McMahon’s Public House Prepares for St. Patrick’s Day After Lenten Dispensation

By Jessica Easthope

Get it by the piece, by the sandwich, or by the pound – no matter how you slice it, McMahon’s says it’s the best corned beef in Brooklyn. And this year Catholics can opt out of their Lenten obligation and savor every bite.

“Anybody can walk in your door, you have to make sure they come back and we’re very lucky because tomorrow we have a lot of nationalities coming in for St. Patrick’s Day, not just Irish, every body,” said Mike McMahon, owner of McMahon’s Public House in Park Slope.

Mike says they usually get a crowd of 3,000 on St. Patrick’s Day. Between people eating in and taking out, he ordered twelve hundred pounds of corned beef. The way it’s made stays a secret.

“They’re preparing this delicious corned beef for like 3 or 4 days now and it’s not just boiling corned beef, they put a lot of seasoning into it which I can’t say,” he said.

This year, St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Friday, but Bishop Robert Brennan said not to worry. His dispensation acknowledges St. Patrick, who brought Catholicism to Ireland. So anyone who raises a toast to him, can do so with corned beef and Celtic culture. All he asks for is a work of charity in return.

“We were raised to say our rosary every night and not forget where we came from Ireland and we were told just do the right thing, we never ate meat on Friday during Lent, right now the Bishop says okay I think we have to take his word for it,” said Mike.

So as the gravy simmers, there’s calm before the storm at McMahon’s. Céad míle fáilte, one hundred thousand welcomes and twelve hundred pounds of corned beef.

Former Queens Deacon Sentenced to 16 Years for Enticing Minors for Sex

By Paula Katinas and Jessica Easthope

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — Rogelio Vega, a former deacon at St. Sebastian Church in Woodside, who pleaded guilty last year to enticing three minors to engage in sexual conduct, was sentenced to 16 years in prison on Wednesday, March 15.

Judge Eric R. Komitee, who handed down the sentence in Brooklyn Federal Court, also sentenced Vega to five years of supervised release after he gets out of prison and ordered him to register as a sex offender.

Vega, 52, who authorities said led a double life for years — as a deacon and someone engaging in unlawful sexual activities — was charged with both state and federal crimes.

“This was a crime that occurred on a large number of occasions over a long period of time,” said the judge, who added that Vega robbed the victims of their childhoods.

Deterring sex crimes against minors is “an essential task of the criminal justice system,” the judge added.

Vega was originally arrested on state charges on Jan. 22, 2021, when he was nabbed as part of a sting operation. Authorities said he began using a dating app in July 2020 and started communicating with a person he thought was a 14-year-old.

In reality, the person was an undercover NYPD detective. Prosecutors said Vega exchanged pornographic pictures with the “minor” and made plans to meet up with him.

But when Vega showed up at the agreed-upon location, the undercover detective was there to arrest him. Vega pleaded guilty in that case in October 2021.

The same day he pleaded guilty, he was arrested on federal charges after a search of his cell phone turned up evidence that he had enticed minors for sex, authorities said.

The Diocese of Brooklyn released a statement after Wednesday’s sentencing.

“We hope the healing process can begin for the victim-survivors in this case. We pray for them and all victim-survivors of sexual abuse,” the statement reads. “These heinous acts betrayed not only his victims but damaged the sacred trust of the faithful.”

The Diocese of Brooklyn immediately suspended Vega from his post as a deacon upon his Jan. 22, 2021, arrest. Following his guilty plea to the federal charges in September 2022, the diocese began the process that permanently removed him from ministry.

Upon Vega’s removal from St. Sebastian in 2021, the diocese sent a letter to parishioners to inform them of the arrest and actions taken against him and sent its vice chancellor and head of the Office of Victim Assistance to St. Sebastian to meet with parishioners.

The steps are part of the diocese’s commitment and protocols, including a zero-tolerance policy, put in place nearly two decades ago to combat sexual abuse.

In 2004, now-retired Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio established a reporting line (888-634-4499) for anyone to report allegations of sexual abuse within the diocese. The confidential line connects directly to law enforcement authorities. Victims are encouraged to report a crime no matter when the alleged abuse occurred.

