The FDNY has deemed the Easter Sunday fire at Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii accidental. Investigators said a hot object and hot embers sparked the five-alarm fire at the Bushwick parish.

About 150 parishioners were at 1 p.m. Spanish language mass on Easter Sunday when smoke filled the church. They quickly evacuated, and more than 200 firefighters responded to the scene. While no one was seriously injured, the rectory and parish center were destroyed.

In a statement, Bishop Robert Brennan said he was grateful the FDNY prevented any further tragedy.

For now, the faithful of Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii are attending Mass at their sister church, All Saints.

Bishop Brennan says the property lost to the fire has been safely secured and is pending demolition.

The Diocese of Brooklyn Eucharistic Revival, which will be held on Saturday, Apr. 20, has undergone much planning for the highly anticipated celebration.

Father Joseph Gibino, vicar for evangelization and catechesis for the Diocese of Brooklyn, is helping to lead the preparation for the revival. He joins Currents News to discuss how much planning has gone into the revival.

An imposter priest who fooled people into accessing churches and rectories in Brooklyn and beyond has been caught. Police in Riverside, California, arrested the man, saying he’s been victimizing churches across the country.

While he claimed to be ‘Father Martin’ at those parishes, police have identified him as 45-year-old Malin Rostas, a New York resident.

His modus operandi was to pose as ‘Father Martin’ at various parishes. This ruse allowed him to enter the American Martyrs rectory in Bayside last March, where he allegedly made off with $900.

Rostas was caught last Wednesday when police said they recognized the vehicle connected to the robberies. They said, before his arrest, he had just tried to steal from another local church.

New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan says he is “safe and secure” after a missile attack during his mission trip to the Holy Land.

His Eminence arrived in Israel last Friday. As the chair of the Papal Agency, the Catholic Near East Welfare Association, or CNEWA, he’s visiting different religious representatives and checking on current humanitarian efforts.

While in Bethlehem over the weekend, Cardinal Dolan says he had to take shelter when Iran launched more than 300 ballistic missiles and drones against Israeli targets.

A spokesperson for the Archdiocese of New York says Cardinal Dolan will continue with his planned schedule. He’ll leave the Holy Land on Thursday, Apr. 16.

by Katie Vasquez

Every day Jahzeela Aguilar heads to this Catholic Charities of New York satellite office, which is connected to St. Teresa Church on the Lower East Side.

The mom of twins helps the newly arrived as they get settled in the United States, offering them guidance that ranges from finding the right legal services to figuring out the subway system.

Not long ago, Aguilar was one of them.

“I had to help them, to give them all the resources, since they have to start from scratch,” Aguilar said.

She arrived from Peru in January 2023 with her husband and children.

Aguilar said her political views endangered the life of her family.

“Threats begin to come to me and they mention my mother, they call me a traitor to the people,” Aguilar said.

All her belongings were sold within 10 days and they made the treacherous trip north.

As a devout Catholic, she believes God walked with her along the way.

“God has manifested himself in that journey, in this change that we have had in our lives,” Aguilar said. “He has manifested himself in many beautiful ways and I have had, I have had immediate responses.”

Life in a new country was not easy, Aguilar had to stay in two New York City shelters, but she leaned into her faith and was able to find an apartment in Yonkers.

“There was a lot of excitement, a lot of joy, because we felt that we were taking another step,” Aguilar said.

Also helping Aguilar along the way was Catholic Charities.

As she became more knowledgeable in how to navigate life as a new arrival, she found she could assist others making a similar journey.

Catholic Charities asked her to volunteer, knowing her expertise goes beyond the immigration system.

“It is amazing because she has the empathy to understand what they have been through,” said Luisa Fernanda Sandoval Cortes, senior case manager at Catholic Charities Community Services. “She knows how it is to cross the border. She knows how to be in those places.”

Aguilar hopes to receive her work permit soon, and she wants to continue volunteering, a role that has brought her joy.

“For me, it’s not just a job, as I say it’s my reason for living,” Aguilar said.

As Bishop Robert Brennan prepares for the Diocese of Brooklyn’s upcoming Eucharistic Revival, he’s taking some time to speak about the national campaign in a new web series.

It’s called “Beautiful Light: A Paschal Mystagogy.” Each week of the Easter season, seven different bishops are diving into the sacred mysteries of the Mass.

The latest episode, which went live on Thursday, April 11, will feature Bishop Brennan.

We spoke to the co-host of the series, Sister Alicia Torres, who says Bishop Brennan has shown constant encouragement for the campaign.

You can watch it on the National Eucharistic Revival’s Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube pages.