‘Pre-K for All’ Programs Reinstated by NYC DOE in Three Brooklyn Diocese Academies

By Emily Drooby

St. Joseph Catholic Academy’s Pre-K program has been reinstated.

After spending months believing the program where his daughter flourished would be closing, Hany Saad was thrilled to discover that New York City’s decision on it had changed, and that it would still be around for his younger son.

“With Maria actually, she learned a lot, she has a lot of friends, she’s happy actually coming to school to learn to play,” he said of his daughter. “I want the same thing for Mark.”

The reinstatement is a big win for the Long Island City school.

“We are thrilled that we will be able to provide the service for local families here at St. Joseph,” said Lucy Alaimo, sthe “Pre-K for All” Program Education Director at St. Joseph Catholic Academy.

Back in September of 2020, the New York City Department of Education announced they were dropping 105 of their free Pre-K for All programs. Five of them, including St. Joseph, were Catholic schools in the Diocese of Brooklyn.

Schools immediately appealed but were left in limbo for months as the city made their determinations. Those decisions were finally handed down this week.

“Our voices were heard,” said Thomas Chadzutko, the Superintendent of Catholic Schools for Brooklyn and Queens. “They did say that the schools were very well established and they were able to find additional financial resources because the areas that were renewed, there was a need for Pre-K for all programs.”

The previously affected Catholic schools whose contracts have now been renewed for the 2021-2022 academic year are Sacred Heart Catholic Academy, Glendale, St. Joseph Catholic Academy, Long Island City, and St. Catherine of Genoa-St. Thérèse of Lisieux Catholic Academy, Flatbush.

Unfortunately, two schools were not renewed: St. Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Academy in Greenpoint and Sacred Heart Academy in Bayside.

While Chadzutko said officials at the Department of Education have been great about working with them during this ordeal, they did not tell them why the two schools were not renewed. They have asked for an answer.

“We know it’s a competitive process, but we also want to know, in any competition, why did we not make it to the finish line and what could we have done differently. So, I think that’s important to note,” said Chadzutko.

St. Joseph credits 1,700 parents and alumni who spoke out to lawmakers.

If it had not gone their way, they would have been forced to cut 10 jobs.

“Words can’t express what that means to me and all the teachers and staff here at St. Josephs,” said Lucy.

The decision was handed down just in time as enrollment for Pre-K for All begins Wednesday, January 24.

The schools that were not renewed will continue to appeal for their program with the help of the Superintendent’s Office and are also looking into other options.

Catholic News Headlines for Tuesday, 2/23/21

We’ll tell you what’s next for three Catholic preschools allowed to reopen by New York City.

Forced to revaccinate – New Yorkers asked to get their COVID shots again after being given spoiled vaccines.

Christians and Muslims working alongside each other to rebuild Mosul years after it was destroyed by ISIS.

History of Seneca Village Rediscovered Through Education in Central Park

By Jessica Easthope

Forty million people visit Central Park every year, but how many of them know about its past? Buried beneath the park’s enormity and fame is the history of Seneca Village.

“We have historical records of different churches and schools and small plots of land used for agriculture and livestock, a whole thriving community that often gets lost when we talk about the historical narrative of New York City as a whole,” said Urban Park Ranger Jeffrey Vandervennet.

Back when uptown Manhattan was made up of rural farmlands, an area spanning what we know now as 83rd to 89th Streets was home to a thriving community on the fringe of 19th century society.

“Seneca Village provided the true opportunity to make a chance in what you wanted and give your family stability and to pursue the American Dream that was portrayed at that time,” said Ranger Ashley Whited.

In 1845 when there were 13,000 Black Americans living in New York City, owning a certain amount of land meant you could vote, and for many Black Americans Seneca Village presented that opportunity.

“As people bought land that was a deliberate political experiment to gain power and have a voting block of people that could help to implement policy on a societal level,” said Ranger Jeff.

