SOMOS Community Care Leads with Faith After Losing 16 Healthcare Workers to COVID-19

By Jessica Easthope

SOMOS has been on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic since the beginning, treating the patients most in need.

“Our community doctors are invested in the community. They look like the community they serve, they have the same language, the same culture,” said Liz Webb, the Vice President of Human Resoures at SOMOS.

Now, it’s at the forefront of testing and vaccinating. So far, SOMOS has administered more than 500,000 COVID-19 tests across 60 testing sites and is now running 60 pop up vaccination sites and six mass sites including Yankee Stadium, all in an effort to oust the deadly virus that took 16 of its own.

“The group of physicians that I’m talking about they don’t shy away from what’s hard or what’s difficult or what’s scary. To the other extreme they ran into that battle, there was no stopping them then,” said Liz.

From March until June of last year, SOMOS lost 16 doctors and healthcare workers, more than any other provider in New York City, their ages ranged from 38 to 70.

Dr. Ramon Tallaj, the chairman of the board, remembers his friend Dr. Ydelfonso Decoo. He said many of the doctors who passed were pediatricians, seeing families with new babies who caught the virus in the hospital where they delivered.

“Some of them are pediatricians and they died because they continued working. One of my board members and friends, Dr. Decoo, he was a family doctor and pediatrician by trade,” Dr. Tallaj said.

Dr. Tallaj says the doctors in SOMOS’ network were most at risk because they were most present, relentlessly battling the virus.

“Some people said to us, ‘Are you afraid?’ Of course we were afraid. It was killing people and there was no one on the streets, it was only us. But we were more afraid not to save lives,” he said.

SOMOS means “we are” in Spanish. Dr. Tallaj says it’s the perfect way to describe the community care they give and the faith that connects them. Every single day, Dr. Tallaj logs onto a prayer call that’s kept him going.

“It was a big line. We had three different countries joining us, at one point there were 580 people praying and 60 of them were doctors, and then there were nurses. It was amazing,” said Dr. Tallaj, “gave us a lot of support and strength.”

Dr. Tallaj says continuing to lead and treat with faith is the best way he knows how to pay tribute to the colleagues and friends he lost.

Catholic News Headlines for Tuesday, 4/6/21

Sixteen and up – COVID vaccine appointments opening for an extra three million people around New York as President Biden looks to open eligibility across the country.

The Empire State is set to raise taxes yet again, but will you be paying up?

Bells of hope ringing out in the Brooklyn Diocese – we’ll introduce you to the Catholic man behind it and his message.

Shops boarded up around the country, but one is putting faith in God and opening their doors for the first time.

Catholic Family Relies on Faith to Open Pizzeria in the Middle of the Pandemic

By Emily Drooby

“Mimi’s how can I help you?”

Being able to answer the phone like that has been a life-long dream for Carmela Nassa-Lancellotti.

She grew up in the food industry, and spent many a day at her parent’s restaurant.

“I always wanted to have my own,” she told Currents News.

Now, she does; Mimi’s Pizzeria.

For this deeply faithful Catholic, the opportunity came at a seemingly inopportune time — during a raging pandemic.

Back in March when the virus first started spreading in New York, it actually seemed like the perfect time as more people relied on food delivery.

Her husband Frederic told Currents News, “And to me, I think those are the signs. Since you have this dream, it’s the sign that we should look into it.”

So, Frederic and Carmela did look into it. Around Thanksgiving, they found this space. For Carmela, it was love at first sight.

“I felt like a stone on top of me, I couldn’t move, I was heavy,” she explained. “When we walked out I said to my husband, ‘This is it.'”

Right as her dream was in grasp, fear set in. The pandemic which was once inspiration became a cause for concern as COVID cases started to skyrocket again.

In December alone, when they were preparing to buy the shop, 500,000 jobs vanished from restaurants, hotels, casinos, and other entertainment venues — the highest number seen since April.

Thousands were fleeing the food industry as they were about to jump in feet first.

“People are not going to eat outside. So we really want to invest in something like that? It’s scary as it is, we have two kids, we have our bills,” Carmela explained.

That’s when faith took over. Frederic told Carmela that the way she felt when she walked into the building must be a sign from God.

“He said, ‘Don’t worry about it,'” she said. “If that’s what, God just gave you the keys. No matter pandemic or whatever it is, maybe it’s yours. It’s our destiny.”

One week later, on December 18, they officially owned the pizzeria.

Carmela left her long-standing volunteer position at her children’s school, Immaculate Conception Catholic Academy.

They opened up right away and haven’t looked back, trusting in God, leaning on their faith and taking the plunge.

What Is Sciatica? Looking Into the Pain Pope Francis Struggles With

By Emily Drooby

Pope Francis spends his life serving God and faithful Catholics around the globe, but sometimes it can be difficult health-wise.

