Hospital Chaplain on Confronting Pandemic: ‘I Became a Priest to Serve’

Currents News Staff

Facing down the coronavirus while building up the spirits of the medical heroes are hospital chaplains like Father Bryan Carney.

The priest from Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament In Bayside, Queens, had been on the frontlines at Flushing Hospital, until a pre-existing medical condition forced him out.

He believes his condition has been made worse by stress from the outbreak, but still, Fr. Bryan is keeping close to Christ during this outbreak.

He joins Currents News to speak about the conditions at Flushing Hospital, his own health and why he’s fighting to get back to the hospital.

Cuomo Extends Social Distancing Rule

Currents News Staff

While the total number of hospitalizations and ICU admissions is down and the number of deaths in the state — totaling 599 overnight has been effectively flat for two days — a possible flattening of the curve is good news, but Governor Andrew Cuomo believes now is not the time to be lax.

During a press conference he showed photos of crowds gathering in different areas of the city over the weekend.

“Look, people are dying,” he said. “If I can’t convince you to show discipline for yourself, then show discipline for other people.”

The governor says social distancing works, and because of that, schools and non-essential businesses will remain closed through April 29. The fine for violating social distancing has now doubled to $1,000.

“This is serious, this is serious,” Cuomo urged. “What right do you have to act irresponsibly in a way that can get you sick or someone else sick?”

Hospitals are bracing for the possibility of hitting the apex of COVID-19 cases this week. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio warned the city only has enough ventilators and medical supplies for the next few days.

Cuomo said it helps that the Javits Center is now accepting coronavirus cases, and hopefully the U.S. Navy ship Comfort will soon too, something President Donald Trump is open to.

“That was not supposed to be for the virus at all under any circumstances,” said Trump. “But it looks like more and more, we’re going to be using it for that. “

The president sounded optimistic, saying the U.S. is making progress in the war against the pandemic.

“We are starting to see light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.

While New York City is still a hotspot, Governor Cuomo says we’ll get through it.

“We are still New York tough,” he reminded. “‘New York tough’ means ‘tough,’ but tough in a New York sense. It means we are compassionate. It means that we are unified. It means that we are loving.”

New York Doctor Creates Face Masks From Home

Currents News Staff

So many people are hard at work, doing special things to overcome the coronavirus crisis.

Doctor Stephen Erosa is one of them, working at Saint John’s Riverside hospital and turning his home into a 3-D printing workshop to create much-needed face masks.

He joins Currents News to show the process of production at a time when medical supplies and personal protective equipment in New York are sparse.

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

Brooklyn Diocese Remembers Second Priest Lost to Coronavirus

By Jessica Easthope

A man of service and a father to all is how Father Gioacchino Basile is described by those who knew him best. His life was tragically cut short April 4. He is the second priest serving in Brooklyn and Queens to die from coronavirus.

A video of Fr. Gioacchino Basile singing at a priest’s retreat is how his closest friend, Father Sean Manson, wants to remember him.

“He was full of joy. He wasn’t pompous, he wasn’t preachy, he was a down to earth guy. You saw that God exists looking at him,” explained Fr. Sean, pastor of Our Lady Mother of the Church in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.

Fr. Gioacchino was already on medical leave from his duties as pastor at St. Gabriel’s when it was discovered he had contracted coronavirus.

“He always had a smile and made you feel welcome, he heard my confessions and was always available. He was a spiritual father to me,” recalled Father Miguel Angel Cervantes, now acting pastor at St Gabriel’s. He believes Fr. Gioacchino contracted the virus at church.

“We had positive cases of coronavirus in the parish and that’s how he got the virus,” he said. “He was in contact with the people when no one knew it was present. “

East Elmhurst is one of the hardest hit communities in New York City, with low-income and predominantly immigrant-rich areas bearing the brunt of the virus.

According to the latest data from the Health Department, East Elmhurst has anywhere from 300 to nearly 1,000 cases. Fr. Sean said his good friend Fr. Gioacchino was dedicated to helping those most impacted.

“For these people who are living in poor, disenfranchised areas, they’re living on top of each other, so it’s easy to say we need to socially distance ourselves but it’s very difficult,” he said.

Fr. Gioacchino’s parishioners considered him a spiritual guide, looking to him during times of sadness and grief. Jessie Lema is one of them.

