20 (Catholic news)

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

Some of the top stories on this newscast:

Nine priests in the Diocese of Brooklyn assume the title of monsignor in recognition of their life-long commitment to the faithful they’ve served for decades.

The reason why the Twitter page for the Conservative Party of NYS was taken down for months is still left unanswered.

Pro-life Democrats are demanding change – they want the Democratic party and the Catholics who vote for them to reverse their stance on abortion.

Bishop James Massa is now the new rector of St. Joseph’s Seminary.

Conservative Party of New York State Searches for Answers Following Months-Long Twitter Shutdown

By Emily Drooby

Back on July 9, Twitter deactivated Conservative Party of New York State’s account. It remained deactivated until September 10.

While it is back up and running, their Chairman, Gerard Kassar says they still don’t have a reason for the shutdown.

“This is a major communications aspect of how we tell people what we are thinking about,” he said, adding, “we feel certain that we lost exposure because for us the Twitter account becomes the basis of people retweeing.”

Gerard is a parishioner of St. Ephrem in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn.

This is the third time their Twitter has been shut down this year. It happened for a few days in February, and for over a week in April.

This time, the account was down for over two months, leaving them unable to tweet during a critical time in the election season and through both party conventions.

“We are an official political party of the State of New York, with a ballot line, where all sorts of candidates are appearing on it this year, so it kind of ties in with hundreds of political races,” Gerard explained. “So I think to that degree, Twitter had no sense of what they had done.”

They reached out to Twitter multiple times and didn’t hear back. Then New York State Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt and State Assembly Republican Leader Will Barclay got involved.

He wrote to Twitter, “…we demand answers on why one of the world’s largest social media platforms decided to silence New York conservatives?”

They further called it a violation of free speech, demanding the page be reactivated. The letter worked.

“All of a sudden we received from Twitter, a note indicating, ‘We apologize, your account has been reinstated.’ Still no explanation,” said Gerard.

Still, there’s the big question that’s been left unanswered: Why?

Twitter told the group they were flagged as spam by mistake. Separately, a spokesperson told Currents News, “We took enforcement action on the account referenced in error.”

The Conservative Party of NYS has over 150,000 registered members.

Gerard explained, “I am concerned that we didn’t get a reason and I would say to you that’s something this company has to look at.”

He says he was confused as to what they even might have violated. Adding he believes nothing on their Twitter is controversial.

The account posts “very straight forward public statements that were occurring from major political leaders or institutions in this country,” Gerard said.

Gerard is hopeful that with political leaders’ involvement they’ll be spared from another shut down, but says he doesn’t think this is the end of the story.

With TerrierSTAR Fund, Support From Julie Chen, St. Francis Prep Keeps Students Enrolled Amid COVID

By Jessica Easthope

The hallways of St. Francis Preparatory High School in Fresh Meadows, Queens were packed Sept. 14 for the first day of school, but to the students themselves, they were empty.

Less than half of the 2,450 students were at the school, which opened on a hybrid model.

Each student was affected by the pandemic in a different way.

“My mom was up all night on facetime with my dad, he’d stop breathing and the nurses wouldn’t come in so my mom would have to call,” said Giana, 18 and Eva Giacalone, 14, sisters who attend St. Francis Prep.

School was the last thing on their minds when their dad was hospitalized with COVID-19 and fighting for his life.

“I was afraid I wasn’t ever going to see my dad ever again,” Giana said as her eyes welled up with tears.

The virus was also a financial threat to their family. Their dad’s barber shop was closed, and their parents didn’t think they could afford to send the girls back to Prep.

“When the parents were emailing me and writing me and telling me some very sad stories, that’s when we said we need to step up to the plate,” said Brother Leonard Conway, president of the school.

That’s when the TerrierSTAR Fund was formed. Alumni donations totaling $775,000 went toward keeping Prep students in school. Now Giana and Eva are back where they belong.

“The principal called and he told her that we didn’t have to worry about it. I truly can’t picture me and my sister being anywhere else, my mom couldn’t believe they were willing to help us,” the sisters said.

Last school year the TerrierSTAR Fund helped 275 families. This year it will help cover tuition costs for 425 families.

For Principal Patrick McLaughlin, keeping kids in school is personal.

“My parents had difficulty paying tuition and I was lucky enough to have a friend of ours step up and do that for me at that time,” McLaughlin said.

The school community instantly rallied around its students. One of them went as far as to match every single dollar donated, television personality Julie Chen, Class of 1987.

Though the students come and go, the community they gain at Prep is forever.

Meet Antonio Arellano, the Man Who Makes Pope Benedict XVI’s Red Shoes

Currents News Staff

Antonio Arellano was born in Trujillo, Peru, and he’s been in Italy for 30 years. His profession, hard work and dedication have led him to make shoes for all types of people, but there’s one in particular that has marked his life, thanks to a special pair of red shoes: Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.

“It was a huge joy. [When they called me,] I shared this happiness with my son, Daniel,” said Antonio. “I told him, They ordered my shoes for Benedict! This is great! It was wonderful! That’s how I felt.”

