Holy Child Jesus Community Remembers Family Members Lost to Queens House Fire

By Tim Harfmann

The Richmond Hill, Queens Catholic community gathered to remember Silvia Umana and her children, Guadalupe and Gilbert, who died in a July 21 house fire.

“We’re mourning the community, but we’ll get together, we’ll pass, we will be okay,” said Norma Vasquez, whose son was friends with Guadalupe.

As a family, 51-year-old Silvia alongside her kids seven-year-old Guadalupe Perez, 15-year-old Gabriel Diaz and 19-year-old Gilbert Diaz, frequently attended Mass at Holy Child Jesus Church.

Only Gabriel survived the inferno.

At a Memorial Mass held on July 23, extended family and friends supported him.

Auxiliary Bishop Octavio Cisneros, the pastor of Holy Child Jesus, celebrated the Mass in English and Spanish.

After the service, there was an emotional outpouring of condolences.

“Oh, she was such a sweetheart,” said Ana Roja, whose daughter was best friends with Guadalupe. They were first-grade classmates together at Holy Child Jesus Catholic Academy.

“She was always happy and giving, smiles to everybody. she was a little bit shy at the beginning, but we always told her, ‘you go ahead and make good friends, make a lot of friends.’”

Friends placed flowers, stuffed animals and hand-written cards at a growing memorial outside the school.

One child wrote, “I know you’re in heaven with your mom, brother, and God.”

Before the Mass, parents gathered in the academy to find ways to better cope with the tragedy.

“It helped us a lot with the parents, that they were talking and how other parents cope with their kids and how they spoke,” Norma said.

She didn’t realize her fifth-grade son was friends with Guadalupe until she told him about the fire.

“He looked at me like, ‘I know her.’ And I was like, ‘you knew her?’ ‘Yes, she used to hug me every morning at breakfast and used to say ‘I missed you.’ Then he started to cry, so that got me even sadder.”

Silvia was a single mother from El Salvador.

The principal of Holy Child Jesus Catholic Academy Patricia Winters said the hardworking woman was involved in the lives of her children and of the school.

“Miss Umana loved her children. She was their biggest advocate, and she was also a great help to the school,” she said.

Mrs. Winters set up a donation page for people to help the family.

Iraq Could be Francis’s Shot at ‘Most Important Papal Trip of All Time’

By John L. Allen

ROME (Crux) — Within just the last few days, two senior Catholic prelates from Iraq have referred to plans for Pope Francis to visit the country next year as, essentially, a done deal.

Of course, this is the Middle East we’re talking about, where the best-laid plans go to die. St. John Paul II had every intention of visiting the Iraqi city of Ur as part of his pilgrimage to the origins of the faith for the Great Jubilee of 2000, but security concerns derailed those hopes. A widening conflict between the U.S. and Iran is merely one scenario that might have a similar impact on Pope Francis’s agenda this time around.

If the pontiff does end up going, however, it may be his best shot at the title of “most important papal trip of all time.”

Last week in Rome, Cardinal Raphael Louis Sako of Baghdad, Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church, told a Rome conference on anti-Christian persecution that he hopes Pope Francis will use the occasion to sign an agreement with leaders of Shi’a Islam similar to the document he issued jointly with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, the leading institution in the Sunni world, when he was in the United Arab Emirates in February.

On Wednesday, Chaldean Archbishop Alnaufali Habib Jajou of Basra in southern Iraq told the Asia News agency that Pope Francis’s trip could represent a moment of “rebirth” for the Christian community. (Last year all the church’s extra-liturgical activities in Basra had to be suspended due to violence generated by anti-corruption protests.)

The drumbeat suggests just how keenly anticipated the pontiff’s presence in Iraq is, and how high the stakes would be.

Since St. John XXIII first set foot outside Rome in 1962 by taking a train to Loretto, ending more than a century of popes considering themselves “prisoners of Rome,” pontiffs have made a grand total of 168 overseas journeys, by now having touched down in virtually every nation on earth at one point or another.

Just as every presidential trip can’t be Nixon in China, it’s probably no surprise that only a handful of these papal outings seem to have passed the test of time, leaving a permanent mark on the popular imagination – Paul VI’s 1964 trip to the Holy Land, for instance, featuring his historic meeting with Orthodox Patriarch Athenagoras in Jerusalem, or St. John Paul II’s first homecoming to Poland in 1979, which set the dominoes tumbling that would eventually bring down the Soviet empire.

