By Jessica Easthope
At St. Athanasius Catholic Academy in Bensonhurst, students are celebrating the Year of the Fire Horse. They’re partaking in Lunar New Year traditions and learning about some of the diverse cultural traditions members of their student body celebrate.
By Katie Vasquez
After a delay due to winter storms in New York City, students at St. Gregory the Great Catholic Academy are now celebrating Black History Month with warm, Caribbean flair: they’re learning about the rich history and traditions connected to carnival celebrations.
By Currents News
Nearly two weeks into the Diocese of Brooklyn’s Lenten Pilgrimage, Bishop Robert Brennan led the faithful in prayer at Holy Cross Church in Flatbush. The day included Mass, reflection on the Gospel, and participation in a parish-wide week of Eucharistic adoration during Lent.
By Currents News
Cathedral Prep captured the CHSAA inter-sectional championship in a dramatic overtime victory. Bishop Robert Brennan opened the game with prayer and later presented the championship awards after the Crusaders’ 59-57 win.
By Jessica Easthope
For years Cardinal Timothy Dolan offered counsel, comfort and compassion to police officers in an unofficial capacity and now he can call himself co-chief chaplain of the New York City Police Department.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan was welcomed with a standing ovation from members of the NYPD on March 4 as he and Rev. A.R. Bernard, a Pentecostal pastor and founder of the Christian Cultural Center, were sworn in as co-chief chaplains of the New York City Police Department.
“I’ve had the honor of being with you at funerals of those fallen, honors bestowed, retirements reached,” Cardinal Dolan said. “I’ve seen your eyes damp while you would line in the hospital corridor as I went to visit officers wounded. I’ve hugged and lost a lot of handkerchiefs to grieving spouses and hurting families. And now, now I get to do it a bit more often, in a more formal and official way.”
Cardinal Dolan’s installation comes one month after his successor’s, Archbishop Ronald Hicks now shepherds the Archdiocese of New York’s nearly 3 million Catholics. Officials said Dolan’s service has always extended far beyond the pulpit.
“Cardinal Dolan has stood as a spiritual beacon for almost 3 million Catholic New Yorkers, leveraging the power of the church to support all those in need, including migrants, refugees, at-risk youth and our city’s hungry and homeless,” said Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
While the official religious demographics of the NYPD are not public, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said both new chief chaplains are well equipped to serve members of all faiths.
“In a department made up of many faiths, that kind of service is something that we all understand,” Tisch said. “Today, Cardinal Dolan and Reverend Bernard step into that responsibility. They are being brought forward not only because of the titles they hold, but because of the lives that they have lived and the people that they have led for decades. They have shaped the moral and religious landscape of this city.”
NYPD Chaplain and retired Diocese of Brooklyn priest Monsignor David Cassato said the addition and leadership is a blessing.
“He has a tremendous personality. He’s a very gifted,” Monsignor Cassato said. “And it seems like Reverend Bernard has got the same kind of gift. The ability to speak, the ability to communicate, and the ability to go out and reach the NYPD. They need so much. And today, we’re blessed.”
Cardinal Timothy Dolan is sworn in as co-chief chaplain of the NYPD, supporting the spiritual needs of more than 36,000 officers and their families.
Pilgrims are continuing the Diocese of Brooklyn’s Lenten pilgrimage at Holy Cross Church in Flatbush for Mass, prayer, and reflection led by Bishop Robert Brennan.
Cathedral Prep’s basketball team captures the CHSAA inter-sectional championship in an overtime thriller.
By Katie Vasquez
MIDDLE VILLAGE — Number five on the Xaverian varsity girls basketball team glided across the court with ease during a championship game at Christ the King High School, showcasing skills she has been honing nearly her entire life.
For senior Callie Mullin, basketball has always been part of her world.
“It’s always been part of my life, going to my siblings’ practices, games,” Mullin said. “My dad’s been coaching since I was born.”
This year, Mullin is capping off her final season at the Brooklyn Catholic high school with a major milestone: 1,000 career points.
“A thousand means the points each score, like, throughout my career,” she said. “So over the four years, that’s how many I’ve scored.”
Reaching 1,000 points is no easy task and is considered a rare achievement in high school basketball.
“It’s a big accomplishment,” Mullin said. “It’s hard to get. It’s just a lot of work that goes into it.”
Her family’s basketball pedigree may make the milestone seem less surprising. Mullin’s uncle is former NBA player and two-time Olympic gold medalist Chris Mullin, who also attended Xaverian.
Her father, Terence Mullin, said the achievement reflects years of dedication — and teamwork.
“I guess that night was kind of like an accumulation of hard work and dedication, putting the time in,” he said. “It is an individual accomplishment, but it’s definitely a team accomplishment because you’re not out there by yourself.”
Mullin has committed to play at Mercy University in Dobbs Ferry next year.
Her coach, Mark Spelman, said her absence will be felt.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do without her next year,” Spelman said. “It’s going to feel very strange if I’m coaching next year to not have her there. She’s been a rock for me and the team to lean on.”
As her high school career comes to a close, Mullin said she will leave with lasting memories of a tight-knit group.
“This team, we’re super close and we do everything together,” she said. “We just really wanted to win for each other.”
By Jessica Easthope
By Katie Vasquez
A standout senior at Xaverian High School is making history on the court. Callie Mullin has reached the rare 1,000-point scoring milestone in her high school basketball career after years of hard work, family influence, and team support.
By Jessica Easthope
You could hear a pin drop inside St. Mark’s Church in Sheepshead Bay on March 3 because 500 junior high students from seven Diocese of Brooklyn schools chose silence.
“I really appreciated that we were quiet, everybody was quiet, and it really just made the whole experience much better and much easier to understand,” said Sal Palmeri, an eighth-grader at St. Bernard Catholic Academy.
No phones, no distractions-just the Blessed Sacrament and the quiet voice of God. Palmeri said he left feeling like he had meditated for two hours.
“It’s just really nice to have a nice break and just relax,” he said.
The students prayed, sang and knelt before the Body of Christ—a sharp contrast to their noise-filled lives. Those who organized the rally said the silence is a gift.
“We live in a world that’s full of noise. And when we come here today, the kids buy into it. And I think it was something that they don’t experience very often. But I do think it was appreciated,” said Deacon Kevin McCormack, superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Brooklyn.
“Really, none of us are used to any extended periods of silence, which can be uncomfortable. But that’s when God speaks,” said John O’Brien, associate superintendent for the Diocese of Brooklyn.
“They probably very rarely get a chance to have some silent time like that. It doesn’t come naturally. You know, they have to learn,” said Father Robert Mucci, pastor of St. Mark-St. Margaret Mary Parish.
Some left feeling relaxed, but Victoria Charles, an eighth-grader at Our Lady of Trust Catholic Academy, said being exposed to the Eucharist re-energized her physically and spiritually.
“I definitely think it motivated me a lot more, and it definitely prepared me for the Easter season. It kind of reminded me of my faith and why I’m here,” Charles said.
All junior high school students in the Diocese of Brooklyn will participate in Eucharistic rallies throughout the school year. Five more are being held during Lent.