How a Brooklyn Graphic Designer Is Using Her Skills to Bring Closure to Families of COVID-19 Victims

By Jessica Easthope

Like thousands of others across the Brooklyn Diocese, Rita Piro lost a loved one to COVID-19.

“I lost a favorite and beloved uncle. And we too could not have any type of traditional mourning service which in our Catholic faith has an incredible role,” said Rita.

Rita began making online memorials for victims of the coronavirus.

“Some people like to put in several things from their life story, things they liked, favorite foods, music, films, their hobbies and then I arrange it in a very distinct and I’d like to think a tasteful manner,” Rita said.

Finding herself lost in grief, she thought of the countless others who were dealing with the same. So, she put her faith to work.

“I thought about how I could be of some type of solace to these people through my graphics work,“ Rita said.

Using her background as a graphic designer, Rita has made close to 100 online memorials for victims of the coronavirus, for free.

“They’re usually 8.5 by 11, they include all types of images, any types of quotes, prayers it’s very individualized, very personalized,” Rita said.

Her online memorials made closure a click away for those who were told funerals would be on hold.

“Some people have used them if they do a prayer service over Zoom,” she explained.

Rita said she’s been called serve God many times in her life, this is the latest way she’s living her faith.

“We are all called to serve,” she added. “It’s just another way to serve with the mission of Christ and we’re all compelled to do that as Catholics.”

Pro-Life Groups Want Mothers to Choose Life as COVID-19 Baby Boom Looms

By Emily Drooby

On May 26, Chris Slattery sorted through donations for moms and newborns that are facing a financial strain with the mounting jobs loses caused by the pandemic.

Slattery said, “We’re providing many more alternatives and much more help than we have normally given.”

He is the founder of pro-life organization Expectant Mother Care. The group has been helping mothers in need now and preparing for a potential baby boom as couples spend increasing amounts of time together at home.

“There might be an increase in birth rates, it’s great, that’s wonderful, the church is happy that it is alive and growing with little ones,” explained, Christian Rada, the Director of Marriage, Family Formation, and Respect Life Education for the Diocese of Brooklyn.

He says support is essential to help women choose life, especially during unstable times.

Rada said, “Families are wondering, how can I support another person, another mouth to feed, when I’m struggling to support myself?”

In NYC, the unemployment rate is 22 percent. City Comptroller Scott Stringer estimates another 900,000 could lose their jobs by the end of June.

If there is a baby boom, women would either be pregnant now or very soon which means they need help now, not just in nine months.

“What we are actually concerned about is, maybe when the pregnancies are towards the early signs like 12 weeks, that’s pretty soon now, we are really around the corner, so we just want to be able to support those women right away,” said Sister Magdalene Theresa of the Sisters of Life.

They’ve been expanding their efforts to keep up with the increased need caused by the financial hardships of the pandemic. They have been delivering essentials to those in need and have set up an extensive baby registry on Amazon.

Like the Sisters, Slattery’s organization has been doing all they can to help. For months, they have gathered and distributed everything from diapers to bikes.

Slattery said, “It offers the essential hope because people feel, when boyfriend abandon them, out of work fathers don’t come through, someone has to substitute, be there like their family, show there are people who care about them.”

Slattery estimating they’ll give out about a million dollars in goods over the next three months. He says the need is greater than ever.

Explaining, “We have seen a dramatic number of calls with interest in getting abortion.”

This could be because of increased financial pressure of having a baby. Slattery added he could be seeing more calls because some abortion facilities have closed in for the pandemic.

Adding it shows just how important it is to step up for mothers during this time, so they can choose life.

Catholic Headlines for Wednesday, 5/27/20 (Currents News full broadcast)

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

Some of the top stories on this newscast:

Police fire tear gas at protesters who are demanding answers after a Minneapolis man died in police custody. The FBI is launching a full-scale investigation into what happened.

Governor Cuomo arrived at the White House today wearing his face mask to sit down with President Trump. He wants support to get New York’s economy revitalized.

A baby boom. Could newborns be on the way? Pro-lifers are revving up their help for mom and baby in the face of the pandemic.

Advice from a Catholic expert on keeping marriages strong while under lockdown.

As FBI Investigates His Death, The Family of George Floyd Calls for Murder Charges

Currents News Staff

The arrest of George Floyd was caught on video – moaning on the ground – in handcuffs with an officer’s knee on his neck. Witnesses could be heard pleading with police.

About five minutes into the video Floyd stops moving, but the officer’s knee remains on his neck as another officer stands by. The 46-year-old died later at the hospital.

The cops say they were responding to an alleged forgery in progress on Monday and that Floyd physically resisted, so they placed him under arrest.

