Catholic News Headlines for Tuesday 1/17/23

A New York City police officer is in the hospital after being shot in the arm in the Bronx overnight.

A four-year-old boy in a diaper was caught on camera waving a loaded gun.

We told you recently about a former student at Our Lady of Lourdes school in Queens Village who’s been helping her first-grade teacher find a kidney donor – she found one!

 

How the Diocese of Brooklyn Honored and Remembered Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr. was a civil rights icon that preached a message of nonviolent resistance.

King organized hundreds of protests, marches and speeches that helped to bring about landmark legislation and change the course of this country. MLK Day was observed on Monday, Jan. 16.

In the Diocese of Brooklyn, more than 100 people came to St. Kevin’s in Flushing to discuss racism in the church and keeping Dr. King’s spirit alive. There was a panel discussion with input from the audience, followed by a prayer service.

Catholic News Headlines for Monday 1/16/2023

Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the Diocese of Brooklyn is commemorating the civil rights leader with a prayer service led by Bishop Robert Brennan.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has wrapped up a trip to the southern border.

A dramatic rescue caught on camera in California.

Mayor of Rome: ‘The Jubilee is a Moment of Extraordinary Importance for the City’

Rome is preparing for the Jubilee of 2025, an extraordinary event that brings a large increase in pilgrims to the Eternal City.

As a result, Roman authorities announced the first phase of the special plan that calls for an investment of almost 2 billion dollars to carry out 90 different projects.

“It is a moment of extraordinary importance that puts us as the Italian state and as the city of Rome in the condition of a great responsibility of having to favor support, help this event with all our commitment and all our strength,” said Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri.

Public transportation, both buses and metro, are undergoing improvement projects, and spaces around the Vatican will be renovated. As always for major occasions, exclusive spaces will be set aside for private buses carrying pilgrims from all over Italy and the world.

The Italian government expects the scheduled works to be completed on time. This will prevent any problems that may arise from mafia groups, which sometimes happen when the State allocates money to specific projects.

“For me, experience shows that the more the schedule is maintained, the less successful mafia-like organizations are in delaying, stopping or suspending our efforts,” said Undersecretary, Presidency of the Council of Ministers Alfredo Mantovano.

The Jubilee Years are a real test for the city of Rome as they bring more pilgrims than usual. The 2000 Jubilee saw an increase of 7.4% more tourists with a total of 25 million in one year.

More details about the plan for the 2025 Jubilee, including the security details, will be announced in the coming months. The 2016 Jubilee was marked by a strong police and military presence due to the threat of ISIS and radical group attacks throughout Europe.

Catholic News Headlines for Friday 1/13/23

The search continues for two vandals who destroyed a nativity.

Another set of classified documents were found, this time in President Biden’s car.

A survivor of the Miracle on the Hudson sits down to discuss a new book he’s written.

How March for Life is Moving Forward After Roe was Overturned

There are new details about the March for Life that kicks off on January 20th.

This year’s event is being billed as next steps, coming off the landmark victory with the Dobbs decision.

The focus of the demonstration will pivot from the overturning of Roe v Wade, to restoring a culture of life across America.

Some other changes during this year’s march:

  • -In honor of the Dobbs victory, pro-lifers will walk past congress acknowledging that lawmakers now hold a critical role in this post Roe America.

  • -The march will end between the Capitol building and the Supreme Court, giving witness to the two branches the inherent dignity of the human person in the womb.

Contact Christian Rada, the Director of Marriage, Family Formation and Respect Life Education for the Diocese of Brooklyn if you want to attend.

CHRISTIAN RADA

(718) 965-7300, EXT 5541

CRADA@DIOBROOK.ORG

New York City Nurses Strike Comes to an End Amid Union Agreement

By Jessica Easthope

Not enough nurses, no breaks, no overtime pay – no more. More than 7,000 nurses spent this week on picket lines, but they returned to work Thursday, after getting a text at 2:30 a.m. that read “we won.”

Jenny DeSuyo is headed into work for anything but a normal day as an ER nurse.

“This is what we’ve been fighting for, it felt nice to know we made a difference and that we’re moving forward,” she said.

Nurses at Mt. Sinai and Montefiore Health Systems, two of the city’s largest hospitals were on strike this week. Their biggest concern was patient-to-nurse ratio.

“I think the biggest difference is we’ll be able to provide safer care to our patients, the more nurses we have, the safer care we can provide,” said radiology nurse Rada Kirichenko.

Since the pandemic more than 333,000 healthcare workers left their jobs due to burnout, long hours and heavy patient loads.

“Sometimes we couldn’t even take a break, no time to use the bathroom and there was so much documentation that nurses have to stay overtime not being paid to complete paperwork,” Kirichenko said.

The new tentative agreement reached by the New York State Nurses Association union includes a 19.1 percent wage increase and the addition of registered nurses and nurse practitioners. During the strike both hospitals were forced to transfer patients and divert ambulances to other hospitals as well as postpone non-emergency surgeries.

“I feel like we accomplished so much over the last three days and our voices were heard. We felt so powerful, especially people driving by and honking, we had the best support,” said Kirichenko.

Now they’re looking forward to a big change.

“I feel like we’ll be able to breathe because knowing that we’ll be able to do our job properly and safely and the patients will get what they deserve and need, that’s what I’m excited about,” said DeSuyo.

And thanking God the deal was in their favor.

“I prayed for our voices to be heard and prayers were answered,” said Kirichenko.

“Praying for a good outcome and a positive outcome, and it worked, God is good,” said DeSuyo.

The nurses union called the deal just as much a win for patients as it is for nurses. In the wake of this negotiation nurses at Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in Brooklyn also reached a tentative deal early this morning and withdrew their 10-day-strike notice.

Catholic News Headlines for Wednesday 1/11/2023

 

Pope Francis is expressing his sadness over the death of Australian Cardinal George Pell.

Mayor Eric Adams’ idea to direct emergency responders to involuntarily hospitalize homeless people with severe mental illness is getting some pushback.

If you’re catching a flight today, you may want to call ahead.