The Office of Victim Assistance also provides supportive services to victims, including counseling and referrals for therapy. In addition, the diocese runs the Office of Safe Environment, which trains clergy, employees, and students on identifying the signs of sexual abuse and how to report it.

According to federal court documents, Vega used apps to find, coerce and entice his victims, between the ages of 14 and 16, and arranged to meet them in person.

In fact, Komitee said, the defendant used multiple cell phones, which “says something about the lengths Mr. Vega was going to” to commit his crimes.

The evidence showed that his criminal activity took place between approximately 2015 and January 2021, prosecutors said. Vega pleaded guilty in federal court on Sept. 16, 2022.

Federal prosecutors, led by Department of Justice Trial Attorney Assistant Patrick J. Campbell, sought a sentence of 30 years in prison, while Vega’s defense attorney, James Darrow, asked for him to get 10 years.

Vega wept as he read a statement in court. “It has not been easy. I lost the trust of my family,” he said. “I wish things could be different. I wish we could go back in time.”

As for the victims, he said, “I hope they are finding peace in their life.”

When Vega became too overcome to continue, Darrow read the remainder of his statement.

Vega was ordained a deacon on May 28, 2011. He had been serving at St. Sebastian Church from December 2015 until his arrest in 2021. Prior to that, he was assigned to Most Holy Trinity-St. Mary Parish in Williamsburg.

It was revealed in court on Wednesday that Vega was himself a victim of child sex abuse. But the judge said that meant he should have known better.

“You knew from your experience the harm you were causing,” he told Vega.

Currents News Update for Thursday 3/16/23

 

A former deacon at St. Sebastian Church in Queens was sentenced Wednesday on charges stemming from sexual misconduct with minors.

St. Joseph the Worker’s robotics teams racked up the wins at the first Lego League Robotics City Championship.

We’ll find out how one neighborhood pub gets ready for the big St. Patrick’s Day celebration.

Tips on Investing Following Fears About Bank Stability

Investors looking to grow their hard-earned money are facing increasingly volatile markets in 2023.

As stocks continue to tumble amid fears about banks many are worried about their money.

But financial expert Lynnette Khalfani-Cox has some tips on how to invest and keep your money safe.

“Take the time to educate before you allocate and you know, make sure that you do your homework,” Khalfani-Cox said. 

Investors should do their own research before investing in any market.

Once you understand the risks, figure out how much you can invest, especially amid soaring inflation.

You don’t have to put a whole lot of money into an investment.

“Small amounts of money count too, when it comes to investing,” Khalfani-Cox said. “So often people fail to even begin because they say, well I don’t have $5,000 to start or I don’t have a big lump sum of money to put into the markets.”

It’s important to diversify your investments and avoid an over-concentration in one area, according to Khalfani-Cox.

Especially after two main banks for crypto companies shut down this month, adding another blow to the crypto industry, which is still struggling to recover from last year’s crippling “crypto winter” that pushed bitcoin down nearly 65 percent.

“Don’t just throw your money into something in the short run, thinking, okay, ‘this is gonna be part of my get rich quick scheme,’” Khalfani-Cox said. “It simply doesn’t work that way.”

Most importantly, you should know your limits. No matter how much research you’ve done, be a humble investor.

If you’re looking for more ways to protect your bottom line consider talking to a financial advisor.

Currents News Update for Wednesday 3/15/23

After the failure of two banks that mostly catered to the tech industry, stocks are down amid fears about banks.

Pope Francis dedicated a few words to his home country of Argentina after dignitaries from the country celebrated the pontiff and his 10-year anniversary.

And we’ll take you to an art show at the Emmaus Center in Brooklyn, where artist Anne Goetze’s paintings of Cloistered Nuns, goes on display.

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How the Competellos Express Their Faith Through Music and Serve Their Parish

By John Alexander and Jessica Easthope

Don and Diane Competello have more in common than your average husband and wife. The married couple, who will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in June, have both served as music directors at St. Margaret Roman Catholic Church in Middle Village for the last 12 years, and they are both longtime educators. 

