While Waiting For COVID-19 Vaccine, U.S. to Face These Three Major Challenges This Fall

Currents News Staff

The coronavirus is known to have infected more than 6.5 million people in the United States over the past six months, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Acting Director Richard Besser called it “the worst public health crisis in our lives.”

And the next few months may be even more difficult.

“It just makes me sick to see, to know what we could have been as a nation and what we are today,” said Peter Hotez at Baylor College of Medicine.

Health experts say in addition to COVID-19, the U.S. is facing a triple-challenge of the upcoming flu season including colder weather, which drives people indoors and increases risk of spread, and outbreaks as more students return to schools.

“We see around the globe countries successfully getting this under control and getting people back to work, and public health knows the path to get there but we’re not doing that,” says Richard Besser.

As the U.S. is currently averaging about 35,000 new COVID-19 cases per day, drug maker Pfizer is working on phase three trials for a coronavirus vaccine. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla told CBS’s “Face the Nation” show that the drug-maker may know by the end of October if it works.

President Donald Trump says Americans are “rounding the turn” from the virus.

“Now having a vaccine is good, but we’re rounding the turn regardless, we’re rounding the turn and it’s happening, it’s happening, you’ll see,” he said.

In the meantime, people are still advised to wear masks, and to maintain social distancing.

“As we’re waiting for a vaccine we know what we can do,” says Jodie Dionne-Odom at The University of Alabama at Birmingham. “Other countries have done it. We should too.”

Police Hunt for Vandal Who Toppled Our Lady of Guadalupe Statue

By Paula Katinas

CONEY ISLAND — Police are asking the public to help them find a man who brazenly climbed over a fence outside the Shrine Church of Our Lady of Solace and threw a statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe to the ground on Sept. 11.

Cops, who are investigating the incident as a case of criminal mischief, released a video of the man committing the act.

Remarkably, the statue remained mostly intact — but suffered damage to the face, hands, and base — after the vandal threw it on the sidewalk.

Many parishioners cried when they were told about the vandalism, according to Father Javier Flores, the administrator of Our Lady of Solace.

“Our parishioners are very sad. Everyone is shocked,” Father Flores told The Tablet. “Neighbors saw what happened and called the police but the man fled very quickly.”

Parishioners are determined to raise money to repair the statue, Father Flores said.

The video released by the NYPD captures images of the man standing in front of the church and talking to another person. The suspect can then be seen climbing over the fence and toppling the statue before throwing it to the ground.

The suspect then proceeded to nearby Mermaid Avenue and fled on foot, police said.

Volunteers picked up the statue and brought it into the church, according to Father Flores.

Father Flores said the Shrine Church of Our Lady of Solace purchased the statue three years ago for $4,000. On Sunday, Sept. 13, he announced during all Masses that the statue had been targeted by vandals. Parishioners immediately started digging into their pockets to help.

“We want to raise the money for the statue by Dec. 12, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe,” Father Flores said.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, named Patroness of the Americas in 1999 by St. John Paul II, is venerated by Mexicans and Latinos. The statue outside the Shrine Church of Our Lady of Solace is important to the whole Coney Island community.

“People would stop walking, stand in front, and pray to her. It’s like she watches over the whole community,” Father Flores said.

Police described the individual as a light-skinned male with a beard. He was last seen wearing a gray cap, a black shirt with the word “Brooklyn” on the front, and black shorts.

Anyone with information is asked to call the New York Police Department’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).

The public can also submit tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org or on Twitter @NYPDTips.

All calls are strictly confidential.

The Sept. 11 incident wasn’t the only time vandals have targeted a statue of the Virgin Mary in the Diocese of Brooklyn.

In July, a suspect defaced a Virgin Mary statue outside Cathedral Prep School and Seminary in Elmhurst. The vandalism was discovered by staff members at 7:30 a.m. on July 10, according to police, who said a video captured an image of a person approaching the statue and defacing it by writing the word “IDOL” on the front.

The statue was cleaned within days of the vandalism. Father James Kuroly, rector and president of Cathedral Prep, led a ceremony to re-dedicate the statue.

