Meet Father Chuck Dornquast, the Vocations Director of the Diocese of St. Petersburg, who is on the ground assisting with relief efforts in Florida. Hear his firsthand account of the situation and how we can all help.

Lauren Giacalone, the new principal at St. Mel’s Catholic Academy in Flushing, discusses her vision for the school and what it means to serve the Diocese of Brooklyn community in Currents News’ series introducing you to the new principals in diocesan schools.

Non-Profit ‘Called’ Reimagines Preaching in the Catholic Church

By Jessica Easthope

A unique retreat is bringing together clergy and lay people to reshape their approach to preaching in the Catholic Church.

Organized by ‘Called,’ a nonprofit focused on transforming how the church engages its followers, the “Attentive Heart” retreat, held at the Thomas Berry Place in Jamaica Estates, New York, is aimed at empowering individuals to share their faith in new ways.

Father John Gribowich, the director of the Called Curriculum Team, highlights the retreat as a response to the crisis of ineffective preaching in the Catholic Church.

“This retreat is about how we communicate in a compelling way what God is doing in our lives,” he said.

Attendees from across the country gathered to share their experiences, listen, and learn to preach from the heart.

For some, like Father Andrew Dutko, this retreat is part of a personal journey of healing.

Father Dutko, who lost his wife Barbara in 2011, shared his emotional story.

“I woke up one day, and my life changed,” Father Dutko. “It still hits me in the stomach when I think about it, but my love for God never wavered.”

Others, like Christine Turner, found solace after experiencing profound loss.

Christine’s son Will died by suicide ten years ago, and the pain left her searching for spiritual meaning.

“I was feeling disconnected from the homilies I heard in church,” Turner said. “This retreat has taught me how to see God’s presence in my life, and it’s been incredibly healing for me.”

At its core, the retreat aims to encourage participants to recognize that anyone can preach, according to Kathy Lorentz, a member of the Called team.

“This retreat helps people realize that preaching isn’t just for the pulpit,” Lorenz said. “We all have the power to preach in our everyday lives.”

The next “Attentive Heart” retreat is scheduled for March. For more information, visit SundaytoSunday.net.

Columbus Day Parade Celebrates 80th Year of Italian Pride

The 80th Annual Columbus Day Parade took place on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue on Monday, Oct. 14, and the Diocese of Brooklyn put its stamp on the event in a big way.

The grand marshal, Michael T. Strianese, is a graduate of two schools within the diocese’s borders — Xaverian High School in Bay Ridge and St. John’s University in Jamaica.

“It’s a great day for Italians in New York and a great day for Brooklyn!” said Strianese, the retired chairman and CEO of L3 Technologies Inc., a global aerospace company.

He rode the parade route in a white Maserati.

The grandest of Columbus Day parades featured 25,000 marchers, including dancers, twirlers, and marching bands.

The march also featured plenty of colorful floats, many of which were blaring the “Tarantella” from their loudspeakers as people riding aboard bounced to the lively beat.

Greeting the parade participants, which included students from Xaverian and St. John’s, were hundreds of thousands of spectators who cheered along the route that ran up Fifth Avenue from 42nd Street to 72nd Street.

One of those spectators was Maria Nunzio, an Italian-American who lives in Ridgewood and is a parishioner of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Church.

Nunzio and her friends draped an Italian flag over a sidewalk barricade to honor the heritage of Christopher Columbus.

“This is so beautiful! I love it so much!” she said.

The day began with a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Afterward, he commented, “On St. Patrick’s Day, we say we’re all Irish. Today, we are all Italian.”

Cardinal Dolan noted that the Catholic Church and the Italian-American community enjoy close ties that date back many decades.

He recalled what former mayor Ed Koch told him when he first came to New York as the archbishop in 2009.

“When the immigrants came, two women welcomed them — Lady Liberty and the Mother Church,” Cardinal Dolan recalled.

For many, Columbus Day has taken on a much larger meaning than Christopher Columbus himself. It’s a day for Italian-American pride.

Archbishop Gabriele G. Caccia, the permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, delivered the homily at Mass.

He called Columbus “a great man who changed history” and praised the contributions Italian-Americans have made to the United States.

John Mazzola, a parishioner of St. Finbar Church in Bath Beach, said the day filled him with a sense of pride as an Italian-American and as the son of immigrants.

“Today is a beautiful day for Italian pride,” Mazzola said.

