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Diocese of Brooklyn Celebrates St. Joseph With Faith and Food

By Jessica Easthope

It’s St. Joseph’s Day and this feast day starts the way every feast day starts – with Mass. In Bensonhurst at St. Dominic Church, Deacon Anthony Mammoliti and members of the Italian Apostolate have adopted a Sicilian tradition that’s brought the community together.

“St. Joseph is what we call the strong silent type,” Deacon Anthony says during his homily.

He was a father, husband and provider—but the Bible doesn’t record a single spoken word from Joseph of Nazareth.

“In that silence is great strength, strength of character for us to emulate,” says Deacon Anthony.

After Mass the preparation begins. Joseph brought great faith to the table – and what the ladies of the Italian Apostolate bring to La Tavolata is a reflection of theirs. Meatless food of all types are presented before a statue of St. Joseph to be shared with the community—but not before 96-year-old Caterina Lionetti, the matriarch of this group, has her say.

“First it was a few people now it’s a lot of people, everybody loves St. Joseph,” Lionetti said.

The women make it look easy but so much work goes into La Tavolata every year and there’s more to learn about the sweet treat that’s at the center of it all.

On Lorimer Street in the heart of Williamsburg Nino and Bilena Settepani crank out St. Joseph pastries by the hundreds at their bakery, Settepani. There’s a sign on the door that lets everyone know the tradition is alive and well. St. Joseph pastries are sold in bakeries across New York City—but it’s the history that adds a bite to even the lightest pastry dough.

“St. Joseph pastry has very ancient history, they precede Christianity. Legend says when St Joseph the Virgin Mary and Jesus escaped from the Holy Land to Egypt in order for St Joseph to survive he was selling fried dough and bread to make a living,” said executive chef Nino Settepani.

You might prefer sfinci or zeppole, but the Settepanis say their deep faith is the not-so-secret ingredient in both.

“We’re one of the oldest bakeries in this neighborhood and for us it’s always important to keep our faith and our tradition alive,” pastry chef Bilena Settepani said.

From sweet to savory, back in Bensonhurst at Pastosa Ravioli on New Utrecht Avenue owner Joseph Ajello says if you’re looking to recreate the taste of 9th century Sicily in 2026, you’re in the right place for all things pasta con sarde. Ajello says those who are making the dish for St. Joseph’s Day should be just as seasoned on its origins as their sauce.

“We make a fresh bucatini pasta, sardines, raisins, pignoli nuts, fresh fennel, the breadcrumb is supposed to represent the sawdust of the carpenter, Joseph,” he said.

The final stop is the Co-Cathedral of St Joseph in Prospect Heights. St Joseph’s story begins with a challenge. When he discovered Mary was with child but the baby wasn’t his, he planned to divorce her quietly until an angel confirmed Mary had conceived through the Holy Spirit. He was up against seemingly insurmountable odds but he put his trust in God.

“We can look to him for courage, we can look to him for the ability to realize no matter what difficulties we face in life God is always with us,” said Deacon Anthony.

If you find yourself up against it this St Joseph’s Day, you can share your table, remember your faith, and put your trust in God—just like St Joseph did.

Catholic News Headlines for Thursday 3/19/26   

Catholics across the Diocese of Brooklyn are marking Saint Joseph’s Day by gathering for Mass, sharing traditional foods, and honoring Italian customs tied to the saint.

Pope Leo XIV will make his first major papal trip to Africa with visits planned in Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea.

Many have been wondering whether Pope Leo XIV cast a ballot in the Illinois primary, but officials say he is no longer registered to vote there.

More U.S. dioceses are reporting a rise in adults preparing to join the Catholic Church this Easter.

Lenten Pilgrimage Marks St. Patrick’s Day With Special Stop in Queens

By Currents News

The Diocese of Brooklyn’s Lenten pilgrimage paused to honor St. Patrick with a special visit to St. Patrick Church in Queens.

Bishop Robert Brennan celebrated bilingual Mass and thanked the parish for welcoming pilgrims on the feast day of Ireland’s patron saint, making the stop especially meaningful along the Lenten journey.

Catholic News Headlines for Wednesday 3/18/26   

A Midtown Manhattan restaurant owner is opening his doors to people in need during freezing nights, saying his faith inspires him to help others.

Bishop Robert Brennan celebrated Mass and led Eucharistic adoration at Our Lady Help of Christians Church in Brooklyn as the Diocese of Brooklyn’s Lenten Pilgrimage continues.

The Tablet is publishing a list of Holy Week and Easter services across Brooklyn and Queens.

On Trisomy 18 Awareness Day, a mother is sharing her daughter’s life with the condition to encourage other families to choose life.

11 Cities, 10 Days: What to Expect During Pope Leo XIV’s Trip to Africa

By Currents News

Eight public speeches, seven Masses, and 11 African cities make up Pope Leo XIV’s trip across Africa.

