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Bishop Chappetto Blesses Classroom with Blessed Carlo Acutis Relic

The Diocese of Brooklyn is remembering one of the Church’s youngest evangelizers during Catechetical Sunday.

Brooklyn Auxiliary Bishop Raymond Chappetto used a relic of Blessed Carlo Acutis, an Italian teen who used his technical skills to talk about the Eucharist, to bless a new room at Incarnation Catholic Academy in Queens Village.

Bishop Chappetto also blessed the school’s religion teachers and parish catechists during Mass, whose important work he highlighted in his homily.

Incarnation also did tours of the academy for everyone present.

Catholic News Headlines for Friday 9/13/2024

A Brooklyn public school has been renamed to honor Detective Rafael Ramos, an NYPD officer who was tragically killed in 2014. His widow remembers him as a devoted father and man of faith committed to his community. P.S. 54 in Bed-Stuy is now known as the Detective Rafael Ramos School.

Pope Francis has concluded a 12-day tour of Asia and Oceania, visiting Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Singapore. He is spreading a message of interfaith harmony.

The International Eucharistic Congress continues in Ecuador, focusing on themes of family and fraternity. Catholic leaders from 50 countries believe that we can begin to heal a wounded world by supporting families.

Brooklyn School Renamed In Honor of Fallen Detective

By Katie Vasquez

The NYPD band performed while children played nearby at Public School 54, now known as Detective Rafael Ramos elementary school. 

As the sign was unveiled outside the Bedford-Stuyvesant school, his widow, Maritza, was filled with emotions.  

“It’s a very exciting day, obviously, because there’s a school that’s going to live on way past all of us, and his legacy will continue forever. But also sad and missing him,” said Maritza Ramos, the widow of Detective Rafael Ramos. 

Detective Ramos was sitting in his patrol car along with Detective Wenjian Liu at the corner of Tompkins and Myrtle Avenue on December 20, 2014 when a man walked up to the patrol car firing shots and killing both. 

“As we made that promise almost 10 years ago that we will never forget, we never will,” said NYPD 79th precinct commanding officer, Deputy Inspector Hipolito Gil. 

Ramos was not only a police officer and father but a man of unwavering faith. 

He served as an usher at Christ Tabernacle in Ridgewood.  

“My husband was a Christian man. We raised our family, you know, our faith in God has always been very strong, and we continue, we know that God had a plan and here we are,” said Maritza Ramos. 

“He stood not just in the frontlines as a police officer but also in his faith, always ready to help those in need as he did during Superstorm Sandy,” said Zachary Iscol, the commissioner of the  New York City Office of Emergency Management,  “and he was studying to become a chaplain in the nypd showing us that his mission in life was not just to protect but to heal.”

The students are still learning about the life of the fallen detective but the principal will be there to guide them. 

“I hope they know, the amazing man that he was and how he truly believed in a unified community, that he worked really hard to ensure that the relationships were positive between NYPD and our schools and our communities,” said Principal Emma Velasquez of Detective Rafael Ramos Elementary School/PS 54. 

As the years go by, his widow hopes seeing his name up on the sign will inspire these young children to help their community. 

“It’s kind of a way for them to see police officers in a positive light, and that’s my goal for the children. You know, maybe one day they’ll decide I want to be a police officer,” said Maritza Ramos. 

Pope Francis Tells Political Leaders to Promote Peace During Mass in Singapore

On the Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary, Pope Francis celebrated a Mass in front of approximately 50,000 people at Singapore’s National Stadium.

During his homily, the pope reflected on the city-state, known for its towering skyscrapers, and emphasized the importance of love in building up communities.

“Sometimes the magnificence of our achievements can cause us to lose sight of this, leading us to believe we are the sole architects of our lives, our prosperity, and our happiness,” Pope Francis remarked. “But ultimately, life always reminds us of one fundamental truth: without love, we are nothing.”

Singapore is one of the most economically powerful countries in the world.

It has strong relations with both China and the U.S., and in his address to political authorities, Pope Francis emphasized the country’s responsibility to promote peace.

“Singapore also has a specific role to play in the international system, which, let us not forget, is threatened today by bloody conflicts and wars,” Pope Francis said. “I’m glad that it has meritoriously promoted multilateralism and order based on rules shared by all. I encourage you to continue to work for the unity and fraternity of humankind.”

John Lavenburg, national correspondent for The Tablet and Crux, joins Currents News to talk more about the papal journey in Asia.

Catholic News Headlines for Thursday 9/12/2024

Pope Francis wraps up his momentous trip to Asia and Oceania with a stop in Singapore, where he celebrated Mass with 50,000 attendees. The Pope also met with local leaders, urging Singapore to take an active role in promoting global peace.

As Notre Dame Cathedral prepares to reopen after the devastating 2019 fire, eight newly restored bells will be blessed and installed ahead of the December 8th grand reopening, when they will ring for the first time in years.

At St. Patrick’s Cathedral on August 31, International Overdose Awareness Day, the Black Poster Project displayed portraits of loved ones lost to addiction. This touching event aimed to break the stigma surrounding substance abuse.

Meet Pat Colunga, an 82-year-old Michigan teacher who refuses to retire. She’s passionate about shaping students’ lives and believes that teaching is her calling from God.

Diocese of Brooklyn Remembers Lives Lost on 9/11

By Katie Vasquez

Dozens of New York’s bravest from Battalion 57 walked from Ground Zero across the Brooklyn Bridge.

Carrying 23 flags to honor the 23 members they lost in the 9/11 attacks. Brooklyn Bishop Robert Brennan walked among them in solidarity.

“It was an honor to walk among the firefighters. they really do watch over and protect us at great sacrifice,” said Diocese of Brooklyn Bishop Robert Brennan. 

