Bishop Returns Home to Lindenhurst As Grand Marshal of St. Pat’s Day Parade

By Bill Miller and Jessica Easthope

LINDENHURST, N.Y. — Organizers of the second annual St. Patrick’s Parade here said it would start promptly at noon, Saturday, March 25, with hometown honoree Bishop Robert Brennan as the grand marshal — rain or shine.

And it did rain — a lot. The downpour began simultaneously with the on-time parade step off. It doused the participants for the entire route through this Suffolk County community on the south shore of Long Island.

Earlier, Bishop Brennan, who has Irish ancestors, celebrated Mass for the Feast of the Annunciation at Our Lady of Perpetual Help — the parish of his youth.

“It is always a great pleasure to be home,” Bishop Brennan told the congregation. “And this is always home.”

Later, he said serving as the parade’s grand marshal was an honor and an opportunity for him to express his delight and solidarity “with the people of this great town.

“You’re never too far from home,” he said, “because home is part of who you are. I was thinking early this morning there were a number of times I’ve walked down this street, Wellwood Avenue, in parades, usually in either a Cub Scout uniform or a baseball Little League uniform,” Bishop Brennan recollected. “So, many times I’ve celebrated parades here, but this will be a unique celebration.”

For the parade, Bishop Brennan swapped his mitre and vestments for a touring cap and overcoat, both black, plus his grand marshal sash of green, white, and orange — the tricolor of Ireland’s flag.

Although he was in his hometown, the bishop was outside his diocese, so he did not bring his crosier. Instead, he toted a black shillelagh in his left hand and an umbrella in the right. But the umbrella was unused despite the rain, and he didn’t ride on a float.

Bishop Brennan marched in step with the estimated 1,000 participants, including pipe-and-drum corps, the Lindenhurst High School Marine Corps Junior ROTC cadets, the Knights of Columbus, and numerous other civic groups. Trucks from fire departments all over Long Island also participated.

Winds clocked at up to 17 mph swept the parade route. And, with 87% humidity, the 45-degree temperature felt “like 38 degrees,” according to the National Weather Service. Still, the organizers estimated that 2,000 citizens of Lindenhurst lined the streets.

“The second annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade brings such joy to all of our hearts,” said parade attendee Noel Debardelaben. Bishop Brennan’s visit, he added, was a special delight.

“We’ve known his family for many, many years,” Debardelaben said. “It is great to have a local Lindenhurst person be the Bishop of Brooklyn. We are so thrilled that he was able to come back home and that he’s here as the grand marshal.”

Bishop Brennan closed the Mass with “The Irish Blessing” — a fitting sendoff in Dublin and Lindenhurst, rain or shine.

“May the road rise up to meet you,” he said. “May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face; the rains fall soft upon your fields, and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.”

The next day’s forecast in Lindenhurst — sunny and warm.

Older Adults Strike a Pose on the Runway at Catholic Charities Senior Center

Members of a senior center showed off their skills on the catwalk this week.

The Howard Beach Older Adult Center held its first ever fashion show.

Audience members cheered as the models showcased three looks: sports wear, casual wear, and formal wear.

The Catholic Charities senior center offers a range of activities and services for the elderly community.

Meet the NJ Sisters Who Traveled to Queens to Join the Lenten Pilgrimage

While the Lenten Pilgrimage is limited to the Brooklyn and Queens area this season, that didn’t stop a group of nuns who traveled from New Jersey from participating in the event.

Since Ash Wednesday, pilgrims have been visiting a different parish in Brooklyn and Queens almost every day in an effort to experience the beauty of the church and the community there.

The Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco traveled from the other side of the Hudson and East Rivers to partake in the Diocese of Brooklyn’s festivity.

The sisters were greeted by Bishop Robert Brennan on Wednesday at the Parish of Mary’s Nativity-St Ann in the Flushing section of Queens.

