Diocese of Brooklyn Alerts Parishioners of Arrest of Now Former St. Sebastian Church Deacon

By Emily Drooby and The Tablet Staff

WINDSOR TERRACE — A deacon at St. Sebastian Church in Woodside, Queens was arrested on Jan. 20 as part of a police sting operation on allegations that he attempted to have sex with a minor.

The Diocese of Brooklyn became aware that Rogelio Vega, 50, was arrested on Jan. 22 and immediately suspended the deacon. The parish administrator, Father Patrick West, addressed the parish at Mass this weekend by reading a letter from Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio.

“In keeping with our Diocesan Policy and the 2002 Bishops Charter and Norms for the Protection of Children and Youth, [Vega] has been immediately removed from all diaconal ministry,” Bishop DiMarzio wrote.

In a statement, the Diocese of Brooklyn said, “We are horrified by the arrest and charges against Rogelio Vega.”

“The Diocese of Brooklyn is committed to a Zero Tolerance Policy, as nothing is more important than the protection of children,” the statement continued.

Father Henry Torres of St. Sebastian Church said they’re doing everything possible to help their parishioners through this.

He told Currents News, “We are feeling devastated, the parishioners are confused and also sad at the same time, but we are offering all the support we can offer. They can come speak to us, vent, they need to know we are doing all we can to support our children.”

The Queens District Attorney said Vega started communicating with a 14-year-old boy last July on a dating app. What Vega didn’t know was the “teen” was an undercover agent. The prosecutor said Vega exchanged pornographic pictures with the minor, and then planned to meet in person. When Vega showed up, the undercover agent was there to arrest him.

Vega was ordained a deacon on May 28, 2011. He had been a deacon at St. Sebastian since December, 2015. Previously, he was assigned to Most Holy Trinity-St. Mary, Williamsburg. The diocese said that prior to his arrest last Wednesday, there had never been any previous complaints against him.

If convicted, Vega faces up to seven years behind bars. He was released on a $50,000 bond, and his next appearance is set for Jan. 25.

The Diocese of Brooklyn has several protocols and systems in place to combat sexual abuse within the church and to protect victims, including a no-tolerance policy.

Bishop DiMarzio said the Office of Victim Assistance will be making virtual and telephone meetings available to different groups within the St. Sebastian parish to address concerns and offer pastoral care.

“Often, just having a place to speak about such matters are the beginning steps to addressing the strong impact such news can have,” he wrote. “Once again, I encourage each of us in our resolve to protect our children and youth from all forms of abuse.”

In 2004, Bishop DiMarzio established a telephone hotline for anyone to report allegations of sexual abuse by a member of the clergy. The diocese’s confidential reporting line connects directly to law enforcement authorities. Victims are encouraged to report a crime no matter when the alleged abuse occurred. The number is 888-634-4499.

Click here to read the full letter from Bishop DiMarzio.

Queen of Angels Parish Volunteers Feed Day Laborers During the Pandemic

By Jessica Easthope

Every month for the last nine years, Carlos Apestegui packs up his truck in Queens and delivers meals to day laborers.

“They are coming from South America most of the time and of course Mexico, they have no job, no permanent, steady job, stand on the corners outside on the street so a contractor can approach them and pick them up,” Carlos said.

The Hispanic community in New York City has been hit hard by not only COVID-19 but the virus’ effects on the economy. According to a study by the Center for an Urban Future, more than half of New York City’s undocumented immigrants are now out of work.

That’s why Carlos’ work with day laborers, often New York City’s lowest earners, is so needed – especially on days when the cold is biting.

Carlos is a parishioner at Queen of Angels Church in Sunnyside, Queens and he works there too, but before his permanent job at the church, Carlos knew what it was like it wait on line, outside for work.

“We’re Christian so we should help these guys and also remember I was part of them so I know how they feel,” he said.

The pain of not knowing how he would support his family as a day laborer has stayed with him. Giving out these meals means visiting his old life and old friends who are still struggling.

“That’s a big problem now because not many people want strange people working in their houses because they are working in houses,” Carlos said.

On Saturday, Carlos came with two other volunteers and Father Nestor Martinez. As a Colombian, Father Nestor’s passion is working with the immigrant community in Queens. But as a new priest, ordained during the pandemic, interacting with them has been hard.