For sheer drama, it would be hard to beat Pope Benedict XVI’s 2006 visit to Turkey, which took place just a couple of months after his infamous Regensburg speech set off a firestorm of protest across the Muslim world and stirred fears of a global “clash of civilizations” between Christianity and Islam.

In terms of iconography, John Paul’s 2000 visit to the Holy Land, with its indelible image of this Polish pope who grew up in the shadow of the Holocaust standing alone at the Western Wall and leaving behind a handwritten note apologizing for centuries of Christian anti-Semitism, likely remains unsurpassed.

To date, Pope Francis has already made several memorable outings of his own, though few seem quite in that league.

There was his 2013 trip to Brazil, which featured the “Who am I to judge?” soundbite; a February 2016 trip to Mexico, which included a prayerful stop at the U.S./Mexico border and the pontiff questioning then-candidate Donald Trump’s credentials as a Christian; a 2016 day trip to the Greek island of Lesbos, which ended with the pontiff bringing a dozen Syrian refugees with him back to Rome aboard the papal plane; and his brief but dramatic outing earlier this year to the UAE, offering a powerful counter-narrative to extremism and Christian-Muslim tension.

It’s possible, however, a trip to Iraq could tower above them all in terms of the images it would create and the impact it might have.

This would be the first time a pope has ever visited Iraq, and in the present context, no other outing by any major world leader likely would be as scrutinized, dissected and analyzed. In effect, it would afford the Holy Father the opportunity to be a game-changer, rolling out his vision for reconciliation and a “culture of encounter” in one of the most contested pieces of real estate on the planet. If he succeeds, he could embolden moderates all across the region.

Beyond its political, diplomatic and strategic significance, a papal visit would have an almost incalculable impact on the Christian minority in Iraq.

Christianity there is presently on life support after centuries of second-class citizenship and decades of attrition due to economic and political upheaval, on top of the more recent genocidal carnage inflicted by ISIS. The presence of a pope would literally mean the world to these people – as in, the world hasn’t forgotten them and won’t abandon them.

One can imagine that if Pope Francis goes to Iraq and Christianity does somehow endure, decades from now the world will remember the moment a pontiff stood on Iraqi soil as a pivotal turning point.

Of course, popes don’t make their travel decisions based on grubby considerations such as cracking a “most important trip” list. The rest of us, however, sometimes can’t help thinking in such terms – and, in this case, dreaming of what might be.

Deadly Queens Fire Claims Third Family Member

By Tim Harfmann

On July 23, 19-year-old Gilbert Diaz succumbed to injuries he sustained from a raging fire that tore through his home in Richmond Hill, Queens.

The FDNY says a damaged air conditioner cord caused the inferno on Sunday, July 21. On the steps of Holy Child Jesus Catholic Academy is now a growing memorial.

As they remember the lives of three parishioners, members of this church community say they’re at a loss for words.

Diaz had just graduated from Richmond Hill High School and was planning on going to college. He frequently attended Mass with his family at Holy Child Jesus Church just blocks from his home.

Auxiliary Bishop Octavio Cisneros, the pastor of Holy Child Jesus Church, says the community is already holding a memorial for the family tonight.

“The parish community is in deep mourning. Three members of our faith, three who have been in contact closely with this parish,” said Bishop Cisneros.

Gilbert’s sister, seven-year-old Guadalupe Perez and his mother 51-year-old Silvia Umana died Sunday in the blaze. His younger brother, Gabriel, is still alive.

Guadalupe had just completed first grade at the Holy Child Jesus Catholic Academy.

“Our Lord has said, ‘When one part of the body hurts, the whole body hurts.’ And we are all hurting,” said Bishop Cisneros.

To cope, the academy is holding a meeting on the night of the vigil for parents to understand how to talk to their children about loss.

Parishioners say they feel for the only survivor Gabriel, who is now without any immediate family members.

“Honestly, I wouldn’t know what I would do without my parents, so just thinking about it, it is so overwhelming. Honestly, I have no words. It’s just so sad that he’s going to have no mother, no siblings,” said parishioner Alex Roldan.

“It’s going to be tough on him and he’s going to need all of our prayers and all of our support. I just pray that he has the grace of God to get him through this,” added parishioner Paul Cerni.

