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‘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.

Catholic Headlines for Saturday, 5/23/20 (Currents News full broadcast)

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

Some of the top stories on this newscast:

Just in time for summer. All fifty states have begun to reopen to some degree. But, New York City remains on lockdown this holiday.

Churches in the Brooklyn Diocese, however, are slowly opening their doors. Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio and Cardinal Timothy Dolan are coordinating a parish by parish plan.

A principal turned provider is going on grocery runs to keep her hard-hit students fed.

Life continues to exist online, and it won’t be moving off anytime soon. We take a look at the digital divide in New York City, where thousands go without the internet that’s meant to be at your fingertips.

And the story of a professional baseball player turned missionary. He’s got a second chance at life and he’s devoting it to God.

Plus, tis’ the season for car parades. Here’s what high school seniors are doing to celebrate their milestone year.

 

Catholic Headlines for Friday, 5/22/20 (Currents News full broadcast)

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

Some of the top stories on this newscast:

President Trump is making it known that churches and houses of worship are essential to the nation. He wants them all opened immediately.

Churches in the Diocese of Brooklyn are opening again for some services beginning May 26, on a case-by-case basis.

The Brooklyn Memorial Day parade, one of America’s oldest, is off this year because of COVID-19. But remembering our war heroes is still on.

Father John Gribowich debuts his new ‘Relevant Reflections.”  In just one minute, the Brooklyn priest helps you focus your minds during the pandemic.

We ask the doctor if it’s safe to go into the water this Memorial Day weekend.

Brooklyn Diocese Churches to Reopen May 26 for Private Prayer and Confession as Part of Phase 1 Plan

By Jessica Easthope

The unlocking of church doors signifies a new beginning for the faithful in the Brooklyn Diocese.

Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio and the Vicar General’s Office have laid out a multiphase plan for the diocese, hours after Cardinal Timothy Dolan announced his plan for the Archdiocese of New York on May 21.

“We know that Brooklyn and Queens have been some of the most hard hit places so it’s hard to say how quickly we’ll go, we do have the stages when the metrics tell us we can move to another stage we will,” said Bishop DiMarzio.

Unlike the Brooklyn Diocese, there was never a universal closure of churches in the archdiocese. The first phase of reopening in Brooklyn and Queens on May 26 will be for private prayer and confession. Churches will only be open for about four hours a day, and they’ll be reopening on a case-by-case basis. Some will remain closed because they’re not yet ready to begin the process.

“The safety of the faithful and the clergy are paramount in this,” said Joe Esposito, who’s heading the Diocesan Committee on Reopening Churches.

“We think our soft opening on May 26 will be a good sign for the faithful that we’re moving in the right direction,” said Joe.

Parishioners will need to adapt to the changes.

“No mask, you can’t come in, it’s as simple as that,” Joe added.

Social distancing rules will remain in effect in churches, meaning they’ll be able to accomodate significantly less people.

“If the church is at capacity because you have to allow for that social distancing, if there’s an overflow if we reach our maximum, we’ll live stream to an alternate location, like a gymnasium, a school or another part of the church,” said Joe.

Bishop DiMarzio said safety cannot be an afterthought during the reopening, emphasizing again that churches must care for parishioners, body and soul.

“We want to make sure people are very safe when people come back to church,” Bishop DiMarzio said. “We want them to come without any fear and have the proper safety precautions there.”

Veterans Speak Out After Pandemic Forces Cancelation of Brooklyn Memorial Day Parade

By Emily Drooby

Normally Raymond Aalbue would be preparing for the Brooklyn Memorial Day Parade.

It’s “something that has been part of Brooklyn for so long,” he told Currents News.

As chairman of the parade committee, he’s in charge of the beloved tradition. Started back in 1867, it’s one of the oldest Memorial Day parades in the country. It originated on Eastern Parkway, but has called Bay Ridge, Brooklyn home for over 30 years.

This would have been the parade’s 153rd year. Raymond, who’s Catholic and a veteran, says they had to cancel because of the pandemic.

He explained, “We didn’t want to put anybody in jeopardy, we gather a crowd all along Third Avenue, people are packed together, we didn’t want to put them in harm’s way.”

So instead, the committee is in the process of trying to figure out a different way to commemorate the day.

“We are going to try to plan something for Monday, the plans haven’t been finalized yet,” explained Raymond.

They’re planning a drive-by to keep the tradition alive. However, it will be small and won’t include the public. Raymond says that shouldn’t deter people from commemorating Memorial Day on their own.

Currents News spoke with him outside of John Paul Jones Park in Bay Ridge, which is on the normal parade route. Just up the road at Coffey Square, two veterans were installing a patriotic tribute, red, white and blue bunting hung along the exterior of the Square’s fence.

“We are still doing the best we can with at least the minimum people and social distancing,” explained Frank Zapata, while working on the installation.

” I would like to think this is our small part in remembering,” added fellow vet John Cullen.

Robin Kelleher is the co-founder and CEO of Hope For the Warriors. The organization provides support to service members, veterans and their families. She was called upon to be the grand marshal for the 2020 parade.

Kelleher says that even though many people can’t leave their house right now, they can still honor those who lost their lives for the U.S.A.

“Memorial Day is now being time honored as a reflection day, because that’s all we have,” said Robin.

Adding reflecting and remembering is actually one the most important parts of the day, which Raymond agreed with.

“They just want to make sure that what they did wasn’t in vain, and that the men and women that were with them in the battle who didn’t come home, weren’t able to come home, were remembered,” he said.

The message is loud and clear. While the 2020 Brooklyn Memorial Day Parade might be cancelled for the public, remembering those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country is still important.

How Safe Is It to Swim in Pools and Lakes During the Coronavirus Pandemic? We Ask the Doctor

Currents News Staff

This summer, many will spend their time at beaches or pools, which brings up new questions about the spread of coronavirus.

We all know chlorine kills bacteria, but the virus is still on everyone’s minds. How safe is it to swim in a pool, or in a lake or ocean?

If we’re out in the sun, we’ll also be getting some Vitamin D. A recent study by Trinity College in Dublin found that adults who took vitamin d supplements saw a 50 percent fall in chest infections.

Could Vitamin D prevent COVID-19 infection? 

And one viewer wants to know: Will smoking kill the virus?

There have been some conflicting studies on this, and some show that smokers are hospitalized less often for COVID-19. 

To help Currents News answer some of these questions and debates 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.

NET-TV’s New Segment, ‘Relevant Reflections,’ Is an Opportunity to Find God in the Little Moments

Currents News Staff

NET-TV’s new segment, Relevant Reflections, begins airing May 22, and you’re seeing it first on Currents News.

Even in quarantine, with some working from home and essentially home-schooling their children, they feel like they don’t have time for meditation and reflection. But, during this pandemic a moment of pause is needed — all it could take is one minute.

In just sixty seconds, Father John Gribowich of DeSales Media Group, Currents News’ parent company, will help you focus your minds during this pandemic.  

He joins Currents News to offer a sneak peak into this new series of videos, and what viewers can take away in a minute’s worth of reflection.