Currents News Staff
Bishop Gregory Mansour is all too familiar with the coronavirus – he had it.
The Brooklyn Maronite patriarch believes he knows exactly when and where he contracted the virus: while helping a parishioner in need.
But, that’s only part of the story.
He joins Currents News to share what it was like fighting this virus, his symptoms and why he would risk contracting the virus again.
-Virus-wounded Hispanic community in Queens has Church at their side
-Catholic-run shelter for children with no place to call home in pandemic storm
-New guidelines for pets and social distancing
-Family dinner makes a comeback during coronavirus crisis
Watch weeknights at 7:00 pm EST on NET-TV in the New York City area on Spectrum, Optimum, and Fios. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to receive notifications about new content.
By Emily Drooby
It’s an unfortunate reality. On any given night in New York City around 4,600 kids and young adults are homeless.
Some are running from danger, while others just have no one to turn to.
Many find their way to shelters and nonprofits like Covenant House – finally feeling some safety and stability.
Then the pandemic hit and many were terrified that lifeline would disappear.
Sister Nancy Downing, the Executive Director of Covenant House New York, says that’s exactly why they didn’t close down. The nonprofit is under Catholic Charities and helps to house and support homeless youth.
“He said well we thought you would close down and we would have no place to go. That’s the expectation, our young people don’t expect the adults in their lives to be there for them and so it’s really important that we are there for them,” said Downing.
They have made some major changes to their operations – creating quarantine rooms for the sick, screening newcomers for the virus, wearing masks, and reconfiguring their shelters to limit contact inside.
“And then once a week they go out and bring them groceries and other supplies, because many of our young people have lost their jobs because of the virus,” said Downing.
Despite all of the safety precautions, COVID-19 still made it through the doors – 10 kids got sick, and 7 of them have recovered.
“Some of us are going to get sick – we know that. We have had some staff who have gotten sick,” said Downing.
Shakeema North was one of the staff members that did get sick.
Like many, she was unable to get tested but she did have coronavirus symptoms. She went back to work at Covenant House as soon as her self-quarantine ended.
She knows what could happen if the shelter isn’t open.
“You would have young people trying to ‘make it work’ in homes that weren’t safe,” said North.
According to city data – 34% of kids are homeless because of abuse or frequent fights with a parent.
The United Nations reports that domestic violence is soaring because of the pandemic. Jobs are gone, routines are messed up, kids are stuck home and isolated from others – the perfect storm.
So, for Covenant House, the risk and the changes needed to keep operating, are worth it.
“You would have young people back on the streets, right? So, finding a bench or a park, which would even be limited because the parks were even closed. Or sleeping on the subway. So, some of those places, they come from, when they come to us,” said North.
“For me the work that I do here is a mission. It’s not a job, it’s not a career,” said Downing.
Support is also important, donations are being accepted online and last Friday they held their annual sleep out event – a major fundraiser – virtually.
Anyone in immediate need of help can go to their shelter at 550 10th avenue, or you can reach out through their website.
Currents News Staff
It’s a long-lost staple of American life that has had people lamenting its demise for years. But now “dinner time in the age of coronavirus” is bringing family members back to the table as they shelter-in-place and eat-in-place too.
That includes our own Currents News work family who shared a few moments of their sacred time with loved ones – whether they were making pancakes the old-fashioned way or talking about their day and sharing their successes and their concerns.
For one producer, dinner is a group project with all hands on deck – where the kitchen table is the place to argue politics and share a glass of wine, all in good fun.
At Christine Perschette’s dinner table, getting three rambunctious kids to play along during mealtime was quite the challenge – but she was able to get a few candid photos.
The Brooklyn Diocese’s Director of Marriage and Family Formation and Respect for Life Education, Christian Rada, says even if things get a bit chaotic, it’s the time together that counts.
“That’s where we talk about the importance of what it means to be a family unit and having the down time to talk about our struggles and our joys. It actually brings us even closer especially during these tough times,” said Rada.
Studies show that face to face communication helps build self-esteem, strengthen relationships, and even leads to better grades.
Christian and his wife Helen have even noticed a change with their two-year-old son.
