New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan says he is “safe and secure” after a missile attack during his mission trip to the Holy Land.

His Eminence arrived in Israel last Friday. As the chair of the Papal Agency, the Catholic Near East Welfare Association, or CNEWA, he’s visiting different religious representatives and checking on current humanitarian efforts.

While in Bethlehem over the weekend, Cardinal Dolan says he had to take shelter when Iran launched more than 300 ballistic missiles and drones against Israeli targets.

A spokesperson for the Archdiocese of New York says Cardinal Dolan will continue with his planned schedule. He’ll leave the Holy Land on Thursday, Apr. 16.

by Katie Vasquez

Every day Jahzeela Aguilar heads to this Catholic Charities of New York satellite office, which is connected to St. Teresa Church on the Lower East Side.

The mom of twins helps the newly arrived as they get settled in the United States, offering them guidance that ranges from finding the right legal services to figuring out the subway system.

Not long ago, Aguilar was one of them.

“I had to help them, to give them all the resources, since they have to start from scratch,” Aguilar said.

She arrived from Peru in January 2023 with her husband and children.

Aguilar said her political views endangered the life of her family.

“Threats begin to come to me and they mention my mother, they call me a traitor to the people,” Aguilar said.

All her belongings were sold within 10 days and they made the treacherous trip north.

As a devout Catholic, she believes God walked with her along the way.

“God has manifested himself in that journey, in this change that we have had in our lives,” Aguilar said. “He has manifested himself in many beautiful ways and I have had, I have had immediate responses.”

Life in a new country was not easy, Aguilar had to stay in two New York City shelters, but she leaned into her faith and was able to find an apartment in Yonkers.

“There was a lot of excitement, a lot of joy, because we felt that we were taking another step,” Aguilar said.

Also helping Aguilar along the way was Catholic Charities.

As she became more knowledgeable in how to navigate life as a new arrival, she found she could assist others making a similar journey.

Catholic Charities asked her to volunteer, knowing her expertise goes beyond the immigration system.

“It is amazing because she has the empathy to understand what they have been through,” said Luisa Fernanda Sandoval Cortes, senior case manager at Catholic Charities Community Services. “She knows how it is to cross the border. She knows how to be in those places.”

Aguilar hopes to receive her work permit soon, and she wants to continue volunteering, a role that has brought her joy.

“For me, it’s not just a job, as I say it’s my reason for living,” Aguilar said.

As Bishop Robert Brennan prepares for the Diocese of Brooklyn’s upcoming Eucharistic Revival, he’s taking some time to speak about the national campaign in a new web series.

It’s called “Beautiful Light: A Paschal Mystagogy.” Each week of the Easter season, seven different bishops are diving into the sacred mysteries of the Mass.

The latest episode, which went live on Thursday, April 11, will feature Bishop Brennan.

We spoke to the co-host of the series, Sister Alicia Torres, who says Bishop Brennan has shown constant encouragement for the campaign.

You can watch it on the National Eucharistic Revival’s Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube pages.

Police are still searching for a man who brutally attacked a woman outside a Greek Orthodox Church in Queens.

As you can see from this surveillance video, the man followed the woman who was heading to a Sunday service at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Briarwood.

As she walks up the stairs, he knocks her to the ground.

The NYPD said he then stole her purse and drove away in the victim’s car.

Father Konstantinos Kalogridis, the head pastor at St. Demetrios, told Currents News that he questioned what kind of person could carry out this kind of attack.

The pastor also said the police regularly patrol the church.

He is still asking parishioners to be extra alert of their surroundings.

By Jessica Easthope

Quiet mornings are rare in Flushing, Queens, but even more so now as the Diocese of Brooklyn’s Eucharistic Revival is just days away. The St. Michael’s Church Drum Corps is practicing tirelessly.

“We’re nervous but we’re excited also, we just do the best,” said corps leader Christy Lin. “We can do our best.”

Their steps are delicate, but their beat is powerful. Lin leads the all-woman team, and behind her march the faces of Flushing, young and old.

“We think God liked that so we want to try to do better,” Lin said.

These women drum with a confidence that can’t be taught. It comes from Christ, because deep down they’re nervous to showcase their chops at a stadium performance in front of up to 10,000 people.

They only started playing two years ago.

But experience is outpaced by raw talent and deep faith. While Christy sets the tempo upfront, Susan Pan is in the back, a spot reserved for the strongest drummers.

“Just like the Bible says, the elephants, the younger ones are in the middle and the older ones around them for protection, and I’m in the back to protect the team,” Pan said.

The drum corps makes noise for God. St. Michael’s pastor, Father Vincentius Do, is excited to hear it ring through the streets as they process to the Eucharistic Revival on Apr. 20.

“We will wake the whole neighborhood up and we will walk there joyfully to give glory to God and to know our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament so I’m very excited about it,” Father Do said.

The women are shattering stereotypes with every hit of their drumsticks and their pounding is prayer.

“I want us to work together, but for all the women on this team, I’m so happy to be their leader and that we can do something,” Lin said. “It’s because of God that we’re together.”

“It’s very empowering to see these faithful women, they did it because of their faith,” Father Do said. “For them it’s not just performing, it’s praying and giving glory to God.”

Their culture keeps them steady and faith guides their hands.

But it’s the Eucharist that drives them forward.

“The bread, our culture and the Bible tells us, that’s the hope and the prayer, it is Christ,” Pan said.

The revival will be on Apr. 20. There’s still time to reserve your seat — just sign up at your local parish.

For more information, just go online to dioceseofbrooklyn.org.

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a bishop? Well, two Minnesota prelates are giving you an inside look.

Archbishop Bernard Hebda of St. Paul in Minneapolis and Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Crookston participated in the online trend of discussing everyday experiences among a certain group.

The reel has more than 7,000 views. You can find it on their diocese’s Instagram page.