They made their way to the Co-cathedral of St Joseph for a special mass. 

Retired Battalion Chief Edward Moriarty knew many of the men who lost their lives that day. 

“It was one battalion, three firehouses and we lost so many men,” said Moriarty. 

Joining Bishop Brennan on the altar was Father Anthony Palombo. 

He was just 15 when his father, New York City firefighter, Frank Palombo, died at the World Trade Center trying to save others. 

“My father, he gave his life every day, and September 11th was no different than any other day. He gave his life for his wife. He gave his life for his children. He gave his life for church,” said Father Anthony Palombo of the Archdiocese of Newark. 

Many agree that being in church on this somber anniversary helps to heal the soul. 

“Seeing other firefighters and who have all experienced this tremendous loss, it kind of it’s such a bonding,” said Moriarty. 

“We walk in the darkness, but people have seen the people who have walked in the darkness, have seen a great light. and that comes from faith, that light that comes from Christ,” said Bishop Robert Brennan. 

Although 23 years have passed, Father Anthony says he never stops thinking of his dad. 

“There are just simply days I wake up and I miss my dad. There are plenty of times when I wake up and I say, I just want to have a conversation with my dad,” said Father Palombo.

Catholic News Headlines for Wednesday 9/11/2024

Today marks 23 years since 9/11. The Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph hosted the annual Memorial Mass for Battalion 57. Firefighters marched across the Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan, stopping at their Dean Street firehouse before attending the Mass.

Meet Paulie Veneto, a retired flight attendant who continues to honor 9/11 heroes. He pushed an airline beverage cart from Boston to Ground Zero in remembrance of the flight crews who lost their lives that day.

A Brooklyn man, Jim Hart, lost his wife, Sue, to a 9/11-related illness and now honors her memory through poetry. Jim has written two books of poems dedicated to Sue, who passed away in 2020 from gallbladder cancer.

Pope Francis has reached the final stop of his 12-day tour of Southeast Asia and Oceania. He will meet with young people in Singapore to promote inter-religious dialogue and celebrate Mass with 50,000 Catholics at the Sports Hub National Stadium.

Catholic News Headlines Special Edition: Remembering 9/11 23 Years Later

It’s been 23 years since 9/11, and the aftermath continues to impact lives, especially with illnesses linked to Ground Zero. The Manhattan law firm Barasch & McGarry remains committed to helping survivors secure justice through the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund and the World Trade Center Health Program.

Currents News remembers Msgr. John Delendick, who passed away from a 9/11-related illness. The late Brooklyn priest and FDNY chaplain’s name was added to the Fallen FDNY Memorial Wall on what would have been his 75th birthday.

A Brooklyn man, Jim Hart, lost his wife, Sue, to a 9/11-related illness and now honors her memory through poetry. Jim has written two books of poems dedicated to Sue, who passed away in 2020 from gallbladder cancer.

Meet Will Jimeno, a Port Authority police officer who co-wrote a powerful book about his 13-hour ordeal buried under the rubble of the World Trade Center. We’ll share the impact his book, “Immigrant, American, Survivor,” has had on young students across the country.

Parishioners Writing a Book About Visiting Every Church in Brooklyn, Preserving History From the Pews

By Jessica Easthope

There are about 50 people at the 8:30 AM Mass at Our Lady of Angels Church in Bay Ridge. Only two are there to preserve history.

“We’re not theologians, not artists, we’re not historians. We’re just two women who live in Brooklyn, and we go. And whatever we get from the Mass, that’s what we write about.”

Sitting beside Roseanne Seminara and Mary Whelehan are their notebooks and pens. As they participate in Mass, they write.

Their thoughts and observations will one day become a book.

“For me, it’s just a journey, which, you know, morphed into something more than that.”

The journey started in May of 2023 at Good Shepherd in Sheepshead Bay, Mary’s home parish. Since then, the two women have been on a mission to visit every church in Brooklyn—Our Lady of Angels is number 81.

The idea came from a conversation Roseanne had with her good friend Monsignor John Delendick, the fallen FDNY chaplain who died of 9/11-related cancer on Thanksgiving Day 2023.

“I was sitting having dinner with Monsignor, and he was telling me about the church in downtown Brooklyn that was under the wrecking ball. The next day, there was nothing left but green boards. Not a stone, and I felt more of an urgency to get moving, to document what we have.”

“I would joke with Monsignor Delendick and say, ‘Okay, can we condense the homily just a little bit more? You know, can you grab me in the first ten minutes?'”

The women were first brought together in 1983 by two of New York’s bravest—their husbands, who worked together at Ladder 111 in Bedford-Stuyvesant. A friendship formed, and the women went on to work together at Roseanne’s midwife practice.

Keeping their faith even on the darkest days—like when Mary’s husband Chris passed away in 2012.

“It keeps you going. Life happens. And if you don’t have a higher being, and for us, that’s God, I don’t think you could make it through your day.”

So they decided to have no regrets and instead put pen to paper, writing their book for not just Catholics, but anyone looking to appreciate what they have in the here and now.

“Whether it’s the church, whether it’s your family, whether it’s something good in your life, if you don’t take advantage of it when you have it, you may look back with regret.”

“Every church presented a lesson for me to learn, everybody was different, and everything was important for my journey.”

The lessons have been found in the old pews, or the faces of parishioners—a little piece of each place, kept alive with their words.

“I really felt I was called to do something—not successful financially, or prestigious, but to do something. And every time I accomplish another goal in my life, I always ask, ‘Was that the something?’ I think this is the something. I think this is it.”

Roseanne and Mary are hoping to make it to every church in Brooklyn by the end of this year and will work to nail down the pages of their book in 2025. We look forward to it.