Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg visits East Palestine, Ohio on Thursday after facing criticism for not going sooner.
Police are searching for answers in Orlando, Florida, after a gunman killed five people including a child and tv news reporter.
EBT cardholders filed a lawsuit against the USDA over $730,000 in stolen benefits.
FDNY wants to increase the cost of ambulance rides by more than 50%.
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — Now about two weeks removed from witnessing billowing black smoke from a train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, the pastor of the town’s lone Catholic church fears the fallout could accelerate the decline of an already small and aging community.
“It very well could,” Father David Misbrener, pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes in East Palestine, told The Tablet. “Myself, no, I’m not afraid to go to the church and go to people’s homes, but our concern, and the residents’ concern, will be the future. What’s going to happen?”
Father Misbrener is pastor of both Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Jude’s Catholic Church in nearby Columbiana. He lives at the latter, and that’s where he was at the time of the Feb. 3 train derailment. After finding out what happened the next morning, he said he drove to Our Lady of Lourdes — only about a quarter of a mile from the incident — where he saw the smoke and smelled chemicals in the air.
Residents in a one-to-two-mile radius of the crash were ordered to evacuate on Feb. 6, when officials carried out a controlled burn of vinyl chloride, a gas used to make plastic, that was carried in five of the derailed cars. In all, 50 cars were damaged, 11 of which contained hazardous materials, including the five that carried vinyl chloride. Evacuated residents were allowed to return home on Feb. 8.
Still, many in the town of fewer than 5,000 people remain uneasy about the safety of the town’s air, water, and soil. Father Misbrener said the Our Lady of Lourdes church hall has become a distribution center, especially for bottled water, but also food, diapers, and even clothes for anyone who needs them.
Father Misbrener added that tests of the church’s water and air both came back “OK.”
“But you know, you have to take that at face value or trust value,” Father Misbrener said. “Whether or not the water’s OK, hopefully, we can trust our government officials. I don’t know.”
East Palestine residents sought answers from local, state, and federal officials on the safety of the town’s air and water at a Feb. 16 town hall held at the local high school. Frustrated residents reportedly voiced their concerns and frustrations about the incident in addition to seeking answers.
Residents were cleared to drink village water on Feb. 15, according to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. Reports indicate officials reassured residents that the water was safe to drink at the town hall and further reassured them that even if a bad smell persists, that doesn’t mean the air isn’t safe.
Norfolk Southern Corporation, which owns the trains that derailed, angered residents when its representatives did not show up at the town hall. The next morning, Feb. 16, the company’s CEO Alan Shaw published a letter to the East Palestine community with a pledge to “help make things right.”
Shaw wrote that crews are currently cleaning the crash site “thoroughly, responsibly, and safely.” He said that the company has also implemented a comprehensive water, air, and soil testing program and has established a $1 million community support fund “as a down payment on our commitment to rebuild.
“My simple answer is that we are here and will stay here for as long as it takes to ensure your safety and to help East Palestine recover and thrive,” Shaw said, later adding that “we will not let you down.”
The U.S. EPA administrator, Michael Regan, also visited East Palestine on Feb. 16.
Norfolk Southern Corporation didn’t respond to The Tablet’s request for comment, and the Environmental Protection Agency declined to comment. A spokesperson for the National Transportation Safety Board referred The Tablet to a Feb. 14 press release, noting that “it is still very early into the investigation, and that is the information available at this time.”
Father Misbrener said the Our Lady of Lourdes community celebrated Mass this past weekend after it was canceled the weekend before because of the evacuation. He said the parishioners he spoke to weren’t overly concerned with the situation but acknowledged “as more and more of this is coming out, we have to weigh what the scientists and others are saying.”
The pastor’s main focus in the immediate future is the spiritual well-being of his parishioners, who he said are predominantly senior citizens on fixed incomes. The church has about 180 active households.
“I’m no scientist. I’m the parish priest. I’ve got to just take care of the spiritual aspect, my parishioners,” Father Misbrener said. “I just want to be there for my people as far as their spiritual needs are concerned.”
