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Three Immigrants Ordained as Transitional Deacons in the Diocese of Brooklyn

By Emily Drooby and Paula Katinas

The Diocese of Brooklyn, which has a large immigrant population, now has three new transitional deacons who themselves are immigrants and can speak to the experience of newcomers to the U.S.

Transitional deacons are men who are on their way toward becoming priests.

The three men took a big step toward fulfilling their dreams of becoming priests when they were ordained as transitional deacons at a Rite of Ordination Mass at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph in Prospect Heights on July 11.

The new transitional deacons are Robinson Olivares, 47, a native of the Dominican Republic; Elvin Torres, 35, also of the Dominican Republic; and Joseph Hung Sy Tran, 38, who was born and raised in Vietnam. The celebration was an important milestone for the three men on their faith journeys to the priesthood. They are expected to be ordained into the priesthood next year.

Auxiliary Bishop James Massa celebrated the Mass, which drew a sizable crowd at the co-cathedral that still fell within New York State’s 25 percent capacity restriction in religious gatherings.

“You’ve traveled a long way on your journey to get to this moment,” Bishop Massa told the new transitional deacons. The bishop also spoke of how fitting it was that the Diocese of Brooklyn, which he called a “Diocese of Immigrants,” has many foreign-born members of the clergy.

Bishop Massa announced at the Mass that Deacon Olivares would be assigned to serve at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Church, Bayside. Deacon Torres will be serving at St. Ephrem Church, Dyker Heights and Deacon Jung Sy Tran will be working at St. Agatha Church, Sunset Park.

Despite changes brought about by the coronavirus pandemic, the Mass was filled with traditional elements and deeply moving moments.

Bishop Massa urged the new deacons to use their personal experiences in their ministry and to also incorporate contemporary culture “in delivering a message to the faithful.”

He also encouraged them to “use the precious time leading up to the priesthood” to open themselves up to God’s healing power.

“Offer up your deepest fears, your most embarrassing faults,” Bishop Massa said, adding that they could “serve as a witness to God’s saving power in your own lives.”

In a highlight of the Mass, the new deacons lay on the altar as the Litany of the Saints was recited in song. The men also received their vestments.

Prior to the Mass, the new deacons appeared relaxed but excited about the day ahead as they stood outside the rectory of the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph on Pacific Street and watched as the early arrivals filed into the cathedral.

Deacon Olivares worked as a computer support technician for 20 years before entering the Saint Pope John XIII Seminary. “I had a regular life. I had a girlfriend. But I always felt deep in my heart that something was missing,” he told The Tablet. His life changed at a religious retreat he attended. He recalled experiencing “a loving encounter with the Lord” at the retreat. A short time later, he realized that he was being called to the priesthood.

Deacon Torres heard the calling at a young age.

“I’ve wanted to be a priest since I was seven or eight years old. I knew I remember going to Mass with my family as a little boy and seeing the priest at the altar. I loved the reverence he had and I remember the special feeling I had when I saw that,” Deacon Torres said.

Years later, he earned a degree in philosophy and was a teacher “but something was missing,” he said. He realized that he wanted a closer relationship with Jesus Christ.

Deacon Hung Sy Tran is one of 10 children: “I’m sixth!” he told The Tablet.

There is a sizable Catholic community in Vietnam, despite the fact that it is a Communist country, according to Hung Sy Tran, who said he and his siblings spent much of their time volunteering for charity organizations sponsored by the Catholic church.

“I’ve always had a strong sense of the power of God in my life,” he said. “I have always wanted to serve God and to serve the people of God.”

In an interview prior to the Mass, Bishop Massa said he admired the courage the new immigrant deacons. “They’ve left so much behind,” he said.

When asked if he had advice for them, the bishop focused on the basics. “They have to be men of prayer. Their teaching has to come from their experience,” he said.

Currents News full broadcast for Fri, 7/10/20 (Catholic news)

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

Some of the top stories on this newscast:

Mass is back in the Brooklyn Diocese – for the first time in months, parishioners will be able pray together as one universal church.

A pastor says goodbye to Brooklyn and hello to New Jersey – Bishop Kevin Sweeney’s installation, coming up.

A priest takes over a parish after it’s pastor falls victim to COVID.

Currents News full broadcast for Thurs, 7/9/20 (Catholic news)

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

Some of the top stories on this newscast:

Catholic schools in New York are taking a big hit as the coronavirus crisis ravages our daily lives.

President Trump wants to keep his tax returns secret.  The Supreme Court has decided if he can.

Painting day on Fifth Avenue – right outside the Trump Tower.

Declining Enrollment and Lack of Funding Force More Catholic School Closures in Italy, U.S.

By Melissa Butz

Permanently empty classrooms are the new reality for at least 98 Catholic schools in the United States, closing because of coronavirus. A decline in enrollment is to blame. 