“Maybe because I loved him so much, he was a saint,” she said. “I give thanks to God that he gave me the chance to know him.”

Jessie said she needs Fr. Gioacchino’s wisdom more than ever. As cases of COVID-19 skyrocket, news of his death is another heartache for people who have already lost so much.

“The only thing we can rely on is our faith in God, the only vaccine we have right now is to pray,” she explained.

Fr. Gioacchino would have celebrated the 25th anniversary of his ordination this year.

St. Gabriel’s vicar, Father Bob Sandlack, had been serving alongside Fr. Gioacchino for years. He said his parish has lost a father, and he has lost a friend.

“In any situation he was able to laugh. He had an uplifting spirit, nothing saddened him,” he recalled. “I’ll miss his love.”

A memorial Mass for Fr. Gioacchino at St Gabriel’s will be live streamed on Wednesday, April 8, at 3:30 p.m., and when social distancing is no longer required, a public Mass will be held in his honor.

Parishioners Find ‘Mass’ Appeal in Livestreamed Church Services During Pandemic

By Emily Drooby

Streaming Mass right into homes is the new normal during the coronavirus quarantine, and there’s many ways to do it.

Parishioner James Moises tunes in for the Masses celebrated in Creole that air on NET-TV and stream online.

“I’m very grateful that we are able to access it online,” he told Currents News. “Even though we are not there in person, we are able to pray along, so I really appreciate it.”

Many parishes in the Diocese of Brooklyn are also now streaming themselves celebrating Mass on their Facebook pages. It’s a unique way for parishioners to stay connected to their home parish, especially during Holy Week.

Father James Rodriguez has been streaming from Saint Rose of Lima Church in Rockaway Beach, Queens.

“People do need to see a familiar face and their own pastor,” he said. “There’s something about the shepherd’s voice, so I wanted to make sure I was providing that.”

Over in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, Sacred Hearts & Saint Stephen has also been streaming on Facebook.

This has helped parishioner Carolyn Zodda adjust to a world where she can’t go to Mass every day like she did before the quarantine.

“I am so grateful that I had this opportunity to view it on Facebook, it really had been a great source of comfort for me in these difficult times,” she explained.

Saint Francis DeSales Church in Belle Harbor, Queens, is seeing success with their videos, pulling in thousands of views and hundreds of comments.

“To know that, that many people can take part and come together and pray, wow,” said Father James Cunningham, parochial vicar of the parish.

“People have said how comforted they feel, especially hearing the voices of priests they know,” added pastor William Sweeney. “It really is very humbling and also the realization that God uses many different things.”

Both pastors are also streaming live Q&As on Facebook to stay connected. That’s what people are looking for during this difficult time: connection.

“It is working, and it gets to those people who can’t access it,” said Marin Rodriguez, she and her family watch the Holy Child Jesus Church live stream. “There are different priests streaming at different times, and you can catch it anytime, I’m grateful.”

The tool even connects people from all over the world to the Diocese of Brooklyn, like Father Christopher Heanue’s family.

His cousin Colette has been watching him celebrate Masses at Holy Child Jesus Church in Queens.

“It’s been valuable for his relatives here in Ireland as well, we’ve been able to tune in and feel a little bit of a connection there as well,” she said.

While many say they love being able to participate in Mass from their home, it’ll never replace being at church.

“We do miss the personal contact, the ability to celebrate with others,” explained Holy Child Jesus parishioner Mildred Tully. “Let’s hope this subsides soon so we can get back to community worship. You don’t get to receive the actual Body and Blood of Christ, so it’s a spiritual communion.”

Currents News full broadcast for Monday, 4/6/20

On the newscast: Another big loss for the Diocese of Brooklyn. A beloved pastor passes away from coronavirus. A look back at his life and legacy; We could be at a pandemic crossroads in New York. Statewide deaths could be at a plateau; Parishioners are speaking out about the livestreamed masses being celebrated all over the Diocese of Brooklyn; A Catholic hospital chaplain will be here with his experiences on the frontlines.

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.

How Will Weather Conditions Affect the Coronavirus?

Currents News Staff

The coronavirus continues to ravage parts of the United states, early studies are pointing to a connection between cooler temperatures, low humidity and the geographical regions where the virus is thriving.

