Archives

St. John’s Bread & Life Feeds the Hungry for Thanksgiving Despite Slash to Government Funding

By Jessica Easthope

Days before Thanksgiving, you’ll find that there’s a steady flow of people at Lizzie Gibbs’ window at St. John’s Bread & Life soup kitchen in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. 

She knows what hunger feels like: she’s a volunteer, but she’s also a client.

“I had gotten ill, and I couldn’t bring in any income,” she explains. “So I had to humble myself and take help from outside sources.”

Last Thanksgiving Bread & Life handed out 6,500 meals. This year, they’ll be giving nearly 11,000 despite a major slash to government funding. 

“There are many more pantries popping up because the needs are greater,” Sister Caroline Tweedy, the Executive Director of Bread & Life tells Currents News. “And I guess the government feels they want to spread the wealth.”

She says Bread & Life has nearly $8,000 less than they did last year. It’s an issue when food insecurity is on the rise in Brooklyn. In 2024 it’s reached almost 20% – that’s 7 points higher than the national average according to the New York City council. Sr. Caroline says that between inflation and the migrant crisis, they’ve never seen so many hungry people at Bread & Life.

“And when you take that kind of a hit, you have to figure out, ‘How do we continue to serve the people in need?’ with what you have,” she adds. 

The work that’s done behind the scenes to provide the food Lizzie’s handing out of her window  isn’t easy. Sr. Caroline has had to pump up her fundraising efforts by securing money from the Amazin’ Mets Foundation, iHeart Radio and Food Bazaar. 

“Limiting the number of times a person can shop in the pantry, reducing the number of items a person could take, we haven’t had to do any of that because we have been very aggressive in our approach,” she says. 

Somehow Bread & Life continues to do more with less, and be a stable force in the lives of those New Yorkers in need.

“I look at it as seeing the face of God in the other,” explains Sr. Caroline. “And if we are true to our mission, we can’t turn anyone away… No funding or full funding, I don’t see a difference because we’re still here. And we never said no.”

St. John’s Bread & Life is on track to serve 4.5 million meals this year and continues to never turn anyone away.

Rondanini Pietà Replica Has a New Home in New Jersey Cemetery

By Jessica Easthope

It’s the first thing you see driving into Gate of Heaven Cemetery in East Hanover, New Jersey: a 10-foot statue – a replica of Michelangelo’s Rondanini Pietà – captures attention and elicits expressions of faith. The piece’s architect Lorenzo Pedrini says that’s the hope.

“We’re giving something different, something new, but giving justice to what the master did in the past,” he tells Currents News.

Lorenzo and his family are from the Carrara region of Italy, which is famous for its marble quarries. They are the same ones Michelangelo walked through to select the block of stone he used in the original two sculpture.

The beginning and the end of the process of making a statue like this have been the same for centuries, starting with a sketch and ending with a hammer and chisel in the hands of some of the most skilled artists in the world. But recently the middle of this process has become a bit more high tech: an anthropomorphic robot makes the first cuts through the 30,000-pound block of marble. Then, the last 20% is done just like Michelangelo did it.

“And that 20% is really the most important part, because we were able to give our craftsmanship, our passion for what we do,” Pedrini explains.

Francesca Lofaro, a representative for Pedrini Sculptors at the company’s office in the Diocese of Brooklyn, says the meaning of the statue guides the year-long process.

“That will help people to realize that it doesn’t end here, does it” she asks.

The Executive Director of Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of Newark, Joseph Heckel, says the inscription at the base of the pieta was chosen to help those grieving a loss.

“We think that whoever has Jesus in their life, all those people that come in to visit, they’re going to have eternal life and they’re going to be with their loved ones again,” he says.

The statue, which was installed in October, is not just for those visiting the cemetery. For construction director Michael Saul, it’s an invitation into faith.

“Just kind of, a beacon of hope to everyone driving by, it gives us an opportunity to evangelize to them,” he says.

Pedrini Sculptors has created three replicas for the Archdiocese of Newark, and they have two of the last remaining molds of Michelangelo’s original works.

Catholic News Headlines for Friday 11/22/2024

Studies show that male teachers can help boys stay on track in school. We’ll meet one such role model at Incarnation Catholic Academy in Queens, New York.

The police are looking for the man who stole a $3,000 gold-plated rose from a 9/11 memorial inside the Church of St. Francis of Assisi in Midtown, Manhattan.

Rome’s iconic sites, like the Trevi Fountain, are being repaired for the 2025 Jubilee. We take a look at how the restorations are shaping up.

Male Teachers Play Big Role in Learning for Boys

By Katie Vasquez

Young academics in Queens, New York, are burning off their energy by learning volleyball with Mr. Humza Robinson, the physical education teacher at Incarnation Catholic Academy. 