St. Anselm’s Church

Join us as host, Anthony Mangano takes the audience on a tour of the history of Bay Ridge Brooklyn. Then after visiting famous landmarks, he heads down to St. Anselm’s Church to interview Msgr. John W. Maloney to discuss the history and architecture of the church.

Currents News full broadcast for Tues, 9/15/20 (Catholic news)

Currents News reports secular and religious news from the Catholic perspective.

Some of the top stories on this newscast:

It’s a decades long tradition – the opening prayer service for United Nations General Assembly – we’ll take you inside as they celebrate a milestone.

Plus, 400,000 undocumented immigrants could be forced out of the United States because of a new court ruling.

The Vatican’s secret deal with China. An agreement that could help millions of Chinese Catholics practice their faith.

Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Academy Puts a New Spin on the Hybrid Model

By Jessica Easthope

As schools in the Brooklyn Diocese began reopening, it was obvious there was no “one size fits all” plan.

Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Academy in Corona, Queens opened under a hybrid model, but with their own spin on it: parents can choose whether or not they want to send their kids into school every 30 days.

“It just accommodates the parents because they’re going back to work, and it’s wonderful, and they know they can bring their kids to school,” said Principal Dr. Cristina Tancredi-Cruz.

The school’s model is a reflection of Corona’s 15 percent unemployment rate. For the parents who are now back at work after being unemployed for months, the only option is to send their kids to school. Right now, about 60 percent are doing in-person learning.

“I’ve delivered food, I’ve gone into my own pocket to get food for a family in need,” said Jeanette Felix, the school’s administrative assistant. “There are still a lot of families in hardship and we want to make sure they can feed their families.”

Parents who opted for in-person learning say they’re breathing a sigh of relief.

“God forbid she gets sick, I have the option to keep her at home and every 30 days I can change it. I can work around my work schedule and still keep her educated,” said Anna Estrella as she dropped her daughter off on Sept. 15.

Kindergarten teacher Stacy Nieves has most of her class in school with her. Though the hybrid model has been challenging , she says she pushes though for the sake of her kids.

“The first thing that we need is patience,” Stacy said. “I make sure my class comes first and my kids are okay and we’ll move on.”

As for the parents who are still helping to teach their kids at home alongside their virtual classes, they’re asking for the same.

“It’s all about having a little more patience and understanding,” said Kathy Duran who keeps her 5-year-old daughter, Sofia, at home.

Kathy’s parents are visiting from the Dominican Republic, which means when Sofia is asked if there are any visitors at home before she’s let into school, she would have to answer yes. She would then be sent home.

Even though teaching her daughter is a lot to take on, Kathy keeps her home for the safety of her family and everyone at school.

“Other schools are doing it – all in or nothing – so they’re doing an excellent play on that because sometimes it doesn’t work out for you, but you have that option of switching it up,” Kathy said.

Our Lady of Sorrows is expecting 80 percent of students to return to school by October 1.

Annual Catholic Prayer Service Celebrated on United Nations’ 75th Anniversary

By Emily Drooby

The General Assembly of the United Nations opened on September 15, its 75th session. This milestone year was overshadowed by major changes caused by the global pandemic. One tradition that did carry on was the annual opening prayer service.

As the prayer to end the pandemic was offered, the pews were only half full.

“So, it’s more of a symbolic presence, but we really wanted to have this anyway because of the importance of the 75th anniversary,” said Monsignor David Charters, the First Secretary for the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the U.N.

Because of the pandemic, changes for the 34th annual opening prayer service meant it was held at the Church of the Holy Family in Midtown, Manhattan.

“We always begin by asking for the help that human beings need in order to accomplish the high goals that take place at the U.N.,” said Father Roger Landry, “for us to ask God’s help for all that we are going to be about this year, as we likewise pray for the needs of the world.”

Fr. Landry is the Attaché for the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the U.N.

Just like the prayer service, the General Assembly itself will look very different this year. Normally there’s a sea of presidential motorcades, but this year, the streets around the U.N. will be quiet as the General Assembly is held almost entirely virtually. It’s an odd change coinciding with the 75th anniversary.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York says that the adjustment is important because of the essential work that the U.N. does.

