Brooklyn Cancer Survivor Beats Disease Twice, Finds Strength in St. Sharbel’s Grace

By Katie Vasquez

Christopher Safi can laugh and smile now, but there was a moment he didn’t expect to make it this far.

At just 14 months old he was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a rare pediatric cancer in his kidney. Then, at four years old, doctors found a cancerous tumor in the back of his neck.

“Doctors tried their best, but they wasn’t expecting me to have the outcome that I that I have today,” said Safi. “I was in very critical condition.”

The Brooklyn resident thought his days in the hospital were over at the age of six when he was cleared.

But years later he was back when the tumor returned, eventually having brain surgery in 2019 at the age of 17.

“Life is limited and just do what you love,” said Safi.

As he recovered he leaned on his faith to get through.

“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for St. Sharbel,” said Safi. “He’s been or he’s been on my side since day one of diagnosis. I go and I thank him. and every time I’m walking around everyday he’s always in my pocket protecting me.”

Christopher is a parishioner and altar server at Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Cathedral in Brooklyn Heights.

The rector says his life journey can be a lesson to others.

“I think his resiliency is speaks speaks volumes to the people,” said Father Dominique Hanna, the rector of Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Cathedral. “I’m sure they would look at Chris and say you know he’s doing all that and we are kind of not suffering from anything and we can’t do probably half of what he does.”

The 21 year old says his experience pushed him to help others which is why he started Little Golden Light, a non profit that helps pediatric cancer patients.

“God has a plan for everybody,” said Safi. “I think my path is to focus on helping the children, helping the families.”

He also has another reason to be happy, a clean bill of health.

“I think you just got to stay in there, have faith, trust god,” Safi added.

If you want to learn more about Christopher’s organization you can visit its website: Little Golden Light

Catholic News Headlines for Wednesday 8/7/2024

A young Brooklyn man has overcome cancer twice by the age of 21. Meet Christopher Safi, who spent much of his childhood in hospitals, battling the disease.

The Eucharistic Revival is entering a new phase. After the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, the campaign announces we are now in a Year of Mission. Catholics are being called to spread the movement and ignite their communities with Eucharistic love.

Pope Francis is back to holding his general audiences after a July break. He focused on the role of the Holy Spirit, emphasizing that without it, the Church can’t move forward, grow, or preach.

This is a remarkable story from Spain: a young girl named Jimena, who had nearly lost her sight, claims she was cured a year ago during World Youth Day. She regained her vision after receiving communion and praying at Fatima. Now, she’s heading to Rome to share her story of faith.

From Blindness to Vision: Young Woman Travels to Rome to Thank Our Lady

It has been one year since Our Lady of the Snows worked an alleged miracle for a young Spanish girl. Jimena had lost 95% of her sight and was already reading Braille. But at a Mass during World Youth Day in Lisbon, she unexpectedly regained her sight.

“After receiving Communion, I went to the pew. I started crying a lot because it was the last day of the novena and I wanted to be cured,” Jimena said. “I begged God a lot. And then, when I opened my eyes, I could see perfectly. It was overwhelming.”

This deed of Our Lady even caught the attention of Pope Francis. Jimena then traveled to Rome to visit the Pope at Casa Santa Marta.

The young woman’s family says Pope Francis encouraged them to go on a pilgrimage to St. Mary Major Basilica and spread their devotion. As soon as the Archpriest of the Basilica heard what had happened, he contacted them and invited the family to visit the Roman church.

“This family was truly touched by this special grace,” said ABP. Rolandas Makrickas
Coadjutor Archpriest, St. Mary Major. “They also wanted to thank the Blessed Mother in this very shrine. Last year, they came at the end of December. They met the Holy Father and, afterwards, they participated in a Mass in this basilica. I got to know this family and we were able to share their experiences, which was very touching.”

And the family did what the Pope recommended: on August 5 they went to St. Mary Major, where they witnessed what is known as the “miracle of the snow.” It was the first time that Pope Francis visited the basilica on this special day.

United in Mission: The Bridge to Life and Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens Collaborate to Serve Families in Need

By Jessica Easthope

Another day, another shipment. Dust doesn’t have a chance to settle on these boxes at the Monsignor Joseph Pfeiffer Resource Center because somewhere, someone needs what’s inside of them.

Francesca Yellico, the Executive Director of The Bridge to Life, is focused more on where it’s going than where it came from.

“At the end of the day, it’s not about, oh, The Bridge to Life did this. Oh, Catholic Charities did that. It’s we, we did this,” Yellico said. “We are working together.”

The Bridge to Life and Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens are now sharing clothes for all ages, personal hygiene items, essentials, and food.

It happened by accident late last year. The Bridge to Life got a massive shipment they couldn’t store, but CCBQ opened their doors, and they’ve been open ever since.

“And little did I know, like that was the start of it,” Yellico said.

“Now we’re able to take in donations that can go out into the community,” said Richard Slizeski, Senior Vice President of Mission at CCBQ. “Our goal is always to empty this place, not to just kind of gather stuff, but it’s to go out into different places that it’s needed.”

Slizeski said there’s no competition when it comes to the work they do.