From that moment, a lasting friendship grew between the German pope and this Peruvian cobbler.

“On my fiftieth birthday, by 10 a.m., no one had called me to wish me a happy birthday. My phone hadn’t rung. In that moment, the pope’s driver showed up,” Antonio explained. “He said to me, ‘The Holy Father sends you a gift and his congratulations.’”

Antonio has collected thousands of anecdotes during his 30 years in this profession. He recounts some of them in his book, “Il Calzolaio del Papa,” “The Pope’s Shoemaker.” In it, he shares the secrets that made his dream come true.

“Faith is big. Having faith is the most beautiful thing in life. It is life. Faith moves mountains. Having faith in God and trying to keep your head in the right place allows you to accomplish great things, but you always need to work—to work with love,” said Antonio. “Everything you do, do it for a good reason, not so much for money. Do it for a good cause, and then the money will come.”

Antonio runs his store a short distance away from the Vatican. His son, Daniel, helps him with his work.

They’re attentive, hard-working and detail-oriented. They have an unusual ability to connect with their customers, making them feel like family. Many consider them true shoe-making artists.

“When the shoe is ready, you take out the mold and look at it,” he said. “I just say, ‘Oh my gosh! It’s beautiful!’ I say to myself, ‘Great job, Antonio!’”

That same enthusiasm is what goes into each of his shoes, from the classics to the most colorful, those for important public figures to those he makes for daily use.

Hard work and passion are part of the small details he talks about in his book, “Il Calzolaio del Papa.” It’s currently available in Italian and will be translated into Spanish and English.

Democrats For Life’s Kristen Day Addresses the Growing Concerns of Pro-Life Democrats

Currents News Staff

Election Day is just about seven weeks away, but one group is concerned that their Democratic Party is alienating some Democratic voters because of one issue: abortion.

About 100 current and former Democratic lawmakers sent a letter in August to the Democratic Party’s platform committee urging them to moderate the party’s official position on abortion.

Executive Director of Democrats For Life, Kristen Day, joins Currents News to talk about how the Democratic Party can address the concerns of pro-life Democrats.

Brooklyn Auxiliary Bishop James Massa Is Installed as Rector of St. Joseph’s Seminary

By Emily Drooby

With a congratulatory hug and a round of applause, Brooklyn Auxiliary Bishop James Massa was officially installed as the twenty-second rector at St. Joseph’s Seminary and College.

Speaking at the installation to Currents News, Bishop Massa said, “It’s just a great feeling to be back here.”

He previously ministered at the school from 2012 to 2015. He taught and coordinated the merger, which was when the three downstate New York dioceses merged St. Joseph’s programs with those of the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Long Island.

“He was very instrumental in the architect, really, of the merger of the seminaries,” explained Brooklyn Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio. ‘So, it’s so wonderful that he’s going to be able to come back.”

Now that Bishop Massa is back, he’s already working on new goals.

“I was to continue to strengthen the bonds of connection between the seminarians and the local clergy. They need guidance and encouragement. So I would like to see those relationships grow,” he explained.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan called Bishop Massa the perfect person for this job.

“If you had a group of people sit down and describe the man you would want as the rector of the seminary…spiritual depth, an intimacy with the sacred art of priestly formation. A man with experience, a man who loves his priesthood and has immense pastoral experience. If you put that in a computer, guess whose name would come up: James Massa,” said Cardinal Dolan.

Seminarians agree with Cardinal Dolan.

“He’s down to earth, very humble, very caring and very spiritual, and those qualities are so good for our seminarians,” said Tobechukwu Offiah of Brooklyn.

Nine Brooklyn Diocese Priests Officially Monsignors After Pandemic Delayed Conferral

By Jessica Easthope

Nine Diocese of Brooklyn priests are making it official. They assumed the title of Monsignor in February, but their conferral ceremony is finally taking place at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn after being postponed for months due to the pandemic.

“There’s a certain excitement for me, it’s a recognition as your involvement in ministry is diminishing so it’s something nice,” said Monsignor John Gildea.

In 2014 Pope Francis changed the rules — now only priests who are 65 and older can become monsignors, the title symbolizing a life of service well-lived.

The new monsignors include Monsignor Richard Ahlemeyer, Monsignor Joseph Cunningham, Monsignor Edward Doran, Monsignor Casper Furnari, Monsignor John Gildea, Monsignor John Harrington, Monsignor William Hoppe, Monsignor Raymond Roden and Monsignor John Vesey.

“Only 10 percent of the number of priests in the diocese can be monsignors, so we have some restrictions that we didn’t have in the past, so it’s an even greater honor I think,” said Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio.

For each of the men their new titles means something different.

“I was relatively uncertain that I would ever be a monsignor but I guess at age 80 I’m entitled to it but it’s a nice thing recognizing years of service and contribution,” said Monsignor Edward Doran.

Monsignor Raymond Roden’s new future is making him think about the past.

