Hurricane Melissa Strikes Jamaica as Year’s Strongest Storm, Prompting Catholic Relief Efforts

By Currents News

The country of Jamaica endured high winds and heavy rain on Oct. 28 as Hurricane Melissa, the strongest storm on the planet so far in 2025, made landfall.

The rare Category 5 hurricane, boasting winds of up to 175 miles per hour, left the streets of Kingston, the capital city, deserted as it ravaged the Caribbean.

The massive rainfall is anticipated to trigger landslides and catastrophic flash flooding, while the powerful storm surge and high winds threaten widespread damage to the island nation’s infrastructure.

Brooklyn Bishop Robert Brennan expressed solidarity with those affected, posting on X: “Prayers for those who stand in the path of Hurricane Melissa, especially in Jamaica, and those already affected in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Many of our Brooklyn Diocese parishioners have family on these islands in the Caribbean. Let us ask God to protect them, and all the people of these nations.”

In response to the devastation, Catholic Relief Services has committed $250,000 in lifesaving relief to support those impacted by Hurricane Melissa.

Individuals wishing to contribute can visit crs.org/donate/hurricane-melissa.

St. John’s Bread & Life Steps Up to Feed Hungry Amid Government Shutdown

By Jessica Easthope

Sani Mites’ head swirls with uncertainty as she waits for her number to be called at St. John’s Bread & Life food pantry in Bedford-Stuyvesant.

She and her kids are hungry. She’s been on disability since she was hit by a stray bullet last year while she was pregnant with her son. The roughly $1,000 per month she gets from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, goes toward buying all of their food, diapers and essentials — and soon it will be gone.

“My mind is just blown right now. I don’t know where my mind is just going. It’s like I’m going crazy right now,” Mites said. “I feel like the people that don’t have a job in the shelter and stuff like that shouldn’t be able to get benefits and stuff like that. Right now, I feel like I’m struggling.”

Government assistance programs announced that SNAP recipients will be doing without for at least the month of November. The current government shutdown is forcing federal aid to a halt. And desperation is setting in — for Mites and 3 million others across New York State.

“The shelter I’m in is a cooking facility, so I’m going to need my benefits to get food and stuff to cook for my kids and my sibling. I already have anxiety and stuff like that. So it’s just making it even more worse,” she continued.

At Bread & Life, it’s business as usual — for now. 85% percent of their clientele receive some type of government assistance. The pantry has already seen an 11% uptick in visits this month and now is bracing for a tidal wave of need.

“What we are very, very concerned about will be if things get worse, how to manage the resources that we have,” Sister Marie Sorenson, associate executive director of St. John’s Bread & Life, told Currents News. “Right now, this is a crisis that we’re in, and I think we’re not seeing the end of it yet.”

This year Bread & Life has been dealing with its own deficit — nearly $1 million less in government funding. It sustains 28 other pantries that are bound to see the 1 in 5 New York City residents who lean on SNAP when they become a sole source of food.

“Hunger is not waiting for Washington. People need to eat. Children need to eat,” Sister Caroline Tweedy, executive director of St. John’s Bread & Life, explained. “And the people making the decisions have never been on a food pantry line.”

For Mites and hundreds of thousands of other clients on SNAP, Bread & Life isn’t a pantry — it’s a promise kept.

“This isn’t about politics. This is about feeding people who are hungry. It’s about the gospel,” Sister Caroline Tweedy added. “Open up the government so that those that don’t have a voice will, at least have food on the table and a place to live.”

“I already go through anxiety, and this is making it even worse,” Mites said.

The shutdown — which began on Oct. 1 — is now the second longest on record.

If you want to help St. John’s Bread & Life, just go to its website — breadandlife.org.

Catholic News Headlines for Monday 10/27/2025

The U.S. government shutdown is headed into November – without federal aid for programs like SNAP, groups like St. John’s Bread & Life are preparing to fill a hunger gap.

Pilgrims heading to Rome for the Jubilee may have a hard time seeing all the sights the Eternal City has to offer, but thanks to an exhibit at the Vatican Museums they can now visit seven of the city’s most iconic churches at once.

One Pennsylvania woman found something unexpected inside a book she picked up at a Little Free Library: love letters written by a Catholic couple.

Catholic Couple’s Love Letters Find Their Way Home Thanks to Book in Little Free Library

By Jenna MacDermant

What began as a simple walk in Merwood Park turned into a heartwarming reunion when Debi Mercuri’s four-year-old granddaughter, Parker, picked up a book from a Little Free Library — and love letters tumbled out.

Mercuri, a self-described hopeless romantic, immediately cherished the discovery. “I held them to my heart,” she said. “These are so beautiful. These are keepsakes.”

The handwritten notes, signed with the nickname “Stumps” and adorned with a cartoon dog, were posted on Facebook in hopes of finding their owner.

