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Non-Profit ‘Called’ Reimagines Preaching in the Catholic Church

By Jessica Easthope

A unique retreat is bringing together clergy and lay people to reshape their approach to preaching in the Catholic Church.

Organized by ‘Called,’ a nonprofit focused on transforming how the church engages its followers, the “Attentive Heart” retreat, held at the Thomas Berry Place in Jamaica Estates, New York, is aimed at empowering individuals to share their faith in new ways.

Father John Gribowich, the director of the Called Curriculum Team, highlights the retreat as a response to the crisis of ineffective preaching in the Catholic Church.

“This retreat is about how we communicate in a compelling way what God is doing in our lives,” he said.

Attendees from across the country gathered to share their experiences, listen, and learn to preach from the heart.

For some, like Father Andrew Dutko, this retreat is part of a personal journey of healing.

Father Dutko, who lost his wife Barbara in 2011, shared his emotional story.

“I woke up one day, and my life changed,” Father Dutko. “It still hits me in the stomach when I think about it, but my love for God never wavered.”

Others, like Christine Turner, found solace after experiencing profound loss.

Christine’s son Will died by suicide ten years ago, and the pain left her searching for spiritual meaning.

“I was feeling disconnected from the homilies I heard in church,” Turner said. “This retreat has taught me how to see God’s presence in my life, and it’s been incredibly healing for me.”

At its core, the retreat aims to encourage participants to recognize that anyone can preach, according to Kathy Lorentz, a member of the Called team.

“This retreat helps people realize that preaching isn’t just for the pulpit,” Lorenz said. “We all have the power to preach in our everyday lives.”

The next “Attentive Heart” retreat is scheduled for March. For more information, visit SundaytoSunday.net.

Columbus Day Parade Celebrates 80th Year of Italian Pride

The 80th Annual Columbus Day Parade took place on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue on Monday, Oct. 14, and the Diocese of Brooklyn put its stamp on the event in a big way.

The grand marshal, Michael T. Strianese, is a graduate of two schools within the diocese’s borders — Xaverian High School in Bay Ridge and St. John’s University in Jamaica.

“It’s a great day for Italians in New York and a great day for Brooklyn!” said Strianese, the retired chairman and CEO of L3 Technologies Inc., a global aerospace company.

He rode the parade route in a white Maserati.

The grandest of Columbus Day parades featured 25,000 marchers, including dancers, twirlers, and marching bands.

The march also featured plenty of colorful floats, many of which were blaring the “Tarantella” from their loudspeakers as people riding aboard bounced to the lively beat.

Greeting the parade participants, which included students from Xaverian and St. John’s, were hundreds of thousands of spectators who cheered along the route that ran up Fifth Avenue from 42nd Street to 72nd Street.

One of those spectators was Maria Nunzio, an Italian-American who lives in Ridgewood and is a parishioner of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Church.

Nunzio and her friends draped an Italian flag over a sidewalk barricade to honor the heritage of Christopher Columbus.

“This is so beautiful! I love it so much!” she said.

The day began with a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Afterward, he commented, “On St. Patrick’s Day, we say we’re all Irish. Today, we are all Italian.”

Cardinal Dolan noted that the Catholic Church and the Italian-American community enjoy close ties that date back many decades.

He recalled what former mayor Ed Koch told him when he first came to New York as the archbishop in 2009.

“When the immigrants came, two women welcomed them — Lady Liberty and the Mother Church,” Cardinal Dolan recalled.

For many, Columbus Day has taken on a much larger meaning than Christopher Columbus himself. It’s a day for Italian-American pride.

Archbishop Gabriele G. Caccia, the permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, delivered the homily at Mass.

He called Columbus “a great man who changed history” and praised the contributions Italian-Americans have made to the United States.

John Mazzola, a parishioner of St. Finbar Church in Bath Beach, said the day filled him with a sense of pride as an Italian-American and as the son of immigrants.

“Today is a beautiful day for Italian pride,” Mazzola said.

“My father came here in 1956 on the Cristopher Columbus [ship]. He came here on a cold day in March,” he added, explaining that his dad, Francesco Mazzola, survived a storm at sea. “I’m very proud to be here.”

Several St. John’s students were eager to ride the university’s float along the parade route, dancing to the music even before their float joined the line of march. For Anthony Brandimarte, a junior, the parade allowed different parts of New York’s Italian-American community to come together.

“It’s a chance to share our culture and our identity,” Brandimarte said.

Catholic News Headlines for Tuesday 10/15/2024

New Yorkers celebrated Italian-American heritage at the 80th Annual Columbus Day Parade in Manhattan. Tens of thousands of participants proudly marched down Fifth Avenue, with nearly a million spectators lining the streets.

New York City has even more Italian culture on display as the Italian American Museum officially opened its doors in Manhattan. Discover the inspiring story of Maria Pulsone, a symbol of the American Dream, featured right at the museum’s entrance.

In Corona, Queens, the feast day of Blessed Carlo Acutis was honored with the unveiling of a statue at Our Lady of Sorrows Church. Hundreds of youth gathered for the event, as Acutis is expected to be canonized next year.

Explore how a nonprofit organization, ‘CALLED,’ is transforming the way preaching is approached in the Catholic Church, empowering both clergy and lay people through their innovative retreats.

Former Garment Worker Immortalized with Statue at Italian-American Museum

By Katie Vasquez

A row of family photos is proudly displayed at Maria Pulsone’s Queens home. 

