National Eucharistic Revival Aims to ‘Light a Fire’ and Renew Devotion and Belief in the Eucharist

The National Eucharistic Revival is a three-year campaign that has just kicked off around the country, including right here in the Diocese of Brooklyn.

The aim is to reinforce the core Catholic dogma that the bread and wine at Mass really do become Christ’s body and blood.

Father Carlos Velasquez is one of the main players in this revival in the Diocese of Brooklyn and he joins Currents News to discuss the goals of the National Eucharistic Revival.

Our Lady of Grace Catholic Academy Hosts Basketball Tournament to Raise Money for Student Diagnosed with Cancer

The students at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Academy in Brooklyn held a basketball tournament Tuesday to raise awareness for cancer

The fundraiser was held on behalf of 7th grader Marco Wilen who was recently diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

He’s also a huge fan of basketball.

The students also raffled off a basket they’ve put together and they held a special sale of desserts and treats.

Bishop Brennan Leads Brooklyn South Memorial Mass Commemorating NYPD’s Fallen Heroes

Currents News Staff

Hundreds of people gathered at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn for the NYPD’s Brooklyn South Memorial Mass.

Bishop Robert Brennan was the main celebrant and was joined by NYPD chaplains Msgrs. Robert Romano and David Cassato. The Mass was dedicated to the officers killed in the line of duty within the confines of southern Brooklyn.

“May God bless and protect you every single day of your service,” Bishop Brennan said, “and watch over not only you but all of your families.”

NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell was also in attendance. According to Assistant Chief Michael Kemper, Wednesday’s memorial Mass honored a total of 123 officers.

The Tablet’s COVID Relief Fundraiser Winners Announced in Diocese of Brooklyn

Currents News Staff

Across the Diocese of Brooklyn, students hit the streets and sold, sold, sold! Catholic students were selling Tablet newspapers as part of a huge fundraising effort to earn money for themselves and their schools. 

After hundreds of subscriptions were sold and tens of thousands of dollars raised – the winner of the great COVID relief fundraiser can be announced. The big winner has a competitive streak and it seem to run in the family.

Third-grader Natalie Pianoforte predicted last March that she would win this year’s Tablet COVID relief fundraiser. She sold 83 subscriptions and won the Grand Prize: $3,000 dollars!

How’d she do it? One could say a little sibling rivalry may have played a part. Natalie’s big sister, Noelle, won last year by selling 48 subscriptions.

“I’m happy that she let me win,” said Natalie, “because last year she won and now I’m winning this year so now we’re tied.”

But they’re not the only winners. Each student who sold a $20-dollar subscription kept $10 dollars for themselves and their school received $5 dollars. Msgr. David Cassato, Vicar for Catholic Schools and pastor of St. Athanasius Church in Brooklyn, says it’s a great fundraiser and learning experience.

“It teaches them a lot too,” said Msgr. Cassato. “It’s not just ‘we got to raise money,’ but it teaches them how to be out there, how to give a speech, how to talk to people, how to become involved in peoples’ lives that people want to respond. And what better way to get Catholic information into peoples’ lives than through the Tablet?”

Catholic News Headlines for Wednesday, 06/15/22

Some Catholic school students in the Diocese of Brooklyn woke up a little richer today. They are the lucky winners of this year’s Tablet COVID Relief Fundraiser.

DACA is celebrating its 10-year anniversary.

As a Supreme Court decision looms on abortion – yet another pro-life pregnancy center was attacked.

Nation Marks 10 Years of DACA

Exactly a decade ago, Former President Barack Obama signed an executive order creating the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, better known as DACA, to protect immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children from deportation.

Since then, the program has endured victories and setbacks.

Knights of Columbus Honor Flag Day with Ceremony at Immaculate Conception Catholic Academy in Astoria

The Knights of Columbus sponsored the 15th annual Flag Day ceremony for the students at Immaculate Conception Catholic Academy in Astoria.

At this year’s celebration, they honored FDNY firefighter Timothy Klein, 31, who died in April while battling a three-alarm house fire in Canarsie.

Also honored was Navy veteran and alumnus from the school Jim Anderson.

The hero served during the Cuban missile crisis and is currently a member of the Immaculate Conception Knights of Columbus council.

Catholic News Headlines for Tuesday, 6/14/22

President Biden is optimistic about the U.S. economy despite rising inflation and a possible recession on the horizon.

The Supreme Court is on the verge of a landmark ruling on Roe v. Wade.

A sneak peek at a new NET-TV documentary on Msgr. Bernard Quinn who made history in the Diocese of Brooklyn.

Possible Recession Looming Amid Inflation Spike

Currents News Staff

Investors are on edge as the Federal Reserve is headed for rough waters. The central bank is debating whether to raise the interest rate by ¾ of a percentage point. That hasn’t happened since 1994. The goal is to cool down the economy and tame inflation. President Joe Biden says that’s his top economic priority.

“Jobs are back but prices are still too high,” Biden said. “COVID is down, but gas prices are up. Our work isn’t done.”.

Without many options to fight price hikes or gas prices, Biden instead touted ultra-low unemployment numbers and some economic recovery from the pandemic. 

“I’ve never been more optimistic about America than I am today,” said Biden.

Plus, a key inflation reading showed a small glimmer of hope on Tuesday. It revealed a slight slowdown in rising prices. So what can you do to protect your money? Financial experts say: continue to invest in your 401k and retirement accounts.

“Don’t panic,” said Financial Expert Suze Orman, “and the reason I say that is – how many times have we seen the market go down?”

The next steps depend on your financial situation and how much time you have left before retirement.

“If you’re somebody out there living paycheck to paycheck or you don’t have an emergency fund or you’re not funding a retirement account, you should stop going out to eat, going on vacation and doing all those things,” said Suze.

Bottom line: cut down on the non-essential spending.