Within hours, Jennifer Cianciarulo recognized them as letters she and her husband Dan had written years earlier during Pre-Cana, the Catholic marriage preparation program.

Dan, now a father of three, admitted he had likely used the letters as a bookmark while reading the book “Fom Dude to Dad.”

Unaware they were inside, the book was donated during a basement clean-out.

“It’s incredibly cool,” Dan said. “I’m really excited to meet Debi.”

Mercuri, equally moved, plans to hand-deliver the letters with a hug.

It was “fate,” she told Currents News. “I just don’t think there are many coincidences in life.”

Diocese of Brooklyn Youth, Families Find Inspiration, Community at National Shrine Pilgrimage

By Alexandra Moyen

WASHINGTON — Fifteen-year-old Jacob Joseph Varghes said his weekend pilgrimage to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington will help him discern a vocation to the priesthood.

Visiting the basilica for the first time, Jacob journeyed alongside other parishioners from Holy Family Parish in Fresh Meadows. He said it was a blessing to be there.

“I try to pray the rosary as much as I possibly can because I feel like I want Mary to nurture my vocation into the priesthood and make sure that it’s for me,” Jacob said. “I feel like Mary is such a powerful woman, and I feel like I would love to be half of the person Mary is. I pray for [her intercession] that Mary could help in my day-to-day life.”

Jacob was one of nearly 4,000 pilgrims on 72 buses from the Diocese of Brooklyn who journeyed to the basilica on Oct. 25 as part of the diocese’s bi-annual pilgrimage to the nation’s capital. Led by Bishop Robert Brennan, the number of pilgrims is a record high for the diocese, which Holy Family Pastor Father Sean Suckiel attributes to a resurgence of faith in the diocese.

“Something beautiful is happening in the hearts of our young people, and not just our young people, but all people,” Father Suckiel said. “Everyone is looking for more. Everyone is looking for substance, and I think people are starting to find out that our faith is beautiful and doing things like this is an opportunity for us to grow in community together, to feel connected, but also feel connected to God.”

Father Suckiel, who said he has made four pilgrimages to the basilica as a priest in the diocese, reminded his parishioners that the pilgrimage is more than a trip, but an opportunity to encounter God. To help them prepare spiritually, he prayed the rosary and helped them reflect on why they chose to participate.

The pilgrimage began with a procession into the Great Upper Church with Bishop Brennan, who led the faithful in praying the rosary and celebrating Mass. Throughout the day, pilgrims were invited to participate in Youth Holy Hour and Benediction in the Crypt Church, a choral concert in the Great Upper Church, and confession.

Bishop Brennan said he wasn’t shocked by the number of pilgrims, noting that he can sense the diocese’s “strong sense of faith and devotion.”

“Believe me, I’m thrilled about it, but it kind of fits with the picture we’ve experienced back at home,” Bishop Brennan said.

During the rosary, he reminded the pilgrims of Pope Leo XIV’s call for Catholics to pray a daily rosary for peace through October, especially regarding Ukraine and the Holy Land. He also thanked them — especially the youth — for participating in the pilgrimage.

“It’s extremely uplifting,” Bishop Brennan said. “When I was leading the rosary and looking out and seeing the whole basilica full to the brim — that was such a welcome sight, and to hear the voices of people united in prayer, I think that we’re a very blessed Church in Brooklyn and Queens.”

Noting the Jubilee Year theme Pilgrims of Hope, Bishop Brennan said the pilgrimage is done in devotion to Mary, “the mother of hope to all of us.”

“Mary, through her answer to God’s call, through her waiting at the foot of the cross, and to her assumption, is for us a sign of hope,” Bishop Brennan said. “A sign of hope in terms of saying yes to God, a sign of hope in terms of being patient and suffering, and a sign of hope that where Mary is now, we hope to be.”

The basilica itself tells a story about the faithful’s devotion to Mary. Its Trinity Dome Mosaic depicts the Holy Trinity, Mary Immaculate, and the Communion of Saints with over 14 million tiles. The Romanesque-Byzantine church was built thanks to the small donations of Catholic immigrants across the United States.

Each of the basilica’s more than 80 chapels represents a particular devotion to the Blessed Mother Mary from around the world, including the Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel. This Mexican Marian devotion caught the eye of Carolina Carollo, a parishioner of St. Mary, Mother of Jesus Parish in Bath Beach.

“Our Lady of Guadalupe (is) small, but it’s beautiful,” Carollo said. “It’s done so nice, with the walls, the mosaic, and all the colors and the flowers in the front.

“Beautiful, we’re happy to be here.”

Carollo traveled to the nation’s capital with her daughter, Emma.

“It’s really interesting and it’s breathtaking and I’m speechless, honestly, looking at everything,” Emma said.

Carollo said she and Emma couldn’t help but notice the Our Lady of Brezje Chapel, a Slovenian Marian devotion, where they encountered an image of the Blessed Mother that was new to her.

