Father Edwin Ortiz couldn’t believe what he was seeing the first time he witnessed Father Gerald Umoren walk the streets of Bensonhurst, visiting parishioners at their homes .

Father Ortiz, The Parochial Vicar at St. Athanasius Church said it will forever stand out as an example of what it means to be a shepherd.

“Father Gerald really has integrated himself in the community,” Father Ortiz said. “It’s beautiful to see the relationships that he has and has maintained throughout these 19 years. He really gives himself completely to the parish.”

This year, Father Umoren, who’s a visiting priest from Nigeria, is walking the streets making his visits for a 19th summer. He’s greeted with a “welcome home.” 

That is what Brooklyn is to him.

“I found a home here,”Father Umoren “Whether you call it first home or second home, I found a home here.”

It’s the reason he keeps coming back. When Father Umoren first came, the church was struggling.

“During that time, the church’s sex scandal was at its peak,” Father Umorensaid. “But when I came I found that the faith was still very strong. There were people in church and the people were very warm.”

Father Umoren is a teacher by trade. At home he’s the principal of a high school and a university and seminary professor. 

But when he comes to Brooklyn, he’s the student. He’s practicing his language skills, and saying Mass in both Spanish and Italian.

“What impressed me is he wasn’t just trying to learn the language but the culture,” Father Ortiz said.

His language skills have made him some great friends over the years, like Anita de Mattia.

“I see her as one of the few remaining veterans,” Father Umoren said. “I’m so encouraged by the faith she shows. She is one of those who will not miss morning mass.”

“He was accepted,” de Mattia said. “It’s your personality and what you do with it that speaks for yourself. It’s that and also what he says to you.” 

De Mattia has been a parishioner at St. Athanasius for 55 years. 

Like others who have come to know and love Father Umoren, she can’t help but mention his signature smile.

“When I think of Father Umoren I see a big smile,” de Mattia said. “He’s always smiling, you want a piece of that joy.” 

Like Father Ortiz, she too has come to appreciate his signature advice.

“Don’t rush, think through things, just be calm and relaxed and know that I’m praying for you, that’s what he says,” de Mattia said. 

“Father Gerald pulled me to the side one day and told me [to] slow down, relax,” Father Ortiz said. “You’re never going to enjoy the priesthood. It will become work and you’ll never enjoy it.” 

Father Umoren will tell you he comes to Brooklyn because he enjoys it. It makes him feel good, but his real impact is how he makes others feel. 

“I’ve learned so much from him and I know it’s something I’ll always hold especially for future ministry,” Father Ortiz said.

A dozen people were treated for non-life threatening injuries when a crane partially collapsed from the top of a building that was under construction in Hell’s Kitchen on Wednesday, July 26.

The crane initially erupted into flames before falling 45 stories onto Tenth Avenue and 41st Street.

The building was deemed stable but as a precaution the Croatian Parish of Sts. Cyril and Methodius and St. Raphael, which is roughly a block away, was evacuated.

Currents News Katie Vasquez joins us from the scene in Hell’s Kitchen with the very latest.

Brooklyn has undergone a major clean up after a major storm on Tuesday, July 26, caused damage in Bensonhurst, including a part of one church.

A tree fell on the rectory of St. Dominic.

Wednesday, July 26, marked the feast day of Jesus’ grandparents, St. Joachim and St. Anne. 

Some modern-day grandparents looked to the family of Christ at a Mass in Coney Island at the St. Joachim and Anne Nursing And Rehabilitation Center.

They were joined by Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens CEO, Monsignor Alfred Lopinto, in celebrating the liturgy. 

Monsignor Lopinto said the feast is a special occasion for the seniors because this facility was made to take care of grandparents in need.

At one parish in Jamaica, the faithful have found unique and expressive ways to pray. 

For the past 25 years, they have been led by one dedicated parishioner in her vibrant Praise Dancing Ministry.

St. Bonaventure-St. Benedict the Moor, a merger of two separate churches, has a rich history of diverse congregations. Originally established in 1930 with mostly white parishioners, it later became home to black Catholics from Africa and the Caribbean due to the Great Migration.

Father Francis Asagba, former administrator of the parish, explains, “All of them bring their unique cultures to enrich the diversity of the parish.”

The culture of the congregation is deeply embedded in their faith, from the music during Mass to the dancing. Praise dancing has become a powerful form of worship for many parishioners, allowing them to express their feelings as part of praise.

Paulita DaCosta-Campbell, a parishioner with unwavering devotion, took a leap of faith 25 years ago when she started the Praise Dance Ministry at St. Bonaventure. However, this endeavor was met with mixed reactions. “There were some people that were really for it, loved it, wanted it – but there were some people who turned their face up – dancing in the Catholic church?! You know, like what is that?! We don’t do that here!” she recalls.

But Paulita emphasizes that praise dancing is not a performance; it’s a ministry. Dressed in their praise garments, the dancers tell stories through their movements, conveying the word of God and the message of the songs they dance to.

Paulita DaCosta-Campbell of St. Bonaventure-St. Benedict the Moor in Jamaica, Queens is The Pulse of The Parish.