Currents News Staff
Earlier this year, the world watched as flames heavily damaged Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France.
Now a church in Missouri is paying tribute to the French monument in a unique way: by building a huge replica made out of gingerbread.
The delectable creation will be on display at Holy Trinity Church in Weston, Missouri until January 6, the Feast of the Three Kings.
By Tim Harfmann
For Filipino Catholics like Princess Osma, the Simbang Gabi celebration is a countdown to Christ’s birth.
It’s a novena leading up to Christmas.
“I think it’s a really big responsibility for me to keep the culture and pass it along to people,” said Osma.
Osma and her parents are attending Corpus Christi Church in Woodside, Queens for nine straight nights of prayer.
Simbang Gabi originated in the 1600s and was called “the rooster’s Mass” because liturgies were celebrated before dawn.
The evening services are important to the 21-year-old.
“A lot of people my age, they don’t usually come to events like this. So, I think it means a lot to me to respect my parents and my culture overall,” said Osma.
Father Patrick Longalong celebrated the eighth night of the novena on December 22. A Filipino himself, he sees it as a way of evangelizing.
“There are many Filipinos who travel, who move, who migrate to different countries. We are also bringing with us our culture, our faith and our heritage,” he said.
This year, Pope Francis also became the first pontiff to celebrate Simbang Gabi at Saint Peter’s Basilica.
“Filipinos should be very proud of that! [It’s] the first time we are being recognized. Our tradition is now known all over the world. Although, wherever Filipinos are, we have the Simbang Gabi,” said Pura Gonzalez, a parishioner at Corpus Chrisit Church.
The novena ends on Christmas Eve.
On the newscast: A massive take down of the violent MS-13 gang. Police on Long Island say they made almost 100 arrests; The takeaways from the final Democratic debate of 2019. Who won and who lost?; Caught on camera – two Carnival cruise ships crash in Mexico. How did this happen?; And Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens hands out toys and gift cards to families in need this Christmas.
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 Christine Persichette
Mark Galli, the editor-in-chief of evangelical magazine “Christianity Today,” is calling for President Donald Trump to step down.
In the magazine founded by the late Reverend Billy Graham, Galli wrote in an op-ed that President Trump’s actions were both unconstitutional and quote “profoundly immoral.”
“The question is: When does his behavior which is described as immoral, accurately rise to the level where he is no longer fit to serve office? And to me we crossed that line with the impeachment hearings,” explained Galli.
President Trump fired back in a tweet, saying “a far left magazine, or very ‘progressive,’ as some would call it, which has been doing poorly and hasn’t been involved with the Billy Graham family for many years, Christianity Today, knows nothing about reading a perfect transcript of a routine phone call and would rather…have a radical left nonbeliever, who wants to take your religion & your guns, than Donald Trump as your president. No president has done more for the evangelical community, and it’s not even close,” he wrote.
“I disagree with him on about seven or eight different levels. His characterization of us as being far left is far from accurate,” Galli said. “We consider ourselves, and most people consider us, a pretty centrist magazine in the evangelical world. We’re certainly not far right.”
Meanwhile, Billy Graham’s son Franklin commented online, saying his father would not have agreed with the opinion piece and would have been disappointed.
“My father knew Donald Trump,” he wrote. “He believed in Donald Trump, and he voted for Donald Trump. He believed that Donald J. Trump was the man for this hour in history for our nation.”
By Emily Drooby
With a few small steps, student Annie Kinnally is making a major impact, helping to lead her school to victory as a coordinator in the Great Ignatian Challenge.
For the challenge — named after Saint Ignatius of Loyola, who founded the Jesuit order — students collect food to be donated to a local pantry, competing against other schools to raise the most per student. In exchange, they win scholarship money for their school.
It takes place among seven Jesuit schools in New York, Connecticut, NewJersey and Pennsylvania.
Manhattan’s Loyola School — where Annie is a student —won, despite being the smallest in the competition.
