Here’s one final look at the pilgrims from the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton route who walked miles across several states to the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage.
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Annual Mass and Procession Draws Hundreds of Devoted to Our Lady of Mount Carmel Feast Day
The Giglio at the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Feast in Williamsburg may stand 72 feet tall, but it’s not the only spiritual peak of the event.
Hundreds turned out for the July 16th Feast Day of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
Bishop Emeritus Nicholas DiMarzio celebrated Mass ahead of the annual procession of a statue of the apparition of the Blessed Mother through the streets of Brooklyn.
Feast-goers said every year the tradition gets richer and their devotion gets stronger.
In honor of the Marian feast, Our Lady of Mount Carmel held Masses all day in English, Italian, Polish, Spanish, and Creole.
Catholic News Headlines for Wednesday 7/17/2024
Donald Trump Picks VP Running Mate Who Converted to Catholicism as an Adult
Former President Donald Trump’s pick for Vice President is Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio, who converted to Catholicism as an adult.
The Republican nominee stood by his running mate on the first night of the convention in Milwaukee.
Vance, who was raised Christian, was baptized and received into the Catholic Church in 2019.
Vance came to prominence with his best-selling memoir Hillbilly Elegy and has said that many people he looked up to were Catholic, which was a key factor in his conversion.
He aligns with the Church in his pro-life stance but strays from the Church on immigration and the environment.
Parishioners Heading to Indianapolis For the National Eucharistic Congress Prepare For a Historic Event
By Katie Vasquez
They are getting ready for the trip of a lifetime.
This group of 25 faithful from the San Damiano Mission in Greenpoint is preparing to head to Indianapolis for the National Eucharistic Congress.
“My rosary, my Bible, my journal are all ready to go,” said Ibelin DeLeon, a parishioner at San Damiano Mission. “And I’m super excited.”
While packing started Monday, July 15, they have been spiritually preparing for the congress for months.
They have been keeping up with the four groups who have been journeying to the congress on foot.
“Just seeing the pilgrimage that started months beforehand and seeing the lines of people, the multitudes, and knowing we’re all just going to gather up there,” DeLeon said. “It speaks to the excitement that people hold in their hearts already.”
They are diving into the heart of the years-long revival campaign.
“I feel like this is really the core of our faith, the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist and being part of the Eucharistic revival,” said Angela DiLalla, a parishioner at San Damiano. “These last three years, this is a beautiful culmination of all the Catholics gathered together for this beautiful reason.”
James Keefe said the connections formed in the Diocese of Brooklyn during this time, and the ones he will make in Indianapolis, will only bring him closer to God.
“I feel like this will be a very important step to strengthening my faith and to growing a community with the whole church,” Keefe said. “It’s really good to go out and see everybody from the country coming together like this.”
The pastor of the San Damiano Mission, Father Cristiano Pinheiro, will be leading them at the congress.
He said he wants to receive as much as his parishioners.
“I’m also going there to be fed as well,” Father Pinheiro said. “Not only as a shepherd to bring the people, but I am also a disciple and a son of the church. It’s very beautiful for me to be restored in my priestly vocation as well.”
No matter how they get there, whether by plane or by car, they are all traveling for one reason.
“The sacrament of the Eucharist,” said Elmer Maldonado, a parishioner. “We’ve been under-appreciating it, or misunderstanding it. I think this is exactly what the country needs.”
Those members of the San Damiano Mission will be arriving in Indianapolis Tuesday, July 16, and Wednesday, July 17.
Their first official Congress event as a group will be the kick-off happening Wednesday evening.
Pilgrims Walk 380 Miles on Historic Journey Honoring Elizabeth Ann Seton
A common question the pilgrims often get: How many of those miles did they actually walk?
Those on the Elizabeth Ann Seton route in the East are answering that question.
This was a 1,200-mile journey, but they actually walked 380 miles.
The longest hike happened on day six, when they walked over 18 miles in Westchester County, New York, with the shortest, an almost two-mile pilgrimage in New Oxford, Pennsylvania.
