Brooklyn Bishop Robert Brennan reflects on the history of the Cathedral Basilica of St. James — and also looks ahead to the future on its 200th anniversary.
Federal agents raid the Mar-a-Lago home of former President Trump — how it marked a dramatic escalation of law enforcement scrutiny against him.
A St. Francis Prep football coach comes through big for his team — how he fared in a dangerous charity swim.
Meet the Duke football player who is winning over his teammates with his singing voice.
Currents News Staff
It started back in January with a special Mass by Bishop Robert Brennan to mark the beginning of a year to celebrate the Cathedral Basilica of St. James. This Sunday, Aug. 14, everyone is welcome to attend Mass to celebrate its 200th anniversary as a church.
The Diocese of Brooklyn church is rich with history. Two centuries worth to be exact. The faithful from all over the diocese – and beyond – will come together to celebrate the cathedrals’ milestone anniversary.
Bishop Brennan joined Currents News to share more about the special event.
Currents News Staff
The Breathitt County football team is used to tackling its toughest opponents on Friday nights in the fall. But this year, the Bobcats greatest challenge came even before the school year started.
Madison Central Principal Brandon Fritz heard their harrowing stories from the floods including that of Assistant Coach Casey Allen.
“At 5 o’clock, my wife woke up to a big bang and there was water running to the basement,” Coach Allen said. “Eventually we had to get our kids up on to the hill to safety.”
Allen and his wife quickly realized the dangers of getting stranded on a hillside with four children. So they came up with a plan to kayak through the current to their neighbors.
“I told her I could try it… best case scenario is I end up down there and I won’t be able to get back to you,” Allen said.
So Principal Fritz wanted to give him and the whole team more than just hot meals and a warm welcome.
“To hear his story it was tough to just listen,” Fritz said.
They worked with the Southland Christian church to bring Coach Allen and the players some surprises they never saw coming. They pulled together thousands in gift cards for the players and for Allen.
It was a blessing from complete strangers which shows him how God always has a plan even during the darkest of days.
“If this doesn’t tell you that God is real,” Allen said, “I don’t know what will.”
Most Reverend Bishop Robert J. Brennan’s Homily from Tuesday’s Mass on 8/9/22
Currents News Staff
Former President Donald Trump and his family have confirmed that the FBI searched his Mar-a-Lago home yesterday and seized items from it. This operation is just part of one investigation into Trump and his time in office.
Trump’s attorney says he’d been cooperating with federal agencies. GOP governors are calling the move “alarming” and a “weaponization” of the Justice Department. Trump released a new campaign-style video on his website “Truth Social” Tuesday morning just hours after the FBI raided his home.]
In a statement, Trump said “these are dark time in our nation” and called the “unannounced raid” as “prosecutorial misconduct.” But in order to get a search warrant, CNN Senior Law Enforcement analyst says there’s a process.
“You have to go before a federal judge,” said Andrew McCabe, “and convince that judge that there’s probable cause to believe both that a federal crime has been committed and that evidence of that crime is contained within the space.”
If the search warrant involves a former president?
“The world needs to move,” said McCabe. “I can’t overemphasize how big of a deal this would have been within the Department of Justice and the FBI.”
Currents News Staff
Through the heat and rough seas, more than 300 Haitian migrants tried to come ashore, but instead had to be rescued at sea.
“You really feel horrible for the people that are going through that you can only imagine the atrocities that they’re facing back home were,” said Cuyler Brown.
Coast Guard and Border Patrol were working together to bring those migrants to safety. Four migrants even had to be transferred to a hospital for dehydration. There were young children and women, but mostly adult men.
“With over 300 migrants on board a vessel, they were extremely dehydrated in very dangerous conditions,” said Patrol Agent Adam Hoffner. “They were overcrowded, they had limited water and no life vests, so we had EMS on scene.”
About 200 migrants were transferred to a Coast Guard Cutter where they will be repatriated. At least 100 people swam to shore, jumping into the choppy water without life vests, where they had to be rescued.
This is at least the third time this year that migrants have been interdicted off the coast of Ocean Reef Club. Border Patrol says Saturday’s incident was part of a larger smuggling operation.
