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Catholic News Headlines for Monday 4/6/26   

Easter Sunday marked a day of joy and renewal in the Diocese of Brooklyn as Bishop Robert Brennan celebrated Mass and parishioners marked the Resurrection.

More than 1,200 people were fully initiated into the Church in Brooklyn and Queens at the Easter Vigil.  They were baptized, confirmed, and received First Holy Communion.

The annual Lenten Pilgrimage in the Diocese of Brooklyn has come to a close — Catholics who joined in the journey share how it has reinvigorated their faith.

We take a look at Holy Week throughout Brooklyn and Queens, from the Chrism Mass to the Way of the Cross on Good Friday.

WATCH: Pope Leo XIV’s First Easter Blessing at the Vatican

By Currents News

Pope Leo XIV marked his first Easter Sunday as pontiff with the Urbi et Orbi blessing.

Below is the full text:

“Brothers and sisters,

Christ is risen! Happy Easter!

For centuries, the Church has joyfully sung of the event that is the origin and foundation of her faith:
Yes, Christ my hope is arisen.
Christ indeed from death is risen.
Have mercy, victor King, ever reigning.

Easter is the victory of life over death, of light over darkness, of love over hatred. It is a victory that came at a very high price: Christ, the Son of the living God, had to die and die on a cross

after suffering an unjust condemnation, being mocked and tortured, and shedding all his blood. As the true immolated Lamb, he took upon himself the sin of the world and thus freed us all and with us, all creation from the dominion of evil.

But how was Jesus able to be victorious? What is the strength with which he defeated once and for all the ancient adversary, the prince of this world?

What is the power with which he rose from the dead, not returning to his former life, but entering into eternal life and thus opening in his own flesh the passage from this world to the Father?

This strength, this power, is God himself for he is Love who creates and generates, Love who is faithful to the end and Love who forgives and redeems.

Christ, our victorious King, fought and won his battle through trusting abandonment to the Father’s will, to his plan of salvation.

Thus he walked the path of dialogue to the very end, not in words but in deeds: to find us who were lost, he became flesh; to free us who were slaves, he became a slave; to give life to us mortals, he allowed himself to be killed on the cross.

The power with which Christ rose is entirely nonviolent. It is like that of a grain of wheat which, having rotted in the earth, grows, breaks through the clods, sprouts, and becomes a golden ear of wheat. It is even more like that of a human heart which, wounded by an offense, rejects the instinct for revenge and, filled with compassion, prays for the one who has committed the offense.

Brothers and sisters, this is the true strength that brings peace to humanity, because it fosters respectful relationships at every level: among individuals, families, social groups, and nations. It does not seek private interests, but the common good; it does not seek to impose its own plan, but to help design and carry out a plan together with others.

Yes, Christ’s resurrection is the beginning of a new humanity; it is the entrance into the true promised land, where justice, freedom, and peace reign, where all recognize one another as brothers and sisters, children of the same Father who is Love, Life, and Light.

Brothers and sisters, through his resurrection, the Lord confronts us even more powerfully with the dramatic reality of our freedom. Before the empty tomb, we can be filled with hope and wonder, like the disciples, or with fear like the guards and the Pharisees, forced to resort to lies and subterfuge rather than acknowledge that the one who had been condemned is truly risen.

In the light of Easter, let us allow ourselves to be amazed by Christ! Let us allow our hearts to be transformed by his immense love for us! Let those who have weapons lay them down! Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace! Not a peace imposed by force, but through dialogue! Not with the desire to dominate others, but to encounter them!

We are growing accustomed to violence, resigning ourselves to it, and becoming indifferent. Indifferent to the deaths of thousands of people. Indifferent to the repercussions of hatred and division that conflicts sow. Indifferent to the economic and social consequences they produce, which we all feel.

There is an ever-increasing globalization of indifference. To borrow an expression dear to Pope Francis, who one year ago from this loggia addressed his final words to the world, reminding us: ‘What a great thirst for death, for killing, we witness each day in the many conflicts raging in different parts of the world’

The cross of Christ always reminds us of the suffering and pain that surround death and the agony it entails. We are all afraid of death, and out of fear we turn away, preferring not to look. We cannot continue to be indifferent! And we cannot resign ourselves to evil! Saint Augustine teaches: “If you fear death, love the resurrection!

Let us too love the resurrection, which reminds us that evil is not the last word, because it has been defeated by the Risen One. He passed through death to give us life and peace: ‘I leave you peace; I give you my peace. Not as the world gives it, I give it to you’

The peace that Jesus gives us is not merely the silence of weapons, but the peace that touches and transforms the heart of each one of us! Let us allow ourselves to be transformed by the peace of Christ! Let us make heard the cry for peace that springs from our hearts! For this reason, I invite everyone to join me in a prayer vigil for peace that we will celebrate here in Saint Peter’s Basilica Saturday, April 11.

On this day of celebration, let us abandon every desire for conflict, domination, and power, and implore the Lord to grant his peace to a world ravaged by wars and marked by a hatred and indifference that make us feel powerless in the face of evil.

To the Lord we entrust all hearts that suffer and await the true peace that only he can give. Let us entrust ourselves to him and open our hearts to him! He is the only one who makes all things new

Happy Easter!”

More Than 1,200 Adults Enter Catholic Church at Easter Vigil in Diocese of Brooklyn

By Jessica Easthope

With flames in their hands and fire in their hearts, more than 1,200 adults in the Diocese of Brooklyn entered the Catholic faith at the Easter Vigil on April 4. At the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph in Prospect Heights, 12 of them — eight catechumens being baptized and receiving Communion and Confirmation, and four candidates receiving Communion and Confirmation — took a life-changing step. Bishop Robert Brennan said the moment proves the Church is alive.

