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.

NY’s SOMOS Community Care Is Traveling the U.S. to Help Underserved Communities Get COVID Testing

By Emily Drooby

When the coronavirus pandemic hit New York in March 2020, one dedicated team of experts from SOMOS Community Care quickly took charge to help the highly affected Latino and African American communities.

Now, SOMOS, a network of physicians committed to helping immigrant communities, has been sharing its healthcare model, expertise and altruism with other areas of the United States.

“As an expression of gratitude for states having collaborated with New York at the beginning of the pandemic, Gov. Cuomo asked us to send qualified personnel to Texas, Florida, Arizona, Georgia,” said Mario Paredes, the CEO of SOMOS Community Care.

In many of these areas, their help was much needed.

“There, we found a lack of access to healthcare services, in this case, testing. Information on education — on how to behave at home, what to do with the kids, grandparents — doesn’t exist, or is very limited,’ explained Dr. Ramon Tallaj, the Founder of SOMOS Community Care.

“That’s why we have this problem, that so many people are getting infected in these places: because people haven’t been educated about the situation, as they were in New York, for example, where we were at the forefront from the beginning,’ he added.

In Houston, Texas, where a significant part of the population is comprised of Latinos and African Americans, SOMOS set up walk-in clinics. There, they treated over 3,500 patients, many of whom had been struggling to even make appointments for testing.

“They were happy to come in and happy to see people that will speak their language, that won’t ask for an I.D., that were welcoming them into the centers,” said Dr. Yomaris Peña of SOMOS Community Care. “So, it was very amazing to bring this opportunity to these states, and they were extremely grateful.”

Medical personnel have also provided health services in Florida, in cities like St. Petersburg, Tampa and Miami Lakes, as well as in Savannah, Georgia, where many undocumented immigrants have trouble accessing the healthcare system.

“At each of the sites, we have anywhere between three and five staff members that help on a daily basis with setup of testing, with registration, handling of the samples, obtaining the samples, making sure they reach the lab, and then calling every single patient with their lab results, regardless of them being negative or positive,” said Dr. Jacqueline Delmont, the Chief Medical Officer of SOMOS Innovation.

The SOMOS healthcare model during the coronavirus pandemic is multifaceted. All services are provided free of charge, in keeping with the altruistic spirit of the organization.

SOMOS has also been working with the Catholic Church to distribute meals. It has even set up a call center in three languages for those in need of information during the pandemic.

Currents News full broadcast for Thurs, 9/10/20 (Catholic news)

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

Some of the top stories on this newscast:

President Trump is admitting he downplayed the dangers of the coronavirus.

A monsignor tests positive for COVID – now parishioners are urged to quarantine and get tested.

How the Catholic Church is helping evacuees from the wildfires out west.

President of the Pakistani Christian Association Recounts Witnessing Rise of Christian Persecution

Currents News Staff

Pakistan’s Christians, like other religious minorities in the country, have been the target of escalated attacks in recent years – from accusations of blasphemy, bomb blasts and church attacks.

William Shaazad, president of the Pakistani Christian Association of USA, lived in Pakistan. He joins Currents News to discuss details about the country’s history of Christian persecution.

Brooklyn Diocese Catholics Stand in Solidarity at St. Peter Claver Feast Day Mass for Racial Justice

Father Alonzo Cox gave an impassioned homily at the Mass for racial justice and solidarity Sept. 9 at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn.

“We are dying and our cries are going unheard, until today,” he said.

Fr. Cox, who serves as the Director of Ministry to African American Catholics in the Brooklyn Diocese, spoke of the Church’s plan to overcome “America’s original sin’: racism.”There’s so much more that unites us than divides us, and we pray today for all of us to come together as one body, one spirit, one Church,” he said.

The Mass was held on the feast day of St. Peter Claver. He was known as “the slave of the slaves” for his ministry to Africans during the slave trade in Colombia. He baptized more than 300,000 people, and is remembered for his vision of unity.

“He was known for his humility, his simplicity, his spirit of sharing and his devotion and really his sorrow regarding the faith made true for slaves,” said Bishop Guy Sansaricq.

Auxiliary Bishop Neil Tiedemann celebrated the Mass, and says every Catholic can take the first step in bridging the racial divide by looking inward. ‘where have I been racist in my attitude and in my thoughts and in the way I judge others,” he said, “so at this time, I think that is important.’

Those who attended the Mass say they’re turning to God and the Church for guidance on how to navigate the racial unrest of our day.

“I think it’s important to hear what the Church has to say about racism, and what the Church plans to do about it, and it’s important to support the Church going forward,” said Andrea Espinoza, who attended the Mass with her fiancé.

“This year has brought so much turmoil and chaos and pain, and I continue to lean on my faith and on the Church and I’m hoping to see more of what the Church can do for myself and for my fellow brothers and sisters,” said Marsha Prosper, who also attended the Mass.

Fr. Cox urged the only way out of the darkness of racism is to turn to Jesus, the light of the world.

