Currents News reports secular and religious news from the Catholic perspective.
Some of the top stories on this newscast:
When will school bells ring again for kids in the Diocese of Brooklyn? We now have an answer.
George Floyd’s family is still seeking justice and they’re taking new action to get it.
Black Catholic history – one school believes it’s a key way to fight racism, and it could even inspire young men to become priests.
By Emily Drooby
The staff of Brooklyn Jesuit Prep are packing up the school and preparing for their move from Crown Heights to East Flatbush. But a new home is not the only change in the works for the next academic year – the school is also planning a renewed emphasis on teaching Black Catholic history.
“We have done a decent job but I want to be able to do even more,” said Father Mario Powell, president of Brooklyn Jesuit Prep. “I want to be able to bring in story tellers that know this history for us to be able to pass that down to our students.”
Fr. Powell believes the best way to help his students shape the future is by teaching them more about the past.
“It is a story of oppression and racism, but it’s also a story of triumph, it’s a story of evangelization and I think Catholics both Black and White and Brown and everything in between should learn this history and I think it’s a part of who we are as a Church,” he said.
Fr. Powell is a former history teacher and for him, kids armed with historical knowledge are better equipped to fight against the sin of racism.
“When we become ignorant of it, we allow others to weaponize our ignorance,” he said. “That is simply, not beyond being good, it’s something that we can’t afford in this day and age.”
He points out that history also reveals the inspirational stories of heroes – like Father Augustus Tolton. The former slave – ordained as America’s first Black Catholic priest in 1886 – is now on the path to sainthood, thanks to Pope Francis.
“Which you would hope would lead to more vocations,” Fr. Powell added.
For Father Dwayne Davis, the pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Flatlands and administrator at Our Lady Help of Christians, he’s a student of history himself and mentors children in the Brooklyn Diocese.
“To learn that, you too, a Black man, can actually become a priest, it’s very interesting,” said Fr. Davis. “I find in the United States sometimes when I tell people I’m a priest, they don’t understand it, because the concept of a Black priest is almost non-existent. In a church typically, you can find Black Catholic priests more often than not here in the Diocese of Brooklyn.”
The diocese has more than 450 priests in Brooklyn and Queens. Forty-four – almost 10 percent of them – are Black.
Nationwide, there are almost 36,000 priests, with only 250 being African-American, or less than one percent.
Fr. Davis thinks a big way to get those numbers to go up is for kids today to understand the groundwork laid by Black Catholic leaders like Father Tolton.
“I definitely think our young people don’t know enough about Black Catholic history, and especially Black Catholic history in the United states,” he said.
By Emily Drooby
Catholic schools in the Diocese of Brooklyn are hoping in the fall – school will be in session, in person.
Thomas: “Our ultimate goal is really to have 100% reopening.”
Superintendent of Schools, Thomas Chadzutko is hoping to see students in September. He is teaming up with Joseph Esposito, the diocesan official responsible for opening churches and schools safely.
“We are pretty confident that we can open up on time with the most normal situation possible,” Esposito told Currents News.
Right now, the plan to have students in class this fall needs the okay from New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. He has said a decision about the state’s schools will be made the in first week of August
Esposito wants moms and dads to know there will be a lot of safety measures in place: hand sanitizing stations, enhanced cleaning, and health checks at all school entrances.
“I want them to feel very confident that we are going to do everything we can to keep their children safe,” he explained.
The goal is to have a normal Monday through Friday school week.
“Most of the schools have the room to social distance, to clean the schools,” Esposito said. “If there is more room needed, a lot of the schools have auditoriums and gyms and other areas they can use.”
But if that proves impossible, a blend of online learning at home and classroom time is being looked at, too.
“I think we really need to give parents hope,” Chadzutko added. “I think we need to give our teachers hope and say, “Let’s plan for full reopening and if we have to kick it down a notch to hybrid, I think that’s acceptable.”
The diocese is studying school reopenings in other countries – and are continually checking with their own medical experts for best practices. They’re promising to follow whatever guidelines the state lays out, but they’re also asking for help.
“I really would like to plead for the city and the state to not forget us when they’re giving out programs to their schools,” Chadzutko said.
By Jessica Easthope
A machine that rapidly sprays chemicals is what will keep parishioners safe as they return to church. Mike Nihill, the owner and operator of Germinator Mobile Sanitizing, guarantees it.
