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Diocese of Brooklyn Youth End Jubilee Year with Prayer and Fellowship

By Katie Vasquez and Paula Katinas

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — Energized by their pilgrimage to Rome last summer, the diocese’s youth are determined to keep the spirit of Jubilee 2025 alive in their communities going forward. 

Scores gathered at the Cathedral Basilica of St. James on Jan. 9 for a Holy Hour to close out the diocese’s celebration of Jubilee Year.  

Bishop Robert Brennan, who led the devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, reminded the young people in attendance that “the Jubilee Year ended, but the journey goes on.” 

To keep the Jubilee Year excitement alive, Elvis Toribio, a seminarian at St. Joseph’s Seminary and College, suggested that young people encourage their peers to attend church and pray more often.  

“You don’t have to go across the world to have an encounter with Jesus,” Toribio said. “You can go to your local church.”  

The Jubilee of Youth, held in Rome from July 28 to Aug. 3, drew young people from all over the world and included an overnight vigil and a Mass celebrated by Pope Leo XIV. 

The Diocese of Brooklyn was represented by a group of nearly 90 young people accompanied by Bishop Brennan and Father James Kuroly, director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the diocese. 

RELATED: ‘The Youth Need to Be Heard’: 87 Pilgrims From the Diocese of Brooklyn Attend Jubilee of Youth With Bishop Robert Brennan

Amy Vu, a parishioner of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Astoria, said walking through the Holy Doors and other pilgrimage activities drew her closer to her faith. 

“I want to push other young people to do the same,” she said. 

Going forward, many young people said their mission is to inspire their peers.  

Juan Vazquez, a parishioner of Regina Pacis and a second-year seminarian at Seton Hall University, said he attended the Holy Hour “to show that the faith is on fire, especially with young adults.” 

Allison Pineda, a parishioner of St. Mary Star of the Sea Church in Far Rockaway, said the Jubilee Year gave her a different outlook on life.  

“I feel like it opened my eyes even more and staying focused on God,” said Pineda, who added that she is determined to go to Mass every Sunday, spend time in the parish’s youth group, and “participate as much as possible.”  

Bishop Brennan told The Tablet he hopes the Jubilee Year can serve as a springboard for young people so that they can “take those moments of prayer and live them out in our communities with hearts transformed in faith, hope, and charity.” 

Father Kuroly said that now that Jubilee 2025 has passed, it’s time to move forward in faith, adding that it will be up to the young people to build on the momentum by bringing their talents and gifts to the church. 

“It’s not my responsibility. It’s their responsibility,” Father Kuroly said. “And boy, are they ready to take on that responsibility!” 

Parents Can’t Wait for Children To Choose Baptism, Says Pope, Baptizing 20 Infants in Sistine Chapel

By Currents News and Paulina Guzik

VATICAN CITY (OSV News) — Just as we wouldn’t leave newborns without clothes or food, we cannot leave them without faith and baptism, Pope Leo XIV told parents of children he baptized in the splendor and beauty of the Sistine Chapel Jan. 11.

The tradition of baptizing children of Vatican employees started in 1981 with St. John Paul II. Pope Leo baptized 20 children on the feast of the Baptism of the Lord.

“The children you now hold in your arms are transformed into new creatures,” the pope told parents and godparents gathered for the ceremony in the breathtaking interior of Michelangelo’s chapel.

“Just as they received life from you, parents,” he said, “so now they receive the meaning to live it: faith.”

In seeking good for our children, we wouldn’t “leave newborns without clothes or food, waiting for them to choose how to dress and what to eat as adults,” would we? the pope asked.

Addressing the gathering as “Dearest ones,” the pope said that if “food and clothing are necessary for life, faith is more than necessary, because with God life finds salvation.”

Pope Leo said that “as a light in the darkness, the Lord makes himself available where we least expect him: He is the holy one among sinners, who wants to dwell among us without keeping his distance, but rather, fully embracing all that is human.”

Through the baptism of the Lord, “in his infinite mercy, the Father makes us righteous through his Christ, the only Savior of all” as “he who is baptized by John in the Jordan makes this gesture a new sign of death and resurrection, of forgiveness and communion. This is the sacrament we celebrate today for these children: Because God loves them, they become Christians, our brothers and sisters.”