Don has been an eighth-grade math teacher at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Ozone Park for 22 years, and Diane is the Principal at St. Athanasius Catholic Academy in Bensonhurst. 

Don’s music ministry extends back to his 23 years as music director at St. Stanislaus Kostka in Maspeth, which followed a three-year stint at Blessed Sacrament in Cypress Hills. 

In fact, Don has been part of the music ministry at St. Rita’s, his childhood parish in East New York, since he was 18 years old. Today Don splits his time working at St. Margaret on weekday mornings and on weekends, and teaching in the afternoon. Both vocations matter greatly to him, but he proudly admits that he and his wife have worked for the church their whole lives. 

The Competellos share a deep knowledge of liturgical music. “When we teach the choir, she teaches one section and I teach another section. We work with each group separately and then we combine. We actually have two keyboards, the organ plus a very good keyboard. She plays at the same time I play and we both have different parts,” Don explained. 

Don believes that music is an important component in the Mass and in attracting people to come to church. “Music is integral to the liturgy today, so we are always working towards fuller and greater participation on every level,” he explained. “My main objective in making music is to entice people to sing, and they love to sing the hymns.” 

Diane concurs and believes that music can truly transport you to another place. 

“It just shuts out the rest of the world and it’s a different way to bring you to prayer,” she said. “It’s a gift so as people are sometimes thinking about things and want to escape from the world, they can find a prayerful state and isolate themselves and just get caught up in the music and realize that it’s all about praising God.” 

Father Robert J. Armato has been the pastor at St. Margaret’s since 2017. He was immediately struck by the talents of the Competellos and called them a talented, gifted, and prayerful couple, who are always ready to serve the parish. 

“We share our love of liturgy, our faith, and our Sicilian heritage,” explained Father Armato. “They are a very talented couple, and they have been working with our English and Italian adult choirs and now are in the process of developing a children’s choir to enhance our Sunday Masses and special occasions.” 

Don is quick to point out the difference at a choir Mass. St. Margaret has 23 people in the choir and they sing at a Mass that is a combination of more traditional pieces including Latin Motets, which he admits people seem to enjoy. 

They don’t necessarily have to participate, but they can sit back and enjoy the music. Diane feels there is an added spirit with a choir group and that the notion of prayer resonates even more deeply with a choir Mass. “We all know why we’re there, and that’s to praise God and try to bring others to praise God.” 

Linda Mircik, a member of the St. Margaret Choir, called it an honor to work with Diane and Don because they make everyone feel welcome. 

“Don keeps the bar accessible to all: the only thing necessary to join is a pulse,” she laughed. “They make sure that every voice contributes to the liturgy and thus engages others in a deeper way through the music ministry.” 

Choir member Marlene Duffy cites Don’s extraordinary talent on the organ and agrees with Mirick that Diane and Don are exceptionally welcoming to new members. 

“That is just how they are … always ready to accept someone new. They have made us a family and not just a choir. It is a joy to sing with them,” Duffy added. 

Among Diane’s favorite hymns is a choral piece the choir performed last year called “On the Lips of An Angel,” which combined with the Bach/Gounod “Ave Maria.” “It’s just a beautiful piece that speaks about the angel’s message to Mary and how she responded. It’s just incredibly beautiful to listen to,” explained Diane. 

Another psalm Diane is partial to is “Bless O Lord the Work of Our Hands,” that she recalls a six-year-old first-grade student of hers performing to perfection back when she taught at St. Elizabeth before becoming a Principal at St. Athanasius. 

With Diane’s encouragement, the child went on to pursue a career in music. Diane recently ran into the young lady at a wedding where she asked Diane if she remembered when she let her sing that psalm. “I said, no, I didn’t let you sing the psalm, you gave that gift to the whole school. She just had the voice of an angel,” Diane added. 

Arlene Muller called it a blessing to be a member of St. Margaret’s choir. She cites Diane and Don’s dedication, knowledge, skill, enthusiasm and their kindness and appreciation toward the members of the choir for making it the success it has become. 

