St. Gregory the Great Catholic Academy Students Commended for their Bravery

By Jessica Easthope

Janet Miranda thanks God she’s alive, but second she’s thanking her heroes. Christian Fiorillo and Colin Winn, eighth graders at St. Gregory the Great in Bellerose.

Back on October 29, the boys were walking behind Janet when she tripped and fell face-first onto the sidewalk. She broke her nose in several places, tore her shoulder and hurt her knee.

“The sidewalk was raised maybe an inch, but I was bleeding profusely, and I didn’t see any people around on the street, which is kind of terrifying. And I don’t know where these two kids come up behind me. They just took over,” she said.

Christian and Colin swiftly called 9-1-1 and Janet’s daughter and raced around the street to Jason’s Deli to get napkins to help stop the bleeding.

“Instinct kicked in and we were going to help,” said Colin.

“And they stayed with me the whole time,” Janet said. “They really were amazing.”

On Tuesday, the two students were given a New York State Assembly citation for their bravery and kindness.

“It feels nice, but it feels more nice knowing that we did the right thing,” said Christian.

After her fall, Janet, who sent her daughter and granddaughters to St. Gregory the Great sent principal Joseph Paniccia an email.

“From what we hear in the area we were like okay two boys, what happened and it was this lovely email,” he said.

“In a Catholic school they are not only learning, the basics. They’re learning a moral code,” said Janet.

“I put the skills that I’ve gained from being here, and I just I took it into real life situation,” said Colin.

“Do the right thing. Even if you don’t know how,” Christian said.

Janet is hoping with some more physical therapy she’ll be as good as new. As for her heroes Christian and Colin, they say what matters most is she’s okay, but they might frame their new citations anyway.

Catholic News Headlines for Tuesday 1/7/2025

Two St. Gregory the Great Catholic Academy students are being honored in Queens, New York, after they jumped into action to help a woman who was severely hurt in a fall.

The Jubilee Year has just begun and more than half a million pilgrims have already visited the Vatican.

President Joe Biden attends an interfaith prayer service organized by the Archdiocese of New Orleans following the New Year’s Day attack.

Jan. 8 marks the final day to enter The Tablet’s “Keep Christ in Christmas” art contest – make sure to send in your submissions.

Catholic News Headlines for Monday 1/6/2025

January 6 marks the feast of the Epiphany, and in the Diocese of Brooklyn it’s a chance to receive a blessing at the beginning of a new year.

Days after the terror attack in New Orleans, Louisiana, Archbishop Gregory Aymond visits a hospital to bless the hands of the doctors and nurses who are caring for the injured.

There’s a new shepherd of the nation’s capital: Pope Francis has named Cardinal Robert McElroy as Washington D.C.’s new archbishop.

The Vatican is increasing its security presence for the Jubilee Year.

Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Academy Students Learn Epiphany Blessing For New Year

by Katie Vasquez

Blackboards and chalk are not uncommon in schools, but mini boards are staying outside the classroom at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Academy. The signs are a way to bring good tidings into the new year.

Students at the Forest Hills school are beginning their first days of classes in 2025 in prayer while their Pastor Emeritus, Monsignor John McGuirl blesses chalked plaques for Our Lady of Mercy’s classrooms.

The mini blackboards are the school’s take on a centuries-old Epiphany tradition, where Catholics mark their homes with sacred signs and symbols to ask God for his blessing on their home, those who live in it, and those who visit.

Many of the students say they follow this custom at home, but doing it at school feels extra special.

“It made me feel like Jesus is here and he’s with me,” Phoenix Berkin-Albers, a 2nd grader at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Academy, tells Currents News.

“The idea of it is that people that come into this building, this academy, are searching out Christ, trying to find out about Christ, trying to get close to him. And that’s what the Wise Men were essentially doing,” said Monsignor John McGuirl of Our Lady of Mercy Church.

“I definitely feel proud of doing it and definitely probably more blessed and just inspired to continue my religious faith,” says AnnMarie Dry, a 7th grader at the school.

The boards will stay up until next year, ensuring Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Academy stays a sacred space for all.

Our Lady of Sorrows Youth Celebrate Three Kings Day in Corona, Queens

By Currents News

Students at Our Lady of Sorrows church in Corona, Queens, dressed up to celebrate the feast of the Epiphany with a special musical performance that featured the famous biblical characters in Christ’s birth.

Some Christmas classics like Santa, Frosty, and elves also joined in on the festivities. The event also spread some holiday cheer as Christmas gifts were given out to the children in attendance there.

Karen Olson’s Pilgrimage Prayer: A Musical Journey of Faith, Peace, and Inspiration

By Jessica Easthope

In her home studio in northwestern New Jersey, Karen Olson has found peace.

It’s not because of the quiet of her office or the nature she’s surrounded by—it’s her connection to God.

“I aspire to be living as a prayer,” said Olson. “It’s not just praying before I eat and at night. It’s kind of when I breathe. I really, really feel very connected to God. It’s my biggest intention.”

Karen’s illustrious career as a violist spans decades. Divine Echoes is her ninth album, and on it is a track based on the Prayer to St. Francis—words she’s related to since childhood.

