A Champion for First Responders Laid to Rest

by Katie Vasquez

The streets around the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph came to a standstill on Friday, as more than a thousand of New York City’s bravest offered their final farewell to Monsignor John Delendick.

The FDNY chaplain served the department for nearly 30 years and his passing has had a profound effect on everyone who attended his funeral.

He was a priest, but to the FDNY, he was one of their own.

“With his quick wit and sometimes sharp tongue he easily blended in with our members,” said FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh.

Family, friends, and fellow firefighters filling up the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph to say goodbye to Monsignor John Delendick at his funeral mass on Friday.

“To Monsignor’s family, I want to say that we thank you for sharing him with us and I hope these words of remembrance are a source of great consolation,” Diocese of Brooklyn Bishop Robert Brennan.

Monsignor Delendick was ordained a priest in the Diocese of Brooklyn in 1977, serving as a pastor at multiple parishes for more than 40 years.

“The life of Monsignor John Delendick was a living gospel for so many people,” said Pastor of St. Camillus-St. Virgilius Pastor, Monsignor Richard Ahlemeyer.

In 1996, he was made a chaplain to New York’s bravest and five years later he would face the unthinkable, the terrorist attacks of September 11th.

“He offered blanket absolution to anyone and everyone he met that day,” said Kavanagh.

Whether at Ground Zero, or a funeral, or a memorial, Monsignor Delendick was there for the members of the New York City Fire Department, helping them make sense of that tragic day.

Like many who were around that toxic dust, he was eventually diagnosed with a 9/11 related illness, pancreatic cancer.

“The cancer he said made him a better chaplain because he understood the roller coaster of emotion that comes with such news,” said Kavanagh, “frustration and anger, appreciation and gratitude.”

Monsignor Delendick is now one of the thousands of first responders who have died since 9/11, a number that now exceeds the amount of people who died that day.

Despite his sickness, Monsignor Delendick faithfully served his flock till his death last Thursday on Thanksgiving.

Described by many at the mass as a man who loved to eat, they found it fitting since being around a table was one of his favorite gathering places.

“Whether in a restaurant, a firehouse or a rectory table. All who met John went away better and happier,” said Monsignor Ahlemeyer.

Monsignor Delendick was taken to his final resting place at St. John’s Cemetery in Middle Village.

His legacy will live on, a plaque honoring him will be added to the “Wall of Remembrance” at the FDNY headquarters in downtown Brooklyn.

Catholic News Headlines for Friday 12/1/2023

The Diocese of Brooklyn and the FDNY said their final farewell for beloved FDNY Chaplain Monsignor John Delendick.

Sadly, Msgr Delendick joins a growing list of people who have died from a 9/11 related illness.

The archbishop of San Juan in Puerto Rico just received an award for his leadership.

The Diocese of Brooklyn’s Christmas tree is up at Grand Army Plaza and the lights are being strung.

COP28 Kicks Off: Tens of Thousands Go to Dubai for Annual UN Summit

The leaders of the world gathered in Dubai Thursday as COP28 officially kicked off.

Tens of thousands are attending the annual United Nations summit to confront global warming.

On day one, the countries already approved the details for a disaster fund, which will help poor nations cope with climate disasters.

Bishops around the country are watching the summit closely.

They are calling for international climate policies that promote justice.

The national correspondent for The Tablet and Crux John Lavenburg joins Currents News to explain what some of those policies are.

The Tablet’s Former Business Manager on the Bright Christmas Campaigns Origin

by Jessica Easthope

As quick as it is to turn a newspaper page, Matt Schiller is taken back in time.

The Tablet’s business manager from 1973 to 1993 can point to the place where it all started. A homegrown giving campaign was born 60 years ago with the hope that it would change lives.

“There’s a couple of charities that I really believe in,” Schiller said. “But bright Christmas is probably the biggest one. It’s because I know it’s in good hands.”

At a time when The Tablet was first digitizing its operation and mailing list, Bright Christmas had a humble beginning, but its reach was anything but.

“It was a huge difference for those families to have a little money to buy Christmas presents to do other things, or get a dinner basket or something,” Schiller said. “It was something that I personally saw the impact of, and it really resonated with our readers. People love the idea that they were doing something for people close to home.”

It has stayed close to home. Over the decades the fund has made Christmas Bright for thousands of children and families and agencies helping those less fortunate. Schiller said in the early days, Bright Christmas was evidence that generosity came from the heart not the wallet.

