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Catholic News Headlines for Friday 7/25/2025

Young pilgrims from Astoria, Queens are getting ready to head to Rome for the Jubilee of Youth — a once-in-a-lifetime trip that will unite teens from around the world. 

While in Rome, Jubilee pilgrims will have the rare opportunity to venerate relics of two soon-to-be saints: Blesseds Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati. 

More than 500,000 young Catholics from over 146 countries will attend a Mass celebrated by Pope Leo XIV, marking the end of the Jubilee of Youth.  

A Chicago parish has unveiled a mosaic of Blessed Carlo Acutis made from more than 1,000 toy pieces.  

Parishioners Prepare for Once in a Lifetime Jubilee Pilgrimage

By Katie Vasquez and Paula Katinas

ASTORIA — Felicity Morel is about to embark on a summer trip to Rome, and like most travelers, she is busy deciding what to pack in her suitcase. However, unlike most, she is not a tourist, and her journey to the Eternal City is not a sightseeing trip.

Felicity, 17, a parishioner of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Astoria, is one of 87 young people from the Diocese of Brooklyn who are taking part in a pilgrimage to Rome to be led by Bishop Robert Brennan.

Part of a year-long series of celebrations for the 2025 Jubilee, the Jubilee of Young People will take place from July 28 to Aug. 3.

RELATED: At Jubilee of Teenagers, Grief Is Mingled With Joyful Hope for Church’s Future

And excitement among the diocese’s pilgrims is building.

“I think I’m really excited to get away from the States, but also have this experience that I feel I’ve always wanted since I was a kid — going to the Vatican,” Felicity said. “I think that’s always been a dream of mine.”

On July 18, Felicity and other young people gathered at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Astoria to enjoy a celebratory barbecue and to learn more about the upcoming pilgrimage.

According to Dayonel Mejia, the church’s youth co-minister, the pilgrims from Our Lady of Mount Carmel are able to make the trip, which costs approximately $5,000 per person, thanks to fundraising efforts from food sales and raffles, as well as generous donations from benefactors.

Most of the 13 pilgrims making the journey are active in the church’s youth group or are altar servers, Mejia said. He is looking forward to serving as a chaperone.

“I think it’s a huge privilege for me … being able to help them jumpstart their faith journey at such a young age. It’s just an amazing privilege to be a part of,” he said.

The July 18 gathering included a quick lesson for the young people from Mejia on what to pack, in addition to clothes, for the pilgrimage. For example, he instructed them to pack adapters so they could charge their cell phones, as well as ponchos, in case the Eternal City is struck by rain.

The pilgrimage has all the makings of a memorable spiritual journey for the young participants who hail from several churches in the diocese, including Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Astoria, the Shrine Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Williamsburg, St. Mary Gate of Heaven Church in South Ozone Park, St. Pancras Church in Glendale, the Basilica of Regina Pacis in Bensonhurst, St. Brigid Church in Bushwick, and St. Athanasius Church in Bensonhurst.

One church in the Archdiocese of New York, St. John Chrysostom in the Bronx, New York, is also sending a group on the pilgrimage being led by Bishop Brennan.

The diocese’s contingent will participate in many of the events associated with the Jubilee for Youth, as well as enrich themselves with other sights and sounds that are sure to help them grow closer to their faith, Mejia said.

One excursion the group has planned is to Assisi, where they intend to visit the tomb of Blessed Carlo Acutis, the late Italian teenager who Pope Leo XIV will canonize on Sept. 7.

The pilgrims will also visit the Vatican, St. Peter’s Basilica, as well as other cathedrals in Rome. And on Aug. 2, they will walk to the University of Rome Tor Vergata, where Pope Leo will lead an overnight vigil with adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Benediction, and prayers. The Holy Father will celebrate the closing Mass of the Jubilee the following day at the same location.

The overnight vigil is one thing Felicity is looking forward to the most.

“I think that’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” she said. “I think you don’t really get to have overnight vigils, at least I haven’t ever been, so I think that’s a really cool experience, especially with the new pope. And I’m super excited.”

While a few of the pilgrims eagerly talked about wanting to see the Vatican and other places, Azel Bermejo, 18, had a different take on the itinerary.