With the COVID-19 pandemic still spreading in the U.S., the number of students who can no longer afford a Catholic education could rise. The outbreak has destroyed millions of American jobs. In many cases, parents can’t pay their kids’ tuition, which averages about $5,000 for elementary schools and $12,000 for secondary education.

The National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) is warning that without help from the government, the challenges facing Catholic education will get worse.

“Many middle income families are no longer able to afford the tuition,” said Dale McDonald, educational research director at NCEA. “In the United States, there is no government assistance for operating religious and private schools. Education dollars, supported by the public, go only to public schools.”

While Catholic schools are facing big challenges across the U.S., here in Italy there’s also trouble. 

Father Jesus Parreno, the director of Highlands Institute, a Catholic school in Rome, says so far this year, 66 Italian Catholic schools have closed.

“It’s a very delicate situation for schools that want to stay open and don’t want to close,” said Fr. Parreno. “We would like to give more economic support to families, but it’s just not possible.”

He recalled that throughout history, Catholics have provided an education full of rigor, diversity, service programs, sports and most of all faith. 

As a priest and private school director, Fr. Parreno said Catholic school closures and a resulting lack in faith formation could have lasting negative effects for upcoming generations and the Church at large.

In the U.S., for the past 10 years, enrollment has decreased by 18 percent in private schools just like the Catholic school in Rome. In fact, more than 1,100 of these schools had to either close or combine with other ones. Only 244 new private schools were created in that time. 

Six Catholic Academies to Close in Brooklyn Diocese, Citing Financial Strain From Pandemic

By Emily Drooby and Paula Katinas

WINDSOR TERRACE – In a harmful blow to Catholic education, six schools in Brooklyn and Queens will be closing their doors forever, the Diocese of Brooklyn announced on July 9.

The six schools had been facing financial difficulties for several years, but diocesan officials said the coronavirus pandemic, which stopped the U.S. economy in its tracks and left millions of Americans out of work, was the straw that broke the camel’s back and led to the painful decision to close.

The six schools are Holy Trinity Catholic Academy in Whitestone, St. Mel’s Catholic Academy in Flushing, Our Lady of Grace Catholic Academy in Howard Beach, Our Lady’s Catholic Academy in South Ozone Park, Queen of the Rosary Catholic Academy in East Williamsburg and St. Gregory the Great Catholic Academy in Flatbush.

“This is an incredibly sad day for our Catholic community to have to close these schools, but the devastation caused by the coronavirus pandemic is insurmountable,” said Thomas Chadzutko, Ed.D., superintendent of schools. “The difficult decisions come after the intense analysis of the financial picture of each academy.”

The financial picture was bleak at the six schools.

Collectively, the schools have seen a decline of enrollment over the last five years, according to diocesan officials, who said registration totals for the upcoming school year were down significantly. Officials pointed to massive unemployment and the loss of business resulting from the pandemic as the main reason for the financial problems in the schools.

More than $630,000 in tuition bills for 2019-2020 school year remains outstanding at the six schools, officials said.

Three of the schools — Our Lady’s Catholic Academy, Queen of the Rosary Catholic Academy and St. Gregory the Great Catholic Academy — were established within the past 11 years.

St. Mel’s Catholic Academy opened in 1960 and educated generations of students.

Steps will be taken to ease the transition for students, officials said. Online informational meetings will be held for parents at the academies scheduled to close and administrators and personnel from neighboring Catholic academies will be available to answer questions from parents.

On the same day the Diocese of Brooklyn delivered the news that it was shuttering six of its schools, the Archdiocese of New York announced it was closing 20 schools.

“Children are always the most innocent victims of any crisis, and this COVID-19 pandemic is no exception,” said Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York. “Too many have lost parents and grandparents to this insidious virus, and now thousands will not see their beloved school again.

“I’ve kept a hopeful eye on our schools throughout this saga and my prayers are with all of the children and their families who will be affected by this sad news.”

“This is a very sad time for Catholic education,” Chadzutko said, noting the planned closures of schools “on both sides of the river.”

The pandemic hastened the end for the financially troubled schools, he said. “When you have weak schools, when a crisis hits, they get weaker,” he said.

But other forces are also at play, according to Father Joseph Gibino, pastor of Holy Trinity Parish, which is losing its school.

Families, including Catholic families, are tired of the high cost of living in New York City and are fleeing, he said. Property values in Whitestone, like other neighborhoods, are high. “It is very expensive to live in our neighborhood,” he told Currents News, adding that many Catholic parents are looking to public education as a result. “Tuition may be prohibitive,” he said.

It’s a shame, Father Gibino said. “Catholic education is one of the hallmarks of our faith,” he said.

Parents at one school, Queen of the Rosary Catholic Academy, have indicated that they plan to put up a fight to keep their school open.

Parents and supporters organized a petition drive on change.org in an effort to keep the doors open. Within a few hours of posting the petition, more than 250 signatures had been collected.

