By Currents News
The beatification of Archbishop Fulton Sheen has finally been set — marking a major step toward sainthood more than 20 years after his cause began.
Msgr. Jason Gray, executive director of the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Foundation, shares what this moment means, the miracle behind the cause, and why thousands are expected to attend the historic celebration in St. Louis.
The Vatican has set a beatification date for Archbishop Fulton Sheen after years of delays in his path to sainthood.
Students at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy in Queens explored Eucharistic miracles through a special exhibit inspired by St. Carlo Acutis.
Iraqi Christians are scaling back Holy Week and Easter celebrations due to security concerns tied to ongoing conflict.
Pope Leo XIV reunited with former classmates from his South Chicago school on the Steps of St. Peter’s Basilica.
By Katie Vasquez
BELLE HARBOR, Queens — During his life, Saint Carlo Acutis created a website showcasing Eucharistic miracles from around the world.
That work has since been transformed into a traveling exhibit, drawing strong interest across the tri-state area, according to St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy Principal Chris Scharbach.
“It’s been all around the tri-state area over the past two years,” Scharbach said. “Once we heard about it, it was a great opportunity for our kids.”
The Knights of Columbus in Garden City, Long Island, loaned the exhibit to the Queens school for one day, offering students a chance to explore documented miracles tied to the Eucharist.
For seventh grader Andrew Amplo, the experience left a lasting impression.
“It’s just really impressive,” he said. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to do something like this.”
Classmate Anthony Capek said one miracle in Argentina stood out to him. He described an incident in which a consecrated host reportedly did not dissolve in water and later showed what appeared to be bloodstains. According to Capek, testing indicated the presence of human blood.
The exhibit aligns with the school’s broader goal of encouraging students to connect more deeply with their faith. Seventh grader Caroline Minson said Acutis serves as a relatable example.
“He is a very good role model for younger students like us because we can aspire to be like him,” she said.
St. Francis de Sales is also part of a pilot program introducing an apologetics class focused on defending religious doctrine, with an emphasis on Eucharistic miracles.
School leaders say the initiative is designed to form future evangelists.
“Anything that’s going to help our junior high kids learn a little bit about the Eucharist and bring them closer to that physical presence of Christ is just great,” Scharbach said.
John O’Brien, associate superintendent for the Diocese of Brooklyn, said the program equips students to articulate and share their beliefs.
“Really equipping themselves to defend the faith, to speak about the faith and really be tools of evangelization for their peers and the wider community,” O’Brien said.
Students were also required to take notes during the exhibit and were graded on what they learned.
By Jessica Easthope
High above the altar at the Cathedral Basilica of St. James, scaffolding reaches 37 feet to the ceiling. Plaster crumbles, paint peels and marble shows signs of time — but the mother church of the Diocese of Brooklyn is getting a new breath of life.
“Saint James doesn’t need to be changed,” said Anthony George of D’Ambrosio Studios. “The end goal is to bring out the existing architecture. Make sure the church itself shines like it was meant to.”
Leading the effort is Anthony George, the fourth generation of D’Ambrosio Studios. His grandfather Tony, known to everyone as “Mr. D,” last restored this sacred space in 1997.
“He’s made a big fingerprint in a lot of churches in Brooklyn and Queens,” George said. “If you hadn’t had a fight with him or argued with him, then have you really been in Brooklyn? It’s a blessing that I was able to spend as much time with him and learn from him as I did.”
Bishop Robert Brennan has ideas of his own — down to the paint. After all, this is home to his flock. It’s where generations have prayed, welcomed, married and said goodbye.
“This is a real treasure in the life of our diocese,” Bishop Brennan said. “So we want to be good stewards and take care of it for this generation, handing on to the next generation something that continues to be a beautiful place to praise and give worship to God.”
Rector Father Joseph Gibino says the renovation isn’t just cosmetic — it’s structural and much needed.
“It’s changing with the times. It’s changing with the world,” Father Gibino said. “And that’s why using the D’Ambrosio family has been such a blessing, too, because they’re such an integral part of the more contemporary and modern history of Saint James.”