Shalom Catholic Community’s New Café Evangelizes in Williamsburg

Five years ago, there would have been alcohol in Adam St. Laurent’s cup, but these days he sticks to coffee.

It’s not an uncommon choice when you’re at a café, but this one is anything but ordinary. The SH NY Cafe at the San Damiano Mission Church in Williamsburg draws young people in with more than just coffee and pastry. Adam found the Shalom Catholic Community when he was at a crossroads in his life, instead of choosing addiction he decided to choose Christ.

“I wasn’t Christian or Catholic at the time and I had a calling to Christ and slowly through the missionaries and Fr. Cristiano they brought me in and brought me to faith,” he said.

The missionary community that has 70,000 members across the world uses cafes like this to evangelize.

“This place is a place of encounter of young adults who come who are in the church and who are far from the church and here they can have an experience of community, this is our goal to make people feel home and happy here, welcomed,” said Barbara Freitas the coordinator of the space.

As a missionary in one of the most secular cities on earth Barbara’s managed to attract hundreds of young people to their events.

“It’s beautiful to be able to give an opportunity to people to believe who never had this opportunity before,” she said.

Under the direction of Fr. Cristiano Pinheiro, the café, which opened earlier this month, is already bringing a new crowd to the heart of Williamsburg, one he says has the power to continue the Church’s mission.

“There are people who are reached by the evangelizing activities of the community and they become protagonists of the mission as well and they become missionaries themselves,” he said.

As a general contractor, Adam helped build the cafe. He was baptized a Catholic last year and these people and God’s love have replaced his vices.

“The serenity I have with the relationship I have with God our Father, with Christ, life is easier, life is more joyful now-a-days, it’s very special to have a community that is not really drinking and is nowhere around drugs and the joy of growing closer,” he said.

He’s now building back his own life, with faith as his foundation.

Traditional Italian Flag-Wavers Perform Routine at General Audience

Pope Francis was greeted by the Florentine Borghi and Sestrieri Flag-wavers dressed in traditional Italian medieval attire. The group also included musicians and people dressed in armor.

The group performs historical reenactments of the military life in the Middle Ages.

French Soccer Legends Play Against Vatican Team

French soccer legends such as Arsene Wenger, Robert Pires and Christian Karembeu had a day to remember on Wednesday, playing against Fratteli Tutti—a team made up of seminarians and Vatican priests. They used soccer as an excuse to unite.

“I think it’s a good mix, soccer and religion,” Robert Pires, 1998 World Cup and 2000 Eurocup Champion, said. “It depends who you play with, but I think most are here because they believe in God, that’s why I’m here.”

The French team gave Pope Francis the #10 jersey as a gift. But the Pope joked that he wasn’t very good and even had a nickname when he was younger.

“They said I was clumsy,” Pires said.

Christian Karembeu—European champion with Real Madrid—has played with the Vatican before.

“It will probably be the only time playing against them, even though in 2009 we faced the Swiss Guards,” Karembeu, 2000 World Champion, 1998 and 2002 European Champion, said. “Tonight is going to be very difficult because we don’t know if we’ll win.”

Wilfried Mbappé, father of French soccer player Kylian Mbappé, had no doubts.

“Today we will win,” Mbappé said.

The game was held at the Stadium dei Marmi in the shadow of the Olympic Stadium in Rome. The players took to the field and began the game with a prayer.

At the age of 73, Arsene Wenger played the entire first half on France’s defensive line.

“Well, for me, playing at my age is already a miracle,” Arsene Wenger, Former coach of Arsenal F. C., said. “Playing with good players is a second miracle. It has been an extraordinary day for us. We meet up with friends to play charity games from time to time. Today, we all met the Pope together, visited the Vatican, and attended Mass. It is an unforgettable day for everyone.”

With the friendly and unforgettable game behind them, both teams set their sights on their next goal: the 2024 Olympic Games.

