After Being Unable to Spend Last Easter in Church, Faithful Flock to St. James Cathedral Basilica

By Emily Drooby

Glory to God rang out at the St. James Cathedral Basilica on Easter Sunday — the Lord has risen.

Having hope is an important lesson learned after a difficult year, one of pain and loss stemming from the pandemic.

“That’s what Easter is about,” Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of Brooklyn told Currents News. “It teaches us how to deal with the sin and death and evil that happens in the world.”

It has also been a difficult year for church attendance. The quarantine forcing closures for over three months. When churches finally could reopen their doors, it was only for a fraction of what they had before.

There was a fear. How would parishes rebuild their flock? Would parishioners return? And what would Holy Week, historically some of the most attended Masses and services, look like in 2021?

However, hope came in many forms this Easter, one of them was full pews.

“To see the Church coming back to life again, at the same time that we are celebrating the Resurrection, it’s very encouraging. And I think it’s a wonderful sign and symbol of the power of our faith,” said Father Bryan Patterson, pastor and rector of St. James Cathedral Basilica.

The Cathedral Basilica was as full as it could safely be. People traveled from all over to be there, like Shiloh Frederick who came from East Flatbush.

After missing out on being at church on Easter last year, she wanted this year to feel extra special.

“We are feeling more hopeful this year than last year, so we wanted to be in a church that kind of reflected that atmosphere,” she explained.

The Cathedral Basilica had full Masses and services during the entirety of Holy Week.

However, Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio said that they still have a ways to go to get back to pre-pandemic levels, especially since churches are still capped at half capacity.

It seems like from last night and this morning, what we have heard, it’s decent,” he said. “But again it’s not full. We are only at 50 percent capacity, so it will take time until everyone comes back.”

‘When people are ready and able to come back they’ll be welcomed,” added Father Patterson. “God is still God and God is still there for me, and I can still come back to God and God will always welcome me back. I think it’s important for people to know that God hasn’t gone anywhere.”

At Holy Saturday Easter Vigil Parishioners Are Welcomed Into to the Catholic Faith

By Jessica Easthope

Fire burned bright in the darkness of St. Joseph’s Co-Cathedral in Brooklyn. The Paschal candle was lit at the beginning of the Easter Vigil, symbolizing the Light of Christ as the last moments of sunlight peered through the stained-glass windows.

The solemn vigil starts the most joyous celebration of the liturgical year: Jesus’ Resurrection.

“Tonight is the vigil of all vigils, the Easter vigil. We celebrate the Resurrection in all the glory we have: music, lights, candles. It’s ‘pulling out all of the stops,’ as you might say,” said Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio.

Suddenly, the Co-Cathedral is illuminated. Then one of the most special parts of the vigil, which was canceled last year due to the pandemic, is celebrated: the welcoming in of newcomers to the Catholic faith.

On Saturday six people received confirmation and communion and four others received those sacraments and were baptized.

“I feel relieved. I feel like I let go of all my sins and like they said, I’m a new person,” said Milaidi Spencer, who received her confirmation and communion.

Milaidi said her son made her realize she needed to take that next step in her faith.

“My son goes to Catholic school and me seeing him make his communion was very emotional for me, and I wanted to take that next step and he motivated me.”

Emerson Wite received three sacraments, Saturday, taking his first steps as a Catholic. His journey also started in Catholic school. He says his education made him want to grow closer to his faith.

“It felt like I was starting a new journey, a new life,” said Emerson.

Emerson also says the ongoing health crisis solidified his commitment.

“It’s been a very hard year, and I’ve been lucky to not experience what a lot of people have with COVID. So I thank God every day for everything I have and I feel like this step has pushed me to be a more grateful person under God,” he explained.

Bishop DiMarzio says he admires their dedication, and that administering these sacraments has been one of the most joyous parts of his time as the leader of the Diocese of Brooklyn.

“It was great to see that we have people because it wasn’t easy this year for people to get together, doing some of it online or how they did it, but they did it so they’re ready,” he told Currents News.

At the end of the vigil, Monsignor Kieran Harrington asked parishioners to thank Bishop DiMarzio in light of his upcoming retirement. Saturday was likely his last Easter Vigil.

Catholic News Headlines for Friday, 4/2/21

Pope Francis’ Way of the Cross, with meditations written by children.

The Diocese of Brooklyn commemorates the Passion of Jesus Christ. We have exclusive coverage.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan explains the deeper meaning behind one of the darkest hours.

Easter guidance – what you need to know before heading out to celebrate.