Bishop David Bonnar of Youngstown is scheduled to visit Our Lady of Lourdes and celebrate Mass in a few weeks. For now, Father Misbrener said he hopes people won’t forget about East Palestine.
“The outreach right now has been very, very generous, and I just hope that people aren’t going to forget that. Hopefully, they’ll be able to get this mess cleaned, and I just pray that there aren’t residual effects for years to come. You never know,” Father Misbrener said.
By Bill Miller and Jessica Easthope
DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — People from across the Diocese of Brooklyn came to Cathedral Basilica of St. James on Wednesday to receive ashes and to help launch a new Lenten journey that beckons Catholics back to the Church.
Bishop Robert Brennan officially began the 2023 Lenten Pilgrimage by celebrating the cathedral’s noon Mass. He distributed ashes with Father Bryan Patterson, rector of the cathedral. The bishop also stayed later for Eucharistic Adoration with some of the Mass attendees.
But there was more: “Pilgrims” also received their “passports” for the 40-day Diocesan Lenten Pilgrimage. The pilgrimage invites people to visit a different parish each day, except Sundays, during Lent. Forty-two parishes are designated for specific days on the itinerary, although five of the days have two parishes as options.
At each stop, pilgrims can attend Mass, receive reconciliation, or engage in Eucharistic Adoration. They can also have their passports affixed with the “stamp” of that parish. Securing 20 or more stamps qualifies the passport holder for a special certificate signed by Bishop Brennan.
Laura Taylor, a 20-year member of the cathedral’s parish, said she hoped younger congregants would join her on the pilgrimage and perhaps receive a newfound joy.
“Fewer people are coming to church, which makes me sad,” Taylor said. “But there’s such a feeling of love and warmth when you go to church. You’re enclosed in God’s arms, and you feel safe. And you feel like you’re home, or what a home should be.”
“I have two hopes,” Bishop Brennan said before the Mass. “One of them is that this is part of the Eucharistic Revival — there’s certainly that hope for us to rediscover and reinvigorate our faith in the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.”
He said that will happen “through our prayers of adoration, visiting the churches, and being in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. We will renew that deep love of Jesus who is present to us in the Eucharist.”
His second hope is that pilgrims will experience the joy as “we walk this journey together.”
He added, “This is really a reminder of the fact that Christ is present in our city, here in Brooklyn and in Queens. So together we walk with one another, but all of us together are walking with Jesus.”
Father Joseph Gibino, the Diocese of Brooklyn’s vicar for evangelization and catechesis, concelebrated the Mass with Bishop Brennan and Father Patterson.
Earlier, he explained that the pilgrimage is a direct result of the synod, during which Catholics in the diocese asked for greater collaboration between deaneries, their deans, and parishes. He also noted that the journey connects with the national Eucharistic Revival.
“Our adoration pilgrimage for the Lenten season is a reflection of everything we’ve heard at the synod,” Father Gibino said. “And that makes it even more dynamic because Pope Francis hopes that the synodal experience of being one Church, journeying together, will take hold.
“And here we are, as a diocese, literally journeying through the Lenten season, from church to church to church. It’s really exciting.”
The pilgrimage will also address other synod goals, such as more of an emphasis on youth and young adults and adult faith formation.
Andy Marte, a catechist at St. Barbara Parish in Bushwick, received ashes and got his passport stamped at the cathedral, and he is excited about getting at least 20 stamps this Lent.
“I was thinking about doing something similar with the students that I teach,” Marte said. “This is an awesome experience to go through it myself first. I have about 20 students, and their generation is really hungry to get involved in community. I think that’s what the Church offers.
“So, I’m really excited about being a part of this journey,” Marte added. “And I’m even more excited to start posting online the different experiences at each church and their different histories and architecture.”
Diane DeBernardo, a parishioner at Immaculate Heart of Mary, Windsor Terrace, said she is also excited to visit other churches and worship in them.
