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.

Mother Cabrini Statue at Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary and St. Stephen’s Parish

By Jessica Easthope

If you ask the Sisters of the Sacred Heart, a big celebration is what Mother Cabrini deserves.

“I was very excited to see the finished product and I think the parish and the Italians in the Brooklyn Diocese will love it,” said Sister Antonina Avitable, a Missionary Sister of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

On Friday, the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a statue of Mother Cabrini was unveiled outside of Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary and St. Stephen’s Parish in Carroll Gardens. The monument reads “A woman who helped build New York City.”

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini was America’s first saint, she came to the country from Italy in 1889 and was an advocate for immigrants.

“To recognize someone who gave so much of herself, gave all of herself for others and did it because of her love for Christ, I hope this monument creates more missionary disciples like she was,” said John Heyer, the lay pastoral associate for the parish.

The monument was a long time in the making. In 2019 the city announced Mother Cabrini would not be honored with a statue despite receiving the most nominations for the She Built NYC campaign – but the Diocese of Brooklyn, a community that knew her well resisted.

“My mother went to Sacred Hearts school when Mother Cabrini was here, she talked about her often, it really seems to connect me to my mother more with all of this going on,” said Sacred Hearts parishioner Ann Troiano.

The statue which took 60 artists and five months to create has hidden symbols – like a piece of luggage to honor her work with immigrants, and a dress worn by one of the children in the statue, the same one she was wearing in the only known picture of her as a child.

“She told her nuns one day, Jesus gave me His heart and I gave him mine so that’s why she had the courage to do so much, basically miraculous things way out of the way for a woman in her day to accomplish,” said Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio.

Mother Cabrini will now watch over the streets of the Diocese of Immigrants, her image sending a message to those who come here for a better life.

“We showed New York and the world that Mother Cabrini’s spirit, love for her people, for her faith, for every immigrant of every color, every creed, every faith is still out here working,” said parishioner Louis Pepe.

Now anyone who passes by the statue will know the woman who helped build New York City did it for Christ.

Catholic News Headlines for Friday, 6/11/21

Come back to Mass! Brooklyn’s Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio issues a pastoral letter on the importance of receiving communion.

Far Rockaway in Queens is falling way behind the curve when it comes to vaccinations. Community leaders are working to get shots in arms.

More vandalism against the Diocese of Brooklyn — are these hate crimes? The NYPD is investigating.

Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens is doing their part to go green.

Accessibility and Education Are Essential to Vaccination Efforts in NYC’s Least Vaccinated Neighborhood

By Emily Drooby

Far Rockaway in Queens is a community devastated by COVID-19. For having one of the city’s highest death rates, they also have one of its lowest vaccination rates. Only 26 percent of people are fully vaccinated and only 32 percent have gotten their first dose, according to city data.

Father David Bertolotti serves at the local parish, St. Mary Star of the Sea and St. Gertrude Parish. While he made the decision to get vaccinated, he heard many reasons for hesitancy from parishioners.

“Some people, it’s political. They don’t want to be forced,” Father Bertolotti said. “Some people fear for their own health. They’re afraid if they’re dealing with some other health thing.”

Those are vaccine hesitations that Dr. Ari Benjamin has heard too.

“You get the full range, but the majority of people are reasonable,” explained Dr. Benjamin. “They’re just a little hesitant because it is something new.”

The doctor is with the Joseph P. Addabbo Family Health Center. As one of the few health care providers in the area, they’ve been at the forefront of the neighborhood’s vaccination efforts.

The health center’s CEO, Miriam Vega, says the low rate comes from the two ‘A’’s – the first being accessibility.

“The Far Rockaway area is a very isolated, insular community,” Miriam explained. “They don’t want to get on the A train to try to get to some other location deep in Queens to get the vaccines.”

According to city data, there’s now at least seven vaccination sites and two pop-ups in Far Rockaway and the neighboring Edgemere neighborhood to address this concern.

The second ‘A’ is acceptability. The Joseph P. Addabbo Family Health Center is using education to address the different mindsets.

“We do it at the individual level, the community level, and through social media as well,” Miriam said.

The health center staff members are talking to patients and they’re bringing teams onto the streets and holding town halls. They’ve also urged people to ask questions.

“Come in and speak with someone and get an informed opinion,” explained Dr. Benjamin. “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.”

This part of Queens is a very diverse area. How is the health center adapting? They’re changing their messaging based on the community they’re talking to.