Mega-Prison: “There Were Arrests Of Innocent People. I Say So, Very Clearly”

The Terrorism Confinement Center, El Salvador’s “mega-prison,” houses 4,000 prisoners. Many of them are gang members and several prisoners are there awaiting trial.

Humanitarian organizations condemn the conditions in which the prisoners are held. However, the country’s president claims that it is justifiable because of the crimes they have committed.

“The gang members are alive and in jail awaiting trial, but our heroes are not,” El Salvadorian President Nayib Bukele said. “Our heroes were murdered. They have families, mothers, children, wives and husbands.”

The prison was opened in February 2023. But the surge of arrests began in March 2022. Human rights organizations criticize the serious legal violations regarding the prisoners arrested at that time.

“Director for the Protection of Human Rights, Archbishopric of San Salvador

Obviously, innocent people have been arrested,” Fr. Luis Salazar said. “I say this with conviction.”

In one cell of about 300 square feet, as many as 100 gang members are housed. They have two sinks, two toilets and their bed is a sheet of iron without a mattress.

The national state of emergency made it possible to dismantle criminal organizations that had been established in El Salvador since the 1980s. Since then, the National Civil Police have recorded a historic decline in murders, but mass arrests have led to unjust criminal charges.

Currents News Update for Thursday 3/23/23

The Shalom Cafe at the San Damiano Mission Catholic Church in Williamsburg is now open for business.

The Biden Administration is threatening to ban TikTok in the U.S. unless some changes are made.

Five young boys got stuck in the sewer system on Staten Island on Tuesday.

This is Why You Should Get Tickets to the National Eucharistic Congress

It is the hottest ticket in town.

Registration is now open for the National Eucharistic Congress.

The week-long event will be held in Indianapolis in July of 2024.

It’s a milestone moment of the USCCB’S Eucharistic Revival to reinforce the belief of Jesus’ Presence in The Eucharist.

Joel Stepanek, Chief Mission Officer for The National Eucharistic Congress, joins Currents News to discuss the event.

St. Francis de Sales Parishioner Donates Kidney to Associate Pastor

Thirteen people die every single day while waiting for a life-saving kidney donation, Fr. Jim Cunningham isn’t going to be one them.

He’s been cleared for a transplant and is waiting for surgery. The organ is coming from Mike Coughlin, his friend and parishioner at St. Francis de Sales in Belle Harbor. Mike has lived a life of service, inspired by members of his own family to make this kind of sacrifice, he was already planning to donate.

“I have the easy part, the surgeon’s doing the hard part I just have to fall asleep and wake up so I don’t know if it’s a service it’s just an easy way to save lives,” he said.

But this isn’t Father Jim’s first kidney transplant, and Mike isn’t the first friend to go under the knife for him. This is Fr. Jim’s second, second chance at life.

“For people to do this, to get a second chance at life once and then to get it twice, I don’t take this for granted,” said Fr. Jim.

Fr. Jim was first diagnosed with late stage kidney disease in 2015 and in 2016 his good friend, firefighter Pat Nash donated his kidney without hesitation.

This time around, when the new kidney started to fail after Fr. Jim got COVID twice and then MRSA, the parish council at St. Francis de Sales circulated this flier to try and find him a new donor.

“It was an overwhelming response, because of HIPAA laws they can’t tell me who has applied but I got a phone call from the hospital and the coordinator said who are you, we have gotten so many requests,” said Fr. Jim.

And now in about a month, Mike and Fr. Jim will make the swap.

“They mix our blood for a week, we’re both O+ and after a week they said it’s a perfect match and I said perfect, all the signs were there to donate to Fr. Jim,” Mike said.

Mike and Fr. Jim share much more than the same blood type.

“From what I’ve been taught from my father and my mother in law, you’re here to help people if it was a stranger I’d want to help but somebody like Fr Jim, we have to help him,” said Mike.

“I will do everything that I can to stay healthy, take care of myself and serve to the best of my ability,” said Fr. Jim.

The two men share their faith.