“In society, we’ve become very divisive,” Slizeski said. “If we’re about serving the people of God, this division really shouldn’t be there. It’s about taking care of God’s people.”

Debbie Hampson, CCBQ’s Senior Director of Community Outreach Services, oversees what comes in and goes out of the Howard Beach warehouse. She says this is where CCBQ and Bridge to Life’s missions become one.

“The need continues to grow and grow and grow. But now we actually have physical things to give them,” Hampson said. “And it just keeps coming, and we’re especially grateful for our partnership with Bridge to Life.”

This collaboration has shaped the future of these two organizations. With every box and every donation, they’re meeting the need with faith.

“It’s just such a wonderful, wonderful collaboration,” Yellico said. “You see the hand of God in every single one of these encounters.”

“The mission of it is best accomplished not trying to go solo because there’s just too much to be done,” Slizeski said. “And so, we need each other.”

“It’s an absolute win-win. And it’s God’s work, our hands,” Hampson said.

The Bridge to Life serves more than 5,000 women and children every year, and Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens reports hundreds of thousands of clients.

According to the research, emergency contraceptions made up almost 30 percent of all unsupervised abortions in 2023, chemical abortions made up about 24%, and a scary number to report, almost 22% of women tried to abort their babies by hitting themselves in the stomach.

Catholic News Headlines for Tuesday 8/6/2024

New data reveals a rise in unsupervised abortions, with more women turning to chemical abortion pills.

Catholic Charities and The Bridge to Life unite to support mothers in a new shared space.

Louisiana classrooms will soon display Ten Commandments posters featuring figures like Mike Johnson, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Lin-Manuel Miranda.

A Texas Catholic school empowers special needs students, featuring a unique business born from a student club.

Holy See “Saddened” By Olympic Opening Ceremony

The Holy See has joined the chorus of outrage over the Olympics’ opening ceremony.

The Vatican says it was saddened by certain scenes during the event but did not specifically identify the part of the performance that offended Christians, when drag performers were seated at a table in a scene that reminded people of Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper.

The Vatican said it ‘deplored the offense’ to many Christians and believers of other religions.

New Archbishop of Boston: Bishop Richard Henning to Replace Cardinal Sean O’Malley

PROSPECT HEIGHTS — Bishop Richard Henning, a Rockville Centre native who until last year spent the entirety of his priesthood career in New York, has been tapped by Pope Francis to take over one of America’s largest archdioceses.

The Vatican announced on August 5 that now-Archbishop-elect Henning will succeed Cardinal Seán O’Malley in the Archdiocese of Boston. Cardinal O’Malley, 80, has led the Archdiocese of Boston for 20 years, and is a global leader on clergy sex abuse issues.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York said he got to know Bishop Henning when he was an auxiliary bishop in the Diocese of Rockville Centre, and commended Pope Francis’ decision to have him take over the Archdiocese of Boston.

“The Holy Father has chosen well in appointing Long Island native, Bishop Richard Henning, an outstanding priest and bishop, as the next Archbishop of Boston!,” Cardinal Dolan said in a statement. “I got to know Bishop Henning well during his years as an auxiliary bishop in the Diocese of Rockville Centre, where the bishops of New York State relied on his wise counsel and pastoral insights. I am sure that the faithful people of Providence will miss him deeply.”

“Congratulations to Bishop Richard Henning on his appointment by Pope Francis to serve as the next Archbishop of Boston. Bishop Henning has been a good friend since our days as students at St. John’s University,” said Bishop Robert Brennan.

“He is also well known by priests here in Brooklyn and Queens having taught Sacred Scripture at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception and St. Joseph’s Seminary. Additionally, he was the founding director of the Sacred Heart Institute for the ongoing formation of priests from Brooklyn, New York, and Rockville Centre.

“While I am sure the Catholic community of Rhode Island will miss him, he will be a blessing to the Church in Boston, building on the great work of Cardinal O’Malley. At the same time, he will be an important voice for the Church in the United States,” Bishop Brennan added.

Bishop Henning, 59, was born and raised in Rockville Centre. He holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree from St. John’s University in Queens, and received his training for the priesthood at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington.

After his ordination in 1992, he spent five years as an associate pastor at the Church of St. Peter Alcantara in Port Washington. Bishop Henning was then assigned to post-graduate studies in Washington, D.C., and Rome. Upon his return, he joined the faculty at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception, teaching scripture.

Then in 2012, Bishop Henning was chosen by the Dioceses of Rockville Centre and Brooklyn, and Archdiocese of New York, to lead the seminary through its transition to the largest retreat house in the Northeast. The Ordinaries of those dioceses also charged him to establish and lead the Sacred Heart Institute for the ongoing formation of Catholic priests and deacons.

Six years later, in 2018, Pope Francis appointed Bishop Henning as an auxiliary bishop in the Diocese of Rockville Centre, where he served as a regional Vicar and later as the Vicar for Clergy and Pastoral Planning. Then, last May, Bishop Henning took over as the Bishop of the Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island — his first appointment outside of New York.

The Diocese of Rockville Centre, in a statement, said Bishop Henning is “a creative and pastoral evangelizer, a biblical theologian and teacher, and a seminary formator with great pastoral experience and a deep love for the Hispanic community in the United States.”