“The most important element of Don and Diane Competello’s music ministry is their spirituality that permeates their ministry and is communicated to us,” said Muller. “It is evident that their main focus is to use their talents and help us fully develop and use our talent to glorify God and to facilitate worship. Their motto is ‘In Our Music God is Glorified,’ and on several occasions, they have reminded us that we are using the gifts God has given us as our gift back to Him.” 

Diane said that it is difficult to put into words the secret to their 50 years together. She simply calls it a gift from God and is also quick to sing Don’s praises. 

Don recently worked with a class of eighth graders for the annual Christmas pageant and had them sing the Christian song “Emmanuel (Our God is With Us).” 

While the once predominantly Italian Queens neighborhood has changed, the need for an all-Italian Mass has lessened, and now St. Margaret hosts a 10 a.m. bilingual Mass where Don sings a combination of Italian, Latin and English hymns. Don can also sing in Spanish whenever it’s required. 

Both Don and Diane also contribute their talents to performing at other parishes in the diocese when the need arises. Recently, Don was asked to perform at St. Michael, and Diane performs on Saturdays at the 5 p.m. Mass at St. Elizabeth in Ozone Park. 

The couple, who have four children and 10 grandchildren, credit their faith with keeping their family close. “I was very blessed with my children and grandchildren, and I worked for some very good priests over the years that were very good to me and allowed me to earn a living doing what I love to do,” admitted Don. 

Twenty-three-year-old Kristiana Wolfe had been a student at St. Margaret School from Pre-K through eighth grade and joined the St. Margaret choir in 2019. 

“Although I am one of the youngest members, I always feel like I have a place in the choir,” explained Wolfe. “Mr. and Mrs. Competello have led the choir and all the music ministry at St. Margaret Parish with grace, kindness, and a passion for what they do. Not only are they a beautiful couple, but they are very talented. They both know so much about music, the faith, the liturgy, and leadership. Since they both have decades of experience in Catholic education, they know how to lead a group.” 

As far as working together as a team, Don admits that he couldn’t do his job without Diane. “Sometimes the choir laughs because I’m always relying on her to do things because she is so much more organized than I am,” he added. 

And both agree that the secret to their ministry is the passion and honesty for the music that they are able to convey. 

“We’re just people who have worked for the church our whole lives in some capacity or other,” said Don. “When the kids were growing up and my wife wasn’t working full time, financially it wasn’t easy, but God always provided, and I have to say, somehow we always pulled through. And music has always been my passion, so I was truly blessed.”

Currents News Update for Tuesday 3/14/23

A court case will be getting underway this week that could put a stop to half of the abortions that happen in the U.S.

As New York City continues to deal with the migrant crisis Mayor Eric Adams plans to open two more shelters.

More than 100 students and teachers at Xaverian High School in Bay Ridge shaved their heads or donated their hair in support of the fight against childhood cancer.

 A Queens couple who’s been making music together since they were kids, long before they fell in love and got married, are music directors at St. Margaret’s Church in Middle Village.

Holy Name Society Marks 101 Years of Service with Bishop Brennan

A group in Brooklyn and Queens is celebrating over a hundred years of serving Catholic police officers.

The Brooklyn-Queens Holy Name Society marked 101 years of service on Sunday with a procession, Mass and breakfast. 

Bishop Robert Brennan was there to honor officers who have earned the title “Cop of the Year.”

In his homage to the officers, the bishop recalled his own family ties to the force as he thanked them all for their sacrifices.

The society also gave out scholarships to three young women who will be attending Catholic high schools.

 

Diocese of Brooklyn’s Lenten Pilgrimage Stops at St. Rose of Lima

The Diocese Of Brooklyn is about halfway through its Lenten Pilgrimage. 

St. Rose of Lima in Rockaway, Queens was the next stop for the diocese’s Lenten Pilgrimage. Bishop Robert Brennan celebrated Mass at the church with the parish’s Catholic academy yesterday.

This was the 19th of 42 churches taking part in the pilgrimage this year.

Bishop Brennan also prayed the rosary with the young parishioners.

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.