“In church we say we are the Body of Christ and especially right now when we have a lot of suffering to be with those who have less we can really show the face of Christ to them and let them know they’re not alone that we are suffering with them,” said Father Nestor.

This outreach allows him to live out his mission.

“This is the real ministry, the real pastoral we have to be with the people, when we are with them we can feel where the church really is, the church is not the building, the church is outside,” said Father Nestor.

In addition to the hot coffee and food the workers are given, Father Nestor handed out rosary beads, hoping they know God is with them as they wait.

‘9 Days for Life’ Novena Kicks Off in Diocese of Brooklyn

By Erin DeGregorio and Currents News Staff

PROSPECT HEIGHTS — The nationwide “9 Days for Life” Novena, sponsored by the United States Catholic Conference of Bishop’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities, has officially begun in the Diocese of Brooklyn. This year, the Novena is taking place from Jan. 21 to 29, providing parishioners with daily reflections and opportunities for prayers and actions to promote the respect of all human life.

“Every year, Diocese of Brooklyn parishioners attend the March for Life in Washington, D.C. to pray for an end to the tragedy of abortion. This year, due to the pandemic, the March for Life is virtual, so attendance was not possible,” said Father Joseph Gibino, vicar for Evangelization and Catechesis. “But, here in our Diocese, we can pray in communion for the protection of all human life, either at one of our Masses or through this year’s special Novena.”

On Jan. 21, the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph held the opening Mass for Life with strict health and safety guidelines put in place. Deacon John Cantirino from Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Windsor Terrace, who annually walks in the March for Life, attended the Mass to keep his tradition alive in a similar fashion. He believes the “9 Days for Life” Novena highlights Catholics’ commitment to proclaim the sanctity of life.

“It’s an issue that’s close to the heart of many Catholics, and really nothing’s going to stop them from constantly raising the issue of how sacred life is in all its forms, from beginning to natural death,” Deacon Cantirino said.

“These Masses you see across the country are a way of Catholics showing their solidarity in the teachings of the Church, and also showing a solidarity that they have with each other, with other non-Christians and non-Catholics.”

Bishop James Massa, auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn and rector at St. Joseph’s Seminary and College, traveled from Yonkers to celebrate the Mass. He noted that, although the March for Life usually draws thousands of people who give witness to life, this year’s change in presentation does not take away from the purpose.

“Our passion for the defense of life is no less vehement, no less committed,” Bishop Massa said. “We can be together through the power of prayer, uniting ourselves through the Mass, and through keeping the 9-day novena. That’s going to be our witness this year.”

Fred Trabulsi, executive director of the Life Center of New York in Bay Ridge, and his wife Damaris, who are parishioners of St. Patrick Parish in Bay Ridge, made sure they would be present for the novena’s kick-off.

“As we work in the pro-life field, we wanted to come and show support for Bishop [Nicholas DiMarzio] and pro-life in general — that life is sacred — and we really want to keep that up front,” Fred said.

Damaris, in the same vein, added: “The reason it’s important for us to be here is because we are recharging our batteries to go back out in the field and continue to help women choose life.”
According to the Trabulsis, the Life Center of New York was able to help save two babies during 2020 and two babies so far this year.

The annual Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children is being observed today, Jan. 22 — the day the Supreme Court handed down its decision in the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade case and its companion case, Doe v. Bolton.

The Novena’s closing Mass with Bishop DiMarzio will take place on Jan. 29 at 7:30 pm at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph. It will be available to watch live on NET TV online, Verizon Fios channel 548, Optimum channel 30, and Spectrum channel 97. For those who wish to attend the closing Mass in person, visit https://bit.ly/35QZoFG for more information.

For other information about the Novena, including how to participate, visit 9daysforlife.com or usccb.org/committees/pro-life-activities/join-9-days-life.

Currents News full broadcast for Fri, 1/22/21 (Catholic news)

Currents News reports secular and religious news from the Catholic perspective.

Some of the top stories on this special edition:

Inauguration 2021 – a day filled with tradition and tradition-busting firsts goes off without a hitch amid tight security and fears of violence.

Kamala Harris makes history – the first woman and person of color is now vice president of the United States.

New York is out of vaccines. What will the state do? Could they dip into second doses until more arrive?

St. Joseph’s Co-Cathedral celebrates a special Mass in Brooklyn, calling on the faithful to protect the sacredness of human life.