“I saw the article in The Tablet this past week about this pilgrimage and I was pretty excited about the chance to visit the churches throughout Brooklyn and Queens,” she said after the Mass. “And there are so many beautiful ones to see, and different neighborhoods.”
Samuel Romanzo, chairman for the Catholic Foundation for Brooklyn and Queens, is a member of St. Robert Bellarmine Parish in Bayside. He described how he typically attends Ash Wednesday services near the office where he works in Manhattan.
But, he noted, starting this year’s Lenten pilgrimage with Bishop Brennan at the cathedral was a great opportunity.
“This is a great opportunity to remind ourselves that it is a welcoming place,” Romanzo said. “It’s a place where God is.
“And at the same time, the parishes have been selected by their deans, so they have to do some preparation. And they’ll come together as well to create a welcoming environment. I think the whole thing is just fantastic.”
Father Gibino said plans for the pilgrimage began last fall following “a casual conversation” with Bishop Brennan in which the bishop described a similar program he experienced in 2020 while serving as the bishop for Columbus, Ohio.
Bishop Brennan said that pilgrimage was called “40 Days of Adoration” with a goal to help bring Ohio Catholics back to Mass following the pandemic.
Back in Brooklyn, diocese officials saw an opportunity to create a unique Lenten opportunity that aligns with the synod and the Eucharistic Revival, Father Gibino said.
Carving out time for the pilgrimage is a major commitment involving some strategizing to navigate transportation throughout the diocese, Bishop Brennan said.
More information can be found online at dioceseofbrooklyn.org/LentenPilgrimage.
Bishop Robert Brennan is celebrating Mass throughout the Diocese of Brooklyn on Ash Wednesday – kicking off the Lenten Pilgrimage.
Pope Francis reflects on the war in Ukraine as the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion approaches on Friday.
A health clinic is opening at the First Church of Christ in East Palestine, Ohio to examine those who say they’re experiencing adverse effects from the train derailment and toxic chemical spillage earlier this month.
A first generation 2007 iPhone sold for more than $63,000 dollars in an online auction Sunday.
In Turkey, people are picking up their lives for a different reason.
Anger is starting to set in as people are beginning to ask how so many new buildings were able to collapse from that horrific earthquake.
The government has launched investigations across the earthquake zone and has so far rounded up dozens of building contractors.
But many say it’s not just the contractors who are to blame.
“This is a systemic problem,” Koray Tanin, Iskenderun branch head of The Chamber of Architects, said. “This is a complex problem of the system. Not an individual one.”
The country’s chamber of architects says a construction boom, lacks inspections by authorities, and government amnesties for developers who didn’t abide by building codes introduced after previous disasters – all contributed to this catastrophe.
Police are trying to figure out the motive behind the murder of California Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell.
President Joe Biden visited Poland on Tuesday and thanked them for their support of Ukraine
A magnitude 6.3 aftershock hit southern Turkey Monday, killing at least six people and injuring hundreds more.
103-year-old Mary Muniz has been attending the Mardi Gras parades for decades.
Those who knew and loved Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell are relying on their faith to get through this tragedy.
And they’re remembering their beloved bishop as a man of peace, a fierce advocate for immigrants, and just a funny guy.
Cracking jokes at Mass is just one of the memories parishioners have of the bishop.
“He was a good guy and he was always talking about it,” Ron Sanceda, a local Parishioner, said. “He would joke, he was a joking guy, and he was a pleasure to listen to.”
Stunned Catholics have been turning to prayer in the wake of the beloved bishop’s murder.
“He changed our lives,” Lucy Boutte, a parishioner said. “Very supportive, (he’d) always working for the good of people.”
After being ordained a priest in 1979, O’Connell ministered at several parishes–mainly dealing with gang violence and poverty.
When he was named an auxiliary bishop in 2015, working with immigrants really became a top priority for him.
It’s how Los Angeles County supervisor, Hilda Solis, says she came to know him and his passion in working to help to pass immigration reform.
