Groups of people in 1,000 American cities are praying for life – it’s part of a national campaign to end abortion.
The Biden administration says it’s “relentlessly focused” on the 17 Christian missionaries kidnapped in Haiti.
Futures in Education held its biggest fundraiser of the year last night with a monumental goal of $2 million dollars.
By Jessica Easthope
The fight for life – as the national war wages on, the local battles haven’t been forgotten. Outside a Planned Parenthood in Downtown Brooklyn, echoes of Our Fathers blend with the shuffle of pedestrians and Hail Marys are said with the hope of transforming hearts.
“We really want women to know that there is an alternative and most of the women who walk into these buildings do not feel like they have a choice,” said Debbie Sucich, the North Brooklyn co-coordinator for the 40 Days for Life Campaign.
Sucich has been out there, rain or shine, for 12 hours every day praying to end abortion. But it’s not just prayers – this group comes armed with information, phone numbers, resources and help with hope and healing.
“It may seem a little abstract to them but when they see people out here concretely offering resources and praying, I think they know how much they’re cared for,” Debbie said.
40 Days for Life has two campaigns every year and 1,000 cities across the country pray in front of abortion clinics. Most days the group is met with support and protest but sometimes people like Isabel Cordova are compelled to stop and pray with them.
“I could not just walk by,” said Isabel, a parishioner at Queen of All Saints Church in Fort Greene. “There was something stirred in me to stop because I believe in what they’re doing and I believe in the right to life.”
The more people the better because this time their prayers are set against the backdrop of a major legislative decision. The Biden Administration is asking the Supreme Court to step in and suspend Texas’ six-week abortion law. The Department of Justice says the Lone Star State circumvented the Supreme Court’s rulings in Roe v. Wade. Last month, the high court declined to block the law in a five-to-four decision.
“We’re responsible for what happens locally so despite what happens nationally we’re encouraged that more people will become educated and resources available will be more known to women,” said Debbie.
The group says what they call “baby saves” are the goal but it’s a long fight and they’re not getting tired.
DEFENDING LIFE – HOW YOU CAN TAKE PART
To sign up and join Debbie’s group, you can go to 40daysforlife.com and join under Brooklyn North. This prayer campaign ends on Oct. 31. You can also contact your local representative about pro-life issues and repealing New York’s abortion law through the New York State Catholic Conference action center on nyscatholic.org.
By Currents News Staff and Paula Katinas
LOWER MANHATTAN — Manuel Hernandez, a graduate of Christ the King High School who currently attends New York City College of Technology and aspires to become a mechanical engineer, is convinced that he couldn’t have made it through Catholic school without help from Futures in Education.
The organization, which provides scholarships to help students pay Catholic school tuition, assisted Hernandez throughout his high school years.
“Futures in Education helped me to become the person I am today,” he said. “I’m very grateful.”
His association with the organization goes back to his days as a student at Salve Regina Catholic Academy when he received financial aid through the “Be an Angel” program. Under “Be an Angel,” each donor provides financial aid to help an individual student with tuition costs.
Hernandez was a guest speaker at the Futures in Education’s Annual Scholarship Dinner Monday night, an affair that drew more than 500 people and filled the grand ballroom of the Cipriani Wall Street event space.
Msgr. Jamie Gigantiello, vicar for development for the Diocese of Brooklyn, said the dinner raised $2.1 million. He estimated that amount will help as many as 3,000 students in schools across the diocese.
“The message is, without the support of our donors, children would never be able to receive a good Catholic education,” Msgr. Gigantiello said. “Many of our children come from families that don’t have the means to send their children to (Catholic) school. And unless we support them with these scholarships through the ‘Angel’ program, they would never be able to attend.”
However, he stressed, it’s about more than just money.
“And it’s not just a matter of attending a Catholic school and hearing our faith. It’s a matter of giving them a foundation for the rest of their lives,” Msgr. Gigantiello said.
Rosanna Scotto, co-host of “Good Day New York” on Fox5 NY, served as master of ceremonies at the gala. The honorees were Lidia Bastianich, the famous television chef and cookbook author, and Frank Carone, a lawyer who has been a supporter of Futures in Education over the years.
“I think tonight is an extremely important night,” Bastianich said, adding that after the COVID-19 pandemic, people feel the need to be closer to their families and to do something for their community.
“This is certainly an event for our children. The future is our children,” she added.
Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, who delivered the invocation, noted that the pandemic forced last year’s dinner to be a virtual event. This year, the dinner was in-person once again. “We’re back at full strength working for our children,” he said.
Currents News Staff
Bishop Pierre-Andre’ Dumas from the Diocese of Anse-a’-Veau is a friend to the Diocese of Brooklyn. That diocese is just over 60 miles from Port-au-Prince.
Bishop Dumas is on the ground in Haiti as the FBI’s rescue efforts continue to unfold.
He joins Currents News to give an update on the situation and shares what the church in Haiti is doing to bring these missionaries home.
Currents News Staff
In the middle of the Pope’s weekly General Audience a child walked on stage to ask Pope Francis for his zuchetto, the white cap worn by popes.
The Vatican staff gave him one and the young boy left the stage with the precious gift.
