Family and friends say their final goodbyes to slain FDNY EMS Captain Alison Russo-Elling today.
President Joe Biden is in Florida today checking out the damage left behind by Hurricane Ian.
We’ll speak with the Diocese of Brooklyn’s new Victim Assistance Coordinator.
It was an emotional final goodbye for the FDNY EMS Captain killed in a random attack in Queens. Family and friends of Alison Russo-Elling shared cherished memories of her at her funeral on Long Island on Wednesday.
National Correspondent for The Tablet and Crux, John Lavenburg, is on the ground in Bonita, Florida with a report on the continuing recovery and relief efforts taking place after Hurricane Ian.
It’s been nearly a week since Hurricane Ian decimated communities in Florida and the search for survivors grows more desperate by the minute.
New York City has a new plan to house the migrants who were bussed here from Texas.
We’ll have an update on those synod listening sessions that happened at churches across the diocese.
By Jessica Easthope
While the average parishioner might think the Synod process is over for the Diocese of Brooklyn, Sister Maryann LoPiccolo says now is when the real progress begins.
“This is the beginning of a long, long process of rebuilding the church and getting people back, so the listening sessions were just the beginning so it’s half over,” Sr. Maryann, the co-director of the Diocese of Brooklyn’s Synod said.
Thousands across Brooklyn and Queens participated, many of them digitally. A report on the listening sessions was due over the summer and now the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is reviewing how Catholics feel about their Church.
“This really is Pope Francis’ call for missionary discipleship, it’s a call for everyone who is person of faith to be energized, inviting and welcoming and that’s the key, can we create inviting welcoming communities of faith so people want to be a part of us,” said Father Joseph Gibino the synod’s other director.
In Brooklyn and Queens people want more faith formation for young people and families. They also want a focus on the area’s diverse populations. The Diocese of Brooklyn is the most diverse diocese in the country, masses are said in 33 languages.
“You have maybe mass in three languages, you have three communities but how do you make that one parish community and build community so that people know each other,” said Sr. Maryann.
Bishop Robert Brennan said what struck him most about the synod process is how passionate people are about their faith and church community.
“We don’t live in Catholic bubbles, what people are looking for is to make that connection, they want their faith to be able to help them and sustain them as they’re living out their everyday lives and that theme seemed to emerge out of the synod,” he said.
Over the next year, the Brooklyn diocesan report will become part of larger national and continental reports. And just like the church itself – the goal for the Synod is ever evolving.
“What he wants this to be is an ongoing process of discernment, the journeying together as Church and that happens in every age, with every age group in every culture and every corner of our world,” Sr. Maryann said.
The diocesan synod report will be released on Wednesday October 13.
It’s been nearly a week since Hurricane Ian decimated communities in Florida. There have been at least 100 deaths and the search for survivors is now growing more desperate by the minute.
Monsignor Sean G. Ogle’s Homily from Tuesday’s Mass on 10/4/22
WINDSOR TERRACE — Bishop Robert Brennan is asking the faithful of the diocese to donate to the victims of recent hurricanes Fiona and Ian.
“We have all seen the painful images of utter devastation and heard of the deaths caused by the recent hurricanes that have affected our brothers and sisters in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Florida, and the southeastern United States,” Bishop Robert Brennan wrote in a letter to priests of the diocese asking them to organize a special collection.
“Our hearts and prayers go out to all those affected by these terrible natural disasters,” the bishop added.
Hurricane Fiona brought winds up to 85 mph and more than 20 inches of rain to Puerto Rico on Sept. 18, knocking out water and power on the island. Over 1,000 people were rescued as the storm flooded streets, caused mudslides, and destroyed infrastructure.
On Sept. 23, five days before Fiona dissipated, Hurricane Ian formed, first striking Cuba, and then making landfall in the Ft. Myers, Florida area on Sept. 28, as a Category 4 storm.
Though Ian was downgraded to a tropical storm after wrecking swaths of Florida, it regained strength and regrouped as a hurricane before heading toward South Carolina.
President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration to send federal help before it made landfall in Charleston on Sept. 30.
Residents of Florida and the Carolinas face an estimated recovery cost in the tens of billions of dollars.
As of Oct. 2, at least 80 people were confirmed dead, and more than 1,600 people had been rescued in parts of southwest and central Florida.
In the days after Hurricane Fiona tore through the Caribbean, Pope Francis sent separate telegrams to the presidents of the bishops’ conferences of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, assuring them of his prayers.
Bishop Brennan’s letter stated, “The monies collected will be sent by our Diocese for distribution and direct assistance to the affected by the hurricanes.”
Those who wish to send their checks directly to the diocese can do so.
Checks should be made out as follows:
COMPOSTELA FUND OF THE RC DIOCESE OF BROOKLYN
With the word “Hurricanes” written in the memo
Mail to:
Diocesan Finance Office
310 Prospect Park West
Brooklyn, NY 11215
By Jessica Easthope
Harold Gaffney has seen the worst of what human beings can do to each other, he was a court officer and a court clerk for 36 years, but he’s never seen the city this bad.
“There used to be a time where you had the concept of a crime-busting DA but you don’t have that anymore,” he said.
According to the NYPD, major crimes in the Financial District are up 50 percent this year compared to the rest of the city where it’s up 33 percent. The 1st Precinct, which covers the area, is reporting burglary is up 70 percent, robbery up 15 percent, felony assault up 16 percent and rape up 55 percent.
“People who commit crime don’t feel that there’s a consequence for it, if a person is arrested and back on the street in 24 hours you can have all the arrest statistics you want, the person’s back on the street,” Harold said.
Harold says even during his two-block-walk to church at our lady of victory in the heart of the financial district – he feels unsafe.
“A lot of people who commit crime feel empowered and say “hey let me do what” I want and that’s part of the problem,” he said.
Harold points to the lack of city resources designated to help homeless on the streets as one origin of the recent crime spike, and he’s not the only one.
“They turn to a life of crime, even these homeless people, violent, they’re very violent,” said Eve Smith.
Eve is a baby nurse who walks the streets of the financial district every day – and almost always with children.
“Of course I feel less safe, I was scared when I saw this homeless man he was violent, raging violent, he was attacking people passing by, people are going about their business and they fear for their lives,” she said.
People here say above ground the crime is spread out and sometimes masked by the skyscrapers and professional feel of the financial hub, but below ground – it’s harder to escape.
“I was almost at my stop here and a homeless man sat down and he was screaming and throwing donuts at people and smoking a cigarette right next to me,” said Jessica Levy who works on William Street.
She’s recently back in her native New York after living abroad, she said people warned her about the aggressive crime but she didn’t realize the magnitude of the problem until she saw it for herself.
“I don’t know if it’s only a homelessness problem,” she said. “But after leaving for three years and coming back, New York feels like a slightly different place now.”
One of the most historic neighborhoods in New York City is seeing a rise in crime.
A wake is being held today for the FDNY EMS lieutenant who was stabbed to death last week in Astoria.
Communities across Florida are trying to clean up and rebuild five days after Hurricane Ian hit the state.