The Diocese of Brooklyn has a large Haitian community. Census data as of last year shows that there were more than 88,000 Haitian Americans or immigrants living in Brooklyn and about 40,000 in Queens.
Less than a week left until a huge celebration to mark the two centuries of history at the Cathedral Basilica of St. James.
A trip to Ukraine by Pope Francis is becoming closer to reality.
Hundreds of Haitian migrants are rescued off the coast of Key Largo in a suspected human smuggling operation.
Injured heroes are spending part of their summer surfing — thanks to a well-known veterans group.
Currents News Staff
Wounded Warrior Project hosts events like this one as an opportunity for warriors and their families to learn a new skill or hobby that might be challenging for them.
The Wounded Warrior Project benefits veterans and service members who suffered injuries or illnesses while serving in the military on or after Sept 11, 2001.
That Mass will be open to all:
The Cathedral Basilica of St. James
Sunday, Aug. 14 at 2 p.m.
The Mass will also be broadcasted live on NET-TV
Currents News Staff and Paula Katinas
DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — It promises to be one of the most memorable celebrations in the Diocese of Brooklyn in years, and everyone is invited.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan of the Archdiocese of New York will be the main celebrant at a Mass on Sunday, Aug. 14, to mark the 200th Anniversary of the establishment of St. James Parish in Downtown Brooklyn — which later became the Cathedral Basilica of St. James.
Bishop Robert Brennan and Bishop John Barres of the Diocese of Rockville Centre will concelebrate the Mass, to take place at the cathedral, 250 Cathedral Place (located on Jay Street, one block north of Tillary Street), at 2 p.m.
Bishop Brennan is inviting the public to attend.
The historical significance of the cathedral is sure to be a recurring theme of the Aug. 14 Mass.
St. James was the first Catholic church built on Long Island. Before St. James was established in 1822, Catholics in Brooklyn and Long Island had to travel by ferry to Manhattan to attend church.
The cornerstone for the original St. James was laid on July 25, 1822 — on the Feast of St. James. Two hundred years later to the day, on July 25, 2022, Bishop Brennan celebrated the feast day Mass there.
When St. James was established, a cemetery was also built on the grounds. The current cathedral, constructed at the site in 1903 after fires had damaged the original structure, was built on top of the cemetery.
St. James was designated a cathedral in 1853 when the Diocese of Brooklyn was created. The title basilica was added to its name in 1982 when St. Pope John Paul II issued the designation. Three years earlier, during his first visit to New York City, the Holy Father made an unscheduled stop at the cathedral. He stopped his motorcade in front of the cathedral and got out of his car to greet the crowds who had gathered there.
The Mass will provide a unique opportunity, said Father Alonzo Cox, director of liturgy for the diocese.
“The greatest celebration that we have as Catholics is the Eucharist,” he told Currents News in an Aug. 3 interview. “So we will gather around the table of the Lord thanking God for the gift of 200 years, of being able to worship in this beautiful place of God’s house where so many wonderful milestones have taken place.”
Along with the day of celebration, the cathedral is also the subject of a new documentary, “The Story of the Cathedral Basilica of St. James,” that will premiere on NET-TV on Aug. 14 at 5 p.m.
Using historical footage, vintage photos, and interviews, the 30-minute documentary looks at the cathedral’s history, as well as the history of the diocese.
“The Story of the Cathedral Basilica of St. James” points out that the cathedral isn’t a relic of the past but a vibrant, modern religious institution.
“The same Holy Spirit 200 years ago inspired a generation of people to want to build up the church,” Bishop Brennan said in the documentary. “The same Holy Spirit works in the hearts of men and women today.”
Currents News Staff
Ukraine’s ambassador to the Holy See has hinted at a possible papal trip to the war-torn country is in the works. The ambassador posted a series of tweets after meeting with the Holy Father Saturday saying the people of Ukraine ‘have been waiting for the pope’ and will “be happy to greet him before his trip to Kazakhstan.”
Pope Francis has, on several occasions, expressed interest in visiting Ukraine, but has also said such an outing would be complicated.
Joining Currents News to discuss more about the pontiff’s potential visit to Ukraine is John Allen, editor of Crux.