“He continued to diligently work and seek assistance for those vulnerable individuals in our community,” Solis said. “Especially young people and especially the undocumented young people.”
Solis called him a personal friend and said her heart is broken. It’s a grief felt by so many in this community.
“He’s just a beautiful human being,” Betty Covarrubias, a parishioner, said. “It’s just hard to believe anybody would ever consider hurting him in any way.”
Bishop O’Connell founded and served as chairman of the inter-diocesan Southern California immigration task force, which helped coordinate the church’s response to the recent influx of migrants.
Friends and parishioners are still waiting to hear of funeral arrangements by the archdiocese of Los Angeles.
By John Lavenburg
PROSPECT HEIGHTS — A 65-year-old man from Torrance, California, who had a work connection to Bishop David O’Connell, was arrested on Feb. 20 as the main suspect in the Los Angeles auxiliary bishop’s murder, according to local authorities.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna announced at a news conference that the suspect, Carlos Medina, surrendered and was taken into custody without incident at his home at approximately 8:15 a.m. Feb. 20 after a standoff with authorities.
Medina’s wife was Bishop O’Connell’s housekeeper, and he had also previously worked at Bishop O’Connell’s residence, Luna said. The sheriff later clarified that while Medina may have worked for Bishop O’Connell, they’re “still trying to figure out what the relationship was.
“Our priority before 8 this morning was to apprehend this suspect, and we did, by some amazing detective work,” Luna said. “Our next priority is to get him prosecuted.”
A visibly emotional Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles also spoke at the Feb. 20 news conference where Medina’s arrest was announced. He recognized Bishop O’Connell’s more than 40 years serving Los Angeles and remembered him as a “man of peace” in the community.
“Every day [Bishop O’Connell] worked to show compassion to the poor, to the homeless, to the immigrant, and to all those living on society’s margins,” Archbishop Gomez said. “He was a good priest, and a good bishop, and a man of peace, and we are very sad to lose him.”
“In what is a sad and painful moment for all of us, thank you again for your concern and regards, and please, let’s keep praying for Bishop Dave and his family, and let us keep praying for our law enforcement officials as they continue the investigation,” he continued.
Bishop O’Connell was found dead in his Hacienda Heights home on Feb. 18. He was discovered by authorities in his bedroom, having suffered at least one gunshot wound to the upper body. The incident became a murder investigation the next morning after homicide investigators responded to the scene, Luna said.
Later that morning, detectives discovered surveillance footage that showed a vehicle that had pulled into the bishop’s driveway, stayed for a short time, and then left. A tip then led them to Medina, who drove an SUV similar to the one described, and the tipster noted “they were concerned because Medina had been acting strange, irrational, and making comments about the bishop owing him money,” according to Luna.
The sheriff later clarified that he is not certain of any dispute between Medina and Bishop O’Connell but said that it is something that “the detectives will investigate.” A motive remains unclear, Luna added.
After identifying Medina as the suspect, authorities got a warrant for his arrest and went to his residence early on Feb. 20. After a period of refusing calls from authorities for his surrender, Medina exited his residence at approximately 8:15 a.m. and was taken into custody without further incident, Luna said.
Two firearms and other evidence possibly linking Medina to the crime were recovered, Luna added. The firearms will be examined and tested by authorities to determine if either was used in the murder.
Certain facts remain unknown, including Bishop O’Connell’s exact time of death, what led to the shooting, and how exactly Medina got into Bishop O’Connell’s home. Luna also noted that so far, Bishop O’Connell’s housekeeper, Medina’s wife, has cooperated with investigators, but he didn’t rule out the possibility of charges for her in the future, saying “at this point early on in the investigation, anything’s a possibility.’
Speaking after Luna, Janice Hahn, a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for the 4th District, announced all of the county’s flags will be lowered to half-staff in Bishop O’Connell’s honor, calling his heart “boundless.”
“The County of Los Angeles has lost a partner in our work to help those in need, and the world has lost a force for goodness and kindness,” Hahn said. “It’s unthinkable that his life came to an end so tragically.”
