Bishop Brennan Blesses New Window At Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal

By Bill Miller

RIDGEWOOD — In early August 2020, Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal church still sparkled from a $150,000 renovation completed in 2018.

But then Hurricane Isaias came ashore on Aug. 4 with high winds clocked at 78 mph. It was mid-afternoon, and Father Jaroslaw Szeraszewicz, the parochial vicar, was alone in the sanctuary celebrating Mass.

Father Anthony Sansone, the pastor, said his associate was consecrating the Eucharist when he heard a thunderous explosion, and watched a stained-glass window, with the footprint of a small car, burst from its frame and crashed onto the pews below.

Several pews were damaged and broken glass was everywhere, with many shards spiked into the wood.

Parishioners who live across the street called Father Sansone in the rectory from the outside of the church to report a window was missing at the center of the building. Father Sansone rushed outside, saw the gap, and then found Father Szeraszewicz.

“I said to him, ‘Did you finish what you were doing?’ ” Father Sansone recalled. “He said, ‘Yes, despite everything that has happened — the wind was blowing into the church and moving all the chandeliers — but I completed the Mass because I had started. Then I came running to you.’ ”

Then Father Sansone saw the damage and was horrified. Fortunately, he said, none of the fallen glass reached Father Szeraszewicz at the altar.

“The crashing of the window,” the pastor continued, “and the compromising of some of the paint on the walls and the benches in the church — that was one thing.

“But my real concern was, God forbid, had there been people there, they would have been killed.”

Father Sansone’s horror was replaced by joy 18 months later on Feb. 13. During that snowy Sunday morning, the parish dedicated a new window, with a Mass celebrated by Bishop Robert Brennan, making his first visit to the church.

Bishop Brennan blessed the window and also the children of the parish — preschoolers to high school students — who filled the sanctuary behind the communion rail.

But a lot of work and prayer were needed to reach that point.

Damage estimates reached $80,000. But Father Sansone wasn’t worried. He had faith in God and the parishioners.

“It took 18 months to restore the window and bring it back,” Father Sansone said before the 10:30 a.m. dedication Mass. “We were able to collect enough money, plus the insurance, to cover the window.”

The parish stepped up, as he had hoped, but donations also came from outside the diocese.

“Coast-to-coast,” Father Sansone described the reach of people wanting to help the parish. “Donations came from clear across to California. There were people who belonged here and moved out, but they heard about it and also donated.”

He noted that many of the donations were made anonymously. He thanked everyone, and also the owner of the company that created the new window — Henry Gargiulo of Artisan Restoration Co., in Mount Vernon, N.Y.

Gargiulo described the process of creating a stained-glass window. First, his artists needed a theme. Father Sansone said the stained-glass windows were never cataloged, and he could not remember the images that had been on the lost window.

But Father Sansone came up with a new theme. He decided families ought to be the theme of the new window. It has two vertical panels, one with the Immaculate Heart of Mary, plus a man, woman, and child to represent a traditional family.

The left panel shows the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Nearby is a woman and her children, representing the single-parent families of the parish.

“That’s the reality that composes our families in our parishes,” Father Sansone said. “We have the traditional families, but we also have the single-parent families, and we respect them equally.”

With a theme in hand, the team develops the images of the window, and a full-sized pattern to apply the specially cut glass needed to complete the design, Gargiulo said. The team takes special care to ensure the colors are consistent with the other windows in the church.

Father Sansone knew he could count on Gargiulo’s team, because it was contracted to complete the earlier renovation, restoring murals, filling cracks, and a paint job with special accents of blue to honor Mary.

Father Sansone praised Gargiulo for overseeing the window replacement and also fortifying the surviving windows to ensure a future storm can’t punch them as well.

During his homily, Bishop Brennan marveled at how the parish rallied to replace the window. The new window, specially dedicated to families, radiates the light of Jesus, “filling us with a certain warmth to inspire us,” he said.

Replacing the window was a historic accomplishment for the parish, according to two of its members.

“Because of the damage that was done, it allowed us to come together as a community, parishioners, and one big family,” said Diana Mohamed.

The window, added Janet Ramos, “is no longer something to look at and be sad about. Now we can rejoice and be happy.”