Seneca Village was made up of mostly free Black Americans, but was also a sanctuary for immigrants from Germany and Ireland. Over the years excavations have told the story of what life was like in Seneca Village — a story often skewed by racism.

“This area was labeled as squatters, vagrants, shanty towns, houses that are barely standing up, but as we look at work done by the Central Park Conservancy and New York Historical Society excavations and digs and seeing the foundations of these buildings, it was a stable and thriving community,” said Ranger Ashley.

In the late 1850s the residents of Seneca Village were kicked out so the city could build Central Park. Many were fairly paid for the land they owned.

The rich history of Seneca Village can tell us a lot about the world we live in today.

“Seneca Village can be used as a lens we use to view our current surroundings and what it took to get there, as well as a lens of how we want to see our community and our environment change for the better,” Ranger Ashley said.

Education allows history to be rediscovered and beneath Central Park, more is waiting to be found.

Biden Admin. Has ‘No Choice’ But to Tackle Comprehensive Immigration Reform, Says Attorney

Currents News Staff

In Texas, a tent facility to hold immigrant teenagers who cross the border without a parent has just reopened.

It’s been closed since 2019, after the Trump administration was criticized for the poor conditions there.

Just last week, U.S. border agents encountered more than 15,000 migrant children. Earlier this month, the White House Press Secretary pleaded with migrants not to come, saying “the vast majority of people will be turned away.”

The administration has its hands full right now trying to control the pandemic and vaccine distribution, but President Biden is trying to get his immigration bill passed, confirming on Feb. 22 that it’s scrapping the Trump administration changes to the U.S. citizenship test.

Immigration attorney Steve Maggi joined Currents News to speak on U.S. immigration, and what he wants to happen for clients.

Catholic School Students Band Together to Lift Spirits of Classmate Who Lost Family Members to COVID

By Jessica Easthope

Johnathan Zuluaga thought he was coming back to school at Our Lady of Sorrows to watch a talent show, but it was all part of a surprise plan: a brand new puppy for him, a mini labradoodle and Johnathan’s new best friend.

“My old dog passed away,” said Johnathan. “I didn’t have a pet and I was really lonely, so it’s really nice to have him here and take him home with me today.”

Opting to do virtual learning, Johnathan hadn’t been back to his 8th grade class in months. His chair and his sadness were front and center. The pandemic took his dad and grandmother from him and most recently, he lost the dog who was his best friend.

“It’s because of their effort that he’s here,” he said, “so I really thank them and appreciate it.”

For months, students, parents and teachers at Our Lady of Sorrows raised money hoping to bring a little happiness back into Johnathan’s life after so much loss.

But the surprise wasn’t only for Johnathan.

“We just said, ‘Hey, we have a student in need, never mentioned a name,’” said Principal Cristina Tancredi-Cruz. “We just said we’re going to raise money to make someone feel good.”

The kids got to work, waking up early every day to sell coffee and donuts at school. They raised more than $2,000 dollars never knowing who it was for.

“It just shows all the effort you put in to making them a better person,” said teacher Lisset Condo. “It just shows that it’s working. It’s paying off.”

Principal Cristina had a simple question.

“What would Jesus do?” she asked. “This is exactly what He would want us to do. This is what Catholic school is all about. It’s about paying it forward and asking for nothing in return. That’s exactly what our students did.”

But that’s not exactly right – the students did want something in return.

“I want to see him smile,” said two of Johnathan’s classmates, Dandy Naranjo and Juely Duran. “I don’t want to see him sad or be in that hole. I just want to see him smile.”

It’s a smile you can see even through his mask. And as for his new puppy, well he seemed happy too!

Johnathan’s mom Ysabel says lately, her son has been a shell of the fun-loving kid he is, but now she can breathe a sigh of relief.

“The important thing in this is that he feels that God is good,” Ysabel said. “Not everything is lost and not everything is bad.”

Johnathan doesn’t know what he wants to name his new puppy yet, but what he does know is that his new addition is the start of a new, happy chapter.

