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Brooklyn Food Pantry Fighting Against Hatred and Hunger Days After Vandalism at Local Church

By Emily Drooby

Different religions and ethnicities, but all of the people at a pop-up food pantry held on Wednesday have something important in common: the desire to stomp out hate through kindness.

How? By doing so through a food drive, which was put together by two different religious based-groups. The initiative, which is being run by the Met Council is being called, “Hate Has No Home Here.”

Working towards unity is something Msgr. Alfred LoPinto says is crucial right now.

“The country is falling apart,” the monsignor said. “Division seems to be more prevalent than it has been in the past.”

In the first four months of 2021, NYC saw a 73% increase in hate crimes, including attacks against the faithful.

“We’ve had a mosque vandalized within the last few days,” explained Brooklyn District Attorney, Eric Gonzalez. “We’ve seen a surge, last year, in anti-semitic crimes and this year, in the last few days, we have a few Catholic institutions and other property vandalized.”

The district attorney’s referring to the crucifix torn down in front of St. Athanasius Church in Bensonhurst and a statue depicting the Virgin Mary and her son Jesus, which was defaced in front of the diocesan offices.

“I grew up as a Catholic and to see images of our saints and others being desecrated is heartbreaking,” Eric said.

Asian Americans are under attack too. Hate crimes against the Asian American community has skyrocketed in 2021: five times higher than last year. That’s why the food drive initiative began – to fight against hate.

It’s a partnership between Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens and the Met Council – one of the most prominent Jewish nonprofits.

Two different religious groups and volunteers from all different backgrounds, like the Chinese American Planning Council, are coming together to help feed 400 families.

“It’s so heartbreaking to see hungry people standing in line for food in this country, but on the other hand, all these groups coming together to stand up against hatred, brings hope,” explained Robert Newman, the chief policy officer for the Met Council.

Looking out for one’s neighbor – no matter their background – are the first steps in creating a more unified city. While hate might have ‘no home here’, love, acceptance and kindness certainly do.

Diocese of Brooklyn Goes Against the Trend as Enrollment at Catholic Schools Nationwide Plummets

By Jessica Easthope

Space is tight on the walls and in the hallways of St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy in Belle Harbor, Queens. That’s because it’s been 20 years since the school had this many students.

“We know that we’ve made great efforts in our diocese in trying to increase enrollment and have people try to see the value of Catholic education here in Brooklyn and Queens,” said Principal Christopher Scharbach.

More than 200 Catholic schools across the country have closed over the past year and nationwide enrollment fell 6.4 percent, but in the Diocese of Brooklyn, registration is up 1,500 students compared to this time last year. At St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy, 569 students are currently enrolled and that number will be shooting up to 638 come September.

“We’ve had a very strong enrollment but the interesting thing has been how the enrollment has grown this year during the pandemic,” said Judy Lindner, a first grade teacher at the school.

Judy says her students have adapted seamlessly – watching her over and sometimes through the plastic shields on their desks. Her first graders don’t take up too much space – but next year, there’ll be more of them.

“Because we are growing in enrollment, instead of having two classes of say 30 in each class, Mr. Scharbach is able to make the first grade into three classes,” Judy said.

But it’s not only first grade that’s had to modify. As enrollment climbed, Principal Scharbach had to transform the entire school.

“We’re reusing rooms used for different reasons now as classrooms,” he said. “One thing the pandemic has had us do is really be creative with how we structure a school.”

He says it’s sad to see so many people forced out of Catholic schools by the economic effects of the pandemic – a problem they’ve tried to keep under control at the school.

“We’ve tried to keep tuition as low as possible and not have as large of increases as we’ve had in the past,” Principal Scharbach said, “and we’ve tried to work with families around it and we have a tuition assistance committee for anyone who has fallen on tough times.”

The school’s motto is “anchored in Christ” and staff say that mindset has kept them afloat.

“We are just continuing to put faith first,” Judy said.

So as the school continues to make room, repurpose and squeeze in where they can – Mr. Scharbach says it’s the artwork, prayers and projects on the walls that remind him that a Catholic education is a gift.

Catholic News Headlines for Tuesday, 5/18/21

Hate crimes against the Diocese of Brooklyn – clergy asking for police to step up patrols.

San Francisco’s Archbishop has a response to Nancy Pelosi.

No rockets were fired from Gaza overnight but Israel is launching a new round of airstrikes

Supermarket Shock: Why Are Food Prices On the Rise?

Currents News Staff

Making dinner and gathering around the table: it’s an important activity to the Carbones who live in Richmond Hill, queens.