“The popes are forever like Jesus, trying to be bridge builders, to speak about dialogue and that’s what the United Nations does,’ he told Currents News. “It’s painful, it takes a lot of patience, there’s a lot of set-backs, but boy-oh-boy we need all the help we can get, and I think the U.N. gives us a lot.”

Social distancing stickers were on the ground and masks were worn by the faithful — a reminder that the prayer vigil was also adjusted to work with the times.

Archbishop Gabriele Caccia was grateful that this event was still held.

“Jesus told us to ‘go and preach the Gospel to all nations,’ and the U.N. represents all nations, so having this moment is like to fulfill the commandments of Jesus,” he said.

This was Archbishop Caccia’s first annual prayer service as the new Papal Ambassador to the United Nations.

Cyber Security and the Virtual Classroom: How to Protect Yourself Online

Currents News Staff

Now that children are returning to school, a host of concerns are on the minds of parents and educators, including the risk of cyber attacks while children are learning remotely.

Joining Currents News to talk about how to protect yourself and your virtual classroom from security breaches is Vice President of Engineering at Checkpoint Software, Jeff Schwartz.

No Tricks, Just Triumph: Christian Skateboarder Evangelizes Through His One-of-a-Kind Ministry

Currents News Staff

Mike Steinkamp is certain of at least two things. One is that he’s a skateboarder. The other is that he’s a Christian. That’s why in 2010, he started MS Skate Ministry, with a simple mission in mind.

“So me being a Christian and a skateboarder my entire life, I instantly felt called to reach skateboarders with the message of Jesus, because these are my friends,” Mike says.

“[They’re] the people that I hang out with on a day-to-day basis, and most of them don’t go to church, don’t know anything about Jesus, don’t know anything about the Gospel. So I feel like this missionary to this culture,” he told Currents News.

On its website and various social media accounts, MS Skate Ministry publishes videos of skateboarders, like Mike, doing what they love. At the same time, they convey messages to help other skateboarders develop a relationship with God.

“I understand the difficulties that they have with believing in Christ,” Mike says. “I understand these things. I understand the culture and the things that they’re hearing from the skateboarding world, because I’m deeply rooted and connected in it.”

To make the Christian message even more accessible to skateboarders, Mike wrote a 14-day devotional for his “Landing Bolts” app, available on the Apple store.

“Basically it’s just my attempt to break down passages of the Bible and make it in a way that skateboarders can understand, especially skateboarders that have not grown up in the Church or that have no history with the Gospel,” he said.

MS Skate Ministry was simply the result of an authentic response to a call. It shows that missionaries aren’t necessarily priests or nuns who travel to remote parts of the world. They can be those guys at the local skate park, just doing what they love, but with a certainty about who they are and who they follow.

Brooklyn Couple Celebrates 40-Year Wedding Anniversary by Retracing the Steps of Their Big Day

By Emily Drooby

In August of 2020, Barbara and Mario Belluomo recreated a photo they took on their wedding day, 40 years prior.

They did this while they retraced their wedding day steps on their anniversary.

“We grew up in Brooklyn, we did so many things in Brooklyn,” Mario explained. “Nostalgia keeps you alive.”

The couple were married on Aug. 23 1980, after meeting five years before that, at a disco in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.

“It was her first big night out,” Mario said.

“It was my first big night out ever,” Barbara added, “and I met him there.”

Mario was immediately drawn to her. “I noticed her sweetness. She was so shy and pleasant and calm. She just drew to me,” he said.

Forty years later and the married couple have been through a lot together: trips, graduations, children and grandchildren.

The couple says adventures and doing things together are their secret for success. So for their anniversary adventure, they decided to go back and recreate one of their happiest days.

Starting at Our Lady of Angels Church in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, where they were married. The couple took a trip down memory lane and the aisle.

It’s the church where Barbara was baptized and where her parents were married, too.

Next, the couple stopped by their catering hall and Marcy’s Photo Studio where they had their wedding photos taken. Both businesses have since been replaced, but that didn’t ruin the happy day.

“Even though things change and neighborhoods change, it makes you feel good,” Mario added. “It’s just nice, it’s nice to remember those moments as to who you were.”

For this strong couple — this strong team — they’ll always have the memories, and they’ll always have each other.