“It’s a special moment of happiness after six, nine months of sadness and worries,” Ysabel said. “I see him happy and hope comes back.”

Hope came back all because of a kind gesture. Now, the Zuluaga family is bringing hope home.

Washington Law Enforcement Testifies to Senate on Security Failures During Capitol Attack

Currents News Staff

The possibility of violence — that’s what law enforcement officials expected on January 6.

Instead police officers were attacked by an angry mob as insurrectionists stormed the capitol.

On Feb. 23, the heads of security testified at the scene of the crime about what went wrong on that deadly day.

Unaware, unprepared and overwhelmed is how those in charge of protecting Congress described the day.

“These criminals came prepared for war,” said former Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund. “I look at this as an intelligence problem that impacted this event”

“We now know that we had the wrong plan,” said former House Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving.

“We had planned for the possibility of violence, the possibility of some people being armed, not the possibility of a coordinated military-style attack involving thousands against the Capitol,” said Sund.

The Chief of the Capitol Police, who resigned after the riot, said the FBI had information that warned war may be waged on the Capitol, but that message never made it to leadership or the officers on the front lines, some of whom continue to suffer

“I received chemical burns to my face that still have not healed to this day,” U.S. Capitol Police Captain Carneysha Mendoza said.

Washington’s acting Metro Police Chief Robert Contee also pointed to the Defense Department for not quickly sending in the National Guard, saying, “the response was more focused on, in addition to the plan, the optics…I was just stunned. I have officers that were out there literally fighting for their lives”

In addition to the colossal communication breakdown, security officials said some police forces weren’t trained to handle the magnitude of violence and didn’t have the proper gear to respond.

“The focus going forward, needs to be on the efforts to improve intelligence and the coordination of security measures between all involved agencies,” said Sund.

‘Keep Us in Prayer’ Says Austin Pastor as Texans Face Aftermath of Winter Storm

Donations to assist families recovering from Winter Storm Uri can be made to Catholic Charities USA at www.CCUSA.online/weather.

Currents News Staff

Parishes in the thousands in Texas are still without power and drinking water. Churches have stepped up to help.

Joining Currents News with an update on how the storm has impacted his parish and the work he and others do in assisting immigrants at the Texas border is Father Bruce Nieli, pastor at St. Paul the Apostle in the Diocese of Austin.

As Iraq ICU Sees Wave of COVID Infections, Families Fight to Stay Together

Currents News Staff

Iraq is seeing another devastating wave of COVID infections, averaging more than 3,000 a day this past week.

While ICU units are filled, it seems many others are reluctant to seek hospital care.

The constant beeping of the machines is mind-numbing, but at least there is something rarely seen inside a COVID-19 intensive care unit: those struggling for each breath are not alone.

Amne Abdulridha’s weak laugh is muffled, as an inside joke is shared with the doctors about how her daughter, Naba’a, is constantly hovering over her.

The family went to a wedding, no masks, no social distancing — a decision they all bitterly regret.

“I also have COVID, but I’ve forgotten about it with the state my mother is in.” Naba told Currents News as her voice started to crack. “We filled the house with oxygen tanks, but it wasn’t enough. and then we brought her here.”

Amne is doing much better now.

The family of Wafa Riyadh, another patient, also tried to treat her using oxygen at home. They did not want to bring her to a hospital, not an uncommon occurrence in Iraq.

We asked, “Why do you think people are reluctant to come to the hospital initially?”

“Maybe because of culture, Iraqi culture,” Dr. Hassan Alaa, Chief Resident at the hospital, explained.

For some it’s a fear of being stigmatized, having caught a virus that has brought the world to its knees.

“There are people even now who say, ‘What is this corona,” Wafa’a daughter Niran explained. “They don’t believe the virus exists until it hits them.”

But, it’s also a misunderstanding that oxygen and vitamins are enough to treat the symptoms of the virus.

