The Scouts are enjoying their summer in the Catskills, working on their wilderness skills at Ten Mile River Scout Camps. But there was a break for faith as groups came together for a mass by Bishop Robert Brennan. His visit takes on a new meaning after the recent National Eucharistic Congress.
Katie Vasquez will have details on his visit tonight on Currents News at 7 PM.
FLATLANDS — It was the trip of a lifetime for a group of young Catholics from the Diocese of Brooklyn, who came away with enriching, unforgettable memories.
Seventeen members of the Youth Leadership Ambassador Program of the Vicariate of Black Catholic Concerns went on a missionary trip to three African countries — Ghana, Senegal, and Morocco — where they visited churches, helped renovate schools, looked after children in orphanages, and fed people at soup kitchens.
Four of the travelers — Jada Brown, Ruth Mekako, Joseph Allen, and Bryan Maitland-Jones — joined Father Dwayne Davis, project director for the program and pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Flatlands, to talk about their journey, which took place from June 27 to July 8.
According to the Vatican, the Catholic Church in Africa has grown over the past 114 years. In 1910, the continent. had fewer than 1 million Catholics, but by 2021, it had 265 million, or 19% of all Catholics in the world.
All four said the trip to the African continent strengthened their Catholic faith and admitted it was an eye-opening experience, especially when visiting poverty-stricken countries.
The poverty rate in Senegal is 36.3% in 2022, according to the World Bank, and 24.2% in Ghana, according to Oxfam America. Morocco, with a 6% poverty rate, according to Statista, was the most prosperous of the three.
What struck the youthful ambassadors the most were the people they met. They explained that the people of Ghana, Senegal, and Morocco welcomed them with warmth and good humor.
Bryan, a parishioner of Mary, Queen of Heaven Church in Mill Basin, recalled watching in awe as people presented gifts during a Mass in Ghana.
“It was really shocking to see that they weren’t just walking to the altar, they were dancing to the altar,” he recounted. “And they weren’t bringing bread and wine. They were bringing actual gifts to the altar. I’ve never seen that before.”
Ruth, a parishioner of Sacred Heart Church in Cambria Heights, was struck by the patience residents in Ghana showed her group when they arrived more than 30 minutes late for Mass after being stuck in traffic.
“We held up the people there. But after Mass, they still gave us gifts — handmade gifts that were personalized. And they were really welcoming,” she said, adding that she came away from the trip having made many new friends. “I have several Ghanaian numbers in my phone now.”
An impromptu soccer match after that Mass provided Joseph with one of his fondest memories.
“We just bonded with the kids over there,” he recalled. “I think just enjoying that moment, being able to relax and not think about anything else for two, three hours was a nice moment for us.”
Joseph, a parishioner of St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Flatlands, was struck by the universality of the Catholic Church when he attended a Mass in Senegal.
“Even though we didn’t speak the same language, we still celebrated the same God,” he said. “God wants us to love one another, and I feel the people we met showed love for foreigners.”
For Jada, a meeting with Bishop Anthony Narh Asare, a religious leader in Ghana, made an impression. “My favorite quote that he said to us is, ‘Life is not what we seek but what we give.’ I really live by that quote because I like to put out my helping hand to a lot of people,” she explained. “And that quote gives me an understanding of why I like to do what I do.”
Ruth conducted some research into Ghana, Senegal, and Morocco before she left and was eager to see if the countries would live up to what she read about them.
“I heard a lot of good things about the countries we were going to, like the perfumes in Morocco. I heard that they were awesome and they were,” she said. “I heard the mangoes in Senegal were great, and they were.”
Father Davis, who has led youth ambassadors on missionary trips to South Africa, Rwanda, and Jamaica in the past, called the recent African journey “a transforming experience.” He loved seeing the participants “really engage fully and put themselves in the spirit of the surroundings.”
The Youth Leadership Ambassador Program was established 15 years ago by the Vicariate of Black Catholic Concerns to encourage young blacks in the diocese to serve as role models in their parishes and their communities.
