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Catholic News Headlines for Monday, 12/6/21

Brooklyn’s Bishop Robert Brennan celebrated Sunday Mass in the Diocese of Brooklyn at his alma mater, St. John’s University.

In the wake of the latest school shooting in Michigan, schools across the country are taking another look at their security.

Three Christian missionaries who have been held in Haiti since October are now free.

Pope Francis’ 35th apostolic journey abroad has come to an end.

Pope Francis Finished His Latest Papal Trip by Meeting With Hundreds of Migrants and Asylum Seekers

Currents News Staff

Pope Francis traveled to a divided Cyprus to begin the 35th apostolic journey of his pontificate.

There he met with religious leaders before being received in the Presidential Palace to meet with the President of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, and address the country’s civil leaders.

He also celebrated Mass in Cyprus and prayed with migrants living on the island before departing for the second leg of his trip in Greece. In Athens, Pope Francis was received by the Greek President, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, and the country’s Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

The Holy Father then met with the Orthodox Archbishop of Athens and all of Greece, Ieronymous II, where he apologized for the historic treatment of Orthodox Christians by Catholics. He also met with the Catholic minority community in Greece.

The following day, Pope Francis visited a refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos, where he condemned the lack of action in addressing the refugee crisis on the part of governments. He also celebrated Mass for about 1,000 people in Athens.

On his final day in Greece, the pontiff visited children at a Catholic school in Athens, before heading to the airport to make his way back to Rome just days before his 85th birthday.

Bishop Brennan Says Being a Student at St. John’s University Helped Prepare Him to Become a Priest

Currents News Staff and John Lavenburg 

JAMAICA — Soon after Bishop of Brooklyn Robert Brennan took the pulpit at St. Thomas More Church on the campus of St. John’s University to deliver his homily Sunday night, the 200-plus congregants filled the circular nave with booming applause. 

The tribute came after Bishop Brennan, a class of 1984 St. John’s alum, spoke of the significance of the university to his own life and how much he looks forward to being a frequent presence at a place he considers home. 

“I wish I could explain to you what it means to be here tonight. This is such a big deal for me; it’s kind of like a spiritual pilgrimage,” Bishop Brennan said in the homily. “Having studied here myself, this is the part of the Diocese of Brooklyn that I call home.” 

The 5:30 p.m. Mass was the regularly scheduled student Mass at the university. The difference, of course, was Bishop Brennan’s presence — on what was his first Sunday as the shepherd of Brooklyn and Queens. 

The decision to come to the campus was intentional. Bishop Brennan considers outreach to college students a crucial aspect of his ministry. That was the case in the Diocese of Columbus, and he plans to continue that work in the Diocese of Brooklyn — the home of his alma mater. 

Ohio State University “became a big part of my life there in Columbus, so I look forward; I want to be here for you,” Bishop Brennan said to the students in his homily. “I want to be a friend to all of you; a companion on this journey through life — this journey to know and love God so that we can show each other the way to Jesus.” 

The significance of Bishop Brennan’s return to the university wasn’t lost on current students or alumni, either. Billy Rabold, a St. John’s alum who was dressed in a crimson red suit ahead of that evening’s men’s basketball game, called it a “home run.” 

“To know that he’s from Long Island and he’s an alum here, he gets it. He understands the Vincentian mission, and he understands what we’re about,” said Rabold, who is known around campus as a superfan attending every home basketball game in the red suit. “I know it’s going to help [campus ministry], and I can’t wait to see how much growth there is going to be during his time here in Brooklyn and Queens.”

St. John’s student Phillip Schacht said Bishop Brennan is an “example” for the students to follow. Fellow student Alex Schrell said the fact that he’s an alum “will spark something in a lot of students” to want to get involved in their faith. 

Hannah Manjooran, also a St. John’s student called it “inspiring.”

“Usually I don’t see this many students here, so I think it’s really kind of calling people and encouraging people to come back to the church and really be in touch with their religion,” Manjooran said. 

The majority of the 200-plus people at the Mass were students. 

After Communion, Father Brian Shanley, the president of St. John’s University, came to the pulpit to congratulate and welcome Bishop Brennan to the Diocese of Brooklyn and to St. John’s. His remarks also included a surprise for Bishop Brennan — a picture collage that incorporated his yearbook picture plus a previous time he was honored at a St. John’s basketball game. 

“It is such an extreme honor and delight to have Bishop Brennan with us here tonight on his first Sunday as the Bishop of Brooklyn,” Father Shanley said. “I think you’re the first bishop who’s an alum of St. John’s, and that tells us something special about our relationship with the Diocese of Brooklyn.”

After the Mass, Bishop Brennan greeted and took pictures with congregants in the foyer of the church before heading over to the St. John’s men’s basketball game on campus against Fordham (an 83-69 win for the Red Storm). 

