St. Joseph’s Church in Greenwich Village to House Manhattan’s First 24-Hour Adoration Chapel

By Jessica Easthope

The city that never sleeps is getting a chapel that never closes. Among the hustle and bustle, a blue door is leading the way to something Manhattan has never seen before.

“There’s this spiritual hunger to encounter Jesus Christ and this will be a place where people can encounter Him, his mercy and healing. The spiritual growth people are so hungry for will be right here in the heart of Manhattan,” said Father Boniface Endorf, the pastor of St. Joseph’s Church in Greenwich Village.

Right now, it’s just a music room, but soon at the rectory of St. Joseph’s on 6th Avenue, Manhattan will have its first 24-hour adoration chapel.

Over the last several weeks, Washington Square Park and the surrounding Greenwich Village have been plagued with violence. Two people have been stabbed, one man robbed and another assaulted. Father Boniface says as crime is bubbling up and that the chapel will serve as a sanctuary at a time when New York City needs it most.

“Violence, crime, disorder are much higher down here in Greenwich Village than they were before and so what I see going on with all the crime is the great woundedness of our culture today and the great need for God and His grace,” he said.

With the support of Cardinal Dolan and the Archdiocese of New York, St. Joseph’s Church raised $600,000 for the chapel. Colin Nykaza, the director for young adult outreach for the New York Archdiocese says the chapel, though only big enough to fit about 25 people at a time, will have the power to draw in the masses and end the chaos on the city’s streets.

“His light, His love, His mercy will go right from that Eucharist into the entire neighborhood and so I can almost guarantee you will see a slow change with the violence that’s been happening around here as time goes on,” Colin said.

Construction is expected to start by the end of the summer and the chapel finished in time for Easter.

Pro-Life Young Adults Gather at Rallies Held Across the Country to Fight for Life

By Currents News Staff

A livestream connected a New York City rally with others across the nation. They were all on the same mission: to fight for life.

The national pro-life organization, Students for Life, also held rallies in Los Angeles, Tyler, Texas, Kansas City, San Francisco, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.

The events helped to unify the movement, explains group leader, Lauren Marlowe.

“Doing livestreams and being active on social media is a really good way to show people and connect people and get them to understand that you’re not alone in this,” Lauren said.

They gathered together after many rallies were forced to go virtual this past year, including the March for Life in the nation’s capitol.

“There’s just going to be this huge resurgence, young people are hungry to get back out here and proclaim truth again, on the streets, in the field where it matters the most,” said another leader within the group, Kate Maloney.

She further explained that the rallies were being held to thank the Catholic leaders who continuously fight for the unborn. The events were also to send a pro-life message to those at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) meeting who will soon discuss if abortion-supporting politicians can partake in the Eucharist.

“We just want to urge the bishops to fight for life in a really positive and encouraging way and to know that we are praying for them because they are our Fathers,” Kate explained.

The group also asked Catherine Donohoe to speak. Cathy runs the Bridge to Life – a crisis pregnancy center in the Diocese of Brooklyn.

Proving through action – that this really is the pro-life generation.

“The abortion industry has done an amazing job at the horrible act of making it seem like our entire generation is pro-choice,” Lauren explained, “and that’s not true at all.”

According to Gallup polls, 39 percent of people 18 to 34 years old are pro-life.

The Students for Life echoed their message through the trendy and young streets of Manhattan’s Nolita neighborhood. They started at the old St. Patrick’s Church on Mulberry Street and finished two blocks away in front of a Planned Parenthood.

The younger generation continues to showcase that the fight for life will continue with them.

How St. Joseph’s College Overcame COVID Struggle

Currents News Staff

School is out for summer and another year for students is now in the books – but it was anything but ordinary. Undergraduate college enrollment fell again this spring, another five percent, with students across the country not able to afford, or not wanting to pay for remote experiences.

But that’s not the story of one college in the Diocese of Brooklyn – St. Joseph’s College. Financial aid budgets actually increased there. Currents News asked the school’s president, Donald Boomgaarden, how the Brooklyn college was able to pull this feat off during COVID.

A Catholic Family’s Tragic Loss Inspires Tens of Thousands of Dollars in Donations to the Arts

By Emily Drooby

One-thousand-dollar scholarships for two graduating St. Elizabeth Catholic Academy stuents. Big money inspired by a big loss.

One went to valedictorian, Trevor Bheer.

“It definitely is a good feeling getting a scholarship, especially from that cause,” Trevor said.

The cause, a family’s love for their late son.

“He was our best friend, it’s hard, it’s still hard,” explained Helen DiPietra.

The hardest thing in the world. In 2017, Helen DiPietra lost her only child, William, also known as Bill. A brain tumor took the 42-years-old’s life.

Pieces of him still fill her home; a photo in his FDNY EMT uniform, one of his collectable Star Wars figurines, handwritten notes from the film he was working on – all pieces of Bill’s legacy.

