U.S. bishops are speaking out against President Biden’s executive actions to protect the right to an abortion.
With the devastating floods in Kentucky — the Catholic Church is there to help those who need it the most.
Calling all married couples — how the Diocese of Brooklyn will help you celebrate your anniversary in a special way.
Pope Francis promotes the nurse credited with saving the Holy Father’s life.
Currents News Staff
Saving the pope’s life can take you a long way and for one nurse at the Vatican, it meant a special promotion.
Meet Massimiliano Strappetti. Just a few days ago, he was the nursing coordinator for the Vatican’s Health Department. But now, he’s the pontiff’s ‘personal health assistant.’
Last year, Pope Francis credited Nurse Massimiliano Strappetti for advising him to undergo intestinal surgery.
Currents News Staff
Europe is experiencing one of its strongest heat waves in recent history. But in Rome, it’s snowing.
White rose petals drop from the ceiling of Saint Mary Major Basilica to commemorate the legend behind this church’s founding.
It holds that one summer night in the fourth century, the Virgin Mary appeared to a noble Roman couple in a dream and told them to build a Church in her honor where they found snow the next morning.
That same night, the pope had the same dream, and all three went to Rome’s Esquiline hill, which they found covered in snow despite the August heat.
It’s a story that still brings pilgrims from around the world to that same spot each Aug. 5, the feast of Our Lady of the Snows.
St. Mary Major was the first Marian church in Rome, built immediately after the council of Ephesus in 431 which proclaimed Mary as Mother of God.
Over 1,500 years after its construction, it continues to be a powerful statement on Mary’s central role in the Church.
Currents News Staff
The Diocese of Brooklyn will mark the 200th anniversary of the first Catholic Church to be built on Long Island: the Cathedral Basilica of St. James.
The Cathedral Basilica of St. James has a long history of generations that lived out their faith inside the church’s walls. Joining Currents News to talk about the Jubilee celebration and what the big day will look like is Father Alonzo Cox, Director of Liturgy for the diocese.
All are invited to attend the Mass on Sunday Aug. 14 at 2 p.m. – which will be celebrated by Bishops Robert Brennan and John Barres of the Diocese of Rockville Centre and Cardinal Timothy Dolan of the Archdiocese of New York.
Cathedral Basilica of St. James
250 Cathedral Pl.
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Most Reverend Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio’s homily from Friday’s Mass on 8/5/22
Pope Francis is calling for justice as Lebanon marks two years since a devastating port explosion.
A stiff sentence in Russia for American basketball star Brittney Griner — What it could mean for relations between the U.S. and Moscow.
Father Alonzo Cox speaks about the Mass celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Cathedral Basilica of St. James in Brooklyn.
Currents News Staff
It’s a story of a statue lost for 50 years that has now been found. Back in 1967, 15-year-old Victor Grant tragically drowned during summer camp. He was a devout Catholic and altar boy.
Following his death, the Sisters of St. Joseph at St. Agnes Catholic School in Carroll Gardens were there for Victor’s mom, Mrs. Grant who helped find her a job and taught her how to drive.
To show her gratitude, the mother gave the sisters a gift: a statue of Mary. But that statue – soon went missing and for five decades, pastors came and went at St. Agnes Church. Victor’s childhood friend, Bill Gorman kept asking he could search for it – until one day that answer was yes.
Bill Gorman joined Currents News to talk about this life-long search and how the statue was discovered.
To contribute to the new statue:
You can send a check with “Victor Grant Statue” in the memo to the rectory of St. Paul and St. Agnes parish.
234 CONGRESS ST
BROOKLYN, NY 11201
Currents News Staff
Pope Francis offered prayers for the lives lost and altered by the Beirut blast.
“My thoughts go to the families of the victims of that disastrous event and to the beloved Lebanese people,” the pontiff said.
The Holy Father added this very pointed remark.
“I pray for those to be consoled in faith and comforted in justice and truth, which can never be concealed,” he said.
The country has been in a state of political turmoil following the blast in August of 2020. Two years later and the people still don’t have answers. The Judicial probe to charge several officials with criminal neglect over the improper storage of ammonium nitrate is still being blocked.
United Nation Human Rights experts are calling for an investigation. In a statement they said:
“On the second anniversary of the blast, we are disheartened that people in Lebanon still await justice, and we call for an international investigation to be initiated without delay.”
While the fight for information continues, the country still mourns. The incident claimed more than 200 lives and injured thousands more. The blast – the largest non-nuclear explosion in history – took out homes, businesses, schools and churches.
Bishop Gregory Mansour, the Eparchy of St. Maron of Brooklyn, frequently travels back to Lebanon and says from all the devastation – came a beautiful sight.
“At the time of the explosion, Lebanese Catholic institutions,” Bishop Mansour said, “ mostly Maronite, were already running on fumes…because of the economic downturn and problems with government corruption but they rallied and we outside rallied to help them stay open and serve the poor, and they have, and I don’t know how, it’s really kind of miraculous.”
Currents News Staff
Looking for a good podcast to listen to? How about one from the Bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn?
Bishop Robert Brennan is one of the hosts of a new podcast out now called “Big City Catholics.”
Here’s a sneak peak of the latest episode on the importance of grandparents with fellow co-host Father Christopher Heanue.
There are currently 7 episodes of the podcasts out now that you can enjoy! To listen to them and to catch new episodes as they come out every Friday, just go to podcast.dioceseofbrooklyn.org or search for “Big City Catholics” on Spotify and Apple podcasts.
Most Reverend Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio’s homily from Thursday’s Mass on 8/4/22