There’s also a lack of faith in Iraq’s health care systems, which have yet to fully recover from sanctions dating back to the Saddam Hussein-era and then non-stop war.

“But this is a very bad thing to keep patients in a home, at home, treatment at home,” Dr. Alaa said.

Iraq’s first COVID-19 wave devastated the country. Hospitals were overwhelmed.

One infectious diseases hospital in Baghdad that the government facilitated Currents News access to saw its patient numbers triple in the last two weeks.

On whether they’re ready for maximum capacity or more patients, Dr. Alaa had this to say:

“We have beds, we have doctors, we have nurses.”

But, they do not have a choice.

“Two months ago the virus was nearly deleted from all of Iraq,” Dr. Alaa explained. “So all the people leave face masks, leave sterilization, leave everything, neglected everything, neglect all protection.”

This makes him stressed and worried.

“Sure we are afraid for our family, ourselves from this new virus. But we should do what we can to the benefit for the patients,” he said.

By a new virus, Dr. Alaa means a new variant. Iraq’s ministry of health recently stated that 50% of the new infections are of the highly contagious B-117 variant first identified in the U.K.

The government only just made face masks mandatory and reimplemented stricter restrictions like nighttime and weekend curfews.

“It should have happened before, not now at the end,” Niran said of the government’s measures as her mother’s chest heaved with each labored breath.

She won’t leave her mom’s side — no matter the risk, no matter the circumstances, In Iraq, a country whose history has resulted in a distorted relationship with death, no one stays in a hospital alone.

Catholic News Headlines for Monday, 2/22/21

Despite a difficult year, many people are one step closer to becoming Catholic.

More vaccination sites open in the city as the country passes 500,000 deaths due to the disease.

Bishop DiMarzio is speaking out against sexual abuse allegations after a lawsuit is filed against him.

Power is being restored after winter storms in Texas – but some are seeing sky-rocketing energy bills.

Elderly Brooklyn Man Facing Winter Cold Says Gift of Free Boiler Replacement Is a Blessing

By Jessica Easthope

When the freezing winter air came creeping into Edgar Ballance’s home, he had nowhere to turn.

“I called my brother up and told him to come light the heater in the basement. The flame went out and he came here checking it out and when he left I couldn’t get it on. You press something at the top but I couldn’t get it on,” Edgar told Currents News.

Edgar asked someone to look at his boiler that was 40-years-old, but he felt like he was being scammed.

“He said the boiler’s too old or something, I told him that I had it running but it’s not running now. He acted like he didn’t care,” Edgar explained.

Edgar doesn’t know exactly how long he sat in his home, before his luck changed.

“One of my supervisors went out and he found the man to be in real dire need. It was very cold, freezing in his home, he had been for several weeks without heat or hot water,” said Anthony Vigilante, the CEO of Vigilante Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning.

When one of his technicians was called out to Edgar’s home by a neighbor, he came back shaken.

“He had six sweaters on. IIt was sad to see someone living that way, and we felt it was the right thing to do unto others and help this man get his heat back on,” Anthony said.

It would have cost more than $12,000 to replace Edgar’s boiler and hot water heater. Knowing how desperately he needed it, Vigilante did it for free. The equipment was installed the next day.

“I thank God for that, it was a blessing, and I felt real good, believe me. And I still feel the same way. I can’t even express it,” said Edgar. “If I was a millionaire, I’d show them my appreciation. It meant more to me than the whole world.”

It might come as a surprise, but Anthony says in his line of work, faith comes into play every day.

“Jesus is an example, I’ll never be anywhere near it, but I always try to do as much as I can to follow in His footsteps and do things the way He would do,” he said.

Edgar says he prays every day for protection.

“You see that little cross in the hallway on the steps? Every time I walk out I put my hand on that and ask God to take me and bring me safely and I pray for other people too,” he said. “And when I come home I say, ‘Wow it did me some good.'”

And when Edgar needed it most, his prayers were answered.