“I’m going to be honest with you, I haven’t seen it. I kind of want it all to be a surprise,” he explained. “When I get there, I see it all, and I’m surprised.”

The Jubilee might have another benefit, said Mejia, who noted that it could encourage young people to stay active in church past the age (post-confirmation) when many fall away from religion.

“I think there’s the statistic that after confirmation, church attendance and just church participation really drops off,” he explained. “So being able to offer them these kinds of experiences are really just little gems and little refueling points for them. It’s just such an amazing thing for us to be able to offer to them.”

The Catholic Church celebrates a jubilee approximately once every 25 years, with the last one taking place in 2000.

In 2022, the late Pope Francis declared 2025 to be a Jubilee Year, announced the theme would be “Pilgrims of Hope,” and invited the world’s Catholics to embark on pilgrimages to Rome, repent for their sins, and deepen their faith.

RELATED: Pope Leo XIV Celebrates Jubilee of Families, Children, Grandparents and the Elderly

Our Lady of Mount Carmel parishioner Marco Valley, 17, said he is eager to see the Vatican with his own eyes.

“I’ve seen it in pictures and videos,” he added. “But I feel like it’s going to be way different when I’m there in person.”

Diocese of Brooklyn Prepares for Canonization of Blesseds Pier Giorgio Frassati, Carlo Acutis

By Currents News

The Diocese of Brooklyn has a pilgrimage planned to Rome that includes attending the canonizations of Blesseds Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis on Sept. 7. 

Monsignor Thomas Machalski, the pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Bayside, Queens joins Currents News to share how the diocese’s special connection to Blessed Carlo Acutis is a driving force behind the pilgrimage planning – and how you can join the trip.

Catholic News Headlines for Thursday 7/24/2025

Young people from the Diocese of Brooklyn will soon be on their way to Rome for the Jubilee of Youth, where they’ll be able to view the body of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati and a relic of Blessed Carlo Acutis.

The soon-to-be first millennial saint has a special connection to Catholics in the Diocese of Brooklyn – we take a special look at his life and legacy.

Parishioners from Brooklyn and Queens will be there on the day that Blessed Carlo Acutis becomes a saint. You’ll meet the priest who’s leading parishioners on that spiritual journey.

Catholic News Headlines for Tuesday 7/22/2025

After considering an abortion, a Brooklyn mom found strength and support from a pro-life advocate who helped her choose life.

A Missouri priest is reflecting on his miraculous recovery from a devastating car crash and sharing how it shaped his calling to comfort others in similar circumstances.

Before their game at Citi Field, Bishop Robert Brennan celebrated Mass with the Mets, who went on to beat the Cincinnati Reds.

Queens catholic academy students had a chance to meet the Mets – outfielder Jesse Winker made a surprise appearance at their end-of-school-year Mass.

Brooklyn Mom Credits Queens Non-Profit For Helping Her Choose Life

By Katie Vasquez and Jessica Meditz

FLATBUSH — Three years ago, Crystal was struggling with her stroller in a crowded hallway when Francesca Yellico noticed her. It was a busy day at The Bridge to Life, the Queens-based pregnancy help center for mothers and children to come for life-affirming support, where Yellico serves as executive director.

As they spoke, Crystal — a single mother who prefers being identified only by her first name — discovered her car had been towed. That unexpected frustration led to something more vulnerable: Crystal opened up about a past pregnancy, and Yellico listened.

What started as a moment of kindness between strangers quickly blossomed into a close friendship — a bond that would deepen with one life-changing phone call two years later.

“I was in the middle of Times Square with my family, and all of a sudden my phone rings and it’s Crystal. I answered because I knew something was up,” Yellico said. “She just found out she’s pregnant with her fifth child, and she doesn’t know what to do. She’s just totally overwhelmed, afraid, in a bad place, and was really just having a hard time.”

Crystal had thoughts about terminating the pregnancy. But it was during that conversation when Yellico told her, “God must think something pretty special about you, because of all the people in the whole wide world, he chose you to be this baby’s mother.”

On May 21, Crystal gave birth to a baby boy and named him Chosyn. Yellico’s words to Crystal during that phone call are part of what inspired the name.

