The kids of Brooklyn are getting in on the action to carry their own Giglio — for the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
Pope Francis makes history by selecting three women to join the Vatican body that oversees the selection of new bishops.
The House votes on a pair of bills meant to protect access to abortion.
Scientists are astounded at the new images of God’s creation — thanks to NASA’s latest technology.
Currents News Staff
Craft breweries get a lot of buzz these days, but more than 150 years ago, a beer cave was built in Winterset, Iowa. Only now is its history being discovered.
The stone building was once the first brewery in Madison County. In the mid-1800s, the way to keep beer cool was going underground – in a beer cave. While some locals had heard about it – the buried beer room had been lost for decades.
“I believe it’s about 12 foot by maybe 20 foot,” said Chuck Johnson, “beautiful arch ceiling.”
Chuck Johnson says a crew recently found the cave while working on some power lines – though they didn’t know what it was.
“When we poked our head in and the arched ceiling there isn’t a flaw in it,” said Chuck. “It’s just like it was brand new.”
There was even talk they’d found part of the underground railroad. But the Madison County Historical Society had a pretty good idea what it was from the start. Jared McDonald shows us a County atlas from 1875.
“This is union township,” said Jared, “which is where the beer cave is located. And we’re looking right there at the brewery by M Schroeder.”
Morris Schroeder’s Brewery had been quite divisive in a town with a very active temperance movement. This newspaper article from 1873 writes: “there is much complaint about the disturbances happening at the brewery.” It even notes a stabbing – and on the Sabbath.
“He was basically ran out because of the brewery,” said Morris. “His beer because they didn’t want it in the community anymore.”
For now – the beer cave is buried – but light imaging radar will eventually scan it. Madison County will then decide how best to preserve it.
Most Reverend Bishop Robert J. Brennan’s Homily from Friday’s Mass on 7/15/22
Currents News Staff
With mass shootings and the explosion of gun violence occurring nationwide, there’s a push for tougher gun control laws. One clinical psychologist from Catholic Social Services says some of the main causes are teens in the U.S. enduring chronic trauma, violence and poverty.
James Black, the Director of the Youth Services Division of Catholic Social Services in Philadelphia joined Currents News to discuss the alarming trend and what role the Church has in alleviating the suffering.
To read the full article with James Black in The Tablet, click here: “Teen Trauma, Impaired Brain Development Seen as Factors in Gun Violence”
The director of a pregnancy center explains to Senate lawmakers how her pro-life work is worth the risk of any potential attacks.
How violence, trauma and poverty is having an effect on teens who turn to gun violence. We’ll speak with a clinical psychologist from Catholic Social Services.
A fourth vaccine is approved for COVID-19 — why it may be a more ethical choice for Catholics.
Currents News Staff
Pregnancy care centers from coast to coast are being targeted for violent attacks.
Heidi Matzke is the Executive Director of Alternatives Pregnancy Center in California. She spoke to members of the U.S. Senate claiming that misinformation stemming from the Roe v. Wade decision is leading to attacks on pregnancy centers like hers.
“We have been forced to hire security because of threats of violence,” said Matzke.
Heidi also shared an image of a man with a machete at her center’s door right before they opened for the day. A security guard was able to derail that attack but it still rattled the facility. Meanwhile in the wake of overturning Roe v. Wade, pro-abortion advocates are now looking to the House.
That’s where a bill allowing pregnant women to cross state lines to obtain an abortion is expected to be up for a vote. The bill is an attempt to preempt any states who might try to prevent abortion tourism now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned.
The vote in the House could come down as soon as Friday.
Currents News Staff
You could soon have access to a fourth kind of COVID-19 vaccine. A version from Novavax now has FDA Emergency Use Authorization. The CDC is expected to recommend it as soon as this month.
“The virus continues to evolve very quickly,” said Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House Covid Response Coordinator. “We have to constantly be updating our response.”
It’s unlike the other three vaccines because it uses protein fragments to teach the body how to fight COVID.
If you’re vaccinated against Hepatitis B or whooping cough, you’ve probably already had a vaccine that works like this. The latest variants weren’t around when Novavax developed its vaccine.
But, the company says it appears to have a broad immune system response to the BA.5 Omicron offshoot. That’s good news because it’s the dominant variant right now and the most contagious one yet.
“There’s fatigue, sore throat, headache,” said Dr. Leana Wen, a CNN Medical Analyst, “Anecdotally we’re seeing this more with B-5.”
Experts say getting vaccinated is your best protection against severe illness. If you haven’t gotten boosted this year, you might want to reconsider.
“Immunity against infection wanes pretty quickly,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Director at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. “And it goes way, way down.”
Meanwhile, drug companies are trying to update existing vaccines for whatever comes next.
Currents News Staff
A big Brooklyn tradition is “carrying” on tonight – all four tons of it. Parishioners at Our Lady of Mount Carmel are once again parading Saint Paulinus through the streets of Williamsburg.
The giglio – a 72-foot tower adorned with the patron saint of Nola, Italy – is the highlight of the 12-day-long feast and tonight is the much-loved nighttime lift.
It’s a neighborhood tradition spanning generations back to when Williamsburg was populated by mostly Italian immigrants. The man behind the festivities is the church’s pastor, Msgr. Jamie Gigantiello says it’s also a way of reconnecting people to the faith.
“And really what it does,” says Msgr. Jamie, “it connects them to their loved ones who have died… They see their parents and grandparents walking down the street holding their hands when they lift that giglio. They remember their loved ones who aren’t here anymore and they’re right next to them they lift that giglio in their honor.
I think people should come to the feast to experience the spirit of faith… to experience faith in a different way… bringing our faith into the streets, celebrating our traditions.”
The giglio feast has been around since 1903 and this year, it took more than 100 “lifters” to carry it.
There’s still time to take Msgr. Jamie’s advice and join in on the fun. At 2 p.m. on July 16, Bishop Emeritus Nicholas DiMarzio will celebrate the feast day Mass at Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
The festivities will all come to an end on Sunday July 17 with the old-timers day Giglio lift at 3 p.m. It’s a Brooklyn tradition that cannot be missed.
Giglio Feast
Saturday, July 16 at 2 p.m. – Mt. Carmel Feast Day Mass
Sunday, July 17 at 3 p.m. – Old Timers Day Giglio Lift
Currents News Staff
It was a somber farewell to a beloved actor. “Sopranos” star Tony Sirico was laid to rest in Brooklyn Wednesday.
Sirico, best known for his role as Paulie “Walnuts” passed away at the age of 79. His funeral Mass was held in his hometown neighborhood of Bensonhurst at the Basilica of Regina Pacis.
Tony’s brother, Father Robert Sirico, celebrated the funeral Mass and acknowledged all of his loyal fans who came to pay their respects. The late actor was then buried at Calvary Cemetery in Queens.
Most Reverend Bishop Robert J. Brennan’s Homily from Thursday’s Mass on 7/14/22