During Holy Week, the beloved pontiff was seen struggling to walk.

For years he’s publicly dealt with hip issues and bouts of sciatica, even back when he first became pope.

During a 2013 interview he told reporters in Italian, “Really! I experienced this in my first month as pope because when I would give interviews, I would sit in an armchair that caused this problem. It’s a very, very painful sciatica. I wouldn’t wish it upon anyone.”

Recently he cancelled appearances because of the sciatica pain, but what is it?

“So, most people who experience sciatica, which is a symptom, the pain will start in their lower back and will actually radiate down into either both of their legs or one of their legs,” explained Dr. Melinda Keller, who sees it all the time at the Brooklyn Spine Center.

The most basic explanation? It’s a nerve pain. It’s a symptom of an injury or irritation at the bottom of your spine, also known as your sciatic nerve.

Dr. Keller says often it’s caused by a misalignment of the spine, or issues with the discs, ones that interfere with the nerve.

“But what we are looking for are aligned vertebrae with healthy disc spaces that will create a nice opening for a nerve to come off,” she explained.

In the worst cases, it can be debilitating.

It can also be recurring depending on what’s causing it, like in Pope Francis’ situation.

It’s pretty common. Up to 40 percent of Americans will experience it at some point in their life.

It can happen to anyone. Dr. Keller has even seen teenagers with it, but normally patients are in their late 20’s and up.

Dr. Keller says if you’re having what you think is sciatic pain, go to a doctor right away. They’ll be able to treat the problem at the root of the pain, and not just the pain.

That could be through realignments, stretches and/or spinal injections, depending on your doctor.

She also suggests getting regular spinal check-ups throughout life to prevent it.

St. Peter Claver Parishioner Rings Church Bell in Prayer for Those Lost to COVID-19

By Jessica Easthope

Stanley Davis has been retired for more than a decade but every day he has a job to do.

He gets up, leaves the house and walks, but the trip isn’t far. It’s just across the street to St. Peter Claver Church in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, where he has a duty to fulfill, ringing the bell.

Every day of the pandemic, Stanley’s been ringing the bell at St. Peter Claver to pray for those who have lost their lives to COVID-19.

“When people hear the bell I want people to know that we’re still praying for them, day and night, I don’t care what the weather is. We’re praying. We’re praying constantly,” Stanley said.

His orders came from the top – Pope Francis asked everyone to pray, Brooklyn Bishop Nicholas DeMarzio asked that bells in the Diocese of Brooklyn be rung at 3 p.m. signifying the time Jesus died on the cross. So when that message got to Father Alonzo Cox, the pastor of St. Peter Claver, he knew exactly who to ask.

“St Peter Claver Church is his second home, there would be days when I would walk in there, all the lights are off and Stanley was there, praying the rosary or praying in front of the Blessed Sacrament. So that’s how I knew the person to ring the bell at 3 o’clock would be Stanley,” Father Cox told Currents News.

But it’s not just the time of day that’s significant. Stanley rings the bell, praying for the intercession of St. Therese the Little Flower.

“When I ring the bell, I ring it 24 times for St. Therese, for when she died at the age of 24,” he explained.

Stanley stopped ringing the bell during Lent to mark a solemn time in the liturgical year, but on Tuesday April 6, he was back at it.

Like many New Yorkers, Stanley lost a family member to COVID-19: his younger brother, Franklin.

“Nobody could even visit with him and you just had to accept what the reports were, and then he passed,” Stanley said of Franklin, who was in a nursing home.

He wants everyone who’s lost someone to know their loved ones are not forgotten. It’s Stanley’s way of living out his faith.

“Nothing else matters. If you’re trying to please Him, you know you’re doing something right,” he said.

More New Yorkers are now becoming eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, but until the last coronavirus death Stanley will be at the bell at 3 o’clock.

As COVID Vaccination Numbers Rise, U.S. Sees Uptick in New Cases and Spread of Variants

Currents News Staff

Soon, all 50 U.S. states will have expanded COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to everyone 16 years and older.

It’s happening as COVID-19 variants continue to spread and new variants keep popping up.

Now there’s a race between vaccinations and variants.

From production, to packaging, to planes, to the pavement and to the people, vaccine rollout is going strong.

But Dr. Ashish Jha, epidemiologist Michael Osterholm, and Dr. Paul Offit, worry it’s creating false hope.

Average new case counts are up more than 16% over the past two weeks, and the Centers for Disease Control and prevention says part of the reason for the rise is because of variants like the one first spotted in the U.K.

“It’s not long before it is going to sweep across the country,” said Osterholm.

“And the variants make it particularly concerning,” added Dr. Jha.

There are still so many questions about the variants.

