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Catholic News Headlines for Tuesday 9/10/2024

Pope Francis continues his tour of Asia, making a significant stop in East Timor. During his visit, he spent time with children with disabilities. He also gathered with clergy and celebrated Mass with a crowd of 700,000 faithful.

The Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph celebrates the Feast of Saint Peter Claver with Eucharistic Adoration for the patron saint of African Americans. 

Two women are on a dedicated mission to visit every Catholic church in Brooklyn. Their journey, which began last year, is a testament to their dedication and love for these sacred spaces. They hope to complete their pilgrimage by the end of the year, inspiring others in the local Catholic community.

Catholic Comedian Jim Gaffigan will host the Al Smith Dinner this year. Prominent Political Figures, including Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, will attend the dinner in New York City on October 17th. The annual event raises money for charitable causes within the Archdiocese of New York.

Bishop Says Rededicated and Blessed Statue is a Testament to Parish’s Faith

There was a range of emotions as Bishop Robert Brennan blessed and rededicated the statue outside of Holy Family Church in Fresh Meadows on Sunday.

“It still kind of aches at our hearts that the damage was even done, that somebody would deliberately take upon themselves this act of violence, this act of destruction just to show hatred to the faith,” Bishop Brennan said.

A man was caught on video smashing the statue of Jesus back in June, which had stood for 42 years in front of this church.

But Bishop Brennan said that while there is sorrow, there is also resilience.

“The reconstruction of that statue is really a testament to that resilience and depth of faith and love that is here,” Bishop Brennan said.

The reconstruction was underway less than a month after the statue was desecrated, at a cost of around $3,000.

During a mass celebrated by the bishop, Holy Family’s pastor, Father Sean Suckiel, said he hopes the statue stands for another 42-plus years.

“Praise God our statue has been repaired and is looking beautiful,” Father Suckiel said.

Police arrested 44-year-old Jamshaid Choudhry less than two weeks after the statue was vandalized.

He’s been charged with a hate crime.

Staten Island Planned Parenthood Closes, Right To Life League Holds Last Prayer Group Outside Location

by Jessica Easthope

Staten Island’s Right to Life League said this is the power of prayer. After years of praying at this Planned Parenthood, Staten Island’s only location, it has officially closed.

Lee Canning, the vice president of Staten Island’s Right to Life League, said during his decades as a pro-life advocate, he’s been shocked many times by Planned Parenthood, but this was the first time it’s been positive.

“Bearing witness with our faith, prayer, and action,” Lee said. “I think that significantly contributed to the closure here at the stunning location of Planned Parenthood.”

Lee and his mother, Marietta Canning, the president of the organization, showed up to the Hyatt Street abortion provider Tuesday, ready to pray for life like they’ve done every week for years.

But this week, they found a lock on the front door. The location was slated to close later this fall due to financial challenges but did so early.

“We stay here in front of Planned Parenthood, we pray the Rosary for life, and we give out pamphlets where the girls can get help at any time,” Marietta said. “And now, we claim Planned Parenthood as our 12th abortionist to stop.”

The Right to Life League estimates the number of abortion providers on Staten Island has been cut in half in recent years, in part thanks to their steadfast prayers.

“You have to be in the spot. A certain amount of prayers must be said at the site,” Marietta said. “And believe me, God listens to you when you are one in this. And that’s the answer to unification. We all must be one in this.”

“A lot of people are going out of Staten Island to get their abortions, but at the same time, no matter where the killing is, we want abortion to end,” Lee said.

Canning said over the years, they’ve encountered only minor disturbances — on Tuesday during their last prayer, they engaged with a young woman who didn’t agree with their cause.

“We love the mothers, we pray for the abortionists and for their conversion, and we hope their God will bring them home too,” Lee said. “There’s no hate here. There’s all of it. But we need to stop this.”

As of early September, the location is no longer accepting clients. The Right to Life League says they plan to move their weekly Tuesday prayer to another abortion provider.

Bishop Welcomes New President at Cristo Rey Brooklyn HS During Mass of the Holy Spirit

Bishop Brennan was also on hand in Brooklyn, where he celebrated a Mass of the Holy Spirit at Cristo Rey Brooklyn High School.

The bishop welcomed the new president during the Mass at the East Flatbush Catholic high school.

Michael Motyl previously worked at a Catholic high school in South Texas.

Many said this Mass of the Holy Spirit, which helps kick off the academic year, was fitting.

The new president says he’s excited to work with the students in preparing them for college and a life full of faith.

Catholic News Headlines for Monday 9/9/2024

Bishop Robert Brennan re-dedicates a restored statue of Jesus at Holy Family Church in Queens, rekindling community spirit after vandalism.

Bishop Brennan also joined Cristo Rey High School in Brooklyn to welcome their new president, Michael Motyl, who is set to lead students toward college and faith.

Pope Francis continues his historic Southeast Asia tour, receiving a warm and enthusiastic welcome in East Timor, one of the most Catholic nations in the world, where 98% of the population is devoted to the faith.

In Staten Island, a branch of Planned Parenthood has closed its doors, with a pro-life group crediting the closure to the power of prayer.