“We are out here performing our two-step process, which gives a 90-day guarantee on the church’s surfaces. We’ll be spraying our hypochlorous and our shield on the surfaces of the church to protect the parishioners and the community from any pathogens and COVID,” said Mike.
Germinator Mobile Sanitizing has been disinfecting churches in the Brooklyn Diocese. On July 15 the company took on the task at Our Lady of Angels in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.
“It’s very important for the community to know that our product will keep people safe and allow them to congregate safely in the church and give people the peace of mind that the area is safe,” Mike said.
Father Kevin Abels, the new Pastor of Our Lady of Angels, says his parishioners are doing everything they can to stop the spread of COVID-19. Now, he can say he’s doing the same.
“People are coming to celebrate Mass, they’re observing social distancing, they have their masks on and we want to assure them we’re taking every precaution so that people can come and worship God,” Fr. Kevin said.
The chemical being sprayed out of the machines is 1,000 times stronger than Purell. It’s completely organic, safe and smells pretty good.
“We believe this is a process that will help open up churches and secure the community during this troubling time of a pandemic,” said Mike.
Mike and Fr. Kevin are both graduates of Cathedral Preparatory School and Seminary in Elmhurst, Queens. Mike says doing this for churches at an affordable rate is his way of giving back to the diocese that’s already given him so much.
“My heart is in the Brooklyn Diocese, and I feel like this is one opportunity to give back to the Brooklyn Diocese. My company is helping keep people safe and get people back into churches,” he told Currents News
So far, Germinator has cleaned nearly 30 churches. In addition to the exclusive rate parishes are getting, pastors who refer Germinator to each other receive an additional 15 percent off sanitizing services.
Notre Dame Catholic Academy of Ridgewood’s Class of 2020 From NET TV Honors the Graduates of 2020. We all know that 2020 has been a challenging year but our elementary school graduating class has risen to the challenge. Many have faced personal hardship and loss in their families and all of them have needed to adapt to remote learning and distance from their friends. This program salutes their accomplishment and ensures this milestone moment of their graduation is recognized throughout the Diocese. Airing all summer long on NET TV! #Classof2020 #NotreDameCatholicAcademy
Good Shepherd Catholic Academy Class of 2020 from NET TV Honors the Graduates of 2020. We all know that 2020 has been a challenging year but our elementary school graduating class has risen to the challenge. Many have faced personal hardship and loss in their families and all of them have needed to adapt to remote learning and distance from their friends. This program salutes their accomplishment and ensures this milestone moment of their graduation is recognized throughout the Diocese. Airing all summer long on NET TV! #Classof2020 #GoodShepherd
St Kevins Catholic Academy Class of 2020 from NET TV Honors the Graduates of 2020. We all know that 2020 has been a challenging year but our elementary school graduating class has risen to the challenge. Many have faced personal hardship and loss in their families and all of them have needed to adapt to remote learning and distance from their friends. This program salutes their accomplishment and ensures this milestone moment of their graduation is recognized throughout the Diocese. Airing all summer long on NET TV! #Classof2020 #StKevins
Our Lady of Hope Class of 2020 from NET TV Honors the Graduates of 2020. We all know that 2020 has been a challenging year but our elementary school graduating class has risen to the challenge. Many have faced personal hardship and loss in their families and all of them have needed to adapt to remote learning and distance from their friends. This program salutes their accomplishment and ensures this milestone moment of their graduation is recognized throughout the Diocese. Airing all summer long on NET TV! #Classof2020 #OurLadyofHope
Blessed Sacrament Catholic Academy Class of 2020 From NET TV Honors the Graduates of 2020. We all know that 2020 has been a challenging year but our elementary school graduating class has risen to the challenge. Many have faced personal hardship and loss in their families and all of them have needed to adapt to remote learning and distance from their friends. This program salutes their accomplishment and ensures this milestone moment of their graduation is recognized throughout the Diocese. Airing all summer long on NET TV! #Classof2020 #BlessedSacrament
Currents News Staff
Auxiliary Bishop James Massa will now be the new rector at St. Joseph’s Seminary in Dunwoodie, New York. Bishop Massa joins Currents News to talk about his new role in the Archdiocese of New York and what that means for the young men answering their call to the priesthood.