Experts like infectious disease ecologist Micaela Martinez are tracking the seasonal patterns of the virus where preliminary studies show warmer parts of the world have slower rates of transmission

“A lot of the science is in the early stages,” professor Martinez explained. “The thing is right now, because this is a novel emerging infectious disease, the majority of our population — the majority of the world — is susceptible.”

Researchers at MIT found areas with temperatures between 37 and 62 degrees had higher rates of transmission, whereas countries with more tropical climates accounted for fewer than six percent of the global cases so far.

Early studies out of Europe and China found similar trends and also reported the virus was heartier in dry conditions suggesting that humidity levels also play a role.

And while much more information is needed to truly understand the impact of weather on the disease’s progression, those early indicators prompted the nation’s top infectious disease doctor to speak out about it too.

“What we’re starting to see now in the southern hemisphere, in southern Africa, and in the southern hemisphere countries, is that we’re having cases that are appearing as they go into their winter season,” explained Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health.

Fauci warns that if outbreaks there are substantial, the northern hemisphere could get hit a second time.

“We need to be prepared that we will get a cycle around a second time,” he said.

Professor Martinez agreed that people should remain vigilant, because even though the spread may slow, it could easily reemerge in the fall.

“Even if we see seasonal declines in transmissions or slowing down, that’s not going to act as a stop lever to shut off transmission,” she said.

“It totally emphasizes the need to do what we’re doing,” added Fauci, “the need to develop a vaccine, testing it quickly, and get it ready so we’ll have a vaccine available for that next cycle”

Currents News full broadcast for Fri, 4/3/20

On the newscast: New York City’s hospitals are at the breaking point because of the coronavirus crisis. A Christian charity is setting up an emergency facility in Central Park; Should you wear a face mask? It’s one of the questions we ‘Ask the Doctor’ tonight; Food banks are helping a lot of New Yorkers feed their families as the crisis kills jobs; And a special ‘Thank You’ to the special people who are getting us through it all.

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.

The Christian Charity Behind Central Park’s Field Hospital

By Emily Drooby

New York City hospitals are stretched to the breaking point amid the COVID-19 crisis, and a 68-bed emergency facility in Central Park made possible by a Christian charity is being called a godsend.

When the Navy’s USNS Comfort steamed into New York Harbor, another beacon of hope was being pitched in the park: a field hospital built in Central Park’s East Meadow.

The facility was set up by Mount Sinai Hospital and Samaritan’s Purse, an evangelical Christian organization that provides aid all over the world.

Currents News spoke with Brock Kreitzburg, who heads their international disaster response unit.

“Our mission is to help people who are hurting both physically and spiritually around the world,” he explained. “This is an opportunity to show the love of Christ both in action and in word.”

The relief organization is run by Franklin Graham, son of televangelist Billy Graham.

They’re treating people infected with COVID-19, easing the crunch at nearby Mount Sinai. So far, the field hospital has treated at least 12 patients.

Inside the tents are some 90 doctors, nurses and other professionals on the job.

“That’s what we do,” Brock said. “We have been responding to disasters around the world for the last 30 years. We responded to earthquakes, hurricanes, ebola back in 2014. So, God has set us up to be able to prepare well.”

The organization’s policy asks volunteers to adhere to a statement of faith, which includes that marriage should be between a man and a woman.

This has been criticized in New York.

But Samaritan’s Purse insists they help everyone. They don’t discriminate, and they have the track-record to prove it.

The Central Park hospital comes just two weeks after they set up an identical one in Italy to deal with the brutal coronavirus crisis there.

According to Brock, while there’s no other field hospitals planned in the U.S. yet, they’ll go where they’re needed.

Ask the Doctor: Investigating the Spread and Treatment of Coronavirus

Currents News Staff

Medical professionals are hard at work, searching for possible treatments for infected coronavirus patients.

One technique involves the blood of people who’ve recovered from the disease.

There is also the drug hydroxychloroquine, which some physicians are using and the president has talked about it as a possible treatment.

A drug to prevent the virus is at least a year away, leaving many questions surrounding the crisis and how to combat it.

A scientific panel is reportedly telling the White House the disease can be spread not just by sneezes or coughs, but also just by talking or breathing.

There have been conflicting accounts over whether everyone should wear a mask. Now, people are being encouraged to cover their faces.

To help Currents News answer some of these questions and debates is Dr. Robert Tiballi of 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.