“It feels great we all worked so hard for it,” she said. “It brought the student body together. We all had the same goal of getting the most food, and we did it.”
“It’s amazing,” said Tony Oroszlany, president of the school. “You have two sides: you’re helping those with most need in one area, but then in the second area it’s helping those with most needs as well.”
The impact is far reaching: just this year the Great Ignatian Challenge collected over 135,000 pounds of food and over 350,000 dollars in scholarships.
As the winning school, Loyola received over 100,000 dollars, but no school walked away with less than 25,000 dollars.
Jim Rowen, COO of Renaissance Technologies, is the competition’s main donor. As a product of Jesuit schools himself, he’s given a quarter of a million dollars to the program this year.
“Having his name associated with the challenge is very important because that is what he instructed his disciples, his followers to do,” Jim said of St. Ignatius of Loyola. “Don’t look inward, look outward. Support the community.”
It takes place among seven jesuit schools in New York, Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Xavier High School in Manhattan is also among the competition participants.
“We have all these rivalries between the schools,” explained Xavier student Jadyn Trujillo. “We play them in sports, we do all these things. But when it comes to a similar goal which is like a mission of helping all in need, that’s when we can come together as Jesuit schools.”
Through the Great Ignatian Challenge, students are living out the jesuit values they’re taught in school.
“We live in one of the greatest cities in the world, but there’s so many people that need help,” added classmate Matthew Rogers. “I see people, and I see people walk right by them. To know that I’m helping out those people feels great.”
Jim hopes to continue to grow the program by adding schools in Manhattan.
Currents News Staff
A startling statistic is stamping the end of the decade: according to a non-profit group, more than 200 current or former police officers took their own lives nationwide in 2019.
The statistic comes from Blue H.E.L.P., a group which tracks officer suicides.
Baltimore Police Sergeant Richard Watts started a new road on his second day back after a five month break taken in part to recover from alcoholism.
In 2018, stress from the job collided with heartbreak at home. Illness forced his wife onto life support.
“At that point in my life, everything was broken,” he said.
Then, in October of that year, Sgt. Watts drove drunk and was arrested.
“I’ve been subjected to horrifying situations,” he explained. “I didn’t deal with it.”
Sgt. Watts turned to Vernon Herron, director of the Baltimore Police Department’s officer safety & wellness section, a program to identify and help officers who may be struggling.
The focus is simple: early intervention and overall health & wellness.
“Imagine these officers who are alcoholics, or these officers who are involved in traumatic events, and they never got the help and there out protecting the public,” said Herron. “What could happen to them?”
Former Baltimore Police Department Deputy Commissioner Jason Johnson developed the idea for the program, and now works with police around the country through the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund.
“We had this observation that there wasn’t a lot of effort being put to helping the police officers there deal with the trauma,” Johnson explained.
“The reality is it could be anyone. That’s the truth.”
It’s a kind of pain that gripped Sgt. Watts, who lost his wife in January. Though he’s on a journey without her, Sgt. Watts knows he is far from alone.
“Showing up now for work every day is a daily reminder of how fortunate I really was,” he said. “I’ve been given a second chance, and I’m trying to take full advantage of that.
If you or someone you know needs help or more information, please call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255
On the newscast: How lawmakers spoke of God and faith during the debate on Capitol Hill leading up to the impeachment of President Trump; What to look for from the candidates in the final Democratic debate of the year; A class of 4th graders in the Brooklyn Diocese – took on a special project this Advent – making Christmas brighter for other children; And the homecoming years in the making – just in time for Christmas.
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.
Currents News Staff
The House vote on Dec. 18 was just the beginning. Now, it’s the Senate’s turn to take up the impeachment case against President Donald Trump.
But with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi refusing to commit to when she will hand the articles of impeachment over to the Senate, things could hit a stalemate.