“I chose the name Chosyn because during the eight-week time when I wasn’t telling anybody [about the pregnancy], God was making it known in my head that [Chosyn] was his decision,” Crystal said. “I can’t go to God and tell him I can’t do things when he’s already shown me what he can do. And then Francesca confirmed, because you chose to be his mother, he chose to be your child…it couldn’t have been more solid.”

After being set on naming the baby Chosyn, Crystal said she felt like it was confirmation from God that she had picked the right name. From seeing the name on a TV show to a one-off baby name idea from her niece, she knew that the name was meant for her son.

Throughout her pregnancy, Crystal continued to receive support from The Bridge to Life, which gave her the necessary items to raise children, as well as emotional support. Yellico even threw Crystal a baby shower.

RELATED: The Bridge to Life Gets A New Service Center; The Tablet Gets A First Look 

Crystal and Yellico’s bond continued to grow stronger, and despite already calling one another “sis,” the duo became even more like family.

Months later, during one of their weekly calls, Crystal asked to meet in person for lunch at an Italian restaurant. As the waiter talked about the specials, Crystal asked, ‘Do you have any cannolis?’ ”

“I was like, ‘All right, whatever. She’s pregnant. Maybe she’s craving a cannoli,’ ” Yellico said. “All of a sudden, the waiter comes and he puts this whole tray of cannolis with this box in front of me…I opened the box, and inside is this little onesie that said ‘Zia and Zio [aunt and uncle], even though I’m just a baby cannoli, will you be my Madrina and Padrino [godmother and godfather]?’ ”

“I was in awe that I was chosen to be the godmother of this little baby,” Yellico added.

Crystal also asked Yellico to be in the delivery room when Chosyn was born. She cut his umbilical cord.

“Francesca told me something I already knew I could do. God used her to confirm everything that she saw in me that was already there, that I was trying to convince myself didn’t exist,” Crystal said. “She speaks to me and other women from the knowledge that she has, being a mother herself. She knows that it’s going to be hard, but she knows that it’s possible.”

Now 34, Crystal lives in Flatbush with her five children, and describes the support she’s received from Yellico and The Bridge to Life as “extraordinary.”

“I get so much help with five children, it’s beyond me. It takes a village, and I have a solid one,” she said. “The fact that I can call Francesca, if I’m having a good or bad day, and get some type of encouragement or guidance on what to do, even if she doesn’t know, she’ll listen. Everybody at The Bridge is honestly a joy to be around.”

Crystal said she feels empowered to share her story and also help other women who might be struggling, including another young mother she recently met at the local laundromat, who expressed she was in need of newborn baby items.

“Crystal is an inspiration, and that is contagious — the ripple effect gives others the strength and encouragement to keep going,” Yellico said. “I knew she was going to get through this with flying colors, despite any obstacles. She lives her faith.”

Pilgrims Receive Blessing from Bishop Robert Brennan Before Jubilee Pilgrimage

By Katie Vasquez and Alexandra Moyen

DOUGLASTON — Victor Paredes has dreamed of being a priest since he was 7 years old, when he first became an altar server. It wasn’t until a few months ago, however, that the 16-year-old began actively discerning the priesthood.

As Victor, one of the many young pilgrims who gathered for a special Jubilee send-off Mass on July 20, prepares for an upcoming pilgrimage to Rome with other young Catholics from the Diocese of Brooklyn, he said he hopes the experience will fortify his commitment.

“I’m hoping that this pilgrimage will make my path more clear,” said Victor, a parishioner of the Basilica of Regina Pacis in Dyker Heights. “Although I’m still having doubts, I’m applying for [seminary] next year, so I’m hoping I’ll have more confidence by the end of this pilgrimage, and my faith will be stronger.”

Victor Paredes prays with his cohort of pilgrims from the Basilica of Regina Pacis before starting their info-session with Father Kuroly. Victor said he hopes the pilgrimage successfully shows him his path as he looks forward to the priesthood. (Photos: Alexandra Moyen)

Father James Kuroly, the diocese’s director for Youth and Young Adult Ministry, urged the young pilgrims traveling for the Jubilee of Youth — from July 28 to Aug. 3 — to see their trip to Rome as “more than an invitation,” but as a divine calling. 

During their time in Rome, he said, God will have a special message for all of them.

