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Bishop’s Chrism Mass Message to Priests: Perseverance

By Jessica Easthope and Paula Katinas

Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio delivered a message of love and encouragement to the priests of the Diocese of Brooklyn, telling the clergy at the annual Chrism Mass on June 19 to persevere in tough times and remember their commitment to Jesus Christ.

“This has been a time of suffering personally for all of us,” he said in his homily, referring to the COVID-19 pandemic. He urged priests to “take our suffering and offer it back to God.” Priests should always remember “the love we receive through the gift of our priesthood,” he said.

The bishop noted the pandemic’s toll on the diocese, but said the diocese appears to be coming through the ordeal.  “We’re entering a new phase in the life of the church,” he said during the Mass, which took place at St. Joseph’s Co-Cathedral in Prospect Heights.

The Chrism Mass, in which the bishop consecrates the sacred Chrism and blesses the other oils to be used in baptisms and other sacraments in churches in the diocese throughout the year, normally takes place during Holy Week. But the pandemic, which forced churches to close, also caused a postponement of the Mass.

While the pandemic forced the closure of churches, it did not dampen the religious beliefs of the faithful, according to Bishop DiMarzio. “I don’t think people prayed more at home than during this time,” he said.

The 2020 Mass coincided with the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a point Bishop DiMarzio made in his homily. The clergy must “consecrate this diocese and ourselves to the Sacred Heart,” said the bishop.

June 19 is also Juneteenth, the day commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S. on June 19, 1865. Juneteenth celebration around the country took on additional meaning in the wake of the killing of George Floyd and the protest demonstrations that followed.

Father Alonso Cox, pastor of St. Martin de Porres Parish, Bedford-Stuyvesant, said the bishop’s words were deeply meaningful to him, particularly at this moment in time. “For me, as an African-American priest, his message of love is what we need to hear,” he said.

The Chrism Mass is notable because it gives priests, bishops and deacons the opportunity to renew their vows. This year’s Mass was different in that attendance inside the cathedral was limited to approximately two dozen members of the clergy due to social distancing regulations.

The restrictions prevented another part of the Chrism Mass — priests who are celebrating significant anniversaries of ordination and who are normally invited to be among the special concelebrants of the Mass, could not take part in large numbers this year.

The 2020 Chrism Mass was perhaps Bishop DiMarzio’s last as the leader of the 1.5 million Catholics in Brooklyn and Queens. The bishop, who recently marked his 76th birthday, submitted his resignation letter to the pope last year, when he turned age of 75, as required by Canon Law.

U.S. Supreme Court to Rule on Landmark Abortion Case

Currents News Staff

Pro-life advocates have rallied many times for the rights of the unborn. They’re now keeping a close watch on the Supreme Court as justices get ready to issue a major ruling on abortion.

The case centers on a Louisiana state law that requires doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at area hospitals.

This anticipated ruling comes after two recent decisions by the conservative-leaning court, which many say were setbacks for the Trump administration. The first of them came June 15 when the high court ruled that the 1964 Civil Rights Act protects gay, lesbian and transgender employees from discrimination based on sex.

Justice Neil Gorsuch, who President Trump appointed, wrote the majority opinion.  

Days later, the Supreme Court decided the trump administration’s action to kill DACA didn’t follow the rules. “Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals,” or DACA, is a program that allows those who were brought to the U.S. as children to remain here without fear of deportation. There are about 700,000 so-called “Dreamers” who are protected by it.

Both decisions stunned President Trump who tweeted last week, “These horrible & politically charged decisions coming out of the Supreme Court are shotgun blasts into the face of people that are proud to call themselves Republicans or Conservatives. We need more Justices or we will lose our 2nd. Amendment & everything else. Vote Trump 2020!”

Currents News full broadcast for Sat, 6/20/20 (Catholic news)

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

Some of the top stories on this newscast:

Governor Cuomo giving the nod to phase two New York City this Monday.

New York is recovering, but could infants have permanent damage?

Catholics coming together in Queens to stomp out America’s original sin.

A Catholic school comes together for an in-person send-off.

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Masses to Resume in Diocese of Brooklyn on June 29

By Paula Katinas and Currents News Staff

WINDSOR TERRACE – Three months after churches were closed because of COVID-19, Catholics in Brooklyn and Queens will once again be able to attend Mass.

The Diocese of Brooklyn announced on June 19 that churches will be open for daily Masses starting, Monday, June 29.

Sunday Masses can resume on the weekend of July 4-5.

“Catholics in Brooklyn and Queens have been longing for the celebration of Mass and to receive the Holy Eucharist. But our sacrifice and patience have borne fruit, and we did our part to flatten the curve of the terrible coronavirus pandemic. Soon we can come together to be nourished by the spiritual food we have been desperate for,” Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio said in a statement.

There will be plenty of safety precautions in place, however.

For one thing, churches will only be permitted to operate at 25 percent capacity. Social distancing will be strictly enforced.

Everyone who enters church must wear a face mask.

There should be no entrance procession for any Masses. The music ministry will be limited to the organist and a cantor who must practice social distancing. The cantor should not sing from the same place from which the lector reads. And there will be no choirs at Masses at this time.

There will be no missals, worship aids or other types of reading materials in the pews.

There will be no Handshake of Peace during the Mass. The diocese is strongly recommending that Catholics who attend mass receive Holy Communion in the hand, not the tongue. There will be no distribution of the Precious Blood.