Jada, a parishioner of St. Bonaventure-St. Benedict the Moor in Jamaica, said the African trip was a valuable learning experience.
“As to why I wanted to go, honestly, it’s because I’ve never been outside of the country,” she added. “I was trying to step out of my comfort zone.”
Veteran journalist and host Craig Tubiolo has released a new book called All the Green.
After years of interviewing celebrities and sports stars about their faith, Tubiolo compiled his talks into a memoir about how God’s presence in your life can bring about success, but also about the backlash some religious stars face.
Tubiolo sat down with Currents News to talk more about the book.
By Jessica Easthope
Everything has a name, and triplets Giuliana, Alessandra, and Francesca Caserta are quickly learning what it all means.
“What holds the wine and the water are the cruets,” Alessandra said. “I never knew paten, that’s what we put the Eucharist on, like the small plate that the priest puts the Eucharist on when he’s done.”
“I wasn’t really sure what a ciborium was, but now I know,” Francesca said. “They hold the bread in it.”
“The thing that we wear is called a cassock, and we could call it a vestment also. And it’s nice because we have, like, a certain uniform for it,” Giuliana said. “We have something that is respectful and not too fancy.”
It’s a vocabulary lesson for altar servers. The girls are new to the job, but they already said they’re in it for the right reasons.
“I was so excited, and I really wanted to be an altar server to be closer to God because you get to serve God by helping the priest get everything ready for the Mass and helping others get closer to God also,” Alessandra said.
“My sisters were doing it, and I would also like to be closer to the church and closer to God,” Giuliana said.
“I really wanted to do it because I always wanted to be included in the Mass more than just watching one from the pews,” Francesca said.
Father Jeremy Canna, the pastor of St. Bernadette, was struggling to fill slots until he opened altar serving up to a younger crowd.
Eager to serve God and their church, the 8, 9, and 10-year-olds answered the call.
“They help the priest to be the priest,” Father Canna said. “I don’t think the people want to see the priest running from the table to the chair to here. I think the people of the parish, the congregation, much prefer when there’s a server present. And often it’s most inspiring when it’s a young child. They still have that childlike curiosity, even in third grade, that allows them to want to know more about what is going on at the altar.”
Enza Caserta, the triplets’ mom, said that growing up, she never got the chance to serve in this way. The Catholic Church didn’t allow girls to be altar servers until 1994.
“I think I was a little bit jealous, but I was okay with it,” Caserta said. “I was a Eucharistic minister and a lector, so I was able to serve in other ways. But I had to wait until I was a little older in order to be able to do that. So seeing my girls in fourth grade, so excited about the opportunity to be altar servers and be able to serve their first Mass now in the next coming weeks, I’m super happy for them.”
Now her girls are making her proud in a whole new way.
“I think they wanted to do it,” Caserta said. “Seeing that come to fruition on their own volition, I’m super proud.”
“It makes me feel proud that I get to do something that my mom didn’t get to do,” Francesca said. “I’m happy that the girls can now do it because I feel like girls should be given a chance as well.”
St. Bernadette now has 25 altar servers, a 400% increase.
The young people have completed five training sessions and have already begun serving at Masses.
Bishop Robert Brennan headed to the 10 Mile River Scout Camp in Narrowsburg, New York, to celebrate Mass on July 23, connecting with young scouts who were learning leadership and nature skills.
Three sisters are leading a wave of new altar servers at St. Bernadette Church.
An astounding 50,000 young altar servers will gather in Rome for a special meeting and thank you from Pope Francis.
Get inspired by celebrity stories of faith and success in Craig Tubiolo’s new book, “All the Green.”
Pope Francis will meet with about 50,000 altar servers from all over Europe—mainly from Germany, on July 30 in St. Peter’s Square.
Each summer, schedule permitting, the Pope typically devotes part of his time to this group of young people. For example, this was how the meeting with French altar servers went in 2022.
“You have chosen to be ministers, and I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the efforts,” Pope Francis said. “Sometimes the sacrifices that you accept in order to devote yourselves to this commitment as ministers, while many of your other friends prefer to sleep in on Sunday mornings or play sports. Don’t be ashamed to serve the Altar, even if you are alone, even if you are growing up. It is an honor to serve Jesus when he gives his life for us in the Eucharist.”