“They would do these Bright Christmas stories, and those generated all kinds of interest,” Schiller said. “People donated money, quilted blankets and they would donate clothes. They wanted to take care of the people in Brooklyn and Queens and it’s great that they were responding to The Tablet. They were reading those stories, and they were understanding, and they were moved to action.”

Now as tens of the thousands of newly arrived count on the church for help, the Bright Christmas campaign continues to evolve right along with the needs of the Diocese of Brooklyn.

“Bright Christmas as far as I know has never had a goal where they’ve said we’ve had to raise this much,” Schiller said. “The important thing is how many people are giving and is it coming in those $2 dollar and $10 donations, are more people responding because that’s how you know you’ve connected with people that’s a connection to me that is like unbreakable.”

But in an ever changing diocese in an ever changing city Schiller hopes the goal of Bright Christmas never changes.

Schiller has since moved away from his old stomping grounds, but still gets The Tablet and has been a Bright Christmas donor for 30 years.

Last year the campaign raised more than $120,000.

If you want to donate to Bright Christmas, just head to TheTablet.Org.

Holy Family Church Incorporates African American Hymnals Into Mass

by Katie Vasquez

At Holy Family Church in Canarsie, their Sunday prayers come with a joyful noise.

“I couldn’t imagine praising God without singing to him first,” said Julie Augustin, a choir member.

If their hymns sound different, it’s because they are also looking to their cultural roots during their praise.

The songs are from a book called, “Lead me,Guide me,” which celebrates the faith journey of African American Catholics.

“I find that song can really connect us,” Augustin said. “The common parishioner can play a part praising God and letting the spirit move within us, that’s what their purpose is.”

The music incorporates different African and Carribean styles and even some traditions from Pentecostal and Baptist churches.

“It’s like it resonates in my soul and you know then I found out it came from other denominations, other traditions,” said Everett Wilson, the director of music at Holy Family Church. “And I never thought of it as an African American thing, it just feels right.”

Wilson brought the songs to the Brooklyn church when he joined as the director of music 17 years ago.

He hoped it would spark the same joy he felt when he first heard them at 13 years old.

“It was kind of amazing to me and then the music sounding more like gospel and not traditional, this was like blowing my mind and I think that’s why I fell in love with the book so much,” Wilson said.

Each beat connects the congregation with their culture, Christ and their church.

“The fact that the congregation sings with me, I see them swaying because everybody knows that song,” Augustin said. “It just really elates me that the whole church is praising God together.”

The choir is looking to the past so they can carry on these traditions to the future.

Catholic News Headlines for Thursday 11/30/2023

The Tablet’s Bright Christmas Campaign is officially underway.

The climate will be the topic of discussion in Dubai for the next week and a half.

U.S. bishops are calling for climate policies that promote justice.

We’ll head to Holy Family Church in Canarsie during this National Black Catholic Month to find out how it’s drawing parishioners together in song from an African American hymnal.

Pulse of the Parish: Our Lady of Angels

Every year Our Lady of Angels in Bay Ridge holds its Annual Joseph A. and Marge Moran Memorial Golf Classic, where current and former parishioners come together to support their beloved church, even this year when flooding rains kept golfers off the greens.

You can credit Harry D’Onofrio for that.

The longtime parishioner spearheads the committee that organizes the outing.

“Harry is a friend that you would want on your side in anything and he is a pastor’s dream come true,” said Father Kevin Abels, pastor at OLA.

While this is every golfer’s nightmare, D’Onofrio still managed to make the day a success.

“Seeing everybody coming out on a day, where there is flooding, you can’t get here, it took people two or three hours but they still got here today,” D’Onofrio said.

D’Onofrio believes the parish has been showing up for him ever since day one.

“I became a parishioner of Our Lady of Angels back in 2001,” D’Onofrio said. “We closed on our house two days before 9/11.”

He was working on Wall street on September 11th. He said OLA helped him get through one of the toughest times of his life.

“I don’t think I could’ve made it today without the church,” D’Onofrio said. “We would go every day. Just pray and hope that some families could find closure.”

Now the parish can count on him to help in any way he can, whether it’s here at the golf outing or in church as a eucharistic minister, helping the boy scouts.

“I always wanted to be the person to give back,” D’Onofrio said. “I was always taught from my parents at an early age- service before self.”

While it was a rough start for the golf outing D’Onofrio and his committee aced it, even though no one actually golfed, they still raised about $28,000 dollars for the church.

Now you know Harry D’onofrio from Our Lady of Angels and how he makes up the Pulse of the Parish.