In the four years he’s been gone, his mother created another legacy, the William F. DiPietra Foundation.

Inspired by an award given out by his film grad school, LIU.

Helen told Currents News, “I spoke to my husband about it, and I said, we should do something like that.”

They did, starting the foundation, using private donations and money from selling Bill’s many collectables to help fund it.

The foundation supports two of Bill’s loves, FDNY causes, and the arts.

Scholarships and grants for the places he went to school including St. Elizabeth. Targeting film makers, drama clubs, and students involved in the arts.

“I feel like Bill’s Catholic education, his Catholic upbringing made him the person that he was and I just try to carry on the way he would want me to,” said Helen.

Helen taught at St. Elizabeth’s for 29 years. It’s where she met now Principal Jeanne Shannon.

“Her whole purpose in life is to support this foundation, and to secure her son’s legacy and to support things that were important to him, so she has done so much,” Jeanne told Currents News.

In only three years, the foundation has given out about $50,000.

“It’s very fulfilling, it’s sad sometimes,” Helen said, “but I just know he would be proud of me.”

With her son close to her heart, Helen has turned one of the greatest tragedies in life, into a lasting legacy.

Catholic News Headlines for Tuesday, 6/15/21

A major milestone in the fight against coronavirus – 70% of all New Yorkers have received at least one coronavirus vaccine.

President Biden speaks with leaders from the European Union ahead of his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

DACA recipients are marking nine years since the program was founded allowing migrants brought here as children to stay in the country.

NY Celebrates Reopening and Major Vaccine Milestone but in Some Areas the Vaccine Effort is Lagging

By Emily Drooby

“Give New Yorkers a round of applause,” said Gov. Andrew Cuomo talking to a crowd during his Tuesday, June 15, press conference.

The state hit a major milestone: 70 percent of New York adults are partially vaccinated. Now, with over 400 days logged since the state shut down, it’s set to reopen.

“What does 70 percent mean?” asked Gov. Cuomo. “It means we can now return to life as we know it.”

The governor announced that almost all state-mandated COVID restrictions have been lifted.

That means no more social distancing or gathering limits for many places like camps, gyms, movie theaters, and sports venues. That also means no health screenings or contact tracing protocols.

Private businesses can impose stricter standards if they want to.

However, CDC restrictions including masks are still in place for health care and correctional facilities, schools, public transit, and homeless shelters.

“This is a momentous day and we deserve it, because it has been a long, long road,” Gov. Cuomo said.

Adults in the state have at least one vaccine shot and the city stands at 68.4 percent vaccination rate– but some neighborhoods are still well under 50 percent.

According to the most recent city data, some of the neighborhoods with the lowest vaccination rates in the Diocese of Brooklyn include – Canarsie, Rosedale, Flatlands/ Midwood, Bedford-Stuyvasant, and Far Rockaway. They are all under 45 percent.

During a recent interview, health care officials from the Joseph P. Addabbo Family Health Center in Far Rockaway, Queens said accessibility and vaccine education were part of the issue.

They stress the importance of reaching out for information.

“Come in and speak with someone and get an informed opinion,” explained Dr. Ari Benjamin of the Center. “That’s the most important part. Don’t listen to what you see on the internet or from someone who may not be an expert.”

Looking at the numbers in some of these neighborhoods – work does still need to be done – even Governor Cuomo cautioning that we are still in this fight.

Still the state hit a major milestone and Tuesday night there will be a moment of celebration, fireworks will ring out across the state and landmarks will be lit in blue and gold.

A tribute to the strength and resilience of New York.

The Medici Chapels Restored: Grime-Eating Microbes Feast on Stained Sculptures

By Melissa Corsi

Normally, people try to remove bugs from inside places, but not the Medici Chapel in Florence, Italy.

They are actually bringing them in for some deep cleaning on 16th century sculptures by Michelangelo.

As the coronavirus raged in Italy, experts and museum directors were secretly trying to figure out how to clean the massive sarcophagus inside San Lorenzo church – created by Michelangelo as a final resting place for the Medici family in the 1520s.

Glue, oil, and phosphates – residue from years of copying the statues – proved hard to remove. But they just happen to be the ideal feast for dirt-eating microbes.

Monica Bietti, former director of Medici Chapels, came up with the idea. She says first scientists had to photograph the Carrara marble to discover its material make-up.

“Once we understood the type of material, the scientists at the National Research Council in Italy selected multiple bacteria that were compatible and could eat the stains,” she said.

The scientists tested the eight bacteria behind the altar and chose three that selectively and gradually eliminated the dirt, without touching the marble.

They even left a small square to show what it looked like before the bugs had their fill. The mission was a success – the marble once again boasting its clarity, luminosity and natural beauty.