“And the icing on the cake,” Mohamed said, “was that the bishop came and blessed it for us. And blessed us at the same time.”

Said Ramos, “He cared enough to say, ‘I need to come and bless that window, and this community, and to let them know that I am here.’ ”

Lenten Regulations 2022

As the start of Lent draws near on Ash Wednesday (March 2), in the hope of assisting the faithful of the Diocese of Brooklyn to celebrate this season of preparation for Easter in a fruitful manner, Bishop Robert Brennan wishes to call attention to the following:

ABSTINENCE: All the faithful who have reached 14 years of age are required to abstain from eating meat on Ash Wednesday (March 2) and on all the Fridays of the Lenten Season.

FASTING: All the faithful between the ages of 18 and 59 (inclusive) are bound to fast on Ash Wednesday and on Good Friday (April 15) by limiting oneself to one full meal and avoiding food between meals. Light sustenance may be taken on two other occasions during the day.

EASTER DUTY: After having been initiated into the Most Holy Eucharist, the faithful are obligated to receive holy Communion at least once a year, this precept to be fulfilled during the Easter Season, unless it is fulfilled at some other time for a good reason. In the United States, the period for fulfilling this precept is extended from the First Sunday of Lent (March 6) until Pentecost Sunday (June 5).

THE SOLEMNITIES OF SAINT JOSEPH AND THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE LORD: The liturgical solemnities of Saint Joseph (March 19) and the Annunciation of the Lord (March 25) are to be celebrated with due solemnity even though they fall within the Season of Lent.

RECONCILIATION MONDAY: Reconciliation Monday is observed in the Diocese on the Monday of Holy Week (April 11). Observance of this day allows the faithful to experience the grace of forgiveness and mercy in the Sacrament of Penance. Those conscious of grave (mortal) sin are obligated to confess before receiving holy Communion.

TIME OF CELEBRATION OF THE EASTER VIGIL: Sunset in Brooklyn on Holy Saturday, April 16, is at 7:36 pm. Therefore, the celebration of the Liturgy for the Easter Vigil should begin after that, realistically at 8 p.m. or later, and must end before dawn on Easter Sunday.

Please take note of the following, as well:

MUSIC: During Lent, the “Alleluia” is not sung or said. Musical instruments are to be used at liturgical celebrations only to give support to the singing.

CHURCH DECORATIONS: The church should not be decorated with flowers during Lent.

HOLY WATER: Holy Water is not removed from the fonts during Lent. It is only removed immediately before the Celebration of the Lord’s Supper and replaced at the Easter Vigil with water blessed at that celebration.

FUNERALS: Funeral masses are not permitted during the Paschal Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday). The rite to be used at funerals during those days is the rite for Funerals Outside Mass.

The obligation to observe, as a whole or substantially, the penitential days specified by the Church, is a serious one.

The faithful, therefore, are encouraged to celebrate the sacraments of the Eucharist and Penance frequently during the Lenten Season. Additionally, reading the Word of God, praying the Stations of the Cross, praying before the Blessed Sacrament, and showing generosity towards the poor are all means of intensifying our spiritual lives during the Lenten Season.

Pastors and parents are responsible to see that young people, who may not be bound to the above requirements, are educated in an authentic sense of penance.

All other Fridays of the year remain days of penance in remembrance of the Passion of the Lord. The Bishops of the United States have recommended abstinence from meat as a penance for all Fridays of the year, although each person may substitute that tradition for some other practice of personal penance. This may involve acts of self-denial, prayer or charity.

In prayerful pilgrimage with the catechumens and candidates for full initiation, let us accompany the Lord on His way to the cross and the empty tomb. May we use this Lent to be more closely united to Jesus in His death and resurrection.

Safe Injection Sites in NYC Offer Addicts a Place to Use Illegal Drugs Under Supervision

Currents News Staff

For Monica Diaz, everyday is a struggle. She’s homeless and much of what she owns, she carries with her. But she says it’s the weight of her addiction that at times is too much to bear.

A place Monica credits with helping her cope is a supervised drug-consumption site – the first of two to open in the country.