Milestone Year for St. Clare Church in Rosedale and Long-Time Parishioner

by Katie Vasquez

For as long as Theodora Pyle could remember, faith had always come first.

“I don’t want to miss a Sunday as long as I can do it and anything involving the church I was always there,” said Pyle, a parishioner at St. Clare Church.

As a child growing up in Guyana she attended Mass regularly.

“We went to church. We had novenas for, before Christmas nine days and we had to go to those, wake up in the morning, 5:00.”

And even when she moved away from home, and developed other passions.

“I worked at this designer on Sixth Avenue and we made all the evening gowns,”

When she finally settled in New York in 1975, she found a permanent home in the church, specifically at St. Clare church in Rosedale.

“It reminded me a lot about home and the things that we did there,” Pyle said.

Since then she has been a staple at St. Clare.

“I look forward to it every Sunday because we had a beautiful choir and the singing and so it was nice,” Pyle said.

And when the church celebrated a milestone anniversary, she realized they had something in common.

“I never thought of the hundred years until this came up really, the hundred years of the church so everything came together and I realized wow 100 years is a long time,” Pyle said.

Theodora has been recognized previously for reaching her 100th birthday, even getting a proclamation from New York City.

But something that especially touched the centenarian was when she was given a special shout-out at St. Clare’s anniversary Mass with Brooklyn Bishop Robert Brennan.

And just like St. Clare has always been there for Theodora, she wants to be there for her parish family.

“They always see me with my rosary and praying and I say I pray for everybody and you gotta pray for others too and you pray for the world,” Pyle said.

Feast of Saint Teresa of Calcutta: Mass Remembers Her on Anniversary of Death

On the feast day of Saint Teresa of Calcutta, the faithful in Brooklyn gathered for a special Mass celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Octavio Cisneros at Our Lady of Victory in Bedford-Stuyvesant.

Mother Teresa, known around the world for her work helping the poor in India, passed away 27 years ago on Sept. 5.

The church has a special connection to the nun who founded the religious order “Missionaries of Charity.” Saint Teresa visited the Church on Throop Avenue in 1992 to dedicate Queen of Hope, a convent mission house for the order.

Mother Teresa’s legacy lives on in the Diocese of Brooklyn as the convent mission house still helps pregnant women and mothers with young children with nowhere else to turn.

FDNY Adds Chaplain Msgr. John Delendick’s Name and 31 Others to World Trade Center Memorial Wall

By Jessica Easthope

Msgr. John Delendick would have been celebrating his 75th birthday on Wednesday, Sept. 6.

Firefighter Danny Prince was with the FDNY chaplain at the very end of his battle with 9/11-related pancreatic cancer.

“It broke my heart to see him deteriorate the way he did but he kept fighting right up until the end, and he always believed tomorrow would be a better day and he just inspired people,” Prince said.

Msgr. Delendick and 31 others were honored Wednesday at a memorial service at FDNY headquarters, their names added to the World Trade Center Memorial Wall. As of this year, the number of department members who have died of 9/11-related illnesses has surpassed the number of members who died that day.

“He used to talk about all the funerals he did, and he was just there for everybody; he was just a foot soldier,” said Prince.

At the service the FDNY has vowed to never forget using Msgr. Delendick’s words as examples of that promise. Though he and hundreds of other members did not die on 9/11, they paid the ultimate price for their service on one of the darkest days in our nation’s history.

“FDNY Chaplain Msgr. Delendick, he told the crowd ‘we come here to remember them and to thank them for the service they have done for us,’” said FDNY Commissioner Robert Tucker.

Msgr. Sean Ogle, Diocese of Brooklyn’s vicar for clergy and Msgr. Delendick were classmates from high school through their ordination.

“It’s so fitting he has this recognition for what he did as a fire department chaplain because from day one he had a very, very pastoral heart,” said Msgr. Ogle.

This year on the 23rd anniversary of September 11, 2001, Msgr. Delendick’s legacy is looked to for hope by members of the FDNY past and present.

“He’s truly a saint and I know he’s up there right now with Mychal Judge,” said Prince speaking about Msgr. Delendick and Chaplain Mychal Judge who died on 9/11.

“How many times did they invoke the name of God today? And that’s what John sought to bring to people I think that would be his greatest legacy,” Msgr. Ogle said.

And now his service and sacrifice are memorialized forever.

Catholic News Headlines for Thursday 9/5/2024

The FDNY honors Monsignor John Delendick by adding his name to the Fallen FDNY Memorial Wall on what would have been his 75th birthday, after his passing from a 9/11-related illness last November.

On the Feast Day of St. Teresa of Calcutta, parishioners at Our Lady of Victory Church in Bedford-Stuyvesant gathered to celebrate Mass, honoring her legacy. Mother Teresa herself dedicated the Queen of Hope Convent at the church during her visit in 1992.

In Jakarta, tens of thousands gathered to celebrate Mass with Pope Francis, who encouraged the faithful to promote unity and peace. This marked the final stop of his first leg on the apostolic journey, before heading to Papua New Guinea.

St. Clare Church in Rosedale and its long-time parishioner Theodora Pyle both marked their 100th birthdays, celebrating a century of faith and devotion together.