Top Officials Optimistic About Renewal of Vatican-China Deal

By Currents News Staff and Elise Ann Allen

ROME (Crux) – Over the past week, top officials from both China and the Vatican have given indications that the controversial agreement between the two on the appointment of bishops, which expires at the end of September, will be renewed.

According to Italian news agency Ansa, Vatican Secretary of State Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin spoke to a group of journalists on the margins of a Sept. 14 conference with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, saying the agreement with China is set to expire “in October,” but that the common intention of both parties is to renew the deal.

The conference Cardinal Parolin attended was called, “45 years from the Helsinki Accords, Cardinal Silvestrini, and Vatican Ostpolitik.”

His remarks come days after Zhao Lijian, spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry, also expressed optimism for the renewal of the agreement during a regular Sept. 10 press conference.

Asked if he was hopeful that China’s deal with the Vatican on the appointment of bishops would be extended for another two years, Lijian said that thanks to efforts from both sides, “the interim agreement on the appointment of bishops between China and the Vatican has been implemented successfully since it was signed nearly two years ago.”

“Since the beginning of this year, the two sides have lent mutual support to each other amid COVID-19 pandemic, stayed committed to upholding global public health security, and accumulated greater mutual trust and consensuses through a series of positive interactions,” he said.

In this light, Lijian insisted that both China and the Holy See “will continue to maintain close communication and consultation and improve bilateral relations.”

When the coronavirus hit Italy in March, China was among the many nations that sent help, providing both doctors and medical equipment in mid-March when the coronavirus was nearing its peak. Two Chinese charitable organizations also sent health supplies such as face masks to the Vatican Pharmacy to support COVID patients.

The Vatican later issued a public statement thanking China for the assistance, yet made no such gesture toward Taiwan, which also sent donations of food and medical equipment to both the Vatican and numerous religious institutes throughout Rome, despite being one of Taiwan’s sole 14 diplomatic partners and the only one in Europe.

It has long been known that the Vatican under Pope Francis desperately wants formal diplomatic ties with the People’s Republic of China. The 2018 secret agreement on the appointment of bishops was interpreted by many as a step in this direction, and the Vatican’s silence toward Taiwan – officially known as the Republic of China – during the COVID-19 outbreak in Italy was a clear sign to many of just how far the Holy See would go to ensure that the door they have stays open.

It should be no surprise, then, that Cardinal Parolin’s optimism about the renewal of the deal came on the margins of a conference on the Vatican’s Ostpolitik policy.

Originally, Ostpolitik was a term in the late 1960s to describe normalization of relations between East and West Germany. Later, it also came to refer to efforts under Pope Paul VI to engage Eastern European communist regimes through compromise and agreements with the aim of building on small gains over time.

The same basic approach has been employed for China by each of Pope Paul VI’s successors, including Pope Francis – with the exception, perhaps, of Pope John Paul I, whose 33 days in office didn’t allow much time for international affairs.

In fact, Cardinal Achille Silvestrini, the Italian Vatican diplomat featured in Monday’s conference and who once served as head of the Congregation for Eastern Churches, was a key player in employing this tactic as the Vatican intervened in the bid to reduce tensions between the Soviet Union and western blocs.

Cardinal Silvestrini participated in each stage of the Helsinki conference on security and cooperation in Europe in 1975, which yielded the Helsinki Accords, signed by 35 nations in an attempt to secure the post-World War II status quo in Europe. Cardinal Silvestrini also lent a hand in the prep work and implementation of the 1975 conference.

Among other things, the Helsinki Accords enshrined respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms such as the freedoms of thought, conscience, religion, or belief.

Opponents of Pope Francis’ agreement with China on the appointment of bishops have argued that these are the freedoms China has consistently denied to the Catholic Church and other religious denominations for years, and which the deal allows them to perpetuate without repercussion.

However, both the Holy See and China are masters at playing the long game.

Reacting to criticism at conference on religious freedom last spring, Cardinal Parolin said the Holy See’s vision in making the agreement was to “help advance religious freedom, to find normalization for the Catholic community there.”

He stressed the need to be patient, saying, “history has not been built in one day. History is a long process, and I think we have to put ourselves in this perspective.”