“We innately feel such an aggressive life change for all QOR students will deeply affect their mental and emotional wellbeing, and while we respectfully feel gratitude for the roundup of alleged resources to help with sourcing a new school, we in no way feel confident this help will span the magnitude of what will truly be needed,” the petition reads in part.

The Diocese of Brooklyn temporarily closed all of its schools on March 20 in an effort to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The schools remained closed for the rest of the term and remote learning programs were put in place.

The closures signaled a continuation of the troubling financial picture for Catholic schools, not only in the diocese but in the U.S.

There are currently approximately 6,000 K-12 Catholic schools in the country, according to the National Catholic Education Association, down from 11,000 in 1970.

In recent years, the Diocese of Brooklyn has adopted an academy model, moving away from the traditional parish school that had been financially supported by the diocese and by the parish. Under the academy model, the diocese still has the ultimate say but the schools are largely run by local clergy and boards of directors who are responsible for operating budgets and fundraising.

Since the pandemic hit, 98 Catholic schools across the country have closed, according to the National Catholic Education Association. The closures in the Diocese of Brooklyn and the Archdiocese of New York will add to that total.

The diocese is ready to help students and families transfer to nearby Catholic academies. Through the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Trust, the diocese will provide a one-time $500 financial grant for each child from a closed school to enroll in a new Catholic elementary academy or school in Brooklyn or Queens this fall, as long as they have met all of the financial obligations.

Tuition assistance is also available through Futures in Education, the non-profit organization that assists families in need. For information, visit www.futuresineducation.org.

Even with the closures, there is still a great deal of optimism about the future of Catholic education in Brooklyn and Queens, Chadzutko said.

“Our smaller and caring community of schools has many advantages as witnessed by how quickly we adapted to remote learning this spring,” Chadzutko said. ”In grades K-8, we were nearly one-to-one, students-to-devices with data plans, an incredible feat which allowed for distance learning success in our schools.”

The article was updated to include additional comments from Thomas Chadzutko, comments from Father Joseph Gibino and information about the change.org petition organized by parents.

Correction: The original version of the article had the incorrect location of St. Mel’s Catholic Academy. It is in Flushing.

25th Annual Bishop DiMarzio Golf Classic Raises Money for COVID-19 Relief Efforts

By Jessica Easthope

The Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio 25th Annual Golf Classic looked very different than the event has in years past, in that before golfers checked in, they got their temperatures checked.

That and a COVID-19 waiver were two of the many safety precautions driving home the importance of safety at the event at the North Hills Country Club in Manhasset, Long Island.

Vincent LeVien is the Director of External Affairs for DeSales Media Group and the leader of the DeSales Media Emergency Task Force, which was honored at the golf classic for its work during the pandemic.

“We worked night and day for literally a few months straight helping Catholic Charities, the hospitals, the firefighters, police officers,” said LeVien.

The diocese has heroes of its own in the Task Force. LeVien said the work is just par for the course.

“To me it’s more about the team that risked their life everyday for me and for the church to help those in need and it really shows what the Catholic Church is all about,” LeVien said.

This year all proceeds from the golf outing are going to a cause that hits close to home for everyone in the Brooklyn Diocese.

“You see the despair in people’s eyes when we do these pop up food pantries when we give food out to people around our communities,” said former State Senator Marty Golden, who serves as the Vice President of Development and Fundraising for Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens.

Golden says the fundraiser is a hole-in-one for the organization that has given out more than 500,000 meals to those in need.

“This money is going to be spent wisely and it couldn’t come at a better time,” said Golden.

$100,000 was raised at the 25th Annual Bishop DiMarzio Golf Classic, and it will all go toward helping Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens continue its COVID-19 relief efforts.

What Ethical Concerns Can Arise on the Journey To Finding a Coronavirus Vaccine?

Currents News Staff

There’s a lot of hope that a COVID-19 vaccine may come out by the end of 2020. More than 145 are currently in development, with 21 vaccines in human trials. But is the mad dash to find something to slow down the virus creating an unethical vaccine? Joining the conversation on Currents News is John Brehany, an ethicist with the National Catholic Bioethics Center.

 

Students

Recent graduates from Loyola Marymount University spend a year of their lives volunteering for the local Ignatian Service Corps in South Los Angeles where they serve the local youth of the community. They explain to Joe Estevez how giving back to others is also giving back to yourself. Coordinator Tom King also discusses the importance of the service to both the community and the volunteers.

Currents News full broadcast for Wed, 7/8/20 (Catholic news)

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

Some of the top stories on this newscast:

Two big wins at the Supreme Court for Catholics – the Little Sisters of the Poor and Catholic schools have the highest court in the land on their side.

Pope Francis is painting a stark picture on the anniversary of his trip to Lampedusa.  He’s describing the “hell” migrants are living through.

New York City’s million-plus public school students will return to class in September.  But their education is going to be a lot different.