INDIANAPOLIS — For Diego and Jenny Oviedo, knowing that it was the first event of its kind in over 80 years, it was paramount that they make it to the 10th National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis. From their first step in the Expo Center, the Ozone Park couple knew the money and time put into the five-day revival was worth it, and were elated to grow in their understanding of Jesus in the Eucharist.
“We lose how great the Eucharist is, how important it is to our faith to have that belief that Christ is present in the Eucharist. I just wanted to experience this closer, to see other people who believe the same thing I do, and who have that fire,” Diego said.
The Eucharist was centerstage for nearly 50,000 Catholics at the National Eucharistic Congress, as they rededicated themselves to the core tenet of their faith — that the reception of the Body and Blood of the Lord is the source and sustenance of life.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Jenny Oviedo said. “To see so many people and see how our faith is so alive even though you hear so many things otherwise.”
Held at Lucas Oil Stadium and the Indianapolis Convention Center from July 17 to July 21, the Congress drew lay people and clergy from across the country, including the Diocese of Brooklyn, who came together on a national scale to worship God. Nightly revivals, Masses celebrated in a range of languages, and perpetual adoration were the backbone of the event, supplemented by numerous breakout sessions, exhibits, and educational booths in an expo center that allowed for nonstop education and discussion about how to deepen one’s faith.
The Shalom Community, the Basilica of Regis Pagis in Bensonhurst, and St. Mary Gate of Heaven Church in Ozone Park were among the groups and parishes across the Diocese of Brooklyn represented at the National Eucharistic Congress. They drove, flew, and, for some perpetual pilgrims, walked to Indianapolis.
“Too often we say, ‘We have the real presence,’ but our hearts are far from him. Too often, we just don’t care,” Father Mike Schmitz, director of youth and young adult ministry for the Diocese of Duluth, Minnesota, and a popular Catholic podcaster said during his keynote address on Day 2 of the revival.
As he prepared to leave the congress on its final day, Shalom missionary and Rego Park resident Mauricio Macias said that the message he takes from the event is to do what Cardinal Tagle implored: To go out into the world and share the Gospel.
“Go — as the bishop said. Go and proclaim. Talk to people and evangelize everyone,” Macias, 23, said.
Coming to the National Eucharistic Congress and seeing 50,000 people who believe as he does makes Macias believe the Catholic Church is growing.
“I want it every year,” Chioma Chukwumah, 33, fellow Shalom missionary from New York, said.
Fortunately for Chukwumah, a eucharistic pilgrimage from Indianapolis to Los Angeles is being planned for spring 2025, according to Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens of the Diocese of Crookston, Minnesota. He announced the plan at the end of closing Mass, and organizers are also considering holding an 11th National Eucharistic Congress in 2033.
“What the Church needs is a new Pentecost,” Mother Adela Galindo, the foundress of the Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary, told the crowd in her keynote speech before the concluding Mass.
“The Church must be faithful to the Gospel … not watering down the message of the Gospel,” she said. “We were born for these times. It is a time to go out in haste to a world that urgently needs to hear God’s word and God’s truth.”
During the day, attendees were offered a slew of opportunities to learn about different aspects of the faith through speakers and workshops. These included sessions specifically for priests, deacons, young faithful, and Catholics in relationships. At night, renowned leaders in the Catholic faith took to the stage to share their testimonies and headstrong certainty of Jesus’ real presence in the Eucharist — and what it can do to revitalize the lives of those who choose to believe.
After the Diocese of Brooklyn’s revival held at Louis Armstrong Stadium at Flushing Meadows Corona Park in April, Bishop Robert Brennan and the parishioners from Brooklyn and Queens had already begun refocusing themselves on the crucial need for belief in the Eucharist.
To Bishop Brennan, one of the Congress’s most powerful parts was the mile-long eucharistic procession on Saturday, July 20. Thousands of religious sisters and clergy, as well as parishioners representing all the states nationwide, dressed in white, walked to the applause and singing of those watching.