A Washington staredown between both chambers of Congress has the presidency of Donald Trump on the line.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has two articles of impeachment that passed the House last night: one for abuse of power, the other for obstruction of Congress.
“They happen to have a small majority, and they took that small majority,” explained Trump. “I don’t feel like I’m being impeached, because it’s a hoax.”
The next step: transferring those articles to the Senate, where President Trump will be tried.
Pelosi says she wants assurances that the trial will be a fair one, and Majority Leader Mitch McConell has indicated that he has already made up his mind
“This particular House of Representatives has let its partisan rage at this particular president create a toxic new precedent,” he said.
Other top members of the GOP are backing him.
“If there’s a witness request by anybody, I’m going to say no,” said Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.
An announcement from Pelosi on the “impeachment managers’, who will be prosecuting the case in the Senate, is expected.
But until that happens, all Washington and the White House can do is wait.
Tim Harfmann
Hand-written letters from children wanting to help others detail a Christmas wish not to Santa, but to The Tablet’s Editor-in-Chief, Jorge Dominguez.
Twenty-three letters from fourth graders at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Academy in Forest Hills, Queens arrived at The Tablet’s office. Along with their letters these Santa’s helpers had dug deep into their pockets, raising 100 dollars for families through The Tablet’s Bright Christmas Campaign.
“It was a complete surprise,” said Jorge. “I just received this envelope in the mail, and when I opened it, I found a beautiful Christmas present.”
The Tablet’s annual drive gives to those in need can receive gifts, and students at Our Lady of Mercy understand the reason for the season.
“It’s like a fundraiser to raise money so that the poor, who don’t celebrate christmas, can,” explained Xavier Guanco, a fourth grader at the school.
“I felt excited because I wanted to help out poor people who didn’t have money, so they can have a nice Christmas,” said fellow student Lauren Rivera.
“They’re sending a message to the kids who receive the toy for Christmas, that somebody cares about you,” Jorge added.
“Some people think that Christmas is about waking up, getting presents for yourself,” explained fourth grader Flavia Foukas. “I think it’s important to actually give, and it’s something that Jesus would do.”
These students are giving so that others can have a bright Christmas.
If you want to donate to the Bright Christmas team, there is still time to do it. Just send your check to:
The Tablet’s Bright Christmas, 1712 Tenth Ave., Brooklyn, N.Y. 11215.
And this year you have a new option.
Go to – thetablet.org/
Find this link – DONATE: The Tablet Bright Christmas Fund
Click on the link to donate directly with your debit or credit card, or through PayPal.
By Emily Drooby
The joyous sound of young voices are ringing out in a church auditorium, but soon the youth ministry choir of Saint Sebastian Church in Woodside, Queens, will be on a much bigger stage: Radio City Music Hall.
It’s a dream for many, especially choir member Ashley Ambrosi. Just four years after moving to the U.S. from Ecuador, she will be on that stage.
“When I just came to this country that’s the first place where I went, because it was very popular to watch the Rockettes,” she said. “Going now to perform there is like, really cool.”
She and other members of her youth ministry will sing for thousands of people.
The opportunity all started with a message to their choir director, Laura McMamus.
“I really have felt like this has all been divinely inspired,” she explained, “just came up out of the blue. I got emailed on LinkedIn to have the kids participate in it. We have been working since August on Christmas music, so these kids are totally ready for Christmas.”
The group was eventually chosen to perform a medley of Christmas music before the curtain rises on the “Christmas Spectacular” show on Friday, Dec. 20.
Opening for the Rockettes is a huge honor, but for the students so is having the chance to evangelize through music.
The show is bringing students to the legendary stage, but also closer to God.
“It’s one of the ways of me talking to Him, other than praying and going to church,” said choir member Mark Joseph. “I feel like every time I sing, He watches me and He appreciates it.”
“I’ve always liked to do that, spreading my faith and showing other people what my religion is all about,” said Ashley. “It’s like, really important to me.”