 “An essential part of our family is dinner time,” Joseph said. “We’ve never strayed from that.”

 While family dinners remain a constant for them, something they can’t control is causing concern.

 “Especially the last year,” said Jenny. “It’s definitely noticeable how prices are higher.”

 The Carbones’ grocery bill is skyrocketing. It began when COVID starting spreading in New York.

 “It stabilized a little bit, but it’s still higher than before,” Jenny added.

 Jenny says a year ago, their average bill for one delivery would be just under $200.

“Now every time I place an order it’s either $240, $250,” she said, “and no matter how I tweak it or switch it around, it always ends up being over $200.”

The Carbones aren’t alone.

With current prices, half a gallon of milk is about four dollars; a dozen eggs are about three dollars and a package of bacon is about eight dollars. That’s 15 dollars for just three breakfast items. Someone making minimum wage in New York would have to work one hour to cover the cost of just one meal.

The pandemic is causing an unusual leap in food prices – the highest in almost a decade with the biggest jump in animal products like beef, veal, pork and eggs.

 Several factors play into the rise.

“I think the food sector has been profoundly disrupted,” said Nick Freudenberg, “and it’s been disrupted on every front.”

Nick is from CUNY’s Urban Food Policy Institute. He says it comes down to supply and demand.

“Because they didn’t follow safety precautions in some of those big meatpacking plants, a lot of their workers got sick, so they had to slow down,” he said.

The same goes with distribution, according to supermarket guru Phil Lempert, who runs Consumer Insight Group.

“It broke the supply chain,” he said. “We didn’t have trucks where we needed them. There’s containers that used to bring in imported foods that are stuck in other countries.”

While much of the U.S. is slowly reopening – these factors are expected to linger.

But even before COVID hit, food prices were already heading up with increases to the minimum wage.

“Somebody’s got to pay for that,” Phil added, “and that’s going to be you and me.”

Other shoppers like Marco Colacito are finding big savings at European grocery store chains Aldi and Lidl. New stores are popping up all over the tri-state area.

“I went to Lidl on a whim,” Marco said. “The shopping experience was really nice.”

Currents News decided to check it out too. We stopped by a Lidl, pronounced leedle, in New Jersey and found significantly lower prices for store brands and brand names.

  •   A dozen eggs are $1.52
  •  Half gallon of milk is $2.22
  •  And bacon is $3.99

 For a total of $7.73

That’s almost a 50 percent difference from average prices. 

“To me, it’s to supplement some of my other shopping,” Marco said. “I think that’s the best way that we’re using it right now, but it’s making a significant difference with the dollar, with stretching the dollar.”

And there are still other ways to save.

For families looking to cut costs, Phil suggests slowing down. That might sound silly, but since the pandemic hit, a person’s average trip to the grocery store has dropped from 22 minutes about 2 times a week – to 10 minutes only once a week, leaving less time to shop around for the best deal.

The question is: Will prices ever come down?

Phil says it will take time.

“Because when you think about the manufacturing of food, you can’t react overnight,” he said.

Even though the economy is recovering, people are still struggling to make ends meet. Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens is helping. They have food pantries around the Diocese of Brooklyn.

If you need help or know a family who’s experiencing food insecurity, call 718-722-6001 or go to the site, ccbq.org

Here’s How To Save Money When Grocery Shopping While Still Eating Healthy

Currents News Staff

Trying to stay on budget while food prices rise has many people finding it hard to maintain healthy eating habits. 

Caitlin Self, licensed nutritionist and blogger behind Frugal Nutrition, joined Currents News to explain how to eat healthier and shop smarter.

Here are Tips for Saving Money on Your Grocery Bill

  • Cook from scratch
  • Plant-based protein
  • Shop perimeter of grocery store

Here are some recipes Caitlin recommends for budget-friendly cooking: 

Following Two Vandalism Incidents, Diocese of Brooklyn Calls for More Police Patrol and Security

By Emily Drooby

Baby Jesus’s head broken off: it’s the second act of vandalism in the Diocese of Brooklyn this week. Now, Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio is calling for big changes.

“Any statue that’s exposed outside, should be lit at night, and also have a camera focused on it,” the bishop said. “So that will deter people and if we can catch someone.”

The latest incident happened right outside the Brooklyn Diocese administrative offices.

“It’s clear they deliberately went after the head of the baby Jesus,” explained Msgr. Anthony Hernandez, as he showed Currents News the damage.