RELATED: Arrivederci! Diocesan Pilgrims Head to Rome for Jubilee of Young People

“I hope that they have an encounter with Christ and the Church,” Father Kuroly said of the 87 young people who he said are participating in the pilgrimage. “An encounter that becomes such a transformative experience that they go back home into their parishes and live the message that our Holy Father will bring to them.”

Bishop Robert Brennan told the young pilgrims he looked forward to joining them on their trip to Rome and asked them to remember to open their hearts to God, deepening their bond with him.

The send-off Mass, held at the Immaculate Conception Center in Douglaston, was celebrated by Bishop Robert Brennan, who offered words of encouragement and blessed the group.

In his homily, Bishop Brennan reminded the group that they are not traveling alone, but are carrying the prayers and hopes of the entire diocese with them.

“Do you have broad shoulders?” Bishop Brennan said, before emphasizing the weight and privilege of their role. “You’re representing Brooklyn and Queens to the whole world, and that’s more than just symbolic.”

The Mass brought together faithful from nine parishes, including St. Athanasius Church in Bensonhurst, St. Pancras Church in Glendale, St. Mary Gate of Heaven Parish in South Ozone Park, St. Brigid Church in Bushwick, the Basilica of Regina Pacis in Bensonhurst, Most Precious Blood-Sts. Simon and Jude Parish in Gravesend, Our Lady of Mount Carmel-Annunciation Parish in Williamsburg, and Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Astoria.

Parishioners from St. John Chrysostom Church in the Bronx were also in attendance at the Mass. The church, which is part of the Archdiocese of New York,  is sending a group on the pilgrimage with the diocese.

This will be Lezli Bermejo’s second pilgrimage with her parish, St. Brigid. Her first was to Lisbon, Portugal, for World Youth Day in 2023. This trip is especially meaningful, she said, because her pastor, Father Carlos Velásquez, invited her to participate.

Lezli Bermejo is looking forward to her second pilgrimage with her parish and said being chosen by her pastor to be part of her cohort of pilgrims feels like a blessing.

“This time, Father Carlos chose me, and it’s a blessing that I’m able to go, and without even having to ask,” Bermejo, 19, said. “I feel like it was meant to be, like it’s a calling and I am supposed to be there with everyone else who’s going.”

Bermejo, who is a lector and religious education teacher at St. Brigid and also works in the parish’s Confraternity of Christian Doctrine office and rectory, added that she is “very excited to see all these holy places, and especially the new pope.” She said she is also grateful to have received a blessing from Bishop Brennan at the July 20 Mass.

Claire Xue, a parishioner at the Basilica of Regina Pacis, said she feels the weight of the responsibility of her trip to Rome, adding that she is not only carrying her own prayer intentions, but also those of her entire parish community.

“I think this pilgrimage will definitely strengthen my faith because Rome is the holy city, and I hope to meet new people besides the pope, and hopefully, communicate and share our common beliefs,” she said.

As the pilgrims prepare for the trip, Bishop Brennan reminded them not only to bring their passports and itineraries, but also to bring their hearts open to God’s call. This way, they will encounter Christ and “know him as a friend,” he said.

Bishop Brennan acknowledged that the world tries to make people of faith feel like outsiders. However, this pilgrimage, he noted, will reveal that they are far from alone.

RELATED: At Jubilee of Teenagers, Grief Is Mingled With Joyful Hope for Church’s Future

“The world wants you to think that there’s something wrong with you, and just not part of the mainstream. You know what? Maybe we’re not part of the mainstream, but we’re certainly not a small group,” Bishop Brennan said. “When you see millions of other people, not only believe in what you believe, but joyfully celebrate what we believe, that can help us when we’re back home to live that faith authentically, and invite others on the journey.”

Catholic News Headlines for Monday 7/21/2025

More than 80 young Catholics from the Diocese of Brooklyn received a special blessing from Bishop Robert Brennan as they prepare to travel to Rome for the Jubilee of Youth.

A rare relic of Blessed Carlo Acutis made a visit to a Chicago parish  – soon he’ll be canonized as the first millennial saint.

To mark the anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, Pope Leo XIV called astronaut Buzz Aldrin. They spoke about space exploration, faith, and the wonder of God’s creation.