Mayor Bill de Blasio Extends Vaccine Mandate to New York City’s Private and Religious Schools

By Jessica Easthope

Gina Auricchio teaches first through eighth grade students at St. Athanasius Catholic Academy in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. She’s fully vaccinated – but says that’s because she wants to be.

“I really don’t think it’s fair. People should have their individual choice,” Gina said, “and really where we are, we’re functioning great.”

At St. Athanasius there’s only one teacher who hasn’t gotten the shot and that seems to be a trend when it comes to vaccination rates in schools across the Diocese of Brooklyn.

Of the 69 in-person schools, 11 have a 100 percent vaccination rate and 45 schools have five or less people unvaccinated. The Diocese of Brooklyn as a whole is at 94 percent.

School Superintendent Dr. Thomas Chadzutko says it’s continuing to go up.

“The teachers and the principals and the staff in the Diocese of Brooklyn want to do the right thing and that’s a huge number, but on the flip side we have to be respectful of those who didn’t get vaccinated and what’s their reason,” he said.

The mandate, which is being enforced through an executive order by the New York City Health Department, is affecting 938 schools across the city including yeshivas.

Students at Catholic schools are still required to wear masks all day, social distance, sanitize as much as possible and complete COVID screenings every morning before school.

The Diocese of Brooklyn expressed its opposition through a letter from the committee of New York City Religious and Independent School Officials, but the position of Brooklyn Catholic schools is – no one has been more compliant.

“How much can you force people? We do everything perfectly well,” said Vicar for Catholic Schools Msgr. David Cassato. “Come and see how well it’s going.”

Catholic News Headlines for Friday, 12/3/21

Catholic schools in the Diocese of Brooklyn have an 88-percent vaccination rate — that’s one of the reasons why its superintendent opposes the city’s new vaccine mandate for private and religious schools.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announces there are now four confirmed cases of the omicron variant of COVID in New York City and one on Long Island.

It’s day two of Pope Francis’ visit to Cyprus.

The Eighth Bishop of Brooklyn, Robert Brennan, was installed on Tuesday.

From New York City to the Nation’s Capital: The Christmas Spirit is ‘Lighting Up’ the Season

Currents News Staff

A Christmas staple in New York City is shining bright. The iconic Rockefeller center tree was lit Wednesday in front of a large festive audience a year after COVID kept crowds home.

The 79-foot Norway spruce from a Maryland Catholic couple was decorated with 50,000 lights and topped with a 900 pound star.

They’re also getting into the Christmas spirit on Capitol hill. Members of the House and Senate gathered on the West Front Lawn to light the Capitol building’s Christmas tree. The 84-foot white fir comes from Six Rivers National Forest in California. The thousands of handcrafted ornaments made by Californians reflect this year’s theme “Six Rivers, Many People, One Tree.”

A Menorah lighting ceremony in observance of Hanukkah took place that was, in a word, historic. This lighting also took place at the White House and was led by “second gentleman” Doug Emhoff. He’s the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris and the first-ever Jewish spouse of a president or vice president. In his remarks, Emhoff said that Jewish values are American values.

How Attending the Bishop’s Christmas Luncheon Impacts Catholic Education in the Diocese of Brooklyn

Currents News Staff

The season of giving officially kicks off in the Diocese of Brooklyn every year with the Bishop’s Christmas Luncheon presented by the Catholic Foundation for Brooklyn and Queens. This year – there’s a new bishop!

It’ll be one of Bishop Brennan’s first public events. The luncheon helps to support Catholic education.

Currents News spoke with Msgr. Jamie Gigantiello, the Vicar for Development in the diocese and asked him where exactly the money goes and what to expect at this year’s event.

Catholic News Headlines for Thursday, 12/2/21

Pope Francis is in Cyprus. The Holy Father’s 35th apostolic journey is putting a focus on migration issues.

A day after the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in one of the biggest abortion cases to go before the justices, U.S. Catholic bishops are responding.

The season of giving officially kicks off in the Diocese of Brooklyn.

What would Christmas be without a Christmas tree? Some industry pro’s say, real or fake, you’d better get one soon.

Pope Francis Highlights Refugee Crisis and History of Persecution During First Day of Trip to Cyprus

By Jessica Easthope

Pope Francis acknowledged the division and history of persecution in Cyprus during the first day of his trip, Thursday. He shared hope that the island can heal as conflict in Cyprus lingers with borders reaching Lebanon, Syria and Israel.

“The greatest wound suffered by this land has been the terrible laceration it has endured in recent decades. I think of the deep suffering of all those people unable to return to their homes and their places of worship. I pray for your peace, for the peace of the entire island,” the Holy Father said.

Earlier in the day, he delivered a message to church officials in Cyprus following a visit to the Maronite Cathedral of Our Lady of Grace, saying the church needs to move forward from past conflicts.