It is expected to be marathon of meetings, celebrations, and visits, according to the Vatican.

The Holy Father’s first stop will undoubtedly be one of the most special moments: the Augustinian pope will go to Algeria, where the founder of his Order, Saint Augustine of Hippo, once lived.

It’s a visit Pope Leo XIV made clear would happen some time ago.

“Personally, I hope to go to Algeria to visit the places connected with the life of Saint Augustine and to continue promoting dialogue and the building of bridges between the Christian and Muslim worlds,” he previously said.

It is estimated that less than 1% of the population of Algeria is Catholic.

The pontiff will meet with this community at the Basilica of Our Lady of Africa. He will also visit the Djamaa el Djazair, one of the largest Islamic places of worship in the world.

Pope Leo XIV will also stop at the Maqam Echahid, dedicated to those who died during the Algerian War of Independence against France.

The trip will then continue to Cameroon, a country that has both French and English as its official languages and where roughly one third of the population is Catholic.

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI visited the country in 2009.

While in Cameroon, Pope Leo will focus on meetings with political and Church authorities. He will also visit an orphanage, promoting the protection and education of the most vulnerable children.

He will additionally go to the St. Paul Catholic Hospital, highlighting the Catholic Church’s social work.

Pope Leo XIV will also pray for peace, and plans to hold a meeting and celebrate Mass at the international airport. He aims to send strong message of peace in a country where internal conflicts are still persistent.

The penultimate country of the trip will be Angola, which Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI also visited. It is a Portuguese-speaking nation with a Catholic majority.

TONIGHT AT 7: NYC Restaurant Opens Doors, Offers Shelter in Cold Weather

By Katie Vasquez

New York City has been enduring a wave of bitter cold with temperatures repeatedly dropping below freezing.

The deadly conditions have claimed more than a dozen lives across the metropolitan region.

In response, one Manhattan restaurant owner has been opening his doors to provide a warm place for those in need to sleep, and says his actions are driven by his faith.

NYC Restaurateur Offers Overnight Shelter in Freezing Weather

By Katie Vasquez and Bill Miller

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN — On a bone-chilling winter night in 1986, a 20-year-old immigrant from Ankara, Turkey, who arrived just three days earlier, stumbled through the streets of a New Jersey town, lost and unable to speak English. 

Ali Riza Doğan had no way to call his uncle for help or directions. There weren’t any cell phones yet, and the young restaurant worker couldn’t find a payphone. 

Feeling lost, alone, and not knowing English, Doğan said he “almost cried.”  

But then he found an unlocked door to a boarded-up building, which he entered to escape the wintry blast.  

“I went to the fifth-floor hallway, and they had carpet and heat on there,” Doğan recalled. “I slept there overnight. It was like a five-star hotel.” 

RELATED: When Temperatures Plunge, Charities Worry Most About Risks to Homeless

When morning came, he went to a shopping area, where he got help calling his uncle, who came and picked him up. 

Doğan operates the popular Ali Baba Mediterranean & Turkish Cuisine on East 53rd Street in Midtown. Yet his humble beginnings in the U.S. stay with him. 

“I never forget that day,” Doğan said of the time he was lost. “It is a very bad memory for me still.” 

And when that happens — like the 14 degrees below zero on Feb. 8 — he prints out a sign that he tapes to his restaurant’s window. It reads: “If anyone is staying outside tonight, you can stay inside. The heat is on overnight.  

“We can sleep in peace when we remember God is awake.” 

Like that hallway 40 years ago, shelter seekers can sleep inside the restaurant’s vestibule. There is no access to the dining area or kitchen, but the small space is heated and dry. 

Doğan sat down with The Tablet on March 10 when the mercury reached 77 degrees. Just days earlier, the daytime temperatures were frigid enough to retain the snow that blanketed the city for several weeks. 

But Doğan’s charity doesn’t end when spring arrives. 

Each Wednesday, he joins other volunteers in serving food from his restaurant and other eateries to homeless people. He shares savory entrees of lamb and chicken, along with various Mediterranean side dishes. 

Doğan’s Muslim faith calls upon believers to help the poor, but he noted that all people deserve kindness. Christians can relate. 

Matthew 25:40 says, “And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ ” 

RELATED: Queens Restaurateur’s Special Dish Is His Devotion to St. Padre Pio

Also, the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1397) says, “The Eucharist commits us to the poor. To receive in truth the Body and Blood of Christ given up for us, we must recognize Christ in the poorest.” 

To that end, the Church calls upon Catholics to perform or support “corporal works of mercy,” such as feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, and visiting the sick, including those in prison. 

That’s easy to do, Doğan said, when people never forget where they came from, including the bad memories of being cold, lost, and unable to communicate in a new country. 

“Make someone happy,” he said. “That’s the most important thing in life. It doesn’t matter what religion you are, what country you [are from], what color you are — it doesn’t make a difference. 

“We are all human beings, and we only want God watching us.”