“As a son of Long Island and the Diocese of Rockville Centre, we take a humble pride in Bishop Henning’s…mission spirit, love for the poor and all those who carry the Cross of Christ,” the diocese said. “Bishop Henning’s commitment to global evangelization illustrates how a care for the global mission of the Church makes us more effective evangelizers in our local parishes and dioceses. Bishop Henning is a fine pastor and biblical theologian.”

WIth the appointment to the Archdiocese of Boston, Bishop Henning also becomes a metropolitan archbishop of that region, with direct authority over Boston and an indirect supervisory role over six other dioceses in Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. The Archdiocese of Boston is America’s fourth largest diocese with approximately 1.8 million Catholics, according to figures from the archdiocese.

A Capuchin Franciscan, O’Malley has served as the Archbishop of Boston since 2003, and is a close ally of Pope Francis. He is well known for his work with and advocacy on behalf of migrants and the impoverished, as well as his efforts to advance child protection globally. Cardinal O’Malley has led the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors since 2014.

Cardinal O’Malley took over the Archdiocese of Boston following the fallout of the clergy sexual abuse scandals in the archdiocese, which garnered national coverage and led to significant reforms of the national church’s child protection policies.

In his statement congratulating Bishop Henning, Cardinal Dolan also thanked Cardinal O’Malley.

“I must share a word of gratitude to my brother, Cardinal Seán O’Malley, as he begins his well-earned retirement from his role as Archbishop of Boston,” Cardinal Dolan said. “For decades he has been a leader for the Church in the United States, and I know that we can look forward to his continued presence with us, as he continues his loving service to Jesus and His Church.”

29 Students From Xavier High School Go On Mission Trip to Work On a Maryland Farm

More than two dozen teens from Xavier High School are going on a mission trip to strengthen their faith.

29 students kicked off their four-day trip to Maryland on Monday, August 5.

The incoming sophomores will visit First Fruits Farm and live off the grid while they harvest produce for local soup kitchens and food banks.

The trip is an opportunity for prayer and reflection for students committed to deepening their faith.

This trip is part of the school’s Companions of St. Francis Xavier Service and Immersion Program.

It allows students to gain a deeper understanding of the world while using their gifts of service for others.

Adoration Chapel Renovated Through Scout’s Summer Project

By Katie Vasquez

A parish that prays together and paints together.

About 40 people at Our Lady of Grace Church in Gravesend have donated their time to give this adoration chapel a makeover.

“At least 20 years, 20, 25 years, it hasn’t been really improved upon,” said the Our Lady of Grace Church pastor, Father Guy Sbordone.

It’s a popular spot for the Brooklyn parish with hundreds coming in every month to pray before the blessed sacrament.

“302 people were here for the month of November 2023. So that’s a huge number to come in every day,” said Our Lady of Grace parishioner, Mary Ann De Luca.

But after decades of use, parishioner Mary Ann De Luca, noticed the chapel was starting to get into disrepair and suggested Troop 376 Scout Joseph Rotondi bring new life into the sacred space.

“There’s some issues on the floor. We’re going to put new tiles in. The lights, we just changed the light bulbs. but it was very dark in here for a very long time,” said Rotondi. “We also gave it a fresh coat of paint, of course.”

Joseph is taking on the job for his leadership project, a task which would elevate him to an Eagle Scout.

“Any project that serves the community, you have to carry it out, plan it,” said Rotondi.

His part of the project is to lead.

“You’re not even supposed to, like, touch like, you know, actual work,” said Rotondi.

And even his parents say Joseph can be a tough boss.

“He fired me three times yesterday,” said Joseph’s father, Anthony Rotondi.

Everyone agrees he has brought the volunteers together and transformed the space.

“He just tackles anything and he gives everything 150 percent,” said Joseph’s mother, Nicoleta Rotondi.

“He’s done a great job delegating responsibility and roles. He knows people well. He knows what they’re good at, what they’re sort of, what they do better, in a sense. So he knows what roles to give certain people,” said volunteer, Colin Thompson.

But as fun as it was to paint together, Joseph is most excited for his parish to pray here together again.

“They’re really devoted, I’ve seen people that come every day here and they stay for a half an hour or 45 minutes and pray here, which is really, really amazing that they devote so much time to the Eucharist,” said Rotondi. “It’s great that they’re working together and we’re completing this project. It feels great.”

There’s still a lot of work to be done here so the adoration chapel will be closed for a week until it’s all finished.

Bishop Brennan Celebrates Mass With Staffers and Players Ahead of Game at Citi Field

Bishop Robert Brennan helped staffers at Citi Field pray for a win more than a week ago.

The shepherd of the Diocese of Brooklyn celebrated Mass before the Mets played the Atlanta Braves on July 28th.

Mets chaplain Monsignor Thomas Machalski normally celebrates the liturgy for the Catholic players and staff ahead of every Sunday home game, but that Sunday, Bishop Brennan got up to bat.

While the Mets may have lost the game, as a lifelong fan, Bishop Brennan said he was grateful for the opportunity and still has faith in his team.