“They’re open five days a week,” Monica said. “I’m here every day.”

Both locations are in New York City – East Harlem and Washington Heights. Here users take illegal drugs with clean supplies without risk of arrest. To be clear, they are not given illegal drugs here. It’s where they use drugs already in their possession.

“When somebody first comes through the door, we’re going to ask them what they’re using and how they’re using it,” said Director of Syringe Access & Program Innovation at OnPoint NYC, Pia Marcus.

In the East Harlem location, it’s all done under the supervision of these medical professionals.

“This is all of our injection and sniffing equipment,” said Pia, “as well as our smoking equipment up here so people can take anything that they need.”

In Washington Heights, the same protective protocols are in place, but here many of the trained staff are also recovering addicts, like Clara Cardelle.

Sam Rivera is the executive director of the program. He says they have averted more than 130 overdoses since the sites opened in november. So far – Sam says no one has died under the staff’s watch.

“The goal is we want to keep people alive. And if we want to recover and get a better life, if they’re dead, they can’t,” Sam said.

“We’re checking on people constantly,” Pia said. “If we start to see eyelids drooping or any kind of slouching, we’re going right over and we’re going to agitate them with a sternum grind. If we’re seeing more serious overdoses or the overdoses are starting to progress, we’re going to be going over the crash cart. Our crash cart has oral airways, ambu bags, two different kinds of Narcan.

But many may wonder what are these facilities doing to get people off drugs.

“We’re giving them every opportunity possible to stop,” Sam said. “Once someone says they’re interested, we get them picked up, right into detox.”

These centers are actually illegal because of federal law, but the Department of Justice is evaluating whether exceptions can be made so that sites like these could be opened nationwide.

When they opened in New York, the city’s former Mayor Bill de Blasio gave his blessing, sending them a letter of support.

Catholic News Headlines for Wednesday, 2/16/22

We’re learning more about that New York City woman who was murdered in her Chinatown apartment.

We’ll hear from the Bronx priest who is about to become the youngest bishop in the U.S.

A new study says babies whose mothers were vaccinated against the coronavirus have a reduced risk of being hospitalized with the disease.

Deported Wife Returns Home to Family in Kansas City After Four Years Apart

Currents News Staff

These are the regulars at the Blue Line Hockey Bar in Kansas City, Mo. Customers know Letty Stegall well. She got home in time for Valentine’s Day and her husband’s birthday.

“Just to have her back for these occasions, just going to the grocery store, anything–we’re best friends,” Steven said. “We love each other.”

Letty and her husband Steve take nothing for granted. In 2018, Letty was deported for a DUI charge nearly a decade earlier. She had lived in the U.S. for more than 20 years and had a legal work permit.

“It’s been hellish. It’s been a nightmare,” Steve said. “We’ve been running through hoops. We’ve been delayed.”

As the bar’s general manager, Letty worked remote for four years.

“This bar. I can feel the bar’s energy,” Steve said. “When she walked in, the bar is even just happy to have her back.”

A taxi driver drove her and her dog back into the U.S. She calls him an angel.

“I’m a believer in God and I know things happen for a reason,” Letty said. “He has given me the chance.”

Friends and loved ones celebrated her return. The family even drove 14 hours straight home.

“The signs when we saw Kansas City getting closer and closer,” Steve said, “it gave us more juice just to keep going.”

“The American dream is the moment when I cross the border with that visa, the freedom to go back and forth,” Leyy said. “That is the American Dream.”

Letty missed her daughter’s high school graduation and many other momentous occasions, but despite all that, she says she is focused on the future and her family.

Meet Father J: The Bronx ‘City Kid’ Who Will Become The Youngest Auxiliary Bishop in the Country

Currents News Staff

Father Joseph Espaillat, or “Father J” as he’s called, has been named an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of New York by Pope Francis.

He may look familiar to you since he’s not a stranger to NET-TV. He helped with papal trip coverage before. Father Espaillat joined Currents News to discuss how his come-up story from a Latino in the Bronx, to becoming a priest and now being called to an auxiliary bishop by Pope Francis is so appealing to young Catholics.