St. Francis College Sees Spike in Nursing School Applications During COVID-19 Pandemic

By Emily Drooby

Nurses have been on the frontlines of the pandemic. Their fight has inspired their patients to stay strong, inspired people to donate food to medical workers, and even inspired a nightly applause throughout New York City.

Now, nurses are inspiring students to get into the field.

“We’ve seen incredible growth in the number of applicants to our nursing program,” said Robert Oliva, the director of recruitment at St. Francis College.

The college went from 450 nursing applications last year, to 850 this year. Robert said that seeing healthcare workers during the pandemic has had a strong influence on many students.

“I think there are more and more people who really want to make a difference in the world and in particular in the field of nursing, and they know they can do that right here at St. Francis College,” he told Currents News.

Naleeni Ramgulam is among them. The freshman nursing student has always wanted to help people, and for her, the pandemic solidified that.

“I’ve seen how it affected my family personally with corona, other families, it’s very devastating,’ she explained.

Incoming freshman Francesca Parisi feels the same.

“The fact that people are out there right now helping others in such a hard time honestly motivates me even more, because if we can deal with a pandemic like this, then we can deal with anything,” Francesca said.

She’s also inspired by her mother, who works in the medical field. Francesca always wanted to go to nursing school, but was unable to.

Nursing schools across the country, including Toro College in New York and Villanova in Pennsylvania have also noticed the uptick.

Robert Oliva said many students pick their school because they have a top-notch nursing program. They let Currents News tour their fully equipped nursing labs.

“I was like ‘Wow, this is where I’m going to learn what type of nursing I want to do,’” Francesca said. “The fact that they have all this advanced technology to learn that, I just think is amazing.”

The influx of applications is a small silver lining in a very dark year. More people are inspired to help others, which isn’t just an essential part of being a nurse — it’s an essential part of being Catholic.

An Inside Look at the First Day of School in the Brooklyn Diocese

Currents News Staff

Sept. 9 marked the first day of school in the Brooklyn Diocese.

New York City public schools delayed their reopening, and there were some public school buildings that remained closed Sept. 8 due to ventilation issues.

Meanwhile, the Brooklyn Diocese has been taking precautions to prevent those issues in the Catholic academies.

In terms of what the city’s department of education provides to the diocese, have these delays had any effect on Brooklyn and Queens Catholic schools?

To discuss students returning to school during the coronavirus pandemic is the Brooklyn Diocese Superintendent of Schools for the Brooklyn Diocese, Tom Chadzutko.

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

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

Some of the top stories on this newscast:

Right now, there is 100 percent in-person learning for many Catholic schools in the Brooklyn Diocese as they reopened today for the first time in months.

New safety protocols — social distancing markers in place, masks are mandatory for everyone.

New York City delayed the opening of its public schools, but Catholic school teachers have gone through rigorous training and are prepared to be back in class.

Parents have extensive information on what their children can expect, and are comfortable with the classrooms.

Tonight, we are back to school on Current News.

For Il Bacco’s Ongoing $2B Lawsuit on NY Indoor Dining, Cuomo’s Move to Open Restaurants Is Too Late

By Jessica Easthope

The usually booming dining room at Il Bacco Ristorante in Little Neck, Queens has been empty for six months.

Owner and Operations Manager, Tina Maria Oppedisano says her family’s successful Italian restaurant is a ghost of what it once was.

“We’ll still have a decent amount of tables, with 50 percent capacity, even 25 I guess,” Tina Maria said, looking at the desolate space.

While anxiously awaiting the future, Tina Maria can’t help but focus on the past. The pandemic cost the restaurant more than just customers and money, it lost a big part of New York City culture.

“It’s part of the whole fun, you come into a restaurant that’s packed you have to wait 30, 45 minutes for a table, you have a drink at the bar, meet people, socialize — it’s part of the whole fun of restaurants,” she explained.

On Sept. 9, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that indoor dining can resume at 25 percent capacity by September 30. But after watching restaurants a block away open months ago, Il Bacco launched a $2B lawsuit against the state.

“We are located 500 feet from Nassau, they’ve been allowed indoor dining, and we haven’t since June 22. It’s a constant reminder,“ said Tina Maria.

The astronomical figure wasn’t just meant to light a fire under state lawmakers — it reflects a harsh reality.

“We’re here, we’re making a stance, we’re angry,” she told Currents News. “When I think about the total revenue loss just in Bacco alone in the past six months, a restaurant of our size, you take us, times it by X amount of thousands of restaurants in the five boroughs, and then over six months, it actually makes a lot of sense, 2 billion dollars,” she said.

But the new number that’s making restaurant owners shake is 63.6. That’s the percentage of restaurants predicted to close by the end of the year, according to a new survey from the New York State Restaurant Association.

“Even if they are allowed to open indoor dining they may not survive because everything’s backed up,” Tina Maria said.

Tina Maria says Il Bacco will continue to fight for all the restaurants who were forced to close their doors during the pandemic, and those who might still have to.