Catholic Charities Renames Brooklyn Building After Bishop Emeritus Nicholas DiMarzio

Currents News Staff

Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens held a special dedication. The Pierrepont Residence in Brooklyn is now being called the Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio Residence.

The agency decided to rename the building in honor of Bishop DiMarzio’s 18 years as an advocate for the poor, immigrants, seniors and affordable housing.

Msgr. Alfred LoPinto, the President and CEO of Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens says his work is vital. The building is one of Catholic Charities’ 23 low-income housing options for seniors throughout Brooklyn and Queens.

Catholic News Headlines for Thursday, 2/10/22

Kids as young as 5 will get to see what their futures look like with the launch of a partnership between Bay Ridge Catholic Academy and St. Francis College.

Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens held a special dedication Thursday for Brooklyn’s Bishop Emeritus.

The Bengals are Super Bowl bound and among their cheering squad are a group of Texas nuns!

Staggering Inflation Numbers Indicate Worst Annual Price Increase in 40 Years

Currents News Staff

Across the country, prices are rising faster than they have in nearly four decades, causing more anxiety among Americans including small business owners who are trying to manage.

“For me it’s just hurting, hurting us more as a business individual than, you know, having it passed to them and hurting them more because you know the way things are,” said the owner of Alvernon Donuts, Poe Kem.

The U.S. consumer price inflation index rose 7.5% over the past year before seasonal adjustments. That’s the steepest climb in prices since the year ending in February of 1982 – according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In a statement, President Joe Biden says his administration is using every tool it has to manage inflation.

“I’m gonna work like the devil to bring gas prices down,” the president said, “which I’m gonna, working to make sure that we keep strengthening the supply chain to bring the cost of energy and everything else, the goods that come to America down by helping the ports 24/7, by changing a whole range of things.”

Prices went up across the board last month, including for housing, furniture, used cars and healthcare. The increases are even worse than economists had predicted. But the president’s advisers maintain the situation will improve this year.

“What the forecast tells you is that the job market should stay tight and get even tighter supporting wage growth, while inflation decelerates, while it slows,” said Council of Economic Advisers Member Jared Bernstein.

Relief that can’t come soon enough for consumers.

“Hopefully they will understand because this type is not just happening at our facility,” Poe said. “It’s happening all over.”

Meet the Cincinnati Nun Who Is Praying For More Than a Touchdown, But A Super Bowl Ring For Her Hometown Team

Currents News Staff

Their prayers were answered! The Cincinnati Bengals are Super Bowl bound and among their cheering squad are a group of Texas nuns!

One video went viral after the Bengals won the AFC conference championship game. Sister Mary Mediatrix, despite being part of the Diocese of Corpus Christi, has been praying for this win for quite some time.

Sister Mary joined Currents News to discuss why she’s rooting for her hometown team and what Catholics can learn from the sport of football.

Bay Ridge Catholic Academy and St. Francis College Start Unique Exclusive Education Partnership

By Jessica Easthope

Pre-schoolers at Bay Ridge Catholic Academy already know what they want to be when they grow up – proof that it’s never too early to start thinking about the future.

So why not think about college? That’s the goal of this new partnership between Bay Ridge Catholic and St. Francis College.

“You can’t start too early to getting them thinking about what their dreams are and focused on the importance of being of service to others,” said St. Francis College President Miguel Martinez-Saenz.

Educators from both schools say it’s a win-win. Student volunteers and student teachers from St. Francis College will come to Bay Ridge Catholic Academy to run an after-school program, a summer science program and teach foreign language classes to all grades. And students from Bay Ridge Catholic will get the chance to get on campus for field trips to science and communication labs at St. Francis.

“We are constantly seeking opportunities for our students to go out into the community to make a difference in the world, this partnership with Bay Ridge Catholic Academy does just that,” said St. Francis Assistant Vice President Robert Oliva.

“There was a whole thrust in college readiness and implementing it in the schools so this is a perfect opportunity,” principal Gary Williams said.