At Good Friday Service, Faithful of Brooklyn and Queens Reflect on the Lord’s Passion

By Emily Drooby

No bells, no candles, no crosses – the St. James Cathedral Basilica in Brooklyn was bare on Good Friday.

“It’s a symbol of mourning, a symbol that Christ is in the tomb,” said Brooklyn Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio. “So, we take away most of the symbols that would distract us from concentrating on the death of Christ.”

Betrayed by Judas the night before, Jesus carried his cross to the place of his death while being flogged and ridiculed, on what is now Good Friday.

In the Diocese of Brooklyn, Bishop DiMarzio presided over the Solemn Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion and Death, complete with the reading of the Passion and the universal prayers. However, the Adoration of the Cross was different this year because of the pandemic.

“We will not kiss the cross, but it will be shown to the people,” explained Bishop DiMarzio.

The communion was also different, but not because of the pandemic — because it’s part of Good Friday. It’s not a Mass, but instead they use the host that was consecrated the night before on Holy Thursday. It’s another way to remember the sacrifices that were made.

“Jesus died for our sins, he saved us, he’s our savior and redeemer,” explained Deacon Ronald Rizzuto of St. James Cathedral Basilica.

For parishioner Charles Lee, this was his first Good Friday Service. He came to Brooklyn all the way from Bayside, Queens, and told Currents News he’s hoping it will deepen his faith.

“Being in the presence here and seeing what goes on, I’ll be able to experience and gain something that I’ve never thought about and hopefully that will be meaningful too,” he said.

Pope Francis Observes Good Friday With Service in Front of Socially Distant Audience

By Jessica Easthope

Pope Francis walked into St. Peter’s Basilica for Good Friday service in complete silence, prostrating himself and observing the most solemn day of the liturgical year.

Good Friday is the only day of the year when Mass is not celebrated. Last year, COVID-19 had Italy in its grasp and the Basilica was empty for Good Friday service. The country is now back on lockdown, but around 200 people stayed socially distant for service, Friday.

Good Friday service is rare in that Pope Francis does not give the homily, but during the solemn intercessions he did pray for victims of the pandemic and the world during this difficult time.

“All mighty, ever-living God, only support of our human weakness look with compassion upon the sorrowful condition of your children who suffer because of this pandemic relieve the pain of the sick, give strength to those who care for them, welcome into your peace those who have died and throughout this time of tribulation grant that we may all find comfort in your merciful love,” Pope Francis said.

After Good Friday service, the Pope prayed a version of the Way of the Cross written by a group of young people from a parish in Rome. This year’s meditations highlighted the struggles of children. The prayer featured drawings made by children from foster families and people who are assisted by the Church. The Pope prayed the Way of the Cross in St. Peter’s Square. Only the children who wrote the prayers were there.

Priest’s New Song Celebrates the Triumph of Easter Amid the Pandemic

Currents News Staff

Easter is a celebration of hope triumphing in the face of despair. This year, it’s also an opportunity to grow in faith during a spiritually challenging time.

That’s what inspired Father Mark Baumgarten of the Archdiocese of Perth in Western Australia, to write the song “Easter Sunday Morning.”

The musician-turned-priest says it was during the first series of lockdowns that he noticed the connection between the challenges of the pandemic and the story of Easter.

“It was just during Holy Week and I was starting to be struck by the similarities between us being stuck behind closed doors in a sense, and with some of the, I guess you could say, bad headlines of recent years,” Father Mark said. “And we’ve come to a bit of a pounding in some ways, that there are some parallels with the Apostles after the Crucifixion when they’re kind of behind locked doors with their heads hung low.”

Some of the lyrics include: “It’s Easter Sunday morning but the sun has yet to rise. If the Lord is up to something, he’s tremendously disguised.”

The song conveys the sense of worry and confusion shared around the world during the early stages of the pandemic, only to suggest that hope is waiting just over the horizon.

For Fr. Mark, music is more than storytelling. It’s a way to capture life’s powerful moments.

“If there’s an event or something going on in my life that’s fairly prominent, I’ll think ‘There’s a song in this’ and I’ll try to capture it down,” he said. “A little bit like how you’d take a photo or journal to capture a memory or an emotion, that songwriting became something a bit like that for me.”

The lyrics continue with: “There’s light on the horizon, the atmosphere is clean on Easter Sunday morning.

It can be difficult to articulate what it was like living through the lockdowns. It’s like an experience that may only be able to be expressed through music.