The statue depicts the Blessed Virgin Mary holding Jesus. It’s a very thick stone and all of the damage was really localized to the head.

“Well it’s disturbing, absolutely,” the monsignor said, “and we want to make sure that our people are safe and their religious traditions are respected and preserved.”

It’s the second attack in a week. In the first incident, an image of Christ on the cross was torn down at St. Athanasius Church in Bensonhurst.

The cross has special meaning to the church’s pastor, Msgr. David Cassato.

“It was put up there in 2010 in memory of my mother who passed in 2009,” he said.

An American flag was also burned, according to authorities.

Bishop DiMarzio said the increased amount of incidents is distressing.

“It’s obviously distressing and unfortunate that we are seeing so many incidents of destruction of sacred images that are really important to our faith,” he said.

Police released video of the suspect in the St. Athanasius Church vandalism. No one has been arrested in either incident. The diocese is asking priests to be alert and for the NYPD to increase patrols around churches.

“Basic tenant of our faith is to forgive, so we forgive, but at the same time, it doesn’t mean we retreat,” Bishop DiMarzio said. “We have to stick to our guns and do what we think is important for our faith.”

Both the statue and crucifix vandalism are being investigated by the NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force. Msgr. Hernandez said the question arises if it’s anti-Catholic hate.

“Well, you wonder if it’s an act of anti-Catholic hatred,” he said. “I’ve been in other parishes where statues have been vandalized, but this seemed very deliberate. It seemed like there was more intent to this one.”

The diocese does have the statue of baby Jesus’ head, which was found by the facilities manager. They’re already working towards repairing the statue to its original form.

If you have any information on who may have damaged the statue or crucifix, call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS.

Holy Land in Conflict as Israel Begins New Airstrike Campaign

By Jessica Easthope

New Israeli airstrikes hit near the offices of the United Nation’s Palestinian Refugee Agency and the Islamic University.

The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry says at least 212 people have been killed and more than 1,400 wounded since the fighting began. Israeli Defense Forces says rockets have killed 10 people, including two children, in the past week. Israel also says that it intercepted a UAV, a drone, that was seen approaching the border between Gaza and Israel.

Catholics in the region have not been directly attacked, but they are living amid the violence with fear and frustration.

“In Gaza, the Rosary Sisters School was indirectly hit because around the school there are several Hamas tunnels. Part of the local community has moved to live inside the school, because they are safer there. They are afraid of being in their homes,” said Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem.

Archbishop Pizzaballa is calling for calm on both sides of the conflict. He asks the world to not forget the situation in the Holy Land, and to pray for peace and justice.

“This brutality that has exploded had been dormant for some time and we didn’t realize it,” the patriarch said. “I think we have to overcome the illusion that interfaith meetings for peace will lead to a peaceful coexistence. We need to be attentive to the language we use. Because violent language leads to violence.”

The patriarch asks Catholics to be more sensitive to the situation in Jerusalem, where the roots of the faith are. He fears that the situation will get worse in the coming days, and hopes Pope Francis’ calls for dialogue will be heard before it is too late.

Hundreds Participate in Cardinal Gregory’s Recitation of the Rosary in D.C.

Currents News Staff and John Lavenburg

WASHINGTON D.C. — Soon after 11 a.m. on Monday, Julia Lum was one of the first to arrive at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception’s Great Upper Church to participate in a worldwide recitation of the rosary, offering prayers for an end to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Lum didn’t have any personal intentions in mind. She just wanted the opportunity to pray alongside her Catholic brothers and sisters for an important cause.

“This pandemic has killed a lot of people. It’s changed the entire world,” Lum said. “I just want things to go back to normal and want the pandemic to be eradicated.”

“I’m also just praying for peace in the world and unity and praying for those who are desperate and in need. We all need help. We need to pray for each other.”

By the time the recitation began at noon, Lum was alongside more than 200 people — masked and socially distanced — who filled the pews. Many of the attendees, like Lum, didn’t have personal intentions but wanted to participate with the pandemic in mind. Others, meanwhile, were there with heavy hearts thinking about a loved one they lost in the past year.

Cardinal Wilton Gregory of Washington led the recitation. It was a part of Pope Francis’ call for a “marathon” of prayer in May “to ask for the end of the pandemic.” As part of the rosary marathon, every day in May, through the end of the month, at noon, the rosary is prayed from a different Marian shrine around the world with a specific prayer intention.

Monday’s was for “all world leaders and for all heads of international organizations.”