“It reminds me most of all how much I loved the title Father. I also love being called Padre and Abba in the Jewish communities, I can’t think of anything more wonderful than being called Abba,” said Monsignor Roden.

Earlier this year, Monsignor Roden overcame a serious battle with coronavirus. He recently left his long-time home at Our Lady of Sorrows in Corona, Queens.

“I did the best I could at Our Lady of Sorrows, I gave it everything I had. It was time to move on, very clearly, and now I’m happy Father Manuel is the pastor there. I can go in peace as it were,” Monsignor Roden said.

Bishop DiMarzio says the new monsignors are an outstanding reflection of obedience and dedication.

“Each one of them was uniquely obedient to the requests they were given to do ministry, sometimes outside the country, outside the diocese, they really did do God’s will well,” said Bishop DiMarzio.

The monsignors are each continuing their service in different ways, but all have had a life well-lived.

Currents News full broadcast for Fri, 9/11/20 (Catholic news)

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

Some of the top stories on this newscast:

Today’s ceremony at Ground Zero – marking the 19th anniversary of the terror attacks on 9/11 – may have changed because of the pandemic, but the message is the same.

Brooklyn pastor and NYPD chaplain Msgr. Robert Romano was at Ground Zero on that fateful day and it lives with him every day – he’ll be here with his thoughts.

One woman’s mission to raise awareness after her husband’s death from COVID-19 as she remembers his heroic actions on 9/11.

We’ll tell you about the effort underway to make the annual Tribute in Lights an everlasting memorial.

Ground Zero on Sept. 11, 2001: NYPD Chaplain Msgr. Robert Romano Says Faith Helps New York Heal

Currents News Staff

One man who spent months at Ground Zero ministering to the first responders who and the families of September 11 victims was Monsignor Robert Romano.

The pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Brooklyn, Msgr. Romano, an NYPD chaplain, calls 9/11 the most significant event in his priestly life.

Two-thousand-nine hundred-and-seventy-seven people died that day, and countless others afterwards due to 9/11-related illnesses.

It’s been 19 years since that day, and people are still mourning. Remembrances in 2020 were very different from years’ past because of the coronavirus pandemic — no live readings of the names, or families holding pictures and telling their own stories.

Msgr. Romano joins Currents News to share his story and how faith helped us get through 9/11 back in 2001, and still is today.

Nineteen Years After 9/11, First Responder Couple Is Torn Apart by COVID-19

By Jessica Easthope

Victoria Burton’s husband Mike Hankins was one-of-a-kind.

“Mike was a gentleman, he had a very corny sense of humor, he liked to make people smile and laugh, he dedicated himself to serving others, he’s always been a mentor and a coach,” Victoria said.

As 9/11 first responders, Mike and Victoria were given the horrific task of identifying human remains from Ground Zero — Mike for the FDNY, Victoria for the NYPD’s Crime Scene Unit. That’s where the two met.

“With all the chaos, all the destruction, all the death, I found my soulmate,” Victoria said.

After serving the city of New York as a fire marshal for 25 years, Mike retired. It wasn’t until years later he would develop Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) and severe sleep apnea related to his work at Ground Zero.

“He was certified with the GERD as being attributed to 9/11 but he was in the process of having the sleep apnea attributed to that also but he passed away before it was completed,” said Victoria.

In March, Mike was diagnosed with COVID-19 and after a nearly month-long battle with the virus he died on April 2. Mike was gone in an instant and Victoria wasn’t able to say goodbye.

“My head was spinning. I had just spoken to him hours before, I could not believe the turn this had taken,” Victoria said.

Like many 9/11 survivors and first responders, Mike was registered with the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund and like those who also suffered from 9/11-related health issues, Mike was more susceptible to the deadly effects of the coronavirus.

“Nobody could have ever foreseen this to deal with this pandemic that puts these same 9/11 survivors in a different category. It’s dangerous for all of us, but for these people even more so. It’s heart wrenching,” said Richard Alles, a retired FDNY Chief who now serves as the Director of 9/11 Community Services for Barasch & McGarry Law Firm.

Barasch and McGarry represents 9/11 survivors. The firm has lost nearly 100 clients to COVID-19 and its lawyers are now making claims that the loved ones they left behind are owed.

“The widow or the family member would be entitled to hundreds of thousands of dollars for his pain and suffering or if he was still working, hundreds of thousands of dollars for his lost income,” said Michael Barasch, Managing Partner of the firm.

But for Victoria, you can’t put a price on Mike’s life.

“I would take absolutely nothing just to have him back here, that’s how important he was to us,” she said. “You could give me millions, it doesn’t replace him. Nothing could replace him.’

The way Victoria’s paying tribute to her heroic husband this year on 9/11? She’s raising awareness about COVID-19.

“People need to protect themselves and by wearing their masks, they’re protecting other people as well,” she explained. “I just want other people to know this is not a joke and people are dying, I don’t want him to be forgotten about.’

Nineteen years later her heartbreak has doubled, but Victoria’s mission is to make sure we never forget.