Luna Park’s ‘Frost Fest’ Offers Christmas-Themed Fun for Keeping Coney Island Open for Winter

By Jessica Easthope

You’ve seen it on TV and in the movies. It’s already one of the most iconic places on earth, but this year Coney Island is securing its place in the history books.

For 120 years the sounds of Coney Island’s amusement park have gone quiet once the weather got cold, but for the first time Luna Park is embracing the winter months, and Frost Fest is taking over.

“A real historic moment, we have all the entertainment, all the food, all the rides so really the best place to come and have a good time,” said Alessandro Zamperla, the president and CEO of Central Amusement International, the company that owns and operates Luna Park.

Zamperla believes Frost Fest offers a boost to the Christmas spirit and a financial boost for Coney Island.

“The holiday season is a great time for everybody to get together, that’s what we do, we’ve been doing it for a long time in the spring, the summer, and the fall so why not do it in the winter,” Zamperla said. “And in terms of economic initiative, everyone will have a benefit.”

With Santa’s workshop, rides, and attractions, a skating rink, and holiday market, Luna Park has it all, even some classic Christmas bites.

Vendors like Bilena Settepani said this is a day she never thought would come.

“For an iconic summer destination to now also be a winter destination it’s really special,” Settepani said. “I feel like I’m part of history in the making right now.”

Dashing from ride to ride, no one seemed to mind the cold weather. Destiny Armstead came with her crew. The historic day for Coney Island is tied to a piece of her own family history.

“I came here as a little kid and my mom actually moved here again because she loved Coney Island so much,” Armstead said. “My mom passed away and it’s amazing the first time Coney Island is lighting up, is on my mom’s birthday and it means so much to me.”

Visitors can enjoy Frost Fest and all of the fun that comes with it until Jan. 7.

Catholic News Headlines for Wednesday 11/29/2023

Harry D’Onofrio is the Pulse of The Parish at Our Lady of Angels in Bay Ridge.

The Tablet newspaper has a fun, new feature in this week’s paper that focuses on different priests in the Diocese of Brooklyn who come from other countries.

Pope Francis still made an appearance at his weekly general audience today, despite canceling his upcoming trip to Dubai on doctor’s orders.

The Rockefeller Center Tree will be lit tonight but you don’t have to head to Manhattan to get into the Christmas spirit.

Regis Student Reaches for the Stars Thanks to Futures in Education

It’s the second week of school for Regis High School freshman Lucas Contreras.

As he and his fellow classmates rush to class, he takes it all in.

For Contreras, just walking through these halls is a gift.

“The community has been very welcoming and my teachers are very kind and friendly so I’m excited for what’s to come,” Contreras said.

Contreras recently graduated from Holy Child Jesus Catholic Academy in Richmond Hill.

He was able to attend the school thanks to Futures in Education Angels, private donors who helped his parents with tuition.

But long before graduation, Contreras had his sights set on Regis, one of the best schools in New York City.

“It was definitely a hard experience going through this whole process,” Contreras said. “I had to write essays and take multiple tests and then I had an interview and that was really nerve-wracking but I got past that and now here I am at Regis. I’m proud of myself and I’m proud to know my parents are proud of me.”

Since fifth grade, Contreras has been participating in the REACH program, coming every Saturday to Regis to take advanced classes, build leadership skills, and get in touch with his spirituality, preparing him to go to one of REACH’s seven partner high schools.

“They just wanted you to get to learn more about not just yourself but how the world works, we learned a ton of different things everything from Algebra 2 to geometry and that has helped now that we’re actually in high school because we’re a bit more ahead of our peers in our work and it’s much easier for us.”

At Regis, money is no object. Every student here is on scholarship. REACH program director and Regis alum Russell Quinones said even in this pool of students, Contreras and his fellow REACH alumni are special.

“Our students first off are incredibly motivated to succeed,” Quinones said. “They come in hungry to learn and hungry to grow both academically and to grow in what it means to be young men for others.”

For Contreras, his education is a point of pride for his family. Setting an example for his younger brothers is what matters most.

His education in the Diocese of Brooklyn has proved invaluable. He sits in class as a freshman prepared, putting his best foot forward.

“Going to REACH really helped me,” Contreras said. “It felt like it’s a gift not only when I grow up will I have such a good education I’m also going to know what is right and wrong because of the classes I’m taking on morals and theology. I’m being a man for others.”

“At REACH and at Regis we know that talent is distributed equally and opportunity is not and at REACH we share a mission of using that gift of education and turn it into giving back.”

With a strong Catholic faith and a school that has his back, for Contreras nothing is out of reach.