“To date we don’t know that the variants have completely escaped immunity, where for example, if you’ve been naturally infected or immunized you still may be hospitalized or in a ICU or die,” explained Dr. Offit, a member of the FDA Vaccines Advisory Committee:

There are also other variants popping up like the one first identified in India that’s also been reported in California, not to mention the variants still to come as viruses mutate over time.

“Where will these new variants come from that we couldn’t even imagine today,” asked Osterholm.

Still, all three experts agree that vaccinations are our best bet.

“We either get vaccinated, or if we haven’t had a chance to get a vaccine yet, at least wear a mask and social distance,” said Dr. Offit.

“We really do have to hunker down for a few more weeks,” urged Dr. Jha.

Eastertide: Celebrating the Season for 50 Days From Easter to Pentecost

By Jessica Easthope

It’s common knowledge that Easter marks the end of Lent but it also marks a beginning – another part of the Easter season that goes on for almost two months.

“It’s continued for the 50 days until the feast of Pentecost,” said Monsignor David Cassato, the pastor of St. Athanasius Church in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. “The coming of the Holy Spirit – it’s a very special time. There’s no greater time than Easter.”

It’s called Eastertide, the time between Easter and Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus’ disciples on the seventh Sunday after Easter. Msgr. Cassato says the Polish, Irish, and Italians have their own ways of celebrating Easter Monday and observing this time.

“In the Italian tradition, it’s called ‘Pasquetta,’ after the work of Easter, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday,” he said. “Most people in Italy take the day off and go to the country and celebrate with all the leftover food.”

St. Athanasius parishioners, Nila Ruggieri and Vittoria Spagnolo, came to church to celebrate Easter Monday. They said Eastertide is a time to live the joy of Easter and the hope of the Resurrection.

“This is the biggest celebration,” Nila said. “It lasts a long time. 50 days until the Holy Spirit comes and enables us with his power and strength and joy.”

“That was the way to go,” Vittoria said. “The disciples show that he’s there with us.”

On any given day, you can find Carlo Formisano at St. Athanasius, alone, praying the rosary. For him, Eastertide is a time to give, using the power of the Holy Spirit to help others.

“That’s what I feel these next days,” Carlo said, “Pentecost Sunday coming up where you get that spirit. The Holy Spirit comes into you like he gave it to the disciples. If you can feel that for just one day, one hour, it’s the best feeling in the world.”

Msgr. Cassato says it’s also the best time of year for evangelization.

“Why is it the perfect time of the year to bring people into church and back to church?” he asked. “It’s interesting because during this Eastertide, after the pandemic especially, it’s time to come back to the church. It’s time to reach out to people who have fallen away.”

This year, Eastertide is celebrated until May 23 on Pentecost.

Catholic News Headlines for Monday, 4/5/21

Eastertide – that means Catholics are now in a new season.

Big numbers of parishioners are making their way back to church. But will they stay?

Pope Francis is calling world leaders to make the COVID vaccine reach those who need it the most.

New Catholics join the church – their plans for the faithful future.

This Teen Became a Catholic and Brought His Whole Family Along on the Faith Journey

Currents News Staff

Each year on Holy Saturday during the Easter Vigil, thousands are baptized into the Catholic Church in the U.S.

The pandemic has been a challenge for many entering the faith, but one family in upstate New York faced that challenge head-on, and is all thanks to teenager: Marco Pantoja.

He was raised a Protestant but at the age of 16 became Catholic, and helped his family convert to Catholicism. Marco joins Currents News to share his story.

When It Comes to COVID Variants, Kids Play a Role in Transmission

Currents News Staff

B.1.1.7 is the COVID-19 variant first identified in the U.K.

“Please understand, this B.1.1.7 variant is a brand new ball game,” said epidemiologist Michael Osterholm.

Michael is making the rounds to talk about one of the challenges of this variant.

“It infects kids very readily,” he said. “Unlike previous strains of the virus, we didn’t see children under eight grade get infected often or they were not frequently very ill. They didn’t transmit to the rest of the community.”

But he says now, that’s changed.

Statistics point to Minnesota, where more than 740 schools have had cases of the U.K. variant.

In Michigan, more and more young people are being hospitalized as cases rise.

It’s something medical experts in other countries called attention to nearly two months ago when the British Medical Journal said there was “emerging evidence from Israel and Italy that more young children are being infected with new variants of COVID-19.”

Now that it’s happening here in the states, Michael is questioning his own recommendation to send kids back for in-person learning.

“These kids now are really major challenges in terms of how they transmit.”

Getting kids vaccinated is crucial, but Michael says a hurdle could exist.

“We’re not going to have nearly enough in the next six to eight weeks to get through this surge,” he said. “We’re going to have to look at other avenues to do that, just as every other country in the world who’s had a B.1.1.7 surge has had to do.”