“I’ve seen a lot of images of the Blessed Mother because there’s so many of them … but this one is so precious, it’s pretty and it just drew me near,” Carollo said. “It calls you, and that’s what we are here for, to be called.”

Other chapels echo Marian devotions from Ireland, the Philippines, Korea, Hungary, and other countries.

Father Alonzo Cox, pastor of St. Martin de Porres parish in Bedford-Stuyvesant and one of the pilgrimage organizers, said he initially expected around 3,000 pilgrims, which the basilica can comfortably accommodate. However, as the day of the pilgrimage approached, he noticed a sudden surge in pilgrims.

“[That’s] great because we’re in this [Jubilee Year of Hope], so I think it was an opportunity for people to come to this beautiful place and to be able to celebrate this year of hope and be able to do it through the intercession of our Blessed Mother,” said Father Cox, who is director of liturgy for the diocese. “A beautiful day like today really was a gift from the Holy Spirit.”

From Religion to Reality: A New Podcast on Living Your Faith Every Day

By Currents News

Many Catholics live their faith on Sundays — but what about the rest of the week? Hosts Father John Gribowich and Dave Plisky share how their new podcast, “Religion to Reality” helps listeners bridge the gap between worship and daily life through inspiring guests and real conversations about modern discipleship.

Maspeth Couple Honors Late Daughter With Grotto at Queens Parish

By Christine Persichette

Along a busy street in Maspeth, Queens sits a sanctuary. It’s a place of beauty where visitors can block out the noise.

“All day long, every time anyone passes by here, you’ll constantly see someone stop,” Monsignor Joseph Calise said.

For Barbara and Ken Rudzewick, it’s more than that.

“We feel at home when we come here, and the grotto is like an extension of the home,” Barbara Rudzewick said.

They were both baptized at St. Stanislaus Kostka Church. It’s also where they got married and raised their family.

“The church has been like the cornerstone of what we have accomplished so far in life,” Ken Rudzewick said. “Our four children were baptized here, and all went to St. Stan’s School.”

They’ve been so involved in the parish — and so generous — the school hall bears their name.

But the garden and grotto bears the name of their daughter, Jill, who was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 40.

“I knew what it meant and they said ‘no she’s going to live,’ but there were other plans, and she went through nine years of chemo and prayers,” Barbara Rudzewick said.

One month before she died — Barbara and Jill went on a pilgrimage to Lourdes, France.

“We couldn’t wait to see them go and bring back a miracle, and we did get a miracle from Lourdes. Not a miracle of saving our daughter, she died about a month after the trip, but when she came back, her faith was renewed,” Ken Rudzewick said. “She was stronger and she helped Barbara and I, and certainly our immediate family through her death… and she was so convincing that we all felt the same way… she got us through that period.”

Since then, Ken and Barbara have leaned on each other, their faith, and their parish community to deal with the loss.

“You know the pain is always there and you do go on, but I see her picture at home, and I have a tough time looking as I go about my day,” Barbara Rudzewick said.

They come here to the grotto they created in her memory to say a quick prayer and remember their daughter — hoping others who stop find solace as well.

“I feel it gives them comfort, and I feel that way myself when I’m there,” Barbara continued. “I just know she is there.”

Catholic News Headlines for Friday 10/24/2025

During this Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Currents News takes you to St. Stanislaus Kostka Church in Queens, where a Catholic couple created a grotto that stands in memory of their daughter who battled the disease.

More than 3,000 faithful from the Diocese of Brooklyn are preparing to go on a pilgrimage to Washington D.C., where they will visit the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance also made a pilgrimage of his own, visiting the place where Christ was believed to be crucified, buried, and resurrected.

Oct. 28 on Currents News: Pulse of the Parish, St. Michael’s Church

By Currents News

A vibrant youth rosary movement at St. Michael’s Church in Sunset Park, Brooklyn began with a powerful vision of the Virgin Mary.

Parishioner Norma Andrade was inspired to take action after this divine encounter, which she described as a call to prayer.

“She said to me, ‘At this point, you say Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, and pray and pray for my kids,’” Andrade shared.

Her efforts have become a cornerstone of the parish’s spiritual life, fostering a youth-led rosary movement that continues to grow.

A Remarkable Moment: Cross-Shaped Light Captured at Brooklyn Church

By Currents News

A remarkable moment at St. Mary Star of the Sea Church in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn has been dubbed divine by its community.

Philip Randazzo, the church’s sacristan, captured a striking image of a cross-shaped beam of light illuminating the parish.

Randazzo, who frequently photographs the church, felt inspired to take the photo after recent renovations left the stained-glass windows sparkling clean.

It wasn’t until later that he noticed the distinct cross formed by the light in the image.

He shared the photo with Father Cletus Forson, a priest at St. Mary’s, who described it as a divine sign, affirming that God is watching over the church.

The image has left parishioners in awe, highlighting the spiritual significance of this unexpected moment.