The Pope later reflected on the event and said, “I think about what Jesus said about the spontaneity and freedom of children, when this child had the freedom to come up to me and move around as if he were at home. Jesus tells all of us, if you are not like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”
Currents News speaks to a Catholic priest serving in the heart of Haiti’s gang activity about the dangers everyone faces there.
The Department of Justice’s latest move in the back-and-forth over Texas’ six week abortion law.
New York City’s Board of Health is joining other local and state governments in labeling racism a public health crisis.
Currents News Staff
The gang that kidnapped those Christian missionaries in Haiti have put a price tag on their demands: $17-million dollars, or one million for each person they’ve taken hostage, including an eight-month old baby.
Currents News spoke with a Catholic priest who lives in Haiti about the danger everyone faces there because of the gangs and because of that danger, we’re keeping his identity hidden.
“It’s dangerous of course, especially the six last months,” said the priest.
He’s too scared to show his face or give his name, but this Catholic priest says he knows the risk he faces living in Haiti. But he says because of the gangs, particularly in and around Port-au-Prince, it’s not a risk missionaries should take, especially those with women and children.
“My first reaction when I heard about this is to say ‘why,’ they are crazy to come with children like this and woman is my first reaction,” he said. “Now it’s too dangerous in Haiti, I am a bit crazy, too. I have been here for 12 years. I’m alone and I have no family. I’m a Catholic priest, I never go in this place where they were kidnapped. I would never go save in case for emergency; it’s too dangerous.”
A source in Haiti’s security forces confirms the group of 12 adults and five children from Christian Aid Ministries based in Ohio were kidnapped on the outskirts of the nation’s capital.
The missionaries were taken by the ‘400 Mawozo’’ gang after visiting an orphanage. That gang and others have terrorized Haiti for years.
Pierre Esperance, Executive Director National Human Rights Network, says “Haiti has a kidnapping surge that has increased by 300%.”
The gang are now demanding 17-million dollars in ransom. But the priest we spoke with warns that any fundraisers should be kept quiet.
“There are some Christian churches in America who are beginning to make fundraising to have money. I think it’s very bad publicity to say this on the internet because these guys will see this and they will increase the amount you understand.”
The Bishop Designate of Brooklyn – Bishop Robert Brennan – is deeply distressed to hear about the kidnapping. The current head of the Diocese of Columbus, Ohio, where these Protestant missionaries are based, saying in a statement:
“I pray for their safe return and for all their families. At the same time I continue to pray for the people of Haiti who have suffered so much recently from earthquakes and tropical storms as well as from political turmoil and violence. As Catholics, we join the intercession of our Lady of Perpetual Help, patroness of Haiti, asking the Lord for peace.”
Currents News Staff
A relic of ancient battles has been discovered at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea – a 900-year-old crusader sword.
An Israeli diver discovered the iron weapon on the sea bed off the Carmel Coast in Israel.
It has a blade over three feet long and was encrusted with marine organisms.
Experts say the rare find has been preserved in perfect condition and they believe it belonged to a crusader knight.
The sword was recovered with other artifacts including an ancient stone anchor, metal anchors and pottery fragments.
The nurse who died after being knocked to the ground in Times Square by a man running from police is being remembered today.
The FBI is working around the clock to rescue the 17 missionaries kidnapped in Haiti over the weekend.
The first black U.S. secretary of state, Colin Powell, has passed away.
Queens’ parishioners got the chance to get up close and personal with the relic of blessed Carlo Acutis.
By Jessica Easthope
Norma Lardizabal said a tearful, final goodbye to Maria Ambrocio, one of her dearest friends, Monday, Oct. 18. Norma was standing next to Ambrocio when her life was tragically cut short by a senseless crime she says could have been prevented.
“I’m so traumatized today from the whole thing happening that Friday,” Norma said remembering back to October 8. “I hear the head hit the cement and from then on she wasn’t really responding.”
That’s when Ambrocio found herself in Jermaine Foster’s path. Police say he had just stolen a cell phone off a woman in Times Square and violently slammed Ambrocio to the ground as he ran from the scene. She died a day later.
Ambrocio’s death is the latest incident sparked by New York City’s mental health crisis which has seen people with untreated mental illness arrested and charged in violent crimes. Foster’s family said he was off his medication at the time.
“It’s like going back to the ‘80’s and I just really hope the city gets to manage it,” said Rossaly Daniel, Ambrocio’s cousin. “You see subway crime and more homeless on the street and I feel for them. I don’t harbor any hate for them.”
The city’s solution, Thrive NY, has produced few results in aiding New Yorkers suffering with mental illness and Maria’s family and friends say one too many innocent lives have been lost.
“These mentally ill people, they should get help because a lot of people are getting hurt,” said Aileen Alagar, Ambrocio’s best friend and co-worker. “In Times Square, there are more homeless people, people who need help, what happened to my friend isn’t supposed to happen.”
Ambrocio, an oncology nurse at Bayonne Medical Center for 25 years, pivoted to saving lives of COVID patients during the pandemic. She was a devoted parishioner of St. Henry’s Catholic Church in Bayonne, New Jersey. Her family says they were comforted by members of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office – but never heard from city officials. Foster has been charged with felony murder.