Bishop DiMarzio: “We Need To Have Immigrants Serve The Country. They’re A National Interest.”

Bishop Emeritus Nicholas Dimarzio of the Diocese of Brooklyn is one of the country’s most renowned experts when it comes to immigration issues.

Since the migrant crisis began, he’s been writing a monthly column in The Tablet Newspaper.

Bishop Dimarzio joins Currents News to talk about the humanitarian crisis New York City is facing with the current influx of migrants and what the ending of Title 42 means. 

You can read more of Bishop Dimarzio’s thoughts on migration in his monthly column, “Walking With Migrants.”Just head over to thetablet.org to read them all.

Parents Protest Mayor Adams Plan to Use Standalone School Gyms for Migrant Housing

The announcement that 20 New York City schools may be turned into shelters to house migrants has left many parents angry.

It’s the city’s next solution to the humanitarian crisis.

Some parents are saying it’s the wrong decision. They spent the day protesting all around the city, gathering outside of schools like P.S. 172 in Sunset Park.

P.S 172’s gym opened in September after undergoing renovations for years.

Adding fuel to the fire, parents said they weren’t made aware of the city’s new plan until Sunday.

The school has 50 beds that have already been set up inside of its gym, according to people inside of the school. There is only one tiny bathroom inside and no showers.

Mayor Eric Adams said the city is expecting more busloads of immigrants this weekend.

Catholic News Headlines for Tuesday 05/16/2023

Twenty New York City school gymnasiums may be turned into shelters in the city’s next solution to this humanitarian crisis.

One Catholic school student has been accepted into 15 colleges, including four Ivy League schools.

Hear what Bishop Emeritus Nicholas DiMarzio has to say about the migrant crisis.

Deacon Kevin McCormack joins Currents News to take a look back on his first year as Superintendent.

Young Parishioners Show Love For The Blessed Mother Through May Crowning and Artwork

For many in the Catholic Church, May is known as the month of Mary.

Children from the Diocese of Brooklyn spent this weekend honoring the Blessed Mother. The youngest parishioners from Our Lady of The Snows in Floral Park, Queens got a chance to wear their communion gowns and suits again.

This time it was for a longstanding tradition of their May crowning.

The students brought flowers to a statue of the Blessed Mother and placed a crown on her head.

Earlier in the day, more than 300 students also showed their love through an art contest. They were challenged to depict the Blessed Mother in their own style. 

The Bishop of Brooklyn, Robert Brennan, said the celebrations show a strong devotion among young people.

Each winner from the art contest received a special certificate for their hard work.

Catholic Charities Brooklyn & Queens Braces for Influx of Migrants After Title 42 Ends

Daniele Gaspar is trying his hardest to retain what he’s being taught in a job training course. He’s hoping it will help him find legal work in New York City once his authorization papers come in, but that could be months or even years away.

“Thank God for Catholic Charities, they’ve been so helpful to us in the process, we get training and certifications but we can’t work, need more assistance,” Gaspar said.

Still he and dozens of other asylum seekers sit in these classes put on by Catholic Charities Brooklyn & Queens every day in the auditorium of St. Pius V in Jamaica. The parish has become a one-stop-shop for new arrivals.

Josefa Castro is the director of parish and community relations for Queens in charge of Catholic Charities’ operation there, a place where asylum seekers come to meet with case workers, connect to medical services, get job training and even a hot meal.

But Castro says with Title 42 no longer being enforced, the situation at the southern border is about to reach its boiling point.

“We’re expecting more people, definitely, more people are going to be coming to Catholic Charities’ doors and we’re here to help them out to the best of our capacity,” Castro said.

The city has designated, and taxpayers are funding, 120 emergency shelters to house the surges of people traveling up from the border. But Mayor Eric Adams says the city is running out of space, some are now being housed in school gyms, like at one at P.S. 188 in Coney Island.

Daniele says he’s grateful to Catholic Charities but the only people who should have access to the country are those seeking asylum from horrors like the political violence and poverty he fled in Venezuela.

“The government should have control over the border, not everybody should be able to come in, only those seeking asylum and applying,” he said.

According to the mayor’s office it’s unclear how many migrants will be bused into New York City from the border now that Title 42 has ended, last week saw the arrival of another 4,200.

Catholic News Headlines for Monday 05/15/2023

Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens is ready to help any migrants who make their way to New York.

It was a bittersweet day in Douglaston on Saturday for the class of 2023 convocation at Cathedral Seminary House of Formation.

Bishop Robert Brennan joined the children of Our Lady of The Snows Catholic Academy in Floral Park for the May Crowning on Friday.

As the war in Ukraine rages on, Pope Francis met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Vatican this weekend.

Catholic News Headlines for Friday 05/12/2023

A Jamaica Estates non-profit is teaching migrants valuable skills ranging from how to speak English to dicing up vegetables.

Meet the church leader who’s a different kind of savior.

We’ll introduce you to the duo that’s helping the swans of Prospect Park live a healthy and prosperous life.

The music director of St. Joseph’s church is infusing the heritage of Caribbean and African styles into services for parishioners.

Fordham University Works to Keep 280-Year-Old American Elm Tree Healthy

By Jessica Easthope

Steve Farrelly has seen a lot of trees but he has a favorite.

“I love this tree, this one in particular is really special because of its size and its history,” Farrelly said.

Farrelly is the certified master arborist in charge of keeping the nearly 300-year-old American elm tree healthy. It lives on Fordham University’s Rose Hill campus, but this was its home long before there was a school. Fordham’s director of facilities, Ralph Rivera, says it’s seen every student come and go.

“It’s a center point if you think about the history of Fordham when this was all farmlands, how symbolic for the university, we’re still here, it’s very deep-rooted within Fordham,” Rivera said.

The tree is 140 feet tall and has a canopy spread of 120 feet, at Fordham they say it’s the oldest tree on record in New York City. Fordham’s archives has a picture of it fully mature in 1864.

The tree has been through a lot over the years – including an outbreak of Dutch Elm disease that killed more than 40 million others across the country, but this one survived. Now every other year Steve treats it with a fungicide to keep it healthy.

Just like the school’s Jesuit mission, care for the tree is rooted in faith.

“We stand for sustainability and integrity and Fordham and the Catholic Jesuit school does the same thing so it’s a great relationship we have with them,” Steve said.

“Cura personalis, care for one’s self is care for others and what we put into this we hope that as a student can just feel whole,” said Ralph.

The men have become stewards of something that was here long before they were, and if taken care of properly – it will stand long after they’re gone.

Title 42 Ends, Bringing in Thousands of Migrants Seeking Asylum

Title 42 has come to an end, prompting thousands of migrants to gather at the border.

Inside the chain link fences of a 350-acre ranch, groups of migrants wait for nightfall to make their way into the US through Eagle Pass.

The US National Guard communicated with a rancher in order to locate migrant groups on his property.

Through the use of night vision binoculars, we were able to see the laser utilized by the national guard to pinpoint a group of migrants, forging our way through the mesquite, cactus and treacherous land.

In the span of four hours migrant detections totaled more than 40 people.

Catholic News Headlines for Thursday 05/11/2023

Title 42, the pandemic-era rule that allowed the government to expel migrants because of COVID, expires tonight at midnight.

Meanwhile New York City has little space left for migrants, so Mayor Eric Adams is coming up with other ideas to help them.

The Vatican is hosting a new exhibit bringing attention to marginalized women.

Fordham University is on a mission to save one of its oldest living residents, an elm tree.

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