“We entrust into the hands of the Blessed Virgin Mary the people touched by the pandemic and in particular for all world leaders and for heads of international organizations, that she may entrust them to her Son,” Cardinal Gregory said. “May He hear and grant our petitions.”

Before the recitation began, Msgr. Walter Rossi, the rector of the Basilica, spoke with Currents News about the essential role of world leaders in bringing the COVID-19 pandemic to an end.

“World leaders really have control over what’s taking place. They’re the ones who have put in the shutdown. They’re the ones who do the rollout, the opening, and they’re the ones who are getting us all vaccinated,” Msgr. Rossi said. “They have a very important role to play in this entire pandemic situation and especially bringing it to an end.”

Just before Gregory, Msgr. Vito Buonanno, the director of pilgrimages at the Basilica, asked for Mary’s intercession to comfort the grieving and distraught and protect the front-line workers who risk their lives daily.

 “Mary, consecration of the afflicted, embrace all of your children in distress and pray that God will stretch out his all-powerful hand and free us from this terrible pandemic so that life can serenely resume its normal pulse,” Msgr. Buonanno said.

Other Catholics in the pews included Antonieta Berthe, who lost her 95-year-old mother to the pandemic.

“It is very personal because of the death of my mother from COVID,” Berthe told Currents News of the recitation. “It just brings a lot of memories, and asking our Blessed Mother for her intercession, it’s just very meaningful to me.”

Katie Evans traveled an hour from southern Maryland so her two young children could experience the Basilica and continue their daily COVID-19 prayer from a new location.

“We came because we wanted to continue our journey of praying the rosary for an end to the pandemic,” Evans said.

Buffalo, N.Y., residents Bob and Maureen Fahey were in the nation’s capital on vacation and decided it was important to attend the recitation because the themes of praying for an end to the pandemic and our world leaders “seemed so encompassing of everything [society] needs.”

Some of the other participating Marian shrines that have or will participate in the rosary marathon are located in England, Nigeria, Israel, South Korea, Turkey, Canada, Myanmar, Mexico, Germany, and Lebanon.

Some of the remaining prayer intentions are for pharmacists and health care personnel, social workers, teachers, consecrated men and women, and essential workers.

The May 18 rosary took place at Our Lady of Lourdes in France for “all doctors and nurses.” Pope Francis will close the month by leading the prayer for “the end of the pandemic and the resumption of our social and economic life” from the Vatican Gardens on May 31.

Before Monday’s prayer at the Basilica 51 candles were lit to represent the 50 states and Washington D.C. Msgr. Rossi told Currents News he hoped the parishioners that came left with a feeling of comfort.

“Comfort, peace, and hope that through our prayers, this pandemic will come to an end, and through our prayers, we can go back to whatever normal is going to be,” he said.

Pandemic Prayer: Rosary Said at National Shrine in Washington

By Jessica Easthope

One after another, 53 Hail Marys echoed through the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

The rosary is part of a global call by Pope Francis to dedicate May, Mary’s month, for the end of the pandemic.

The rosary started on May 1st in Rome and over the next month, 30 countries will pray at a Marian Shrine for a collective as well as an individual intention.

Here in the United States it’s for world leaders.

“It’s the world leaders who have control over what’s taking place,” says Msgr. Walter Rossi, rector of the Basilica. “They’re the ones who have put in the shutdown, they’re the ones who do the rollout, the opening and they’re the ones getting us all vaccinated.”

Msgr. Rossi says this is for everyone affected by this pandemic and felt its profound loss.

“They have a very important role to play in this entire pandemic situation, especially in bringing it to an end,” he said.

Antonieta Berteh prays the rosary every single day, but saying it in communion is different, especially after losing her mother to COVID-19 five months ago.

“I really hope that the intercession of our Blessed Mother will finally end this pandemic that has caused so much pain,” says Berteh.

Monday’s rosary was led by Cardinal Wilton Gregory, the Archbishop of Washington D.C.

Nancy Brockington says she comes to Basilica three days a week, but couldn’t miss saying the rosary with a church leader she says, has paved the way.

“I’ve just heard so much about his career, about how he became Catholic at 11 or 12 years old, and all that he’s done throughout the United States for the Catholic Church and I just admire him so much,” Brockington said.

Catholic News Headlines for Monday, 5/17/21

Prayer to end the pandemic – the faithful gathering at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception to pray the rosary.

Holy Land in crisis – the world prays for peace following the deadliest day of conflict. Pope Francis joining the voices calling for calm between Israel and Hamas.

Abortion battle – the Supreme Court will hear a controversial case that could affect Roe v Wade.