President Biden Signs Executive Orders During First Full Day in Office

Currents News Staff

With a pile of executive orders on his desk, President Joe Biden got to work.

“With the state of the nation today, there’s no time to waste,” President Biden said. “Get to work immediately.”

And that he did, signing several executive orders on his first day on the job, of which many targeted former-President Trump’s policies.

“We’re going to combat climate change in a way that we haven’t done so far,” Biden said.

Biden canceled the Keystone XL pipeline. The system stretches thousands of miles through several states carrying crude oil from Canada into the U.S. He also rejoined the Paris climate agreement, which was a deal he negotiated when he was vice president.

Catholic leaders praised the move and also welcomed the new administration’s decision to scrap Trump’s travel ban on predominantly Muslim countries. New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan and Washington Auxiliary Bishop Mario Dorsonville released a statement saying in part that it:

“…will help ensure that those fleeing persecution and seeking refuge or seeking to reunify with family in the United States will not be turned away because of what country they are from or what religion they practice.”

As far as the U.S. Mexico border wall is concerned, President Biden ordered an immediate pause on construction which was a serious blow to what Trump called “one of his major accomplishments.” There’s also now a 100-day moratorium on certain deportations.

The administration says it’s all part of Biden’s plans for immigration reform.

Biden also wants to restore America’s economy. He’s extending bans on evictions and foreclosures for Americans affected by the coronavirus pandemic. He also rejoined the World Health Organization, making the fight against coronavirus a top priority for his administration. Such initiatives include a mask mandate for those on federal property and the launching a 100-day mask challenge.

“The issue that he wakes up every day focused on is getting the pandemic under control,” said White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki. “The issue he goes to bed every night focused on is getting the pandemic under control.”

Catholic Art Takes on New Forms During the Pandemic

By Jessica Easthope

Tony Lipari, Mindy Steffen and Jake Hart are three artists who have managed to keep hope and their careers alive the past year against all odds.

“We’ve been very productive during this time, but we can’t play out.” Tony told Currents News.

“I was very, very fortunate, it was really God’s timing,” said Mindy.

“To me it was a huge blessing,” added Jake.

Each of their industries have taken a major hit, but inside the four walls of their New York City apartments these artists have thought outside the box. They are all thriving, having found a creative niche and stronger connection with God during the pandemic.

“This gave us time where you can’t play out, and we made use of all this time for writing,” said Tony, who goes by “Rikshaw” professionally.

Tony formed a band right before New York City went on lockdown. Though the live music industry has plummeted and gigs have felt like a thing of the past, Rikshaw pushed forward.

“We would write music and send files to each other and because of this we’ve written about an album’s worth of material, so we’ve been very productive during this time, without this maybe some of that material wouldn’t exist, maybe all of it,” he said.

For a cartoonist known as Mindy Indy, keeping her head down — and her pencil to paper — has worked. In February of 2020 Mindy took on two big projects: a sci-fi comic of her own and a series of children’s books about the saints.

“As I was drawing I was listening to documentaries about the lives of the saints, and it really did help me through this difficult crazy time because we can really learn a lot from the saints and draw strength from them,” Mindy said about her project for Our Sunday Visitor.

The pandemic allowed her to reconnect with her faith and focus on her talents without the rush.

“I do feel more connection in the quietness and the slowing down, and not being able to do everything,” she said.

Like Tony and Mindy, Jake Hart also sees this crisis through a different lens.

“The pandemic actually gave me the time to sit back, think about my next move and actually make the move, so to me it was a huge blessing,” Jake said.

As a Catholic filmmaker, Jake’s art is focused on a mystical view of faith. His most recent film was shot entirely during the pandemic with his collection of vintage cameras. The footage is grainy, but now he says the vision for his career couldn’t be clearer.

“Putting the films together in a collection, putting together the website and a story about why I wanted to share these films and without that time during the pandemic, I don’t think that would have happened,” said Jake who started his own company “Blood and Water Films” during the pandemic.

These artists couldn’t be more different. But what they have in common is trusting God’s plan. Though they’re not thankful for the pandemic, they’ve been able to focus on the good: the time it’s given them to create.

St. Agnes Academic High School in Queens to Close at End of 2021 School Year

By Emily Drooby

On Jan. 13, St. Agnes Academic High School announced it will be closing at the end of this school year.

“It’s hard to process everything because I was looking forward to my senior year so much, we all were,” said Rose Troiano, a junior at the school.