“My father came here in 1956 on the Cristopher Columbus [ship]. He came here on a cold day in March,” he added, explaining that his dad, Francesco Mazzola, survived a storm at sea. “I’m very proud to be here.”

Several St. John’s students were eager to ride the university’s float along the parade route, dancing to the music even before their float joined the line of march. For Anthony Brandimarte, a junior, the parade allowed different parts of New York’s Italian-American community to come together.

“It’s a chance to share our culture and our identity,” Brandimarte said.

Catholic News Headlines for Tuesday 10/15/2024

New Yorkers celebrated Italian-American heritage at the 80th Annual Columbus Day Parade in Manhattan. Tens of thousands of participants proudly marched down Fifth Avenue, with nearly a million spectators lining the streets.

New York City has even more Italian culture on display as the Italian American Museum officially opened its doors in Manhattan. Discover the inspiring story of Maria Pulsone, a symbol of the American Dream, featured right at the museum’s entrance.

In Corona, Queens, the feast day of Blessed Carlo Acutis was honored with the unveiling of a statue at Our Lady of Sorrows Church. Hundreds of youth gathered for the event, as Acutis is expected to be canonized next year.

Explore how a nonprofit organization, ‘CALLED,’ is transforming the way preaching is approached in the Catholic Church, empowering both clergy and lay people through their innovative retreats.

Former Garment Worker Immortalized with Statue at Italian-American Museum

By Katie Vasquez

A row of family photos is proudly displayed at Maria Pulsone’s Queens home. 

“I’m very happy for my family. We over here, we make a better life,” said Pulsone. 

A life the Catholic was able to build with her husband and son when they came to America from the Molise region of Italy in 1955.

“You know, all working people, that we come here for a piece of bread,” said Pulsone.

In her new life in Flushing, she worked in the garment industry, sewing tuxedos to make ends meet. 

“You kind of got to put a seam at the seam and then you’ve got to work here. so that’s the job,” said Pulsone. 

About 45 years ago, her boss at Saint Laurie honored her years of hard work, by asking her to sit for a statue that they would display in the showroom of their Broadway building. 

The image of the model employee, becoming just as much of a staple for the showroom as she was. 

“I say, good morning Maria, good night Maria,” said Pulsone. 

The company eventually closed its doors, but last year her family including her son Nunzio started thinking about where it ended up. 

 “Looked it up on Google and poof, statue of sewing woman and they came up and they found that it was in Pennsylvania,” said Nunzio Pulsone, Maria’s son, “and we purchased it.”

They then donated the statue to the Italian-American Museum on Mulberry street in Little Italy, where visitors can say hi to Maria’s statue, located right by the door of the museum, just like her coworkers did years ago. 

“She’s representing the hardworking people that came from Italy in the garment district. You know, so that’s, it’s an honor to have that,” said Nunzio Pulsone. 

And while Maria is humbled by the gesture, she’s happy that her legacy will live on for years to come. 

“Now my family, you know, sometimes they go to the museum, they say that’s my grandma, and so my great grandma,” said Maria Pulsone.

 

To learn more about the museum, head to their website: https://www.italianamericanmuseum.org/

Principal and President Lead ‘Dream Team’ at St. Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Academy

By Jessica Easthope

At St. Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Academy in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, school leadership is creating waves with their dynamic teamwork.

President Frank Carbone and Principal Danielle Madden-Buck share the responsibility of running the school, making St. Stanislaus the first in the Diocese of Brooklyn to adopt this collaborative model.

The two may seem like new colleagues, but they go way back to their days of basketball rivalry — Frank as the coach for St. Joseph’s College and Danielle as a player for Brooklyn College.

That competitive spirit resurfaced during Danielle’s interview for the principal position, where Frank immediately knew she was the top pick.

“Danielle popped up on that screen, and I knew she was the one. I felt like a general manager selecting my first draft pick,” said Carbone.

Now, Madden-Buck brings her passion for the game to the classroom, focusing on STEM education, differentiated learning, and establishing a resource room to meet the diverse needs of the students.

“We really want to touch all learners and ensure every child succeeds,” Madden-Buck said.

From basketball opponents to school allies, the pair call themselves the Dream Team, committed to maintaining a focus on faith-based values in Catholic education.

“It’s about how we treat one another, how we live our faith, and lean on it when needed,” she added.

Carbone sees their partnership as an unbeatable combination: “Passion, intelligence, talent, and faith — together, we can’t lose.”

At St. Stan’s, whether on the court or in the classroom, everyone wins.