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Catholic News Headlines for Wednesday 3/4/26   

Cardinal Timothy Dolan is sworn in as co-chief chaplain of the NYPD, supporting the spiritual needs of more than 36,000 officers and their families.

Pilgrims are continuing the Diocese of Brooklyn’s Lenten pilgrimage at Holy Cross Church in Flatbush for Mass, prayer, and reflection led by Bishop Robert Brennan.

Cathedral Prep’s basketball team captures the CHSAA inter-sectional championship in an overtime thriller.

Xaverian H.S. senior basketball player Callie Mullin reaches the rare milestone of 1,000 career points.

Xaverian Senior Callie Mullin Scores 1,000th Point

By Katie Vasquez

MIDDLE VILLAGE — Number five on the Xaverian varsity girls basketball team glided across the court with ease during a championship game at Christ the King High School, showcasing skills she has been honing nearly her entire life.

For senior Callie Mullin, basketball has always been part of her world.

“It’s always been part of my life, going to my siblings’ practices, games,” Mullin said. “My dad’s been coaching since I was born.”

This year, Mullin is capping off her final season at the Brooklyn Catholic high school with a major milestone: 1,000 career points.

“A thousand means the points each score, like, throughout my career,” she said. “So over the four years, that’s how many I’ve scored.”

Reaching 1,000 points is no easy task and is considered a rare achievement in high school basketball.

“It’s a big accomplishment,” Mullin said. “It’s hard to get. It’s just a lot of work that goes into it.”

Her family’s basketball pedigree may make the milestone seem less surprising. Mullin’s uncle is former NBA player and two-time Olympic gold medalist Chris Mullin, who also attended Xaverian.

Her father, Terence Mullin, said the achievement reflects years of dedication — and teamwork.

“I guess that night was kind of like an accumulation of hard work and dedication, putting the time in,” he said. “It is an individual accomplishment, but it’s definitely a team accomplishment because you’re not out there by yourself.”

Mullin has committed to play at Mercy University in Dobbs Ferry next year.

Her coach, Mark Spelman, said her absence will be felt.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do without her next year,” Spelman said. “It’s going to feel very strange if I’m coaching next year to not have her there. She’s been a rock for me and the team to lean on.”

As her high school career comes to a close, Mullin said she will leave with lasting memories of a tight-knit group.

“This team, we’re super close and we do everything together,” she said. “We just really wanted to win for each other.”

Diocese of Brooklyn Junior High Students Choose Silence at Eucharistic Rally at St. Mark Church

By Jessica Easthope

You could hear a pin drop inside St. Mark’s Church in Sheepshead Bay on March 3 because 500 junior high students from seven Diocese of Brooklyn schools chose silence.

“I really appreciated that we were quiet, everybody was quiet, and it really just made the whole experience much better and much easier to understand,” said Sal Palmeri, an eighth-grader at St. Bernard Catholic Academy.

No phones, no distractions-just the Blessed Sacrament and the quiet voice of God. Palmeri said he left feeling like he had meditated for two hours.

“It’s just really nice to have a nice break and just relax,” he said.

The students prayed, sang and knelt before the Body of Christ—a sharp contrast to their noise-filled lives. Those who organized the rally said the silence is a gift.

“We live in a world that’s full of noise. And when we come here today, the kids buy into it. And I think it was something that they don’t experience very often. But I do think it was appreciated,” said Deacon Kevin McCormack, superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Brooklyn.

“Really, none of us are used to any extended periods of silence, which can be uncomfortable. But that’s when God speaks,” said John O’Brien, associate superintendent for the Diocese of Brooklyn.

“They probably very rarely get a chance to have some silent time like that. It doesn’t come naturally. You know, they have to learn,” said Father Robert Mucci, pastor of St. Mark-St. Margaret Mary Parish.

Some left feeling relaxed, but Victoria Charles, an eighth-grader at Our Lady of Trust Catholic Academy, said being exposed to the Eucharist re-energized her physically and spiritually.

“I definitely think it motivated me a lot more, and it definitely prepared me for the Easter season. It kind of reminded me of my faith and why I’m here,” Charles said.

All junior high school students in the Diocese of Brooklyn will participate in Eucharistic rallies throughout the school year. Five more are being held during Lent.

Catholic News Headlines for Tuesday 3/3/26   

Hundreds of Catholic school students from the Diocese of Brooklyn gathered in Sheepshead Bay for a Lenten Eucharistic rally.

The NYPD is increasing security at Jewish sites across New York City during Purim following recent U.S. strikes in Iran.

U.S. bishops are inviting Catholics nationwide to support the annual Catholic Relief Services collection to aid vulnerable communities around the world.

Catholic academy students in Queens are learning to sew and create handmade dresses for girls in need worldwide.

Queens Junior Ladies of Charity ‘Dress a Girl Around the World’ With Sewing Project

By Katie Vasquez

The hum of sewing machines and the sound of fabric being cut filled the room as students carefully stitched colorful patterns into dresses.

“These hands are hard at work,” one student said as the garments began to take shape.

Emily Tofan, a fifth grader at Immaculate Conception Catholic Academy, said she enjoys watching her creations come together.

“I like when you sew it and it becomes a dress with the needle,” Tofan said. “I think that’s fun. And I like choosing patterns.”

The Junior Ladies of Charity have been teaching girls at Immaculate Conception Catholic Academy and St. John’s Prep how to sew. The lessons include everything from copying patterns to cutting fabric and learning how to use sewing machines.

“She showed them how to copy the pattern and they did it on their own,” said Pat Mule, co-moderator of the Junior Ladies of Charity. “Then one girl would help another girl. And really they became like a little team.”

Anna Rocchio, co-moderator of the Junior Ladies of Charity, said the students are learning technical skills that are essential to garment-making.

“I have been teaching them to use a machine,” Rocchio said. “I’ve been teaching them how to cut and cut on the fold, what the biases are.”

The dresses are being made for a special cause. They will be delivered to girls in need through the organization Dress a Girl Around the World. The nonprofit says each dress serves as a reminder to a girl that God loves her.

Maya Holmes, a fifth grader, said the project has taught her about generosity.

“If you see somebody, you should always give them something because you don’t know what they’re going through,” Holmes said.

Many of the recipients would not be able to get a new dress on their own.

“They’re just like us — our age or younger — who have the same dreams and aspirations but are unfortunately in circumstances that are not the best,” said Rihanna Bonilla, a senior at St. John’s Prep. “We want to give them some sort of encouragement and give them beautiful dresses.”

Although the young designers will not be able to see the reactions to their work in person, the Queens students hope the girls who receive them know each dress was made with care.

“I hope they love it. I am really excited,” said Ariana Yepez, a senior at St. John’s Prep. “Just the thought of a girl having a dress that they can wear is so awesome. I know how it feels getting a new dress — it would be something super amazing.”

“I think they will be,” added Ava Banks, a third grader at Immaculate Conception Catholic Academy. “I feel really happy that they have new dresses to wear.”

The students’ goal is to make between 10 and 15 dresses and complete them by Easter.