Studies show the real lesson could just be his presence in the classroom:  “I like Mr. Robinson because he gives us fun activities,” first grader Zachary Mangroo tells Currents News.

Researchers say male teachers can get boys on the right track in the early years of formal schooling.  Yet there are so few in early education, with men only accounting about three percent of kindergarten teachers. Principal Ivan Green says that was something he considered when hiring Mr. Robinson. 

“A male plays a significant role not just in the education of our students, but also in their family life and structure,” says Green. From experience, working with students over the years, I have seen historically that kids perform better.”

“I’m very grateful for this opportunity because I get to really impact the kid’s life.” explains Robinson. “And I see, I see it day to day.”

Seventh grader Nathan Lachhman says a male teacher can relate to boys like him in a different way: “I love how he pushes us. And even when we fall or do something wrong, he just keeps pushing us to do right and right again. That’s what I really admire about him.”

That positive impact from Mr. Robinson is even motivating Nathan to one day become a teacher. 

“That’s really my goal in life,” he says. “I want to inspire others and be somebody’s role model.”

It’s a feeling Mr Robinson understands because this job has always been his vocation. 

“It’s so humbling because I feel I’m giving back and this is always my life goal,” Robinson says. “To just give back to kids, and hopefully they can give back to the next generation.”

He hopes to continue to motivate these diocesan students. 

TONIGHT AT 7: Male Teacher Strives to Model Success for Catholic School Students

We all know teachers can have lasting impacts on the lives of their students, but on Currents News we’ll dig deep into studies that show how male teachers specifically can help boys stay on track in school.

There aren’t many in early education these days, but we’ll speak with one role model over at Incarnation Catholic Academy in Queens, New York who’s ready to challenge the teaching status quo.

Religious Sisters Welcomed by Bishop Brennan at Brooklyn Church

By Katie Vasquez

Three nuns from the Dominican Republic are getting a warm welcome at Transfiguration Parish in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It’s now the first community that the sisters, called the “Hijas de la Altagracia,” have in the United States.

Bishop Robert Brennan of the Diocese of Brooklyn celebrated the first Mass they would attend in their new home parish on November 20, saying their presence will spiritually lift the parish.

“A lot of our institutions, much of our parish life, so many of our schools, have their foundations in the work of religious sisters,” Bishop Brennan told Currents News.

The convent las Hijas de la Altagracia will be occupying at the Williamsburg church has been vacant since 2019 when Sister Kathryn Margaret Walsh, known as “Sister Peggy,” passed away. 

Her death left a void for parishioners, and especially for fraternities or groups that meet for deeper spirituality.  

“Now we are looking for for the sisters, ‘Hijas de la Altagracia,’ to take care of that part,” said Transfiguration Parish’s pastor, Father Jeremias Castillo. “And also the youth ministry, and also we are asking them to help with the liturgy here.”

It’s work that the sisters did in their home country and are hoping to replicate  for their new parish that is 95% Hispanic with many of parishioners hailing from the Caribbean. 

There are “some differences I think but the mission is, that people love Jesus and Mary too,” Sister Yarelin Ventura of the Hijas de la Altagracia told Currents News.

The the move have come with some challenges, namely a language barrier and a shift in climate.

 “I think the idioma (langauge), English, I need to learn,” said Sister Damaina Anglada.

“I need a coat,” said Sister Idelma Hernandez of Hijas de la Altagracia. 

Priests and parishioners are excited to bring them into the flock. 

“We are so excited, so happy to have them here. And we welcome them with open arms,” said parishioner Esterlina Alvarez. 

“I’m sure that will be a really, really good, good add for us in the parish,” said Fr.Castillo. 

The sisters will also work with Mary of Nazareth church in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.

Catholic News Headlines for Thursday 11/21/2024

Nuns from the Dominican Republic are relocating to the Diocese of Brooklyn, eager to enhance the community’s religious education and youth programs.

St. Michael Catholic Academy students in Queens are spreading holiday cheer by generously donating to the church’s food pantry, ensuring everyone enjoys a happy Thanksgiving.

Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens deploys its community outreach team to the Brooklyn Public Library’s Literacy Career Fair.

Catholic News Headlines for Wednesday 11/20/2024

It’s official! Pope Francis announced that he will canonize Blessed Carlo Acutis during the Jubilee for Adolescents in Rome on April 25-27, 2025.

Discover Michelangelo’s iconic Sistine Chapel art at a stunning new Brooklyn exhibit, bringing Rome’s grandeur to Sunset Park.

St. Sebastian Church in Woodside welcomed over a dozen new altar servers, installed by their pastor Father Patrick West during a Mass on November 10th.

An Iowa woman is turning cracked pickleballs into Christmas ornaments, reducing waste while preserving the holiday spirit.