God’s “provident love is manifested on earth through you, mothers and fathers, who ask for faith for your children,” the pope said, telling the parents that “the day will come when they will become heavy to hold in your arms; and the day will also come when they will be yours to support.”

But baptism, he said, “unites us in the one family of the Church,” sanctifying “all your families at all times, granting strength and constancy to the affection that unites you.”

Explaining the meaning of baptism rituals, the pope said that “the water of the font is the cleansing of the Spirit, which purifies from every sin,” the white robe “is the new garment, which God the Father gives us for the eternal celebration of his Kingdom,” and the candle “lit from the Paschal candle is the light of the risen Christ, which illuminates our path.”

“I hope you continue this journey with joy throughout the year just begun and throughout your lives, certain that the Lord will always accompany your steps,” Pope Leo told the lucky families who could experience the special day in a special place, with the pastor of the world as celebrant.

Game On: Who Said Gaming Isn’t A Sport? Not These Crusaders!

By Jessica Easthope and Jim Mancari

A sport, in its most basic form, is defined by two teams competing against one another with a shared goal. 

When we think of “sports,” naturally baseball, soccer, football, basketball, lacrosse, hockey, and track, among others, come to mind. Yet there’s been a nationwide craze around esports, and it’s now reached our diocese. 

Msgr. McClancy H.S., East Elmhurst, fields the only esports team among Catholic high schools in the Diocese of Brooklyn. The officially sanctioned CHSAA team was formed last school year, and the Crusaders squad consists of nine student-athletes across all four grade levels. 

Not all God-given athletic talent has to be centered on physical sports. Esports requires an intense mental focus as well as extreme hand dexterity and reaction time. Just like any other sport, the McClancy team practices several times a week and competes in regularly scheduled events. 

The Crusaders program began as an idea from Matthew Miden, an English and film teacher and a 2015 graduate. Miden, a product of Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish and school in Ozone Park, grew up playing video games and noticed colleges — and even some high schools — around the country were forming competitive esports teams right out of their own media centers. 

Miden approached athletic director Gerry O’Riordan and assistant athletic director Adam Brunengo in the fall of 2024 with his vision. After Miden educated the ADs about esports in general, the administrators were entirely on board and ready to support the new team in any way. 

The Crusaders joined the CHSAA esports bracket run by the Electronic Gaming Federation (EGF), which serves as the governing body overseeing scheduling and ensuring fair play. Currently, McClancy competes in a 10-team division with Archdiocese of New York schools across Manhattan, Staten Island, the Bronx, and Westchester. 

As the team began carving out its new path, the McClancy faculty provided the means to update the media center’s tech equipment, since these video games require a lot of power and speed. Together, with fellow 2015 McClancy graduate Michael Brown, Miden hand-built six custom computers the team uses for practice and matches. 

“Similar to how basketball players need their pair of shoes or baseball players need a specific glove or bat, the peripherals that we use — whether it’s a keyboard, mouse, or computer itself — all has to be 100% in tune in order to actually get the competitions underway,” Miden said. 

Gameplay itself features video games such as “Marvel Rivals,” “Overwatch,” “Rocket League,” and even online chess. Many are multiplayer games, so at any given point, all nine team members have a specific role. Nine players, all in different positions? Sounds like baseball or softball. 

“It’s not any different than playing a traditional sport,” said senior Daniel Allen from Broad Channel, who began playing video games when he was 4 years old and who joined the team this fall season. “It’s two teams representing their schools competing for a title. We practice, we’re all right next to each other, and so we’re still making personal connections, which helps us play better.” 

The EGF’s CHSAA bracket has a fall and spring season. There are playoffs and a championship, as well as a chance for the division winner to compete in a national tournament. In this area alone, there are a number of talented teams, so practice preparation is key to success during the games. These strategy-type games can have positive benefits to the developing teenage mind. 

“It really comes down to the mental aspect of the game,” Miden said. “You have to know your character, and at the same time, you also have to know ways that you could link up with your teammates, and then also what your opponents could be dishing out as well. Everything is being done in real time.” 