“We spent our summers at this gorgeous lake in northern Minnesota,” said Olson. “Lake Vermilion. And so I really connected with nature. For me, Saint Francis represents God and nature and spirituality. And then we’re instruments of peace. And we’re instruments, because I really believe in the vibrations and the power of music. So it really brought together all the things that I love.”

The song is called Pilgrimage Prayer. Karen says her hope was to bring a new voice to the prayer and to share that voice with as many as possible.

“We’re on this journey to find more and more peace and happiness and love in our lives,” said Olson. “And to share it. And the music is a perfect medium and way to help us on that journey. And my prayer is that this reaches more people and it touches them.”

Karen’s own pilgrimage has led her to stages around the world, using her God-given talents to touch audiences and reaffirm her own faith. This album, and specifically Pilgrimage Prayer, has shaped a mission to evangelize.

“It’s really changed my life,” said Olson. “Transformational is the word I like. My favorite line: ‘That you’ll be born to eternal life.’ I wanted people to hear that line that maybe would never hear it any other way.”

The prayer, written anonymously in the voice of St. Francis, calls upon God: “Make me an instrument of your peace.”

“So here we all are,” said Olson. “You listening? Me creating. We are all creators of this prayer because we can make it. We can make it a part of our lives.”

All Karen wants is for the song to reach others. She’s given Pilgrimage Prayer to the world, and as the prayer says: “For it is in giving that one receives.”

With Vigil on Bourbon Street, New Orleans Mourns Victims of New Year’s Day Attack

By Currents News

In New Orleans, Louisiana, people came together in prayer to honor those lost during a truck attack on New Year’s Day.

It was a celebration of life on the city’s famous Bourbon Street as mourners wept and danced for the 14 killed in that very spot. The people of New Orleans erected a makeshift memorial of crosses and pictures that also included candles, flowers, and teddy bears.

Many believe music and dancing is the best way to honor the victims who were on Bourbon Street to celebrate the New Year.

Catholic News Headlines for Friday 1/3/2025

For the first time since the deadly terrorist attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, the famed Louisiana tourist attraction is back open.

Pope Francis has a message for all Christian world leaders: practice forgiveness.

Whether you’re going on a pilgrimage to Rome for the Jubilee or on a journey in life, one artist has the soundtrack to guide you.

Archdiocese of New Orleans, Pope Francis Mourn Lives Lost in New Years Day Attack

By Currents News

Pope Francis is sending prayers of healing and consolation to the people of New Orleans, Louisiana, following an attack that occurred on New Year’s Day.

At least 15 people are dead and 30 injured after investigators say a U.S. Army veteran drove a truck into a crowd of people celebrating during the early morning hours of January 1.

Pope Francis assured New Orleans of his spiritual closeness to the city, commending the victims to “the loving mercy of almighty God.”

Information is still coming in about those who lost their lives in this tragedy like St. Thomas More Catholic High School Graduate Martin Bech Jr. Known as “Tiger,” the Lafayette, Louisiana man was a standout athlete at the school in football, lacrosse, and track and field. He went on to play for Princeton University and most recently lived in New York City working as a junior trader for a capital markets firm. He was visiting New Orleans for the holidays.

Another Catholic school alum also lost his life in the tragedy: 21-year-old Hubert Gauthreaux, who graduated from Archbishop Shaw High School in New Orleans in 2021. The school is praying for the repose of his soul – along with his family and friends – sharing the news of his passing in a post on Facebook.

It’s believed many of those injured could be Catholic as people present were in New Orleans for the Notre Dame University versus University of Georgia football game.

Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans expressed his closeness to the Catholic community in a statement, saying “This violent act is a sign of utter disrespect for human life. I join with others in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans in offering prayerful support to the victims’ families. I give thanks for the heroic duty of hundreds of law enforcement and medical personnel in the face of such evil.”

‘Christ Is Walking With Us’ in the Diocese of Brooklyn This Jubilee Year

By Currents News

Parishioners from across the Diocese of Brooklyn packed the pews at the Cathedral-Basilica of St. James on Dec. 29, 2024 to help Bishop Robert Brennan usher in the Jubilee Year, which he says is “a reminder of our connection to the greatest moment in time: when God became human, the birth of Jesus.”

The service at St. James was one of two Masses celebrated by the Shepherd of Brooklyn in the borough for the diocese’s formal opening of the Holy Year, which also coincided with the feast of the holy family.

“It’s a beautiful opportunity as a family and young adults to come and support our diocese and just to spread the love of God throughout the streets of Brooklyn and Queens,” parishioner Marlene Sanchez tells Currents News. “It’s something truly meaningful for me.”

Sanchez held hands with her family members as she walked through the streets of Brooklyn following Bishop Brennan, who led a procession with the Blessed Sacrament from the Cathedral-Basilica of St. James to the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph.

Amid the sounds of New York City they prayed, stopping traffic and causing pedestrians to stop in their tracks to watch.

Gillian Hunte tells Currents News she didn’t mind the attention the procession was garnering.

“Besides proclaiming that we are for Christ because He is the light of the world, today’s a day we become a little bit closer to Him and the Son and what He is about,” she explains. “He is the way, the truth and the light.”

These pilgrims are holding that light close as we enter this Jubilee of hope.

“It gives us a concrete reminder that we’re not alone, that Christ is walking with us,” says Bishop Brennan.