Born in County Cork, Ireland, in 1953, Bishop O’Connell was ordained to serve in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 1979 and has been there ever since, gaining a reputation as a peacemaker in the community who reached out to all those on the margins. Pope Francis made him an auxiliary bishop in 2015.
Two days after his murder, the tributes to Bishop O’Connell continued from around the Catholic world.
Bishop Fintan Gavin of Cork and Ross, Ireland — Bishop O’Connell’s native diocese — said the news has sent “shockwaves” throughout the community.
“On behalf of the people, priests, and religious of the Diocese of Cork and Ross, and on my own behalf, I wish to express my sympathies and prayerful support to the Bishop O’Connell family in Cork, to Archbishop José H Gomez and the people, priests, and religious of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles,” Bishop Gavin said.
“We will pray for Bishop David at Mass throughout the Diocese of Cork and Ross in the coming days asking the Lord to comfort his family, his colleagues, and all the bereaved,” he continued. “Bishop David worked tirelessly for peace and harmony in communities; may he now rest in the peace of the Lord.”
Another tribute came from Bishop Robert Barron, who was ordained an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles seven years ago, alongside Bishop O’Connell, before he was appointed to the Diocese of Winona-Rochester in June of last year.
“From the moment I met him, I was struck by his goodness, kindness, prayerfulness, and simplicity of heart. Throughout the course of my years in the LA Archdiocese, Bishop Dave was a constant source of support, encouragement, and good humor,” Bishop Barron said.
“He dedicated his priesthood to serving the poor. I can honestly say that he was one of the most Christ-like men I’ve known,” he continued. “May he rest in peace.”
A suspect in the shooting death of a beloved Auxiliary Bishop in California is now in police custody.
President Joe Biden made a surprise visit to Ukraine on Monday a year after Russia launched its invasion of the country.
Former President Jimmy Carter, 98, entered hospice care this weekend after a series of hospital stays.
With the rapid growing number of migrants in New York city and food insecurity at an all-time high, St. Francis breadline is in dire need of more volunteers and resources.
By Jessica Easthope
The bells toll at 7 a.m. at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Midtown Manhattan, but long before that – people are lining up.
St. Francis Breadline has been a constant for the homeless and food insecure in New York City for close to a century. They’ve served through the Great Depression, wars, natural disasters and a global pandemic, ever only missing four days, but now they’re up against something truly unprecedented.
“We need to make them feel welcome and we need to listen to them, that doesn’t cost anything and from there we’ll try to do more,” said executive director Patrick Regan.
In less than a year, New York City has taken in more than 45,000 migrants from Central and South America, all of whom are in need. Regan says the migrant crisis has forced the nonprofit to expand its ministry to running two separate breadlines every day.
The breadline is serving more people now than at the height of the pandemic. More food insecurity means more people are needed to help, and not just hand out food, but be the face of hope for the newly arrived.
“I hope that they feel when they come to St Francis of Assisi, they’re being helped and we’re trying to expand how we’re helping them,” he said.
St. Francis Breadline is now partnering with the Diocese of Brooklyn Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, asking students and anyone over the age of 13 to volunteer on Saturday mornings. Associate director Lucia Morales says it’s designed to be more than just community service.
“We want this to be more than just a check-off, we’re Catholics, we want this to be part of their identity. There are a lot of new migrants who have a new home and are looking for help and we want to make sure they’re aware of what’s happening in their own city, the more exposed they are the more empathetic, compassionate beings they can be,” she said.
The breadline starts at seven every morning. Asking teenagers to get up before the sun on a Saturday is a sacrifice, but Lucia says giving of ourselves to others, even when it’s hard is what our faith is about.
“We want our kids to be disciplined and smart and hardworking but we also want them to be loving and I do it in Jesus’ name not to tell the whole world but because it’s between you and God.” She said.
The Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry is signing students and young adults up for each Saturday from now until September. The real hope is it extends far beyond that.