Tonight AT 7: Diocese of Brooklyn To Celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe Feast Day With Mass, Music and Processions

By Currents News

December 12 marks the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe – the Marian apparition that is venerated by many across Mexico and Central America.

In the Diocese of Brooklyn, thousands of parishioners will be converging on the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph in Brooklyn for two different Masses.

Following the Mass a pilgrimage of the faithful, torches in hand, will spread the light of Christ through the streets of New York City.

Katie Vasquez has the history of La Virgin de Guadalupe tonight.

Catholic News Headlines for Wednesday 12/11/2024

Bishop Robert Brennan gathered with hundreds of guests at his annual Christmas luncheon at Russo’s on the Bay in Howard Beach, raising vital funds to support Catholic education and empower young people across Brooklyn and Queens.

Queens students organized a diaper drive and tree lighting at Immaculate Conception Catholic Academy, creating gift baskets and raising funds for The Bridge to Life to support moms and babies.

Bay Ridge Catholic Academy’s third graders brought the Christmas spirit to life with an Advent presentation of songs and readings highlighting the birth of Jesus.

The Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph hosted a packed Advent celebration with prayer, reflection, and inspiring performances by Christian singer-songwriters Matt Maher and Sarah Kroger.

Bishop’s Christmas Luncheon Benefits Catholic Education, Youth Ministry in the Diocese of Brooklyn

By Jessica Easthope

The spirit of Christmas and the spirit of giving went hand-in-hand on December 11. Priests, parishioners and donors came together to support the Catholic Foundation for Brooklyn and Queens, which helps provide Catholic education and youth ministry initiatives in the Diocese of Brooklyn. They’re important causes to Brooklyn Bishop Robert Brennan.

“The young people just continue to inspire me here in the diocese with our schools, our academies and, high schools and our youth programs,” he told Currents News.

“We need to make them feel like they are a part of this church, and they’re already on their faith journey,” added John Notaro, Executive Director of the Catholic Foundation for Brooklyn and Queens.

Every year the luncheon honors those who have made an impact in their church communities and who are committed to the future of Catholic education. This year, former American Express executive Dominick Ranieri was given the Emma A. Daniels Benefactor’s Award.

“My role, as well as all those on our board, is to help make those decisions that can help us stay sound financially and really extend the life of the school as far into the future as we possibly can,” he said.

Father Joseph Fonti was honored with the St. John Paul II Distinguished Stewardship Award. As pastor of St. Mel’s Church in Flushing, Queens, Fr. Fonti has played a pivotal role in helping build St. Mel’s Catholic Academy back up after it was set to close a few years ago.

“If we work together, educate the mind, fortify heart and soul with faith and love, we would have a success,” he told Currents News.

The Spirit of Hope Award was given to Walter and Eunice Campbell. The Campbells started the George K. Campbell Scholarship Foundation in 2006 in honor of their 20-year-old son who was killed in a car accident. The Campbells are active parishioners of Holy Family Church in Canarsie, Brooklyn and help sustain Our Lady of Trust Catholic Academy.

“We help as much as we can. That’s when the tears come to my eyes and what have you, because, he’s still alive as far as I’m concerned,” Walter Campbell said about helping his community in his son’s name.

The event is expected to raise $400,000 for Catholic education and youth ministry in the Diocese of Brooklyn.

Saints Joachim & Anne Nursing and Rehab Center Unveils New Chapel

By Currents News

A new sacred space is putting faith at the center of a Coney Island, Brooklyn nursing home.

Saints Joachim And Anne Nursing & Rehabilitation Center gifted its residents a newly renovated chapel that’s front and center in the lobby.

The facility celebrated the chapel’s grand opening on Dec. 10 with an all night affair, starting with a Mass presided over by Monsignor Alfred LoPinto, CEO of Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens.

The Mass was followed by a tree lighting ceremony on the front lawn and a dinner with live music.

Immaculate Conception Academy Students Share Spirit of Holiday Giving With Bridge to Life

By Currents News

Students at Immaculate Conception Catholic Academy in Astoria, Queens are making sure the Christmas season is bright for others.

During a school assembly on December 10, on behalf of students members of the Knights of Columbus Columbian Squires and the Junior Ladies of Charity presented baskets of baby clothes and supplies – along with baby bottles filled with change – to the Bridge to Life.

The kids chose the pro-life organization for their Advent service project. The donations will help some of the 5,000 expectant mothers the Bridge to Life serves every year.

TONIGHT AT 7: Annual Christmas Luncheon With Bishop of Brooklyn Raises Funds for Catholic Education

By Currents News

Brooklyn Bishop Robert Brennan and hundreds of his closest friends are getting into the holiday spirit of giving today while having lunch in Howard Beach, Queens.

The Bishop’s annual Christmas luncheon at Russo’s on the Bay raises money for Catholic education and supports youth programs throughout the Diocese of Brooklyn. Jessica Easthope will have more on celebrations and fundraising efforts tonight.