Sounds just like soccer, hockey, or lacrosse in that a team must react to anything their opponent throws at them. It takes coordinated skill, communication, and teamwork while ensuring every team member is executing their specific responsibility for the good of the team. 

The CHSAA is all about inclusivity, so this esports team aligns with the organization’s mission of providing athletic opportunities for as many student-athletes as possible — even those who may lack the physical traits — to represent their school through sports. 

McClancy once again “pushed the right buttons” — video game pun intended — to give this group the chance to experience what it’s like to be part of a competitive team. 

“Even if these students can’t hit a home run, shoot a 3-pointer, or score a soccer goal, one of the main things about esports is that you have to be very athletically focused,” Miden said. “To have that skill — to have that ability to compete in these matchups against the best that New York City has to offer — it takes a lot of skill and coordination.” So, next time you question whether playing video games is an actual sport, just look to this Crusaders team for your answer! 

Venezuelans in the Diocese of Brooklyn Cheer Maduro’s Ouster, But Worry About the Future

By Jessica Easthope and Bill Miller 

For the first time in three decades, Eduvigis Loayza said she hopes to go home to Venezuela and see her family. 

“I told my sister, ‘I think we’re going to finally hug each other this year,’ ” she said. 

Loayza, a pianist, left her hometown, Caracas, the nation’s capital, after Hugo Chávez seized control of the country in 1992. She immigrated to New York City, became a U.S. citizen, and now teaches music for Catholic schools in Queens. 

Chávez’s regime, and that of his successor Nicolás Maduro — who took over in 2014 — caused three decades of socialism in Venezuela, wrought with government corruption and extreme poverty. Since 2014, an estimated 8 million people, about 23% of Venezuela’s population, left the country, according to the United Nations.  

Loayza has not visited Venezuela since she left, out of fear of government retribution. Consequently, she missed her parents’ funerals. She fervently prayed for an end to Maduro’s regime. That came Jan. 3 when U.S. forces snatched him in a daring nighttime raid on Caracas.  

Maduro and his wife were arraigned in a New York federal court on Jan. 5. Maduro faces a narco-terrorism charge, and he and his wife were both charged with cocaine importation conspiracy. They both plead not guilty. 

“We knew this was going to happen one day,” Loayza told The Tablet on Jan. 5. “We just didn’t know when. But we are very Catholic — a country that always has so much faith.  

“God listened to us.” 

The joy is widespread, but with a dose of anxiety, said Father Ernesto Alonso, parochial vicar for St. Leo Parish in Corona. He is also the coordinator of the Ministry to the Venezuelan Immigrants for the Diocese of Brooklyn.  

“After the arrest, people feel release,” he said. “But they are worried with the uncertainty of what is going to happen in the government.” 

Since Jan. 3, the Trump administration has said the U.S. will run the country while working to create conditions for fair, independent elections. Few details were available as of Jan. 6.  

Still, Father Alonso confirmed, “The majority don’t want to go back to the day before January the 3rd.” 

In 2021, Venezuela’s diaspora in New York City included about 15,200 people, according to Social Explorer, a data research group. Within a year, however, Venezuelans accounted for a significant share of the 136,000 immigrants bused into New York during the border crisis, according to city data. 

Father Ernesto Alonso, parochial vicar of St. Leo Parish in Corona, is also the coordinator of the Ministry to the Venezuelan Immigrants for the Diocese of Brooklyn. He is shown here at his ordination in 2023. (Photo: The Tablet archives)

Many of the newcomers had recently completed the 5,000-mile journey spanning nine countries to reach the U.S., including the dangerous, crime-ridden jungle treks through Panama’s Darien Gap and Mexico’s Sonoran Desert.  

Now, Venezuelans are the city’s fastest-growing immigrant group, according to Social Reporter, which noted that 30% of people of Venezuelan heritage (about 5,390 people) have settled in Queens. 

Father Alonso became coordinator of the Venezuelan immigrant ministry last March. He said the exact count of Venezuelans in the diocese is currently unknown. The number is fluid, he explained, because many of the Venezuelans who came to the diocese since 2022 “have been deported.” 