Every brush stroke and spray of paint restores Anthony’s faith. He’s always reminded that his grandfather once stood in this same spot.
“You can’t walk into a building like Saint James and not feel something, you know, not feel like you’re doing God’s work when you’re taking care of his church,” Father George said.
The renovation is expected to be completed in time for Ordination Day on June 6, the first held at the Cathedral Basilica in a decade — but it needs to be done right, and Anthony George is in no rush.
“It’s a slow step on my way to becoming what Mr. D was to Brooklyn,” George said.
Restoration work is underway at the Cathedral Basilica of St. James to preserve and restore the historic church’s original beauty.
Palm Sunday celebrations in the Holy Land have been canceled as its patriarch is calling for global prayer amid ongoing war.
Students at Bay Ridge Catholic Academy are learning about the Holocaust through firsthand stories shared by a survivor’s grandson.
Monsignor McClancy Memorial High School secured its first-ever win for its all-girls flag football team.
By Currents News
Monsignor McClancy Memorial High School’s all-girls flag football team secured its first-ever win on March 23, defeating St. Francis Prep High School 19-13.
The victory marks a historic milestone for the program, which is one of the first flag football teams in Queens and one of the only all-girls squads in the New York City borough.
The team will look to build on its success when it faces Cardinal Spellman High School on April 13.
By Currents News
St. Camillus parish is expressing gratitude to Bishop Robert Brennan for his decision to keep the Queens church open.
After Mass on March 22, parishioners gathered outside the church holding a large banner that read thanks to the bishop for supporting their parish and allowing it to remain open.
The parish had announced plans to close about nine months ago due to declining attendance and mounting debt.
In response, the community rallied together, significantly increasing both Sunday Mass attendance and fundraising efforts.
While financial challenges remain and more work is needed, parishioners said they are deeply thankful to Bishop Brennan for giving them the opportunity to continue their mission.
By Currents News
Bishop Robert Brennan led the faithful to Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Bensonhurst on March 23 for the 29th day of the Diocese of Brooklyn’s Lenten Pilgrimage.
The bishop celebrated a Spanish Mass with the pastor, Monsignor Robert Romano, and the parish’s two parochial vicars, Father Peter Nguyen and Father Prince Horsu, as concelebrants.
The day’s activities included rosaries, silent adoration, and a trilingual Stations of the Cross.
The Spanish Mass brought the day’s Lenten pilgrimage services to a close.
It is not too late to join the pilgrimage yourself:download the Lenten Pilgrimage app from the App Store or Google Play, or visit lent.dioeceseofbrooklyn.org for more information.
By Currents News
Students at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy combined their math skills with a meaningful cause during a school-wide Math-a-Thon, raising more than $17,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
The funds raised by the Queens school will help families of children facing life-threatening illnesses cover not only medical treatment but also travel, housing and food expenses.
In addition to the successful fundraiser, the academy is hosting a special exhibit on Wednesday, March 25.
The “Eucharistic Miracles of the World” exhibit will be on display at the school, located at 219 Beach 129th Street, from 3 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
The exhibit highlights the Catholic Church’s newest canonized teenager, St. Carlo Acutis, and his devotion to the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, which he promoted through a website he created using his computer skills.
By Currents News
Students at Bay Ridge Catholic Academy in Brooklyn gained a deeper understanding of the Holocaust through firsthand testimony that no textbook can provide.
Several classes have been reading books set during the Holocaust.
On March 24, Av Sinensky, a member of 3GNY — an organization of grandchildren of Holocaust survivors — visited the school to speak about his grandfather, who survived Auschwitz.
“There are very few of them left who are able to share those firsthand stories,” Sinensky told the students. “And therefore, it’s really important for those of us who heard those stories to keep sharing them.”
Seventh grader Michael Gallagher said the in-person talk made the history more real: “Just reading out of the book, really understanding it as much as you would as someone who comes in in person and tells you all about it.”
Principal Paul Morisi emphasized the value of the visit: “I think having a guest speaker who has a tie to the real subject was very important for our students.”
After the presentation, students had the opportunity to ask Sinensky questions and speak with him one-on-one.
Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day in the Hebrew calendar, will be observed on April 14.