The unique collaboration is completely free, something new principal Gary Williams said was a dream come true.

“It was a gift from heaven, the children are going to benefit from the role models these students will serve to be and in addition it will permit them to have a clearer picture of what their future might be,” he said.

Every single eighth grader at Bay Ridge Catholic Academy got into the Catholic high school of their choice, but now this allows them to see the future of a faith-based education beyond that.

“Why wouldn’t we engage? It’s an educational institution with commitment to Catholic education, they share our values and our burden and my view is to uplift all those communities,” Martinez-Saenz said.

Students from St. Francis College will get their first chance to engage with the younger generation at Bay Ridge Catholic starting in March.

Vatican Unveils New Statue Symbolizing Plight of Human Trafficking

Currents News Staff

A new statue is now in St. Peter’s Square. “Let the Oppressed Go Free” is a human trafficking awareness symbol, showing Sister Josephine Bakhita freeing a mass of people from underground.

The artist, Tim Schmalz, isn’t new to St. Peter’s. He unveiled another statue there in 2019. He says it was that work of art that inspired his newest creation.

Schmalz hopes to create 10 copies of the statue to install all over the world. New York’s Cardinal Timothy Dolan spoke about Sister Bakhita on her feast day and how the suffering she experienced as a child led her to a life of faith.

“Even before she heard of Jesus she was moved by the suffering and the cross, and she said ‘if these Christians believe that man on the cross is God, well then God knows what I’ve been through,” said Cardinal Dolan.

Cardinal Dolan went on to say we can continue to learn from Sister Josephine Bakhita who is an example of how to love and embrace everyone.

Catholic News Headlines for Wednesday, 2/9/22

New York Governor Kathy Hochul is dropping the state’s indoor mask mandate for businesses. Since vaccination rates for kids remain low, the mask mandate in schools will stay in place for now.

Crime is up in nearly every neighborhood in New York City.

Catholic school students in Bayside are holding a fundraiser for the families of the two police officers gunned down in Harlem last month.

Gov. Hochul Lifts Mask Mandate for Indoor Businesses, Wants to Wait and See for Schools

By Jessica Easthope

The latest numbers and trends have New Yorkers hoping the worst days of the pandemic could be over – for good this time.

New York State has below a five percent positivity rate, hospitalizations are at some of their lowest levels since before Christmas and now Gov. Hochul is reacting, saying it’s time to lift the mask mandate for indoor businesses and offices.

“We say that it’s the right decision to lift this mandate for indoor businesses and let counties, cities and businesses to make their own decisions to what they want to do given declining cases and hospitalizations. That’s why we feel comfortable,” the governor said.

This change; however, doesn’t affect the vaccine mandate. And there are a number of exceptions like at healthcare facilities, on public transit and in schools.

“We have run almost two full years and we have done it well so we’re good, we’re at a good point and I think it’s time to lift the mandate,” said Msgr. David Cassato, Vicar for Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Brooklyn.

In the Diocese of Brooklyn, at-home COVID tests have been rolled out and the next hurdle to get over is winter break starting on Feb. 21. Gov. Hochul wants kids tested after the break, and based on those results, it could mean masks no more.

“You’ve seen the numbers go down and I think it’s very important for kids to see each other,” Msgr. Cassato said. “You really can’t see the smile or the reaction at times because half their face is covered.”

But teachers know the reality is they’re missing a lot more than just smiles, they’re also not seeing things that could indicate something’s wrong. One teacher at St. Francis DeSales Catholic Academy in Belle Harbor, Queens says it has to do with non-verbal cues.

“You really don’t see the students, you don’t get the same interaction that you would get if the masks were off,” Nancy said. “Those non-verbal cues are so important when you’re communicating with someone.”

Gov. Hochul strongly suggested, Wednesday, that the mandate for schools could be lifted on March 7, a day eighth grader Fiona Fitzgerald has been waiting for.