“Bacteria did their job wonderfully. We hope that the bacteria will never have to be applied again,” said Paola D’agostino, the director of Bargello Museums.

Pope Leo X – the first Medici pope – hired Michelangelo to design the mausoleum in 1513.

During the cleaning process, it appears the grime was traced back to one improperly buried body, Alessandro Medici.

The assassinated ruler in Florence was not disemboweled before being laid to rest in 1535, leaving his remains to stain the chapel for nearly five centuries.

It took the all-female team of museum directors, art restorers, and scientists 8 years to complete the clean-up.

History at Your Fingertips: A Look Inside the Archives of St. John’s University

Alyse Hennig has one of the most interesting jobs on Saint John’s University campus – combing through hundreds of years of history.

Ancient prayer books, diaries, letters – history you can hold in your bare hands. Hennig has an eye for detail and continuity.

“You can see what was going on not just in the university but in New York City and the world at the time through the lens of Saint John’s,” she said.

A lens that also focuses on the rise of the church in Brooklyn and Queens. The diocese’s first bishop looked to the Vincentians for vision and inspiration and SJU was born.

They have the original groundbreaking shovel from 1868. It would have been used by Bishop John Loughlin, the first Bishop of Brooklyn, to break ground at the original louis avenue campus.

The shovel has additional markings to commemorate other ground breakings like St. Thomas More Church, now at the heart of the campus.

And that’s just the start. They have the original Sunday announcement books, going back to 1907.

Artifacts preserved, thanks in part to the Vincentians who were great record keepers. A perfect example is the ledger they call “St. John’s Diary” that documented their Catholic mission with impeccable penmanship and thorough reporting.

“The Vincentian fathers kept this diary of the events going on. It talks about the groundbreaking and the first day of school in 1870 and it goes on through the 1890s,” said Hennig.

We also got a glimpse of some very special artifacts like a remarkable text from the rare books collection of Saint Augustine’s sermons and the imitations of Christ, dating back to 1486.

We saw photos of the first woman ever to graduate from SJU, Sister Lumena Price in 1913, and rare images from the Spanish flu of 1918.

“I found the names of at least 14 students, faculty and alumni who did die because of the pandemic,” Hennig said.

But World War I had an even greater effect on the university.

“These are the students in the training core. And the other students were involved in other activities to help raise funds for the war. And to cheer on their fellow students who went off to fight. The university was really transformed at that time,” Hennig says.

A transformation that continues today as St. John’s University remains faithful to the mission.

It was amazing to see these precious relics up close – all you needed was a little good hand hygiene, something we’re all used to these days.

And because the pandemic has limited on-campus attendance, Hennig says they’ve added even more content on their website so people can still enjoy all the archive has to offer.

Just head to stjohns.edu/libraries to check out this amazing collection.

Catholic News Headlines for Monday, 6/14/21

An Italian American nun who changed the city forever is back in Brooklyn.

A ticker tape parade is on the books. Not for a winning sports team but for hometown heroes you might call friends.

A struggle New Yorkers know well – a check up on the coronavirus crisis in India.

A top cardinal tells us why it is so hard to get people vaccinated.

Israel’s New Government Sworn In

Israel’s new government was sworn in on Sunday, ending Benjamin Netanyahu’s 12-year hold on power.

In his final speech as Prime Minister before being replaced Netanyahu lashed out at his rivals.

“You call yourself the guardians of democracy, but you are so afraid of democracy that you are ready to pass fascist laws against my candidacy – the language of north Korea and Iran – in order to maintain your regime,” he said.

The man who replaced him is right-wing rival Naftali Bennett. Late Sunday night Bennett won a crucial confidence vote in Israel’s parliament.

The swearing in made it official and Bennett became Israel’s Prime Minister. He promised a different kind of politics – one aimed at unity and agreement – not discord and division.

“Two times in our history, we lost our Jewish home exactly because leaders of the previous generation were not able to sit one with another and compromise. I am proud of the ability to sit together with people with very different views from my own,” he said.

The 49-year-old high-tech millionaire is Israel’s first religious Prime Minister. His rollercoaster political journey has taken him through a series of different political parties on the right.

He now leads the most diverse coalition in Israel’s history, including the first Arab party ever to join a government.

Until the final moment Netanyahu was working to scuttle Bennett’s government and hang onto power.

In language echoing former President Donald Trump, Israel’s longest serving leader accused his rivals of the greatest fraud in the country’s history.

Trump gave Netanyahu major political gifts: Recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, moving the American embassy to Jerusalem, normalization agreements with some Arab countries, and more.

But it was never enough to get Netanyahu what he craved – an outright election victory. Netanyahu could not overcome a polarized electorate and the ongoing corruption trial in which he has denied wrongdoing.

He is now leader of the opposition as he watches Naftali Bennett lead the country into a new era of politics.