“I’m very happy for my family. We over here, we make a better life,” said Pulsone. 

A life the Catholic was able to build with her husband and son when they came to America from the Molise region of Italy in 1955.

“You know, all working people, that we come here for a piece of bread,” said Pulsone.

In her new life in Flushing, she worked in the garment industry, sewing tuxedos to make ends meet. 

“You kind of got to put a seam at the seam and then you’ve got to work here. so that’s the job,” said Pulsone. 

About 45 years ago, her boss at Saint Laurie honored her years of hard work, by asking her to sit for a statue that they would display in the showroom of their Broadway building. 

The image of the model employee, becoming just as much of a staple for the showroom as she was. 

“I say, good morning Maria, good night Maria,” said Pulsone. 

The company eventually closed its doors, but last year her family including her son Nunzio started thinking about where it ended up. 

 “Looked it up on Google and poof, statue of sewing woman and they came up and they found that it was in Pennsylvania,” said Nunzio Pulsone, Maria’s son, “and we purchased it.”

They then donated the statue to the Italian-American Museum on Mulberry street in Little Italy, where visitors can say hi to Maria’s statue, located right by the door of the museum, just like her coworkers did years ago. 

“She’s representing the hardworking people that came from Italy in the garment district. You know, so that’s, it’s an honor to have that,” said Nunzio Pulsone. 

And while Maria is humbled by the gesture, she’s happy that her legacy will live on for years to come. 

“Now my family, you know, sometimes they go to the museum, they say that’s my grandma, and so my great grandma,” said Maria Pulsone.

 

To learn more about the museum, head to their website: https://www.italianamericanmuseum.org/

Principal and President Lead ‘Dream Team’ at St. Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Academy

By Jessica Easthope

At St. Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Academy in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, school leadership is creating waves with their dynamic teamwork.

President Frank Carbone and Principal Danielle Madden-Buck share the responsibility of running the school, making St. Stanislaus the first in the Diocese of Brooklyn to adopt this collaborative model.

The two may seem like new colleagues, but they go way back to their days of basketball rivalry — Frank as the coach for St. Joseph’s College and Danielle as a player for Brooklyn College.

That competitive spirit resurfaced during Danielle’s interview for the principal position, where Frank immediately knew she was the top pick.

“Danielle popped up on that screen, and I knew she was the one. I felt like a general manager selecting my first draft pick,” said Carbone.

Now, Madden-Buck brings her passion for the game to the classroom, focusing on STEM education, differentiated learning, and establishing a resource room to meet the diverse needs of the students.

“We really want to touch all learners and ensure every child succeeds,” Madden-Buck said.

From basketball opponents to school allies, the pair call themselves the Dream Team, committed to maintaining a focus on faith-based values in Catholic education.

“It’s about how we treat one another, how we live our faith, and lean on it when needed,” she added.

Carbone sees their partnership as an unbeatable combination: “Passion, intelligence, talent, and faith — together, we can’t lose.”

At St. Stan’s, whether on the court or in the classroom, everyone wins.

Catholic News Headlines for Friday 10/11/2024

The statue of Maria Pulsone, a former garment worker, was lost for decades. Recently it has been rediscovered and will be honored at the new Italian-American Museum in Little Italy.

Floridians return to assess the devastation left by Hurricane Milton, which followed close behind Hurricane Helene. Get the latest update from the Diocese of St. Petersburg on the damages and recovery efforts.

St. Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Academy in Greenpoint, the first school in the Diocese of Brooklyn to implement a principal/president model, welcomes its new principal, Danielle Madden-Buck. She emphasizes that the school’s president is her ideal teammate, fostering collaboration for a successful academic year in the fourth installment of Currents News’ Meet the New Principal series.

Pope Francis gives the public a unique opportunity to view a relic of the Chair of St. Peter, currently on display in Rome until October 27th.

St. Anselm Church in Bay Ridge Hosts Fall Carnival Fundraiser

St. Anselm Church in Bay Ridge recently held its three-day fall carnival. 

The event brought parishioners and other members of the community together, offering fun for all ages with rides, games, and beloved food favorites.

Beyond the festivities, the carnival served as a fundraiser for the parish, with proceeds going towards much-needed renovations for church pews and bathrooms. 

Last year’s festival helped repair St. Anselm’s bell, and this year one lucky raffle winner walked away with a $2,700 prize.

Synod Raises Thousands for Gaza’s Only Catholic Parish

The Synod has raised approximately €62,000 (about $68,000 USD) for the only Catholic parish in Gaza.

During a briefing, the Vatican revealed that this amount was collected on October 7th, the Pope’s Day of Fasting and Prayer for Peace in the Holy Land.

Donations came from Synod participants and the Apostolic Almoner, with the funds already sent to the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza.

The Pope continues to express solidarity with the parish, calling daily to stay informed about the conditions in the region.

Diocese of Brooklyn Webinars Aim to Unlock Path to Spiritual Growth

A new six-episode webinar series produced by DeSales Media Group, looks to take at deepening your relationship with Christ and helping you share the faith with others.

The first episode has already aired, focusing on the importance of evangelization.

Here’s a glimpse of what was discussed and how you can get involved in spreading the word of God.

To join the six-Part ‘Religion to Reality’ webinar series, visit: https://desalesmedia.org/religion-to-reality/