“He wants to take a role. He helps his father set the table. He brings him the utensils and the placemats. It’s fascinating to see how much he’s grown as a result of mealtime,” said Helen.
And while Zoom meals are still a necessity for many, more and more families are recapturing a beloved family tradition – all because of a very unwelcome virus. One that now has an unintended silver lining.
So, from our Currents News family to yours, buon apetit!
Currents News Staff
The coronavirus crisis has put many people around the world in a difficult financial situation, and experts are searching for a way to help.
In an Easter Sunday message, Pope Francis suggested that now may be the time for a universal basic income.
He describes the goal of universal basic income as “so human, and so Christian,” but is it realistic?
What would universal basic income look like in America? Is it even possible to have it in the developing countries?
Would the world economy – including its financial institutions – perhaps be in better shape if universal basic income systems were already in place when this crisis struck?
Joining Currents News to talk more about this option is Charles Clark, a Catholic Economist at St. John’s University in Jamaica, Queens.
-Emergency tuition relief for Catholic students in the Diocese of Brooklyn
-Feeding families out of work by Catholic Charities Brooklyn Queens
-Exclusive on President Trump’s private call to U.S. Catholic leaders
-Universal Basic Income, the Pope suggests now could be the time
Watch weeknights at 7:00 pm EST on NET-TV in the New York City area on Spectrum, Optimum, and Fios. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to receive notifications about new content.
By Melissa Butz
Italy’s bishops are complaining that religious freedom is being stifled in the country as the government makes plans to get back to normal.
Italian bishops are demanding religious freedom be respected as hair salons, museums and restaurants are opening, instead of churches, during the second phase of Italy’s lifting of restrictions.
“The Church asks to be able to celebrate Mass with the people again, organizing safely, without recklessness or superficiality, the life of their communities,” said Italian journalist Vincenzo Morgante.
Entering into phase two, Italians seem torn as to if Masses should be permitted once again.
“The churches need to open, also as a matter of faith and what is happening in this period,” said one resident, Emmanuale.
“I believe the churches need to remain closed to avoid that a lot of people will be all together in the same place,” explained Mohammed, who also lives in Rome. “Just because it’s a religious motive, doesn’t make it a good reason to open.
“From a safety point of view, maybe it’s better that all churches are closed,” said resident Valerio of Italy during the lockdowns.
Pope Francis has not held a public audience since March 1. When the lockdown began, he asked that churches remain open for faithful to pray in this difficult time.
The Vatican has not announced when they will resume public events, but has been following Italy’s recommendations on most COVID-19 matters. We’ll see if the pontiff will intervene on this religious matter.
By Christopher White, National Correspondent
NEW YORK — President Donald Trump identified himself as the “best [president] in the history of the Catholic Church” in a conference call for Catholic leaders and educators April 25, where he warned that issues at stake in the upcoming presidential election, particularly on abortion and religious liberty, “have never been more important for the Church.”
Trump also pledged support for Catholic schools in light of the global coronavirus pandemic.
In an audio recording of the meeting obtained by The Tablet, the president repeatedly emphasized his support for the pro-life movement and school choice, attempting to paint a stark contrast between his administration and what a Democratic presidency could mean for Catholics.
The Tablet was told by two participants that over 600 people were on the call, including Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston, Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles and president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Bishop Michael C. Barber of Oakland, chair of the USCCB committee of Catholic Education, as well as the superintendents of Catholic schools for Los Angeles and Denver, among others.
In his opening remarks, the president noted that he was joined on the call by Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and Secretary of Housing and Education Ben Carson.
Saturday’s call comes just one week after the president held a call with faith leaders on April 17, which also included the participation of Cardinal Dolan and Archbishop Gomez, meant to discuss the re-opening of houses of worship, but where the president also sought reelection support.
In his opening remarks, the president thanked Catholic educators for their efforts in distance learning during the pandemic, as well as the spiritual support they are providing to families. Citing his own childhood of growing up next to a Catholic parish and school in Queens, New York, the president characterized Catholic schools as “a source of strength, hope, opportunity for communities across the country.”