Bishop Brennan was honored during the first time out of the second half and was presented a basketball jersey with his last name on the back. The jersey number was eight, representing that Bishop Brennan is the eighth bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn. 

As he walked off the court, the student section showered him with chants of “Bren-nan,” to which he replied with a smile and thumbs up toward the Red Storm faithful.

Diocese of Brooklyn Students Say They Feel Safe as Violence Surges in NYC Public Schools

By Jessica Easthope

The bell rings and the hallways at St. Francis Prep flood with students. There are 2,400 of them and they say it can get pretty crowded – but what it doesn’t get is violent.

“There’s a lot of security and a lot of protection around me, so I don’t have to be worried about anything,” said 16-year-old junior, Dionis Best.

Dionis carries the weight of his future with him every day. He says at school he’s allowed to stay focused on his work because there’s nothing – and no one to run from.

“I don’t have to constantly worry about being watched or lurked, I can just stay in my books and do what I have to do,” he said.

Dionis and his classmates at Prep are experiencing high school very differently than students at New York City’s public high schools.

This school year alone, 10 firearms and 790 knives were brought to public schools in New York City and from July to October, nine School Safety Agents were injured as the result of student misconduct.

St. Francis Prep High School says they’ve had three incidents of confrontation among students in two years and they don’t keep statistics on weapons brought to school because to their knowledge – it’s never happened.

St. Francis Prep has a zero-tolerance-policy against any violence. There are 150 cameras in the building and ex-NYPD security officers. But these protective measures can only do so much. Principal Patrick McLaughlin says Catholic schools are not immune to violence but rather – have a secret weapon against it.

“That Catholic mission holds everything together. It’s like glue when you have prayer in school,” McLaughlin said.

He’s aware of what goes on in public schools and says many students bring weapons to protect themselves.

“We as Catholic educators have to establish a safe and secure environment for our kids. If we don’t, how can I expect someone to sit in a chemistry class and learn if they’re afraid if someone’s carrying a weapon or will attack them after school,” said McLaughlin.

Dionis says he feels safer at Prep than he does in his corner of East New York – and that’s because he knows people care.

“I’m surrounded by people who care,” Dionis said.

The halls are crowded but with people who make him feel safe.

Currents News Special Report: Bishop Robert J. Brennan’s Installation Mass

Currents News Special Report leads up to the procession and Installation Mass of Bishop Robert J. Brennan as the Eighth Bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn.

The Mass takes place at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph on Nov. 30 in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn.

Currents News Anchor Christine Persichette is joined by Tablet Editor Emeritus Ed Wilkinson and Father Frank Tumino for full coverage of the ceremony.

Mayor Bill de Blasio Extends Vaccine Mandate to New York City’s Private and Religious Schools

By Jessica Easthope

Gina Auricchio teaches first through eighth grade students at St. Athanasius Catholic Academy in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. She’s fully vaccinated – but says that’s because she wants to be.

“I really don’t think it’s fair. People should have their individual choice,” Gina said, “and really where we are, we’re functioning great.”

At St. Athanasius there’s only one teacher who hasn’t gotten the shot and that seems to be a trend when it comes to vaccination rates in schools across the Diocese of Brooklyn.

Of the 69 in-person schools, 11 have a 100 percent vaccination rate and 45 schools have five or less people unvaccinated. The Diocese of Brooklyn as a whole is at 94 percent.

School Superintendent Dr. Thomas Chadzutko says it’s continuing to go up.

“The teachers and the principals and the staff in the Diocese of Brooklyn want to do the right thing and that’s a huge number, but on the flip side we have to be respectful of those who didn’t get vaccinated and what’s their reason,” he said.

The mandate, which is being enforced through an executive order by the New York City Health Department, is affecting 938 schools across the city including yeshivas.

Students at Catholic schools are still required to wear masks all day, social distance, sanitize as much as possible and complete COVID screenings every morning before school.

The Diocese of Brooklyn expressed its opposition through a letter from the committee of New York City Religious and Independent School Officials, but the position of Brooklyn Catholic schools is – no one has been more compliant.

“How much can you force people? We do everything perfectly well,” said Vicar for Catholic Schools Msgr. David Cassato. “Come and see how well it’s going.”

Catholic News Headlines for Friday, 12/3/21

Catholic schools in the Diocese of Brooklyn have an 88-percent vaccination rate —  that’s one of the reasons why its superintendent opposes the city’s new vaccine mandate for private and religious schools.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announces there are now four confirmed cases of the omicron variant of COVID in New York City and one on Long Island.

It’s day two of Pope Francis’ visit to Cyprus.

The Eighth Bishop of Brooklyn, Robert Brennan, was installed on Tuesday.