Bay Ridge Catholic Academy Celebrates Advent, Feast of St. Nicholas With Song

By Currents News

Third graders at Bay Ridge Catholic Academy in Brooklyn held an Advent presentation of songs and readings portraying the meaning of the spiritual season of preparation for the birth of Jesus.

The whole school attended a Mass on Dec. 6 which celebrated the Feast of St. Nicholas, a 4th Century bishop who was known for his generosity and is associated with the modern day Santa Claus.

Diocese of Brooklyn Prepares for Tree Lighting, Hosts Advent Worship Concert

By Currents News

The Vatican has unveiled its Christmas tree and nativity scene in Rome, but If you want to see a tree lighting a little closer to home the Diocese of Brooklyn is holding its ceremony on Friday, December 13.

Brooklyn Bishop Robert Brennan will flip the switch on the 28 foot Norway Spruce, turning on the more than 17,000 multicolored lights representing the diversity of the Diocese of Immigrants. Along with the tree located at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn, he will also bless the accompanying nativity scene.

Currents News anchor Christine Persichette will be emceeing the event, which starts at 5 pm on Friday.

Prior to the tree lighting, parishioners in the Diocese of Brooklyn have already been lighting up their faith through an evening of praise and worship: the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph hosted an event to celebrate the season of advent through prayer, reflection and music.

On December 7 people packed the pews to worship through song and watch Grammy-nominated Christian musician Matt Maher and singer-songwriter Sarah Kroger perform an “Advent Night of Worship” – part of their first-ever cathedrals tour.

“I think in terms of the whole tour, it really was just to call the faithful back to these spaces,” Maher tells Currents News. “It’s really an opportunity just to celebrate, I think in some ways, the gift that these spaces are and that they represent to the Body of Christ. It’s an opportunity to worship there in a new way.”

The two artists who worship together at the same church in Nashville, Tennessee say they love touring together, especially during the season of Advent when they can share their faith through their art.

“The first time that I ever really learned how to pray was because of worship music. It was what gave me language to have a personal relationship with Jesus,” Kroger explains. “From that moment on it was just like, ‘That’s what I want to do.’ That’s what I want to do for other people, lead people into an encounter with love.

The Co-Cathedral was the second to last stop on their joint tour.

Notre Dame Exhibit Takes Visitors on a Virtual Trip to the City of Lights

By Katie Vasquez

The world famous Notre Dame Cathedral has reopened to massive crowds, but if you can’t make it to France to see it in person, an exhibition at Cathedral of St John the Divine in Manhattan brings the sacred space to you through digital tablets called “histopads.”

Visitors can use scan-to-view technology at designated spots around the cathedral, and they are transported from Morningside Heights New York, to Paris, France with a view of some of the renovations. Visitors to the experience, called “Notre Dame de Paris: the Augmented Exhibition,” can also travel through time, both to the 2019 fire and to 1160 during the early stages of the cathedral. Church officials and visitors alike say that the incredible European building has the ability to speak to people of all faiths.

“Through history we see people seeking this thing we call God, this reality we call God,” says Father Patrick Malloy, Dean of Cathedral of St John The Divine. “In a sense, stepping into a place like Notre Dame is not only stepping into a wonderful place of architecture. It’s stepping into history. It’s stepping into the past,” he explains.

“My father’s French so I guess that’s part of my roots,” visitor Marianne Tremarolai tells Currents News. “I think the cathedral is such a stunning and beautiful place and we can’t beat that window. I’m sorry, it’s just absolutely gorgeous – nothing like it anywhere.”

“The architecture, I mean it’s just so majestic, it’s gorgeous and there’s nothing like it around,” Steven Tremarolai adds, accompanying Marianne. “It’s just a beautiful piece of architecture so it’s hard not to be able to appreciate it.”

You can see the exhibit at the Cathedral of St John the Divine Monday through Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm and Sundays from 12 pm to 4 pm.

There’s a small $10 fee to get in, but you can stay as long as you like. The exhibit will run until the end of January.

For more information and to get tickets, go to https://stjohndivine.org/ and search for “Notre Dame de Paris: the Augmented Exhibition.”

Bright Christmas Campaign and Art Contest Inspire Diocese of Brooklyn to Keep Christ in Christmas

By Currents News

While the Diocese of Brooklyn is preparing for Christmas, The Tablet newspaper is helping you remember the reason for the season! They are kicking off their Bright Christmas campaign, which for the last 60 years has fulfilled a promise to households around the Diocese of Brooklyn that every child will have a present under the tree on Christmas. The campaign raises hundreds of thousands of dollars to make this happen, and they need your help. Just go online to thetablet.org/brightchristmas.

You can also make a check out to Bright Christmas and mail it to 856 Pacific Street in Brooklyn, NY 11238. Details on how to give, plus stories about the families your donation will help, are in this week’s Tablet. The paper is also getting kids into the Christmas spirit with their annual art contest. Children and teens across the Diocese of Brooklyn are invited to grab their pencils, paintbrushes, crayons, and markers to show how they are keeping Christ in Christmas.

For contest rules and entry details, pick up this weekend’s edition of The Tablet from your local church. It includes all the information and a special QR code to take you directly to the contest homepage.