The president also referenced the COVID-19 paycheck protection program, which was included in the initial relief package passed by Congress in March to provide forgivable paycheck loans. The president told participants in the call that he insisted that Catholic institutions be included in the program or “I wouldn’t do the deal.”
He also used his opening remarks to recite a number of economic accomplishments of his administration, saying that prior to the pandemic he was responsible for the greatest economy in the history the country, with the “best numbers” for African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, and women, until the economy was “unfairly hit” by the coronavirus.
He said the spread of the virus “could have been stopped a lot earlier…if it was stopped at the source, and everyone knows what I mean when I say that.”
Looking ahead to the economy’s re-opening, the president said the country is “going to open up with a bang.”
Yet the president’s most frequented theme in his opening remarks was that of his commitment to pro-life cause, saying that it has “been at a level that no other president has seen before, according to everybody.”
“I’m just saying what everybody is saying,” he said, citing the fact that he was first sitting president to address the March for Life in person in January, the annual event in protest of the legalization of abortion by the Supreme Court in 1973.
He also referenced his support for the Mexico City policy, which prevents federal funding for NGO’s that provide abortion related services. The policy was instituted by President Ronald Reagan and has been reinstated by every Republican president since 1984. (On the call, however, the president erroneously stated that Reagan was the last to sign it.)
He also highlighted his opposition to the Johnson Amendment, which prevents tax exempt institutions from endorsing or opposing political candidates. He described it as “very viscous, adding that “I got rid of it so you can express your views very strongly.”
Following approximately 15 minutes of opening remarks, the president also took questions a pre-selected pool of participants before opening it up to others on the call.
Cardinal Dolan was the first to speak, whom the president hailed as a “great gentleman” and a “great friend of mine,” adding that he respects what the cardinal “asks for.”
The New York cardinal said he was “honored to be the lead-off batter, and the feelings are mutual sir,” noting that the two had been on the phone often in recent months and joking that Cardinal Dolan’s 90-year-old mom in Missouri says “I call you more than I call her.”
Cardinal Dolan praised the support of DeVos, Carson, and special counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway as “champions” and “cherished allies in our passion for our beloved schools.”
He focused on education, saying that it concerns “parental rights, educational justice, and civil rights of our kids” and thanked the president for his “courageous insistence that the nonprofits, faith communities, and our schools be included” in the recent stimulus package.
Cardinal Dolan warned, however, that current funding toward schools is only guaranteed through this academic year and that many Catholic schools around the country are “really scared” about September, saying that tuition assistance for parents to continue to send their children to Catholic schools was greatly needed
“Never has the outlook financially looked more bleak, but perhaps never has the outlook looked more promising given the energetic commitment that your administration has to our schools,” Cardinal Dolan told the president. “We need you more than ever.”
The president responded by reminding attendees of his reelection efforts, saying the “situation coming up on November 3, the likes of which have never been more important for the Church.”
He quickly pivoted to abortion, saying that Democrats “want abortion and they want it now and they want it to go up to the end of the ninth month and beyond,” and referenced the comments of Virginia Democratic Governor Ralph Northam who faced backlash last year for his support of third trimester abortion. The president also used the occasion to recall the final debate during his 2016 race against Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, where he criticized her support for late term abortion.
“We did very well defending that during our last race with Hillary Clinton because she had it right up until the time at birth,” said the president on Saturday. “We probably helped out the pro-life [cause] more than anything you can imagine.”
“I hope that everyone gets out and votes and does what they have to do,” he then said of the November election. “You’re going to have a very different Catholic Church,” he warned if he is defeated.
The president then took a question from Cardinal O’Malley, who redirected the discussion to Catholic education, saying “no institution in our country that has been more successful than Catholic schools in moving people from poverty to the middle class.”
The Boston cardinal urged the president to guarantee tuition assistance to families sending children to Catholic schools.
“We need it now,” he said. “It has to be done in a quick way that helps them to pay tuition.”
The president thanked Cardinal O’Malley, saying he’d “never heard it expressed so succinctly [and] frankly” in responding to the cardinal’s description of the value of Catholic education.
“We’ll be helping you out more than you even know,” he promised.