Protests have been intensifying in the city. Thousands flooded the streets on Tuesday, with police throwing tear gas and non-lethal projectiles to disperse the crowds.

The four police officers involved have been fired, a decision the mayor of Minneapolis supports.

“For five minutes…when you hear someone calling for help, you are supposed to help – this officer failed in the most basic human sense,” said Mayor Jacob Frey.

Floyd’s family wants the officers charged with murder.

“They treated him worse than they treat animals. They took a life now they deserve life. I don’t feel sorry for them. They hurt me and they hurt my family,” said Philonese Floyd, George Floyd’s Brother.

Floyd’s cousin, Tera Brown, said “They were supposed to be there to serve and protect. And I didn’t see a single one of them lift a finger to do anything to help. While he was begging for his life. Not one of them tried to do anything to help him. That I didn’t see. What I did see was murder.”

Following Death of George Floyd, Protesters Clash With Minneapolis Police

Currents News Staff

Protesters in Minneapolis, Minnesota clashed with police after the death of a black man following an arrest in which a white officer held him down with a knee pressed to the back of the man’s neck.

Part of the incident was caught on video, which some viewers will find the video disturbing.

George Floyd, 46, can be heard pleading with police, saying he couldn’t breathe.

“My stomach hurts, my neck hurts…I can’t breathe, officer,” he can be heard saying.

The video did not capture the incident leading up to the arrest, or parts of the arrest police describe as the victim resisting.

Floyd continued to plead with officers for several minutes before becoming silent, later dying at the hospital a short time after the arrest.

From the governor to local leaders, to a sitting U.S. senator from the state, officials in Minnesota are condemning the actions of the four Minneapolis police officers who were fired for their involvement in Floyd’s death.

The city’s police chief announced their terminations May 26.

“I’ve made that decision this afternoon,” Chief Medaria Arradondo said. “This is still an ongoing criminal matter that the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating as well as our FBI.”

The city’s mayor, Jacob Frey, backed up the chief.

“i support your decision. 100 percent it is the right decision for our city, the right decision for our community, is the right decision for our Minneapolis police department,” he said.

George Floyd’s family wants the officers charged with murder

The police union urged against a rush to condemn the officers, who they said were cooperating in the investigation.

Catholic Headlines for Tuesday, 5/26/20

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

Some of the top stories on this newscast:

Open doors in the Diocese of Brooklyn. It’s a small step for Church-goers. The journey to a full recovery is underway.

Calls for an investigation of New York State nursing homes. Elected officials from across the aisle charge the State set the nursing homes up to fail during the pandemic.

The vaccine race is continuing with new human trials beginning, sparking a boost on Wall Street.

Louisiana Bishop Shelton Fabre is fighting another evil in the face of the Covid-19 crisis – racism.

Prayer is booming across the United States.

A ‘Map of Hope’ stretching from the East Coast to the West shows a rapid spread.

‘Map of Hope’ Connects Faithful Through the Rosary During Pandemic

By Melissa Butz

While coronavirus numbers are being counted around the world, Joe Kim, Joanna Hernandez and Mike Del Ponte also wanted to track something else: prayer.

To do this, they began the Map of Hope. It shows where the rosary is being prayed and even allows intentions to be posted.

“We created The Map of Hope so people could come to the website, get a sense of hope and a sense that other people are praying for them, a sense of community around the world, a deeper devotion to the rosary and ultimately, use prayer to end the pandemic,” Mike said.

The site has formed its own prayer network as a result. In a matter of weeks, there are 9,000 prayer requests posted from 130 countries. Examples of miracles from the rosary are also shown, like the end of a plague in Italy in the fifteenth century.

“The rosary is necessary at this time because it’s a powerful prayer we all can do anywhere,” Mike explained. “You can do it alone, you can do it in community, all you need are your rosary beads. Even if you don’t have a rosary, you can use your fingers to count. At this time when a lot of people can’t go to Mass, there’s still a way to do something that is ancient and significant and carries many miracles attributed to it.”

Mike insists the Map of Hope also answers Pope Francis’ call to pray the rosary, especially in the month of May.

“I asked all the faithful to pray a Rosary this month. Together, with the family, or alone,” Pope Francis said in April.

While right now the map on their website only shows the United States, in a couple weeks, they are expanding to a global map. They look forward to receiving intentions in various languages and seeing the rosary being prayed around the world, all for the end of the coronavirus.

Brooklyn and Queens Parishioners Overjoyed as Some Churches Reopen for Private Prayer

By Emily Drooby

Inside St. Patrick’s Church in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, long-time parishioner Shirley Berkowitz prayed.