Loayza teaches music for St. Leo and Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Academies, both in Corona. She regularly phones her sister, Carolina, in Caracas, who updates her on conditions back home. The teacher said that anyone not belonging to the United Socialist Party of Venezuela, founded by Chávez in 2007, is denied government services, education, jobs, and health care. 

Protesters risk arrest or worse, Loayza said. 

“They would just go into your house, grab whoever they feel like, and take them to jail,” she said. “A lot of people disappeared.” 

Among the regime’s longtime critics are the nation’s Catholic bishops, who routinely blamed the government for chaos and corruption. 

In 2021, they issued a statement decrying the conditions that caused the mass exodus. 

“When the children of a nation decide to leave their country,” they wrote, “it is because, besieged by precariousness, they have reached an extreme situation in which they have no other way than to assume the challenge and the risk of facing the unknown.” 

Some of the prelates expressed similar concerns after Maduro’s arrest. 

For example, Bishop Juan Carlos Bravo Salazar of Petare, a diocese east of Caracas, said Venezuelans “are living through moments of confusion, uncertainty, and pain, in which we do not see clearly what is happening.” 

While the Trump Administration has acknowledged that much work remains to be done before an election can be held, Loayza hopes that popular opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, María Corina Machado, will win future elections and lead the nation to prosperity. 

Catholic News Headlines for Friday 1/9/26   

As political turmoil grips Venezuela following the capture of President Nicolás Maduro, a Catholic school teacher in Queens prays she may finally return home.

After hosting his first meeting with the world’s cardinals, Pope Leo XIV announces plans to hold extended annual consistories to allow deeper discussion of key Church matters.

Bishop Robert Brennan joins thousands of young Catholics at the SEEK 2026 conference, helping inspire faith, vocations, and spiritual renewal among the next generation.

Monsignor McClancy Memorial High School’s esports team makes history as the Diocese of Brooklyn’s only competitive gaming squad heads to the finals after a breakout season.

Catholics Urged to Keep Their Christmas Displays Up Longer for Liturgical Reasons

By Jessica Easthope

If you love Christmas, here’s some good news of great joy – it’s still here!

“Most of the time people get to the epiphany, maybe, and they get rid of their decorations,” said Fr. Jim Cunningham, parochial vicar at St. Francis de Sales Church in Belle Harbor. “Sometimes people wait till January 2nd. People tend to rush everything.”

Father Cunningham says Catholics should keep their Christmas trees, decorations, and most importantly, nativities up past the Epiphany until the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, which is the Sunday after the Epiphany.

“Jesus was an adult and was baptized by John in the Jordan,” he explained. “But liturgically, we always celebrate the baptism of the Lord. When God spoke from heaven and said, this is my beloved son, listen to him.”

The 120 6-foot trees and angels in between that line the property at St. Francis de Sales appear every year thanks in part to parishioner Mike Lee.

“We love doing it,” Lee said. “We really do. It’s become a labor of love. Takes us about three weeks to get everything in place and get ready for the lighting. It’s beautiful.”

Lee and a team of 50 volunteers unload the trees, stand them up with rebar, decorate them and add messages from parishioners who have lost loved ones and want to honor them. Parishioners can pay $300 for a tree or $500 for an angel — all the money goes back to the parish.

The volunteers also set up a life-size nativity. Lee says his faith has opened doors his whole life — and 10 years ago this became a chance to give back and make his parish merry and bright.

“Faith for me is everything,” Lee said. “It’s the center of my life. It’s why we do it.”

“We need this light,” Father Cunningham said. “Slow down. Enjoy the fullness of the Christmas season.”

People in Belle Harbor and beyond can enjoy the Christmas display at St. Francis de Sales through the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord on January 11.

Catholic News Headlines for Thursday 1/8/26

Many people put away their Christmas decorations after the new year, and some Catholics wait until the Feast of the Epiphany. But there may be a special reason to keep the lights twinkling a little longer.

Protests are being held across the U.S. after a woman in Minnesota was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer. The Archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis is asking Americans to pray for peace.

U.S. Bishops are asking Catholics to pray for the protection of the unborn – this month  the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops will be sponsoring a “9 Days for Life” novena.