Both Paul Escala and Elias J. Moo, superintendents of Catholics schools for in Los Angeles and Denver, used their time to urge for continued school choice.
“Parental choice cannot be a casualty of this crisis,” said Escala, telling the president that “we stand with you,” emphasizing that Catholic schools in California have saved the government over two billion dollars.
“The other side is not in favor of it,” the president warned. “What a similarity we have and how the other side is the exact opposite of what you’re wanting so I guess it’s an important thing to remember.”
The president zeroed in on the savings amount and asked that a national figure of what Catholic schools save the federal government in education be determined so that he could convince Congress for greater funding.
Bishop Barber noted that the USCCB remains committed to partnering with the administration, hailing DeVos as a great ally to Catholics, as well as thanking the president for his selection of justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, whom he characterized as supporters of school choice.
Archbishop Gomez highlighted the sacrifices of Catholic educators to continue to provide quality education to children and said Church leaders remained committed to working with the administration to ensure that Catholic education continues.
He then offered a prayer asking that the Lord would “deliver the nation from the plague.”
Following the call, the president took to Twitter on Saturday evening to thank Catholic leaders for joining and to publicly announce that he would be tuning in to the live streamed Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Sunday, presided over by Cardinal Dolan.
In the opening words of his homily, Cardinal Dolan said that he understood we have a “former neighbor worshipping with us,” saying that St. Paul admonishes Christians to pray for their leaders and “that we do.”
The New York cardinal offered his birthday blessings to First Lady Melania Trump, describing her as “gracious” and “effective” and thanked the president and his administration for “working so hard to see that we can safely return to Church as safely possible.”
Following the Sunday Mass, the president once more took to Twitter.
“Thank you for a great call yesterday with Catholic Leaders, and a great Service today,” he wrote.
By Jessica Easthope
Father Kevin Sweeney, pastor of Saint Michael’s parish in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, and now bishop-elect of the Diocese of Paterson, New Jersey, is making a big transition at a very turbulent time.
The coronavirus pandemic has delayed a lot, but Fr. Sweeney says it’s forcing him to learn more about his parishioners and his faith.
“We have to deal with the circumstances that God gives us and life gives us day by day, so I’m sure it would be very different,” he told Currents News.
“I’ve tried to give what I can but I’ve received so much more especially with the community here at St. Michael’s and the inspiration of their faith and the people of faith here,” he added, “so I’ll certainly bring that with me to my new assignment and ministry in Paterson.”
It comes at a time when leadership within the Church is needed more than ever. People are relying on their parishes to seamlessly live stream Mass and make services available to them, whether it’s virtually or from a safe distance.
“I’m striving to serve the people here in the parish and our ministry has changed so much and our lives have changed so much,” said Fr. Sweeney. “Even in streaming Masses and praying with people over the phone, these are the times that we’re living in.”
Though Fr. Sweeney hasn’t been able to fully immerse himself in the unique culture of the Paterson diocese, he hasn’t let the pandemic stop him from getting to know his new community and those who will help him lead it.
“Getting to know the Church in Paterson, even virtually or by phone and text and email,” is what he’s doing. “This past Wednesday, I sent an email to the priests of the Diocese of Paterson and got wonderfully encouraging responses and welcomes, so that’s been a very positive experience,” he added.
As for when Fr. Sweeney’s ordination and installation will take place, that’s still up in the air, but the physical move to Paterson is expected within the coming days and weeks.
Currents News Staff
Questions and doubts about how to treat and address the coronavirus continue.
Western medicine has been exposed to the coronavirus for approximately eight weeks, and U.S. hospitals are continuing to learn how contracting the virus impacts the human body.
Some young people have been found with strokes, and the virus appears to potentiate a blood clotting disorder for some.
Doctors are attempting to find treatment for related issues, and trying to avoid ventilators for patients to increase survival rate.
During a presidential press conference, it was said that the coronavirus does not fare well with sunlight or heat — something true for topical surfaces, but not for the human body.
Additionally, while by no means is drinking bleach or isopropyl alcohol an appropriate or safe approach to combating the virus, applying them to surfaces like railings, keyboards and cell phones is an appropriate external means of disinfecting.
To help Currents News address these concerns 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.