The Victim in the Chinatown Murder Was an Advocate For Stopping Asian Hate Crimes

Currents News Staff

Mayor Eric Adams traveled to Albany Monday to plead with lawmakers to help him fight the violence plaguing the city. But it seems his calls to rollback the state’s bail reform law are falling on deaf ears.

This took place just a day after the brutal murder of a Manhattan woman, allegedly at the hands of a homeless man who was free on supervised release.

“It’s happening every time you turn around,” said Former Acting Queens Borough President Sharon Lee, “the news is showing yet another victim and it’s hard to catch your breath.”

Thirty-five-year-old Christina Yuna Lee was stabbed more than 40 times after being followed into her Chinatown apartment early Sunday. While it’s unclear whether Lee’s race or ethnicity played a role in the attack, the killing conjures a fear all too common for Asian-Americans and women everywhere.

“The guard is up all the time and has been for a while,” Sharon said.

Lee was reportedly an advocate, fighting against Asian hate crimes, a cause near and dear to her heart. Prosecutors say when police responded, the alleged killer was inside the apartment speaking to cops through the closed door, pretending to be a woman and telling them to go away.

It took over an hour to get into the apartment. By that time Lee was dead. Investigators say her alleged killer, 25-year- old Assamad Nash was found hiding under the bed.

Despite a long history of arrests, including one for a violent attack in a criminal mischief and unlawful escape case in January, bail wasn’t set, so Nash was back on the streets.

City Council Member Julie Won says the rise and intensity of crimes against Asians come as little surprise. She blames an increase in homelessness, a strain on mental health services and China being blamed for the pandemic.

“There’s a vulnerability there and a sense of perceived weakness towards Asian American women,” Julie said, “and Asian American seniors that perpetrators tend to be pulled towards because we’re seen as easy prey.”

Nash has been charged with murder, burglary and sexually motivated burglary. If found guilty, he faces life in prison without parole.

Catholic News Headlines for Tuesday, 2/15/22

With inflation at a 40-year high, most of us are feeling the pain in our wallets at the grocery store.

Moscow says it’s open to more talks with the U.S. And NATO to resolve the situation with Ukraine.

More than 1,400 New York City workers have been fired over the vaccine mandate.

Ash Wednesday is about two weeks away and Pope Francis will once again celebrate Mass in the Basilica of Santa Sabina in Rome.

How ‘Cancel Culture’ Creates Division on College Campuses and Leads Graduates into Self-Censorship

Currents News Staff

Freedom of Speech: it’s a fundamental right protected by the First Amendment. But is it being suppressed on college campuses?

Cherise Trump, the Executive Director of “Speech First” and host of the podcast, “Well Said” is standing up for students’ rights across the country. Cherise joined Currents News to discuss what is becoming the norm on college campuses and how “Cancel Culture” is impacting students.

U.S. To Close Ukraine Embassy as Fears of Invasion Sends Dow Tumbling and Oil Prices Soaring

Currents News Staff

The U.S. Department of State is taking no chances and are moving all remaining diplomatic personnel in Ukraine out of Kyiv and into the western part of the country.

“There would be widespread human suffering,” said Ned Price, State Department Spokesperson. “We feel all of these actions were absolutely necessary.”

But the U.S. is not giving up on a peaceful resolution. A spokesperson for the Kremlin says Russian President Vladamir Putin is “willing to negotiate.”

“The path for diplomacy remains available if Russia chooses to engage constructively,” said Principal Deputy White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. “However, we are clear-eyed about the prospects of that given the steps Russia is taking on the ground in plain sight.”

The White House says they are remaining in close contact with NATO allies and partners about possible next steps.

“President Biden has made clear that should there be another incursion into Ukraine that the United States would respond swiftly with severe economic consequences,” said Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby.

The impacts of the tension are being felt at home.

“Right now the American people are focused on their pocketbooks,” said Conn. Sen. Chris Murphy.

Fears of an invasion sent the DOW tumbling and oil prices soaring reaching $95 dollars a barrel – a first since 2014.

“I do think that Americans will support the use of our economic power through sanctions, and some of their taxpayer dollars, to move troops to protect the eastern flank of NATO,” said Sen. Murphy.