Principal Susan Nicoletti explained that a decline in enrollment and financial pressure from the pandemic are to blame.

“Due to the fact that we were small to begin with, it really had a greater impact on us. Of course, the pandemic didn’t help,” she told Currents News. “There are tutions that have to be paid and parents who lost their job, and we do serve a community that is needy.”

At least 50 percent of their students rely on financial aid.

Earlier in 2020 alumni stepped up to help, raising $60,000 for tuition costs. The strong support is not surprising to Robin Loesch, who graduated from the all-girls school in 2008.

“During high school, St. Agnes meant the world to me,” she said.

Growing up, Robin was in foster care. She called the school a family she could always count on.

“The academics were just wonderful and I want every young woman to have the experience that my classmates and I had,” Robin said.

Within hours of the announced closure, she and other alumnae flocked to Facebook, asking what could be done to reverse the decision.

But the ongoing financial pressure was just too much on both the school and on the Sisters of St. Dominic of Amityville who own and operate the school.

Sister Peggy McVetty, OP, prioress of the Sisters of St. Dominic of Amityville, wrote the “decision to end 112 years of excellent education had been most difficult.” The high school had been co-educational for 40 years before becoming an all-girls institution in 1949.

“The financial realities during the past several years have made it impossible to sustain the school,” the letter continued. “The unprecedented economic projections and ramifications of the pandemic have only complicated the previously existing difficulties.”

Now, the attention is on helping students with this transition. Faculty have figured out a way to give juniors a choice between transferring to a new school for their senior year or graduating early, giving students a chance to finish their last two required classes on breaks and in June.

“I am leaning towards graduating early, it was a tough choice,” Emily Diaz, a junior at the school, told Currents News.

It’s a tough choice but one Emily was grateful she could make.

For students without the option of graduating, families attended virtual meetings to voice questions and concerns to the Leadership Council of the Sisters and St. Agnes’ administration. The school also stated it’s trying to develop a plan that would allow current juniors to accelerate their studies and earn a St. Agnes diploma by August, if they so desire.

St. Agnes Principal Susan Nicoletti sent a letter to the students who had applied for the fall — encouraging them to reach out to The Mary Louis Academy, the only all-girls high school remaining in Queens, as well as other Catholic high schools.

Currents News full broadcast for Thurs, 1/21/21 (Catholic news)

Currents News reports secular and religious news from the Catholic perspective.

Some of the top stories on this newscast:

Mask mandates and more – President Joe Biden signs a slew of executive orders in his first full day in the office, promising to beat back a deadly pandemic. But will he protect the rights of the unborn? Word is safeguards could fall by the wayside, and that has Catholic leaders concerned.

It’s been a big part of the Queens Catholic community for years, but now St. Agnes Academic High School is shutting down. You’ll hear from school faculty and alumni.

The community in Kamala Harris’ ancestral home in India is celebrating their native daughter’s historic achievement.

Vatican Vaccinates Homeless, Fulfilling Pope Francis’ Christmas Request

Currents News Staff

About 25 homeless people have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at the Vatican. It was in done the Paul VI hall where Vatican employees, starting with the Swiss Guard, were also vaccinated.

Polish Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the papal almoner, was in charge of organizing the procedure.

This was the first group of homeless people to receive the vaccine. The Vatican explained that others will be coming to the makeshift hospital in the next few days to be vaccinated, fulfilling the Holy Father’s Christmas request.

“I ask everyone – government leaders, businesses, international organizations – to foster cooperation and not competition, and to seek a solution for everyone: vaccines for all, especially for the most vulnerable and needy of all regions of the planet. Before all others: the most vulnerable and disadvantaged,” he said.

Throughout the pandemic, the pontiff has often called to not abandon people with less resources to fight the coronavirus.

Currents News full broadcast for Wed, 1/20/21 (Catholic news)

Currents News reports secular and religious news from the Catholic perspective.

Some of the top stories on this newscast:

Sworn in during an inauguration unlike any other and a country in crisis – President Biden is pledging peace.

Say hello to the first woman to become Vice President and first African American, and first South Asian American. How Kamala Harris’ ancestors in India are following her success thousands of miles away.

No time wasted – executive orders are out – what do policy changes mean for Catholics as the new president signals a break from Trump?

Plus, take off for the Trump team – 45 leaves the White House behind – but not without a last word and a letter to 46.