“It filled me with the greatest sense of resolve. I really do have to work hard at this,” Bishop Brennan said. “When you see the numbers of people in the faith and the love that people have, I’ve got to serve that. I have to nourish that enthusiasm.”
Following the procession, Tim Glemkowski, CEO of the National Eucharistic Congress Inc., spoke at that night’s revival, sharing that he was convinced the crowd made it to Indianapolis “because the Lord called you and appointed you to be here personally.”
He was followed by Jonathan Roumie, a gift for fans of the TV series “The Chosen,” in which he portrays Jesus.
The two major exhibitions drew lines of over two hours, each offering a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a majority of the attendees. One exhibit offered the chance to see the Shroud of Turin, a length of linen cloth proclaimed by the Vatican to be the burial shroud used to wrap Jesus after his crucifixion.
The other showcased eucharistic miracles as documented by Blessed Carlo Acutis through his website, as well as a chapel offering veneration of relics, including that of the soon-to-be saint.
The Congress’ finale was a farewell Mass, celebrated by papal envoy Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle. He brought with him Pope Francis’ “paternal blessings” to the 50,000 in attendance and prayers that “the congress may bear much fruit for the renewal of the Church and of society in the United States of America.”
“Out of all the things we did this week, our celebration of the Eucharist today was the source and the summit,” Bishop Brennan said. “It’s the source of all of our strength and I hope for it to be the source of a lot of energy going back to Brooklyn and Queens.”
During his homily, the bishop shared the pope’s mission for the Catholics who filled Lucas Oil Stadium: “conversion to the Eucharist.” Along with Pope Francis’ messages, he also asked the attendees to share their faith, and therefore the love of God, to the world.
“Mission is not just about work but also about the gift of oneself,” Bishop Brennan said. “Jesus fulfills his mission by giving himself, his flesh, his presence to others as the Father wills it. The presence of Jesus in the Eucharist is a gift and the fulfillment of his mission.”
Leadership in the Diocese of Brooklyn plans to take some of the different revival strategies seen at the National Eucharistic Congress back to their home parishes. Father Joseph Gibino, the vicar of evangelization and catechesis, hopes to host more deanery-level processions and events.
INDIANAPOLIS — An international exhibit designed and created by Blessed Carlo Acutis, showcasing the miracles he documented on his website before his death, made its way to the National Eucharistic Congress.
Titled “The Eucharistic Miracles,” the exhibit drew lines of hundreds at any time while it was open from Wednesday, July 17 to Saturday, June 20, providing both an opportunity to read about the soon-to-be saint’s work and pray before his relic. Some waited upwards of two hours to see the exhibit and venerate the relics displayed in the adjacent chapel, including Blessed Carlo Acutis and the Virgin Mary.
“I’m fascinated by the saints, and I look forward to seeing some of the miracles,” Uma Staehler, from Boston, said after standing in line for 45 minutes.
After stumbling across the campaign for Blessed Acutis’ sainthood while visiting Assisi, Staehler became enthralled by his story.
“I’m just kind of fascinated,” she said. “The saint for the internet — that seems pretty modern.”
Thanks in part to his interest in the internet and devout faith, Blessed Acutis, or “the first Millennial saint,” has been an integral part of the Catholic community since he was beatified four years ago. Dying at just 15 years old from leukemia, he is particularly popular among young Catholics, as evidenced by the varying ages of people waiting to see his work come to life in the exhibit.
“We wanted to see Jesus in the eucharistic miracles,” Anna Barghese, 12, said. “As we all know, Carlo Acutis is going to be a saint next year, so it’s good to see his work.”
The organization of the exhibit dates back to before Pope Francis recognized the second official miracle by Blessed Acutis, solidifying that his canonization will take place at some point soon. That recognition just makes the celebrations of his work at the National Eucharistic Congress that much sweeter, said Deacon Jeff Powell, a lead volunteer for the chapel.
“He’s a very popular young man,” said Deacon Powell, who is part of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. “When we started, we had no idea if people would even take time to come through to see relics, andd now they have been waiting two and a half and three hours.”