“It does little good to be impulsive and aggressive, nostalgic or querulous. Instead, it is good to move forward, reading the signs of the times as well as the signs of the crisis. We need to start proclaiming the Gospel with patience,” said Pope Francis.

All eyes are on the Holy Father as he makes his 35th international trip to Cyprus and Greece this week – but his focus is on the refugees, many of whom have been living in limbo for months and even years. Cyprus has the most refugees per capita than any other country in the European Union.

“It is a nice trip, but we will touch wounds. I hope that we will all be able to grasp the messages we find,” Pope Francis said, briefing journalists on the plane.

The Pontiff is encouraging other countries within the European Union to leave their borders open to refugees – even amid growing concern over the omicron variant of COVID-19.

The president of Cyprus confirmed, Thursday Pope Francis will take a group of 50 refugees from Cyprus and help relocate them in Italy.

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Gifts Navy Veteran With Surprise of a Lifetime

Currents News Staff

Just in time for the Christmas season: a selfless, hard-working veteran got “rocked” by getting a surprise gift from TV actor “The Rock”- and the whole thing was caught on camera!

Navy veteran Oscar Rodriguez is the new owner of an F-150 Raptor truck. Johnson gifted the truck to Rodriguez at a special Thanksgiving screening of his new movie, “Red Notice.”

With ‘Biggest Abortion Case in Decades’ on the Line, Pro-Lifers Urge Prayers for Supreme Court

Currents News Staff

The chairman of the U.S. bishops’ pro-life committee Dec. 1 urged Catholics, people of other faiths and all people of goodwill to unite in prayer that the U.S. Supreme Court will overturn Roe v. Wade in its eventual ruling on Mississippi’s ban on most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

His statement was issued the same day the court heard oral arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, an appeal from Mississippi. Its ban was struck down by a federal District Court in Mississippi in 2018 and upheld a year later by the New Orleans-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit.

“In the United States, abortion takes the lives of over 600,000 babies every year,” said Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities. “Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health could change that.

We pray that the court will do the right thing and allow states to once again limit or prohibit abortion, and in doing so protect millions of unborn children and their mothers from this painful, life-destroying act.”

Archbishop Lori directed people to www.prayfordobbs.com for Catholic and ecumenical prayers and resources for community engagement and action “as we await the court’s decision in this case.”

It’s something former Vice President Mike Pence says he believes will happen, if not now, in the near future.

“I came here today to speak about right and wrong,” said the former vice president. “Just say, life is a human right and urge the Supreme Court of the United States to choose life.”

If the justices decide to uphold the state law, it would be much easier for other states to ban or more seriously restrict abortion rights.

Bishop Louis Kihneman of Biloxi, Mississippi is watching the case closely.

“We really need to win this battle and we are definitely bringing it to prayer in a big way as a diocese,” the bishop said, “and I’m hoping the whole country will pray for the Supreme Court justices to make a decision that is built on the right to life.”

A decision isn’t expected until sometime next year, but pro-life advocates are hoping the court will begin to undo the damage caused by Roe v. Wade. The Director of Pro-Life Activities for the New York State Catholic Conference is one of them.

Kathleen Gallagher is in albany and joined Currents News to talk about this important case.

Contributing to this story was Catholic News Service

Currents News Special: Bishop Robert J. Brennan

A closer look at final preparations for the installation of the eighth bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn, Bishop Robert J. Brennan. His appointment is being called a homecoming and perfect choice.

Only found on Currents News is the exclusive sit-down interview immediately after the announcement and reaction from Cardinal Timothy Dolan from the Archdiocese of New York.

Sound of Music: Peruvian Children’s Choir to Sing at Vatican Nativity Unveiling

Currents News Staff

This is the choir of altar boys of Huancavelica, which consists of 50 children from various provinces in Peru. They are known for singing carols in Quechua, the ancestral language of the Incas, also known as the Gregorian chant of the Andes.

Every year they make a music video with the goal of recovering the traditional songs passed down since Christianity was introduced in the country.

“Pope Francis told us, ‘Do not forget you roots.’ That’s very important. We try to recover our past and share it with future generations, which are children,” said Father Carlos Lopez from the Diocese of Huancavelica.

The project was launched in 2016 when they published their first video. Their repertoire currently includes six Christmas carols in Quechua. This year they will sing at the unveiling of the Nativity scene at the Vatican on Dec. 10. But because of the pandemic, they will have to participate virtually from Peru, without traveling to Rome.

“We want to communicate the wealth of Huancavelica, in Chopcca, in Peru, and make it known from the heart of the Church, which is the Vatican,” said Father Lopez.

Father Lopez hopes that everyone can appreciate the cultural richness of Peru and show how traditional cultures continue being important tools for evangelization.