The education push seems to be working. The health center – which is now only vaccinating people on the weekends – had over 500 people this last weekend. That’s a 40 percent jump from previous weeks.

“We are starting to see a snowball effect now,” Miriam said. “So once a couple of people get a vaccine, the neighbors are like, ‘oh they got the vaccine and they’re okay, so maybe I should get it as well.’”

Catholic News Headlines for Thursday, 6/10/21

Visiting the Queens community with the lowest vaccination rate in the whole city.

Church leaders are speaking out after another act of vandalism against the Diocese of Brooklyn.

Pope Francis rejects the resignation of the top cardinal from Germany. The pontiff is calling on him to “tend to his sheep.”

The Diocese of Brooklyn is taking on climate change by launching a new energy initiative at an affordable housing residence.

Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens Launches Sustainability Initiative

By Jessica Easthope

On a rooftop in Brooklyn, faith and sustainability are meeting. Blocks of solar panels are a pilot for the Laudato si Corporation – Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens’ latest initiative inspired by Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical.

“Our relationship with the Earth should be comparable with our relationship with God,” said Timothy McManus, the senior vice president of the Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens’ Progress of Peoples Development Corporation. “We should be good stewards and we should protect what the Earth naturally provides us.”

This summer, Catholic Charities is putting solar panels on the roofs of four of its affordable housing buildings. The initiative will add low-income families as part of the climate change solution.

“This is an issue for the whole world, especially for the poor people who seem to get the brunt of every ecological disaster and it is the people who are the poorest who suffer the most,” said Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio.

Not only are the solar panels ecological, they’re economical. The panels pump more than 250 kilowatts of energy back into the grid that conEdison pays for.

“We will be using the revenue generated through this to reinvest in those other buildings,” McManus said.

Catholic Charities is hoping sustainability in the Diocese of Brooklyn will reach new heights and create waves of change.

“Creation has been entrusted to humanity,” said Father Patrick Keating, the deputy CEO of Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens. “So we’re supposed to care for it and that’s really what Pope Francis calls for and by making these buildings a little bit more sustainable, we’re helping the environment.”

Solar panels are expected to be installed on four of Catholic Charities’ 44 buildings used for supportive housing, seniors and low-income families by early fall.

Catholic News Headlines for Wednesday, 6/9/21

Charged with murder — the man believed to be responsible for the death of a 10-year-old boy from Queens walked into a precinct and confessed.

The vice president wrapped up her first foreign trip but the big question still remains: Will she visit the U.S.-Mexican border?

The last survivors of the Parkland Massacre have graduated — you’ll hear their next steps.

A dream years in the making. A Brooklyn priest earns his stars and stripes and becomes a United States citizen.

Papal Organization Aid To The Church In Need Steps-In To Support Myanmar Families

Currents News Staff

Pope Francis’ papal organization – Aid to the Church in Need – is stepping in to provide extra support to priests, religious sisters, catechists, and needy families in Myanmar.

“The Church is emphasizing both in her appeals and still more by her work, that as a small minority in this country, she will do everything possible to promote peace and the development of the nation,” said Aid to the Church in Need’s Executive President, Dr. Thomas Heine-Geldern.

Sister Ann Rose Nu Tawng is just one example of the Church’s struggle for peace in Myanmar. A month after the coup broke out, this photo of her kneeling before the military forces begging for peace went viral on social media.

Yet Sister Ann Rose says her courageous act was merely a way of defending those behind her.

“I only wanted to defend the people since they were in danger,” said Sister Ann Rose of the Sisters of St. Francis Xavier. “I just wanted to save those people, the young people. For this reason, I got on my knees to let the young people escape from the danger.”

Although Sister Ann Rose is shown alone before the military in the photo, she says that God was always with her amid the danger.

“The Holy Spirit led me to make this gesture,” she said. “I thought that God was working through me to save these people. For this reason, I did it.”

While only six percent of Myanmar’s population is Christian, places of worship, including Christian churches, have been targets of military attacks. That makes the value of prayer all the more important.

Pope Francis has been one of the world’s most outspoken global leaders on the crisis in Myanmar. In May, he dedicated a Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica to pray for peace in the country.

“I know that some political and social situations are bigger than we are,” Pope Francis said. “Yet the commitment to peace and fraternity always comes from below: each person, in small ways, can play their part.”

Over 800 civilians have been killed by military forces in Myanmar since February and over 4,000 are currently being detained.