“I’m excited, I’m very happy if this happens that it will finally be over and we don’t have to wear these things anymore,” Fiona said.

With neighboring states lifting their school mandates, the approach now is not to fight the pandemic but learn to live with it.

“It will be better, especially with more new people coming into the school and not knowing what they look like. It’s covering everything and you can’t see their features,” Fiona said.

The mandate will officially expire on Thursday, Feb. 10.

Crime Is on the Rise For Nearly Every NYC Neighborhood

Currents News Staff

If you look at the latest statistics from the NYPD, crime is up in almost every neighborhood in New York City.

“Thirty precincts are contributing to 80% of the violence,” Mayor Eric Adams said.

The worst area is Elmhurst, Queens with more than a 142% increase in crime over last year. Fresh Meadows Queens saw a 118% jump in overall crime while in Brooklyn, crime in Sunset Park went up 107% from last year. In Canarsie, it went up 105%.

The biggest issues in these areas are grand larceny, felony assaults and robberies. Whether underground or on the streets, lately many New Yorkers are worried about their safety. Mayor Eric Adams talked about it after his meeting with president biden on gun violence.

“He came to NY to deal with the terror many people are experiencing right here in the city,” Mayor Adams said.

Sometimes the terror is caught on camera. One of the latest incidents was a gunman opening fire on a Crown Heights, Brooklyn street corner in broad daylight shooting another man several times.

Also in Brooklyn, a 79-year-old man just standing on the street in the afternoon gets punched in the back of the head for seemingly no reason at all.

It seems below the streets aren’t much safer as we hear about people being pushed in front of moving trains or being robbed. One video shows a mugger stealing a woman’s purse in a Manhattan subway station.

Businesses are also being targeted with criminals taking what they want and leaving without paying. Mayor Adams wants to toughen the state’s bail law, but state lawmakers aren’t budging on bail reform. Either way, the mayor has vowed to tackle the crime plaguing the city even looking to the feds for a 9/11 type response, but many wonder how long it will take for the Big Apple to become safer.

“We’re seeing the bridging together of all of our resources to stop crime, prevent crime and build more healthier children and families in our city,” Mayor Adams said.

There are only a couple areas in the city that saw a decrease in crime like Bushwick and Bed-Stuy in Brooklyn.

Pope Francis Calls Out Church’s Greatest Challenge During His First TV Talk Show Appearance

Currents News Staff

In a rare hour-long interview with an Italian state broadcast network, Pope Francis spoke frankly about his vision for the Church, which he described as a “Church on pilgrimage,” as well as the greatest challenges it faces, namely spiritual worldliness.

“Today, the Church’s greatest evil is spiritual worldliness, a worldly Church,” the pontiff said. “This worldliness inside the Church makes something ugly grow, that is clericalism, which is a perversion of the Church.”

The Holy Father discussed caring for the environment and the harmful effects of war and spoke strongly about the conditions of migrants who are held in lagers, the German word for the labor camps used during the Holocaust.

“With migrants, what they are doing is criminal,” Pope Francis said. “They suffer so much to reach the sea. There are videos of the lagers, and I use this word seriously, lagers, in Libya, trafficker camps. The fact that the Mediterranean is the largest cemetery of Europe should make us think.”

After being spotted while visiting a record shop in Rome, the pontiff was also asked about his music taste, and referred to his roots as a “porteño,” a colloquial term for someone from Buenos Aires.

“You’ve been asked if you danced tango, and you said yes, that when you were young you sometimes danced tango,” the host asked.

“Well a porteño who doesn’t dance tango is not a porteño,” Pope Francis said.

The pontiff also shared other personal anecdotes, discussing his decision not to live in the papal apartments in order to be around others, and how as a child he hoped to one day become a butcher. Pope Francis usually ends his comments by saying “Don’t forget to pray for me” and at the end of his TV appearance he added, “For those of you who don’t pray, at least send me good thoughts.”