As visitors entered the exhibit, they were met with dozens of posters detailing the different Eucharistic miracles he documented on his website. The posters, offered in Spanish and English, included the miracles at Fatima, Asti, and Bolsena, among others.
After viewing the posters, visitors had the opportunity to pray before the first-class relics of eight saints and the blessed. Unsurprisingly, the line for the first-class relic of Blessed Acutis — a piece of his pericardium, the sac that surrounded his heart — was among the longest.
However, his relic was not the only one drawing attention from the congress visitors, as they had the opportunity to pray before the relics of the saints who represented the four routes of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage: St. Junipero Serra, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. Juan Diego, and the Virgin Mary.
“It was such a gift. They are such big heroes of our Catholic faith, particularly in the United States,” said Carlos Roberto Ramirez, coming to the National Eucharistic Congress from Cincinnati. “Having a chance to just venerate these relics of [saints] who have done so much for us and so many people, it’s such a gift.”
The 10th National Eucharistic Congress has ended. Church leaders and Catholics are ready to spread the good news. Plans for the 11th Congress and next Eucharistic pilgrimage are underway.
A Eucharistic Miracles Exhibit, featuring 150 panels documented by Blessed Carlo Acutis, has been traveling the globe. Visitors said it strengthened their faith in Christ’s presence in the Eucharist.
Brooklyn Deacon Michael Chirichella credits St. Charbel with helping him manage advanced-stage bladder cancer. His healing is documented, and he’s educating others about the saint. Ahead of St. Charbel’s feast day, details on where his relics will be on display and where Mass will be celebrated.
By Jessica Easthope
In a crowd of hundreds, Deacon Michael Chirichella stops to bless and pray over people at the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Feast.
He’s done it countless times, knowing how much of a difference it can make.
“One of the deacons in charge of the retreat said to me, ‘Michael, stand up, turn your chair around and face your brother deacons,’ and they all laid hands on me, one by one,” Deacon Chirichella said.
He was diagnosed with bladder cancer. Even after surgery to remove tumors, his doctor said he would have to take out his bladder, prostate, and maybe more. It was hard to have hope then; something, or rather someone, showed up.
“Around that time, somebody delivered a small statue to my brother’s church, St. Joseph’s in Astoria. My brother, Father Vincent Chirichella, had no idea who this statue was. Who sent it,” Deacon Chirichella said. “His maintenance man brought it in, and they opened it up, and they said, ‘Wow. This is, I don’t know who it is.'”
And with that mysterious package, a devotion was born. Deacon Chirichella said that through the intercession of St. Charbel, his cancer was healed.
“Going on three years now, I’m cancer free,” Deacon Chirichella said. “It was really just a miracle from this saint that I never heard of before, and then I came up to the point of, ‘Now what?’”
With more than 30,000 miracles attributed to him—the most of any saint—St. Charbel, a Lebanese monk who lived in the late 1800s, became a core part of Deacon Chirichella’s life, and the life of his family.
When Deacon Chirichella’s cousin, Mary Giudice, lost her sight in her right eye after stress and multiple surgeries for a knee replacement gone wrong, he knew which saint to bring her.
“They gave me every test possible, they sent me to specialist after specialist, and they said I had an eye stroke and there was nothing they could do,” Giudice said. “My eye was completely black.”
“She’s the matriarch of our family, and really, she, like me, got knocked out of the box,” Deacon Chirichella said. “In other words, she couldn’t do anything. I went over to her house, etc.”
“I started blessing my eye with the oil,” Giudice said. “I’d make the sign of the cross, and two, three weeks later, I started to see again.”
Deacon Chirichella and Mary’s healings are now documented with the Family of St. Charbel USA, but their devotion is just beginning.
St. Charbel’s Feast Day is this Wednesday, July 24.
Brooklyn Auxiliary Bishop Raymond Chappetto is celebrating a Mass at St. Joseph’s Church in Astoria.
The liturgy begins at 7:30, and relics will also be on display for people to venerate.