“We are body and soul and so those things that stir our bodies and our minds and our souls—music is a bit of an intersection of that,” Father Mark said. “Where you can have both lyrics as well as sometimes mysterious properties that the musical melodies and the chords can have on us.”

“Easter Sunday Morning” is the first single from Fr. Mark’s upcoming album. It’s also a song to console and uplift those facing challenges this Easter season.

Mass of the Lord’s Supper Marks Beginning of the Easter Triduum

By Emily Drooby and Erin DeGregorio

PROSPECT HEIGHTS — The Mass of the Lord’s Supper, held during the evening of Holy Thursday, commemorates the institution of the Eucharist as the true Body and Blood of Jesus Christ and the institution of the priesthood.

Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio — who celebrated the Mass of the Lord’s Supper at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph on April 1 — spoke about how important this night was for Christians. He also discussed the significance of the feet-washing rite, which was not performed this year due to the pandemic.

“There’s a certain connection to baptism and what Jesus did by washing the feet of his disciples,” Bishop DiMarzio said during his homily. “It was not only a sign of humility but also it showed them that they could be cleansed, they could be forgiven.”

“By tradition, he starts with Judas’s feet first, the betrayer — not Peter, the head of the apostles. Peter, however, protests as we heard in the Gospel, which gives Jesus the occasion to say that ‘you must be cleaned and washed all over’— which is the necessity of baptism itself,” the bishop continued.

“Tonight, our ritual presentation of Jesus’s action teaches us a lesson of humility and solidarity with one another, as we are one in the church.”

Foster Gonsales, who splits his time attending the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph and St. Francis Xavier in Chelsea, Manhattan, said he attends a majority of the Masses and services during the Easter Triduum. “I can not imagine a reality without going into church during the Holy Week,” he said.

Similarly, Norma Felix, member of the National Center of the Haitian Apostolate, said the Mass of the Lord’s Supper is one of her all-time favorite Masses. “That’s the anniversary, the birth of Eucharist for me,” she said. “I never miss it.”

Felix said that not being able to attend Mass at the beginning of the pandemic was particularly difficult for her because she missed receiving communion.

“It is like a nourishment — something you cannot even see, but you feel it, you live it, [and] it becomes part of you,” she explained. “To keep myself at least in the position to receive communion … is [like] the Super Bowl, and I have the win.”

Keith Alphonso, who also attends Masses in Manhattan and Brooklyn, said the return to church has been a step towards normalcy for him.

“It feels good to be here,” Alphonso said while at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph. “I know we’ve passed the hard part of the pandemic, and coming here is almost … a feeling [like] you want to give thanks.”

The Mass concluded with Bishop DiMarzio carrying the covered Blessed Sacrament to the repository. Parishioners had the opportunity to continue the Blessed Sacrament’s Adoration, kneeling nearby and silently praying in the dim-lighted cathedral.

Catholic News Headlines for Thursday, 4/1/21

Easter Triduum – three days, the summit of the liturgical year. We have exclusive coverage.

At the Diocese of Brooklyn’s Holy Thursday Mass, the washing of the feet will not occur, but the essence behind the Last Supper won’t be lost.

A new COVID vaccine site opens up in a hard-hit neighborhood – why a Queens pastor says immigrants can trust his parish.

Millions of vaccines have been trashed. Now the FDA is investigating a Baltimore plant.

Babies at the border have been dropped over the southern wall and left there.

Why Some Catholic Churches Veil Statues During Lent

By Emily Drooby

Have you ever walked into a church during Lent and seen purple veils on their statues? No? Well, you’re not alone.

The practice isn’t a requirement, so not all churches do it. That is why it might not look familiar to some Catholics. They do partake in veiling statues at Holy Child Jesus Church and St. Benedict Joseph Labre Church in Richmond Hill, Queens. Both are run by the same administrator, Father Christopher Heanue.

“The foundation is from the quote in scripture, where it says Jesus went and hid himself from them” he told Currents News, “so we in turn hide or veil the statues as a way of relating to that.”

He explained that in 2001, a decision from the U.S. bishops was made to let each parish choose if they want to take part in the veiling of statues. That decision breathed new life into the tradition.

“Since 2001, you’ve kind of seen a little bit more and more growing movement to veil the statues again,” Father Heanue said.

The bright purple cloths are put up on the Fifth Sunday of Lent, in time for the last two weeks, which used to be called the “Passiontide.”

Some parishes just remove the statues all together.

The practice is a way to heighten the focus on the passion and suffering of Jesus Christ during that time, when Lent is intensified.