The act is not foreign, she’s been a member of the parish for over 30 years, but because of the pandemic the churches have been closed since March. She was one of the first people let back in as the Diocese of Brooklyn began phase one of its reopening plan on May 26.

“When I first walked in it was overwhelming, the bigness of it and to see the altar,” she said. “When the church opened, it drew me to come, and now I feel what I used to feel and it is wonderful.”

Clergy said they were thrilled to reopen, but also cautious.

“It’s nice to be able to welcome people back into our church to pray,” explained Father Michael Falce, the parochial vicar at St Patrick’s. Adding, “We have been explaining to them that their safety is our priority. So, we have to go slowly and follow the directives of the diocese as well as the government as well.”

Safety measures at St. Patrick’s Church included only using one entrance, seating parishioners far apart, limiting the amount of people inside, and mandating masks.

Not all churches opened on Tuesday — over 30 in the Brooklyn Diocese decided to hold off. Many have cited an inability to get enough personal protective gear or volunteers gathered to safety open. It is being estimated that all churches will be open by the first week of June.

Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Jamaica, Queens also opened its doors on May 26 for the first time in months.

Parishioners like Angel Lucero were happy to have a chance to pray in the church. Through parochial vicar Father Víctor Bolaños, Lucero, who only speaks Spanish, said he needed to thank God after recovering from the coronavirus.

Not all were there to pray. Some, like Aude Pierre only dropped by to give her tithe.

“Because I’m a Catholic, I have to give my 10 percent,” she said. “When you get something from God, you have to give something back to the Church.”

Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary also had strict safety procedures in place. Volunteers wore full safety gear, and helped limit the amount of people inside the church. Pews were also sectioned off.

“If we do it well, in an organized way, we can give them back what they need, what we all need,” explained Fr. Víctor while speaking about people’s great need and desire to get back into church.

Bishop Shelton Fabre: Xenophobia, Racism ‘Just Not Acceptable’ as Black Americans Face COVID Loss

Currents News Staff

Spreading alongside the coronavirus is another danger in our country and around the world: racism.

The virus has largely affected people of color, with black Americans accounting for 33 percent of COVID hospitalizations.

An unfortunate reality revealed by the virus is how healthcare outcomes can too often be determined by race.

Earlier this month Bishop Shelton Fabre of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux in Louisiana and other members of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops released a statement expressing concern about incidents of racism in the midst of the pandemic.

Data from MedPage Today shows that in Bishop Fabre’s home state, African Americans made up 70 percent of deaths from the virus, while they only account for 33 percent of the population.

As the Chairman of the USCCB’s ad-hoc Committee Against Racism, Bishop Fabre joins Currents News to discuss these issues and how his diocese is approaching phase one of reopening in the state.

New York City Councilman Calls for Independent Investigation Into COVID-19 Nursing Home Deaths

By Jessica Easthope

The coronavirus is especially dangerous to the elderly and those with underlying health conditions, yet it infiltrated the very places where the most vulnerable live.

“The Governor basically forced this issue and forced these patients onto those nursing homes and rehabilitation centers and he’s now trying to blame President Trump to say we were following federal guidelines and CDC directives,” said Queens City Councilman Eric Ulrich, who is calling for an independent investigation into nursing home deaths.

Governor Andrew Cuomo has repeatedly defended a state directive that has since been scrapped, ordering nursing homes to take in and readmit recovering COVID-19 patients. Most recently Governor Cuomo said the state was only following CDC requirements, a decision Councilman Ulrich said left thousands unprotected.

“The Governor forcing people who have tests positive for COVID be placed back in nursing homes was a deadly decision and one that no doubt in my mind resulted in the deaths of thousands of New Yorkers,” Councilman Ulrich said. “That’s why I’m calling for an investigation at the city level, because I don’t expect one to come from the state level.”

In New York State more than 4,500 recovering COVID-19 patients were sent to nursing homes before testing negative. Nearly 3,100 nursing home residents have died.

The previous Cuomo directive disturbed elected officials across the political divide.

“The moment they knew asymptomatic people can carry and transmit the virus was the moment they had to do more than adhere to inadequate CDC guidance,” said Democratic Brooklyn Councilman Mark Treyger.

Many nursing homes objected to the directive. Providers said they were never told they could transfer a patient who could not be properly cared for.

“He left people vulnerable to be like sitting ducks and they had nowhere to go and so many people needlessly died because of the Governor’s bad decision,” said Councilman Ulrich.

Ulrich has requested a hearing with Council Speaker Corey Johnson to launch an investigation into nursing home deaths. Currents News reached out with questions to Johnson and the Governor’s office but have yet to receive a response.