Bishop DiMarzio ordered all churches in the diocese to close on March 20 in an effort to prevent the further spread of coronavirus.

In early May, he organized a committee tasked with developing a plan of action to reopen churches once the state’s stay-at-home order was lifted by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

The bishop tapped Joseph Esposito, the former commissioner of the city’s Office of Emergency Management and the retired chief of department in the New York Police Departments, to chair the committee.

Bishop DiMarzio announced Phase One of the reopening plan late last month, allowing churches to reopen for private prayer.

The start of Masses signals Phase Two of the plan.

Esposito, whose committee included among its members law enforcement, medical personnel, and clergy, said he’s pleased to see the start of Phase Two. “We’ve been waiting a long time for this. It finally seems like it’s going to happen,” he said on June 19.

Esposito, who attends church at St. Athanasius Church, Bensonhurst, said parishioners around the diocese have expressed a strong desire to go back to church for Mass. “They’re dying to get back into church. They’re longing for that communion with their fellow parishioners,” he said.

Since each church is different, the diocese recommends that parishioners check with their individual parishes, parish websites and social media pages for Mass schedules and specific information.

The dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass remains in effect until further notice. Masses will continue to be broadcast live on the Diocesan cable channel, NET-TV, and streamed online. NET-TV is available in the New York City market on Spectrum, channel 97; Optimum, channel 30; and Fios by Verizon, channel 48.

Currents News full broadcast for Fri, 6/19/20 (Catholic news)

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

Some of the top stories on this newscast:

Masses are coming soon to the Diocese of Brooklyn. There’s a lot of information you need to know before receiving communion again.

On this Juneteenth marking the end of slavery we explore the role a historic site in Brooklyn played on the road to freedom.

Richard D’abreu performs with a special song for today. He’s releasing a new album about freedom and faith.

If You Have Antibodies, Can You Contract COVID-19 Multiple Times? We Ask the Doc

Currents News Staff

A study published in the journal “Nature Medicine” says the antibodies coronavirus survivors build up could fade away.

Does this mean you can contract COVID-19 multiple times, and does this mean there’s no point in getting the antibody test?

A team of European scientists found that people with Type A blood are 45 percent more likely to get the virus than those with other blood types. 

Could our blood type actually play a role in our risk of getting infected?

Researchers at the University of Oxford say the steroid dexamethasone, which is inexpensive and available, can save the lives of people seriously ill with COVID-19.

Meanwhile, doctors at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital in Ohio say they’re seeing a spike in coronavirus cases among children, which raises concern. 

To offer his insights and answer some of these questions is Dr. Robert Tiballi, an infectious disease expert with the Catholic Medical Association.

Send Currents News your questions about the coronavirus at [email protected]. And tune in on Fridays – the doctor could have an answer.

Gospel Jazz Artist’s Debut Album Is ‘Commemorating a Release’ on Juneteenth

Currents News Staff

A Brooklyn native whose love of music began in the Church waited for Juneteenth to release his debut album.

Between the pandemic and renewed racial unrest, 2020 has been a tough year for Richard D’Abreu Junior, a gospel jazz artist who attended the Concord Baptist Church of Christ. 

He lost most of his income by not being able to play music in church or with his band at weddings.

But the Church and God have guided his music, and now his album, “Jazz in the Spirit,” is dropping. He joins Currents News to share what he hopes others can get out of listening to his music.

The Road to Priesthood in the Brooklyn Diocese: Deacon Peter Okajima’s Story

By Jessica Easthope

Deacon Peter Okajima has had many titles throughout his life, but soon he’ll take on the one that makes him who he is.

“I’m trying to answer God’s call to be a priest, I want to be the best and holiest priest I can be,” said Deacon Peter, who will be ordained on Saturday, June 27.

For Deacon Peter, the priesthood signifies a new beginning and a call he’ll admit he resisted for a long time.

“I grew up without God in my life and at various times I was agnostic, and at various times I was an atheist,” he said.

The traumas Deacon Peter’s parents suffered played a role in his lack of faith: during World War II, his mother was put in an internment camp, and once Peter was born his parents settled in Queens. They were desperate for him to become as Americanized as possible.

“They were basically allowing me to choose my faith but of course being a kid, when I was free to choose, I chose nothing,” said Deacon Peter.

Due to the pandemic, Deacon Peter has been quarantined at home in New Jersey since graduating from a seminary that specializes in later-in-life vocations. He stands out from other deacons, some of his previous titles include husband and father.

“I got a job, got married, wonderful wife, two beautiful children, in a sense you could say I was living the American Dream, yet I had this sense of incompleteness,” he explained.

While he was still married, Deacon Peter was called back to God and he immersed himself in the Catholic faith.

“I came to realize that his call was a call to priesthood,” he said. “I laughed because of my age, but I also laughed because I was married,” he said.

Eventually, Deacon Peter and his wife had their marriage annulled. It was then when he surrendered to his vocation.

“Maybe God wants some of his priests to have life experiences similar to the people sitting in the pews,” he said.

Deacon Peter can relate to his future parishioners in a way most other priests can’t.

“I know what it’s like to work and to balance work and faith and kids and everything else,” he added.

Now, Deacon Peter is one of God’s lights in the world, and when he sees someone lost in the darkness, he can say, “I know the way.”