We’ll introduce you to Phil Stafford, a New Jersey man who, about ten years ago, quit his job to feed and clothe people.
In April, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments regarding Idaho’s near-total abortion ban.
Pope Francis wants a global ban on surrogacy.
Diocese of Brooklyn Bishop Robert Brennan celebrated the epiphany with a Mass at All Saints Church in Williamsburg.
by Katie Vasquez
Dozens of loyal customers continuously come to Ayat for the Palestinian dishes. The restaurant is located in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn.
Customers like Pegah Pasalar have stopped by three times since the location opened on December 21st.
“The food is great. I mean, Palestinian food is just one of my most favorite cuisine. But also this restaurant is amazing,” said Ayat customer, Pegah Pasalar.
But recently, the eatery has been caught in the middle of a war happening thousands of miles away.
Since the conflict between Hamas and Israel began in October, all of Ayat’s five locations in New York City have been bombarded with one star reviews.
“We were at five and then it kept going down,” said Ayat owner, Abdul Elenani.
Elenani says he’s used to terrible feedback now and again, but he says the comments online have taken a frightening turn
“These messages came out about, we’re going to bomb, you were going to bomb your places, we’re gonna do all this,” said Elenani.
And makes him fear for the safety of his family.
“Now we have a baby so it’s different. so that that care level just kind of like, spikes up and you become more protective.”
Many people are attacking Ayat’s menu, its named “from the river to the sea”
They say it’s a call to action against Jews, erasing the state of Israel.
Elenani said, “they have this idea that I’m an anti-semite and I want to kill Jews when it’s nowhere near the case.”
Elenani says he doesn’t care about the bad business, he just wants the war to end.
“If I lose everything, I don’t care. It’s more about people living in normal peace. It’s waking up in the morning knowing that my child is safe to go to school, not be bulldozed or killed by this random missile or rocket,” said Elenani.
By Jessica Easthope
The reward is now up to $35,000 for any information about the person responsible for gunning down Imam Hassan Sharif outside of Masjid Muhammad in Newark, Wednesday.
The Catholic and Muslim communities in Newark are in mourning as police continue to investigate the shooting. Cardinal Joseph Tobin of the Archdiocese of Newark released a statement on Imam Sharif’s death that says in part, “Imam Sharif was a revered faith and community leader in our city who spoke out against the violence in our streets and neighborhoods. I share the grief of all who mourn the death of this faithful leader and join my prayers with those of his family and friends and our sisters and brothers in the Muslim community.”
Sharif who was the mosque’s leader was shot several times just before the dawn prayer and died hours later at University Hospital. Sharif was known as a community activist and staple of interfaith relations in Newark.
People in neighborhood say they’re afraid to speak knowing the person responsible is still out there, but they remember Imam Sharif as a community leader. Days before his death Sharif ran a coat drive for children in Newark. The investigation is ongoing but according to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office it doesn’t appear Sharif was the victim of a hate crime or domestic terrorism.
It’s a sad start to the new year for a faith community in Newark, New Jersey.
We’re remembering Pope Benedict XVI.
A Palestinian restaurant has been dealing with various threats and bad reviews.
The Tablet’s Bright Christmas campaign was a success.
By Jessica Easthope
Skylar Covich can’t convince everyone that it’s necessary to learn Braille, even in the midst of a Braille literacy crisis.
“There is still this push to do everything with audio and not always push people to take all the options that they have so that is one worry about Braille declining,” he said.
Skylar is a technology program lead at the Braille Institute of America in southern California. He was born blind and learned Braille when he was 5.
“Not only for reading books, but for being able to make presentations, a lot easier, participate in Church life a lot easier, lectoring having words of musical notation at your fingertips to sing in the choir. I’ve done both of those things or whatever other part of life you’re in, it’s an important skill to have,” said Skylar.
There’s not one reason that points to why Braille is becoming less common. Braille is expensive to manufacture, the books are long and heavy. Technological advances like audio guides and screen readers have made not learning Braille an easy choice for nearly 90% of blind children according to the National Federation of the Blind.
Skylar serves on the board of trustees for Xavier Society for the Blind in Manhattan. The society ships Catholic faith materials in Braille, audio books, and large print to about 2,400 people across 20 countries for free every year.
“People go to church and they take for granted that the missalette will be right there in the pew for use for them to use during Mass. That’s not available for people who are blind and other types of technology don’t really lend themselves to doing that,” said Executive Director Malachy Fallon.
Fallon says promoting Braille literacy to those who would benefit from it is stamped into their Catholic identity.
“It’s a debate that’s been ongoing, because of advances and technology. There’s also a school of thought that thinks young children and individuals who are blind from birth, should be learning Braille because it helps with their intellectual development, with their comprehension and retention,” said Fallon.
As a kid, signage, reading comprehension, and retention are some of the reasons Skylar was thankful he learned, now as an adult his reasons have changed.
“Reading to my son, he’s 2 years old, we have board books, including a couple of Catholic ones and he’s just so excited that I can read out loud. He can see perfectly well, but he’ll put his finger on the page and say that’s Braille and that really makes me happy,” he said.