Parishioners of St. Benedict Joseph Labre Church tell Currents News that it’s working.

The veils remain up until the Easter Vigil when they’re uncovered, during the part of Mass where they sing “Gloria,” if possible.

“And the Gloria is just a time of great excitement,” explained Father Heanue. “We are singing for the first time after 40 days, ‘Glory to God in the highest,’ the bells are ringing, the lights are turning on in the church.”

He brought the practice back to these churches and he finds it prayerful.

“We miss it when they’re gone,” he said. “I miss looking at the statue of our Blessed Mother. I miss looking at the cross. We veil it all. So in that emotion, I think we can unite ourselves even more to the journey of Lent.”

It’s a special way to remind parishioners all that Christ has done for them.

Sharing the Gospel Means Embracing the Cross, Pope Francis Says at Chrism Mass

By Currents News Staff and Cindy Wooden

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Living and preaching the Gospel always involves embracing “the cross,” whether it be in the form of misunderstanding, hostility or outright persecution, Pope Francis told Rome priests gathered for the chrism Mass.

In the life of Jesus and in the lives of his disciples today, “the hour of joyful proclamation, the hour of persecution and the hour of the cross go together,” the pope said at the Mass April 1 at the Altar of the Chair in St. Peter’s Basilica.

Pope Francis did not celebrate a chrism Mass last year because Italy, and much of the world, was in the midst of the first huge wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

But even with vaccines being distributed and death rates dropping, Italy was under a modified lockdown, so only about 75 priests representing their confreres in the Diocese of Rome were able to attend the Mass with their bishop, the pope.

At total of about 200 people, including three dozen cardinals, were present for the liturgy. The principal concelebrants were Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, the new vicar for Vatican City, and Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, vicar for Rome.

The chrism Mass has two unique characteristics: the blessing of the oils used for the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, ordination and the anointing of the sick; and priests renewing the promises they made at ordination.

Deacons brought the oils in large silver urns to the pope, who prayed that God would bless them and the people who will be anointed with them.

Then the priests present vowed that they were “resolved to be more united with the Lord Jesus and more closely conformed to him,” and that, out of love for Christ, they renewed the promises they “willingly and joyfully pledged” on the day of their ordination.

The liturgy also includes the bishop asking the faithful present to pray for their priests and for him. Pope Francis slightly altered the text of the second prayer, asking the congregation, “Pray for me — I need it — so that I may be faithful to the apostolic service entrusted to me and so that in your midst I may be made day by day more the image of Christ, the priest — simply that — good shepherd, teacher and servant of all.”

In his homily, Pope Francis acknowledged how many obstacles a priest can encounter as he teaches, preaches and celebrates the sacraments.

Click here to read Pope Francis’ full homily at the Chrism Mass.

The story from Luke’s Gospel of Jesus reading the Scriptures in the synagogue at Nazareth, arousing both admiration and anger, the pope said, shows how “Jesus’ words have the power to bring to light whatever each of us holds in the depths of our heart, often mixed like the wheat and the tares.”

“The preaching of the Gospel is always linked to the embrace of some particular cross,” Pope Francis said. “The gentle light of God’s word shines brightly in well-disposed hearts but awakens confusion and rejection in those that are not.”

That conflict is seen repeatedly in the Gospels, the pope said, noting how, for example, “the tender love of the merciful father irresistibly draws the prodigal son home, but also leads to anger and resentment on the part of the elder son” or how “the generosity of the owner of the vineyard is a reason for gratitude among the workers called at the last hour, but it also provokes a bitter reaction by one of those called first, who is offended by the generosity of his employer.”

The cross, including misunderstanding, rejection and persecution, is present in the Gospel from the very beginning of Jesus’ life, the pope said. “The cross is not an afterthought, something that happened by chance in the Lord’s life.”

And, he told the priests, “it is true that the cross is present in our preaching of the Gospel, but it is the cross of our salvation.”

“We are not scandalized” by the presence of the cross — “the large crosses of humanity and the small crosses in the lives of each of us” — he said, because “Jesus himself was not scandalized by seeing that his joyful preaching of salvation to the poor was not received wholeheartedly, but amid the shouts and threats of those who refused to hear his word.”

“We are not scandalized because Jesus was not scandalized by having to heal the sick and to set prisoners free amid the moralistic, legalistic and clerical squabbles that arose every time he did some good,” the pope continued.

“The Lord always gives us what we ask for, but he does so in his divine way,” Pope Francis said. “That way involves the cross. Not for masochism. But for love, love to the very end.”