They racked up some miles while in the Diocese of Brooklyn, traveling 24 miles in two days.
Catholic News Headlines for Tuesday 7/16/2024
Thousands of Catholics are expected to attend the National Eucharistic Congress at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis this week. Parishioners from the Diocese of Brooklyn spoke with Currents News about their preparation.
Among the many faithful pilgrims arriving in Indianapolis is a nun celebrating the eucharist and her 30th birthday on her journey!
Meet J.D. Vance, the Catholic man behind ‘Hillbilly Elegy,’ who is now Donald Trump’s running mate. What can we expect to hear from the senator from Ohio at the Republican National Convention?
St. John the Evangelist Parish in Mahopac, New York, has a new statue in its prayer garden dedicated to St. Gerard Majella. The statue was erected in honor of Josephine Spano of Yonkers, a mother of 16 whose devotion to the patron saint of motherhood inspired many.
Church Leaders Condemn Assassination Attempt Against Former President
By Jessica Easthope
Former President Donald Trump was officially named the GOP presidential nominee at the Republican National Convention on Monday, just 2 days after surviving an assassination attempt.
On Saturday, in a field in Butler, Pennsylvania, a shot caused chaos. President Trump was grazed by a bullet that was less than an inch from being fatal.
The Holy See united in prayer with US bishops. Church officials across the country, including Brooklyn Bishop Robert Brennan, swiftly condemned the violent act.
“We have to condemn violence in every form,” Bishop Brennan said. “Violence that afflicts our nation in so many ways. At the same time, we have to condemn the divisions and the rhetoric that raise the level of hatred. Indeed, we are a people of differing viewpoints.”
Meanwhile, as tens of thousands of pilgrims are expected to converge on the National Eucharistic Congress in Indiana, chairman Bishop Andrew Cozzens released his own statement on the shooting, saying:
“We feel privileged to gather in prayer at a time with Our Eucharistic Lord when our country and our world need this peace which comes only from Him. We will pray for healing of all divisions in our land and an end to violence.”
The nation is reacting to an assault on the former president and our democratic process. The family of Corey Comperatore, a Christian and retired firefighter fatally wounded in the shooting, is in mourning. Comperatore was killed while shielding his wife and two daughters from the gunfire. Bishop David Zubick of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, where the shooting took place, commended his actions, saying:
“Corey Comperatore’s selfless act in the face of danger speaks to his strength of character, deep faith, and dedication to serving others,” Bishop Zubick “On behalf of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, I extend my condolences to his family and loved ones. We join in prayer that they may feel wrapped in the comfort and love of Jesus.”
Statue Dedicated to Mom Whose Prayers For St. Gerard Majella’s Intercession Led to 16 Children
A woman’s unwavering devotion to the patron saint of motherhood has led to a statue in her honor.
This image of St. Gerard Majella at the prayer garden in Saint John the Evangelist Parish in Mahopac, New York, was dedicated to Josephine Spano over the weekend.
The Yonkers resident had always dreamed of a large family, but shortly after getting married, she faced fertility issues and began praying for the intercession of St. Gerard Majella.
Thanks to her prayers, she and her husband went on to have 16 kids, 42 grandchildren, and 28 great-grandchildren, and helped countless other couples have babies of their own.
A parishioner at St. John the Evangelist heard about Josephine’s story and wanted to dedicate a statue of the saint in her honor.
One of her sons, Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano, says it’s an honor to see his mother’s legacy set in stone.
Josephine unfortunately passed away in December of last year at the age of 89, but her family says even in heaven, they feel she is still helping moms in need.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Feast Unites Faith and Tradition With Dancing of the Giglio
By Jessica Easthope
Stepping lightly with four tons on your shoulders is no easy feat, but Anthony Varuzza has been doing it for 50 years.
“It’s just something you just feel. You can’t explain it,” Varuzza said. “The way you fall in love with someone. You fall in love with the feast and the Giglio.”