Technology and devices like e-readers and refreshable Braille machines have also helped steer many blind people toward Braille. For those who read Braille and those who don’t, the key is access.
After being arrested for armed robbery, Johnny Chavez decided to change his life.
Today is World Braille Day, a time of the year when researchers and advocates for the visually impaired promote Braille literacy.
The Vatican is hosting a competition and if you win your artwork will be displayed in St. Peter’s Basilica and you’ll get $130,000.
by Katie Vasquez
When Johnny Chavez walks around South Williamsburg, he’s reminded of another life.
He grew up here, in a small apartment with his parents and two sisters, but that all changed when Johnny’s parents divorced when he was a teenager.
“I had to find some sense of gratification, some sense of belonging, and my friends were my, my refuge.”
Johnny got involved with a gang and started selling drugs.
“We were selling heroin, a lot of heroin.”
At 17 he was arrested for armed robbery; it was the final straw.
Johnny wanted to change his life, but he didn’t know how.
“There was nothing that was making me stop. I was making a lot of money. I was doing whatever I wanted.”
Until Johnny’s godfather invited him back to church and God opened the door for Johnny to find a new life.
“I went to the Eucharist, and some of them were talking about drugs, about alcohol, and nobody was standing up to accuse them. Nobody was judging them, so I felt like I belonged there.”
Now Johnny is paying it forward, as a member of the Neocatechumenal Way, a spiritual movement that aims to deepen the faith of its members through ongoing formation.
He devotes his time to showing others the right path, through catechesis.
“We help them so that this calling, which is very fragile, can maintain a sense of spark,” said Chavez.
He now has a devotion to his faith he is passing on to his eight children.
“The biggest gift today that I am receiving from the Lord, that he is helping my children to stay in the Church. They are staying in the Church. It is a blessing because today is hard to stay in the Church.”
Despite his past, Johnny says he has no regrets.
“So if you ask me, what would you want to change of your life? I would say nothing, because if I was to tell you that if my parents could be together, that means that I wouldn’t. I would have missed the encounter of Christ.”
He knows it was all part of his journey and God is with him every step of the way.
By Jessica Easthope
It’s just another Wednesday in the STEM lab at St. Andrew Avellino Catholic Academy in Flushing. Pre-K students jump over candles to see how a running start affects their distance. It’s the latest of Maureen O’Brien’s science experiments.
“Teaching is about creativity, at this age it is, and getting them engaged, they have to realize it’s not about getting the right answer, it’s about the exploration, I really believe that,” she said.
O’Brien has been teaching for more than 20 years. She’s seen it all when it comes to these kids but recently she started navigating some new territory — going viral on Instagram.
“I think it’s hysterical, I was teaching them primary colors and how to make them, at least it was science, I can incorporate my love of science into my day, I think it’s hysterical that I went viral, as does my family,” O’Brien said.
The video of one of her recent experiments has more than 127,000 views. Principal Debbie Hanna says: Who wouldn’t want to watch O’Brien’s methods in action?
“At first it was a regular video and then all of a sudden it hits 50 and then 68 and now we’re up to 127,000 views,” Hanna said. “It’s fun, people need fun things to view and Ms. O’Brien, she’s fun to view.”
In the STEM lab, O’Brien uses strategies that work, like experimentation, repetition, and movement to make sure for her kids her lessons stick.
“They leave pre-K knowing science like no other, they’re having fun but the beauty of it is they’re remembering what they learned,” Hanna said.
“We learn that we have to use all our muscles and all our strength and all our power and it’s crazy how we’re smart and we have to use our brain power and our brain is like a giant computer, that’s crazy,” said 4-year-old Owen Deieso.
“We use energy and we use our gravity, we need muscles and our brain gets even bigger because we learn,” said Mackenzie Travis, one of O’Brien’s students.
In class she addresses the students as scientists, empowering them to come to their own conclusions.
“I tell them that all the time, I don’t look for perfection, I look for effort, I look for exploration. If I can instill that in them, the confidence that it’s OK to make a mistake they’ll always feel good about what they learn and how they learn and that’s my goal to give them confidence to learn,” O’Brien said.
Even if O’Brien’s viral moment ends soon, the attention of her class is the only attention she’s looking to gain.
U.S. officials are stepping in, demanding a Nicaraguan bishop and other imprisoned Catholic leaders there be released.
The statement by the Department of State said leaders like Bishop Rolando Álvarez are being “
unjustly detained.”
Bishop Álvarez has been in captivity for more than 500 days, convicted last year of treason by the regime of President Daniel Ortega.
Bishop Álvarez is one of more than a dozen Catholics currently facing persecution in Nicaragua.
John Lavenburg, the National Correspondent for The Tablet and Crux, joins Currents News to talk more about it.
A Catholic pre-k teacher in the Diocese of Brooklyn is going viral thanks to her fun lessons.
The U.S. Court of Appeals has ruled that the Biden administration cannot force emergency room doctors in Texas to perform abortions.
Plans are underway for the National March for Life in Washington D.C.
The U.S. Department of State is calling for the release of imprisoned Nicaraguan bishop, and other clergy.