“The church is very much alive,” Bishop Brennan said. “Here in Brooklyn, Queens, and it’s alive around the world. It’s a sign of the commitment of so many people. People are showing their faith, you know, bold, joyful and unapologetic.”

Candidate Israel Rosario’s faith journey was filled with twists and turns, but he says eventually he ended up right where God wanted him.

“I called my dad after church and he was like, when we came from Puerto Rico in the 70s, my family came here,” Rosario said of the Co-Cathedral. “So I found a picture of my late aunt and uncle and my dad on the stairs right there after doing communion. 50 years later and I’m getting my communion confirmation. So it’s definitely a full circle for me.”

The new Catholics spent two years completing the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, or OCIA. They all have a new faith to call on in moments of joy and despair.

“Keep your eyes fixed on Christ,” Bishop Brennan said. “He wants to walk with you. That’s the whole point of this week that Jesus came to walk with us, even unto suffering and death. And he conquered death by his resurrection.”

“I love to come to church,” Rosario said. “I feel at peace, most at peace when I’m at church.”

Queens Pre-K Students Celebrate Easter with Indoor Egg Hunt

By Currents News

Easter joy was in full swing at St. Elizabeth Catholic Academy in Ozone Park, where Pre-K students took part in a fun indoor egg hunt.

The children searched, counted, and sorted colorful eggs — all while learning about a tradition that dates back to early Christianity, symbolizing Christ’s resurrection.

Queens Catholic Academy Students Bring the Passion of Christ to Life

By Currents News

Students at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy in Belle Harbor brought the story of Holy Week to life through a moving Passion play.

From Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection, seventh graders reenacted the key moments of Christ’s journey.

Good Friday Way of the Cross Draws Faithful Seeking Deeper Walk With Christ

By Katie Vasquez and Jessica Meditz

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — For many participating in the Way of the Cross over the Brooklyn Bridge on Good Friday, the procession wasn’t simply a tradition — it meant taking steps toward Christ. 

“It’s important for me to participate because I can take what I believe, turn it into reality, and live it. To take this abstract claim about what Good Friday is and turn it into something tangible,” said Nicholas Arcati, a Staten Island resident and member of Communion and Liberation, the Catholic lay movement that has organized the procession since 1996. “This is what we live for.” 

Hundreds of Catholics and Greek Orthodox Christians came together at the Cathedral Basilica of St. James on April 3 to begin the pilgrimage into Lower Manhattan with the first Station of the Cross. 

Bishop Robert Brennan, who was there to greet them with Archbishop Ronald Hicks of New York, reflected on the significance of this time of year. 

“It is a time of tremendous grace,” Bishop Brennan said. “We are living in a world that’s longing for peace, longing for unity, and for us Christians, it’s what you remember when our Holy Father keeps telling us, in the one Christ, we are all one when we’re looking for all of those other things.” 

For Archbishop Hicks, the experience was his first as archbishop of New York.  

“This is my first time [to Brooklyn], and to do so in the spirit of unity and of prayer and togetherness, it’s the perfect setting,” Archbishop Hicks said. “We are reminded that we not only walk with each other … but Jesus is walking with us.” 

Archbishop Hicks said a record number of people are joining the Catholic Church this year, adding that it’s much like the bystanders on the bridge that joined the procession. 

“We want to see an increase in that,” he said. “Jesus is the way to truth in life and salvation.” 

Tian Wu is among those preparing to enter the Church this year, set to be baptized during the Easter Vigil in the Diocese of Brooklyn. Walking the Way of the Cross helped her better understand the meaning of Christ’s death and the new life she will soon enter. 

“I’ve participated in Easter Mass before, but I didn’t fully understand what was happening,” she said. “This year, I was introduced to the true meaning — the resurrection of Jesus and new life. It’s a very nice feeling.” 

For Jenna Abazia, the public witness of faith on Good Friday is part of a much deeper return to Christ. After years away from the Church and struggling with addiction, she said she turned back to God at her lowest point and found a sense of peace she hadn’t known before. 

“I realized he was always there,” she said. “It was me that was turning my back.” 

Now an usher at the Cathedral Basilica of St. James and preparing to become a lector, Abazia said she feels called to live her faith openly to inspire others. 

“People need to know that we haven’t forgotten what Jesus has done for us,” she said. “Sometimes, someone else’s testimony can be the thing that helps another person come back.” 

Bishop Brennan gave three more Gospel reflections during the pilgrimage, which continued through Lower Manhattan and ended at Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine. 

After being welcomed by Bishop Nektarios of Diokleia, national chancellor of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Bishop Brennan thanked all in attendance for their public display of faith. 

“Your witness to the people of New York on both sides of the river is a powerful sign of your faith in Jesus Christ, crucified and risen,” he said. “For 30 years, this [procession] has given us the privilege to walk with Christ in a tangible and palpable way.” 

Good Friday observances continued in the Diocese of Brooklyn with the Commemoration of the Lord’s Passion at the Cathedral Basilica of St. James. 

Catholic News Headlines for Friday 4/3/26   

In New York City, Bishop Robert Brennan, Archbishop Ronald Hicks, and Catholics from the Diocese of Brooklyn and the Archdiocese of New York marked Good Friday with a Way of the Cross Procession across the Brooklyn Bridge.

At the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV celebrated his first Mass of the Lord’s Supper as pontiff and washed the feet of 12 Roman priests at the Basilica of St. John Lateran.

Catholic academies in Brooklyn and Queens solemnly reflected on the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday and preparing for the Resurrection on Easter Sunday.