The principal of Holy Child Jesus Catholic Academy, Patricia Winters, has set up a donation page for community members to help the family.

Currents News for Tuesday, July 23, 2019

On the newscast: Another life is lost after that deadly house fire in Queens. Now three members of one family have fallen victims to the flames; The 9/11 Compensation Fund is going to survive. Suffering first responders will be getting the help they need; Puerto Rico’s bishops are calling for prayers as the island seethes with political unrest; The miracle work of Archbishop Sheen, in the words of a grateful mom.

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.

U.S. Senate Approves Extension of 9/11 Fund

By Allyson Escobar

The U.S. Senate passed on July 23 a bill to permanently fund compensation for victims and first responders of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

Named the “Never Forget the Heroes Act,” the bill extends the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund through 2090. The House passed the bill earlier this month, and President Donald Trump is expected to sign it into law.

The bill was approved 97-2.

About 10,000 first responders and victims have been diagnosed with Sept. 11-related cancer, according to Dr. Michael Crane at Mount Sinai Hospital. At least 2,000 deaths are also attributed with Sept. 11 illnesses and disease.

“On behalf of our firefighters and first responders that came across the nation to help us in New York City, we are urging our senators to step up and vote yes for the permanent authorization,” said George Farinacci, vice president of the city’s Uniformed Fire Officers Association, before the vote. “Over the weekend, the NYPD lost three of their members related to 9/11 disease. This is something that will continue to happen.”

The bill was originally stalled in the Senate when Republican senators Rand Paul of Kentucky and Mike Lee of Utah raised concerns about cost and oversight. An amendment was added that would offset the costs of the fund with cuts to Medicaid.

The bill was renamed (“The Never Forget the Heroes: James Zadroga, Ray Pfeifer and Luis Alvarez Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act”) to honor late FDNY firefighter Ray Pfeifer, and Luis Alvarez, the late NYPD detective who died June 29. Alverez was a parishioner of Immaculate Conception in Astoria. Both men had Stage 4 cancer linked to their time working on clean-up efforts at Ground Zero.

Alvarez’s passing came just weeks after he testified before the House Judiciary Committee to renew the compensation fund, which is set to expire in 2020. Pfeifer, who died in 2017, also lobbied for the compensation fund.

“We are very proud of our brother. And we’re very proud that his name is on the bill. And we hope that he is in peace. And we hope this takes care of the many first responders,” Philip Alvarez, Luis’s brother, told the Post following the vote. “We hope that not a penny of that money will ever need to be used — because if it’s used that means that somebody else gets sick, and we don’t want that.”

Sheen Cause for Sainthood Continues as Pope Francis Confirms Miracle

Currents News Staff

On September 15, 2010, Bonnie Engstrom went into labor following what she has described as a “beautifully easy” pregnancy.

But her sense of well-being was soon shaken when her son James was born not breathing and without a pulse.

For 61 terrifying minutes she lived a mother’s worst nightmare, until a literal miracle changed everything.

When doctors were not optimistic about James’s health prospects, Bonnie and her husband prayed for the intercession of Archbishop Sheen.

James is now eight, and on July 5 Pope Francis formally approved his recovery as a miracle attributed to the intercession of Archbishop Sheen. The Church is now moving to beatify and ultimately canonize him.

Bonnie Engstrom joins us from Washington, Illinois to share what led her to seek his intercession in her time of crisis.

Neighbors Build Human Barricade, Stopping Father From Being Detained by ICE

Currents News Staff

For four hours, a man and his son sat inside of their car as two Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents tried to get them to surrender.

The father is reportedly in the country illegally, so the ICE agents were tasked with bringing him into custody.

When neighbors heard what was going on, they came to assist the father and son.

“We made sure they had water, they had food, we put gas back in the vehicle when they were getting low just to make sure they were okay,” said neighbor Felishadae Young.

These citizens of Hermitage, Tennsessee say they don’t care how someone got here, it’s how they act when they are here.

“The family don’t bother nobody, they work every day, they come home, the kids jump on their trampoline, it’s just a community,” said Stacey Farley who helped create a human chain that brought the family from their car safely into their home.

She didn’t think twice about supporting her neighbors.

“I could see if these people were bad criminals, but they’re not, they’re just trying to provide for their kids,” she explained.

The standoff brought metro police to the scene to keep the peace, and council members as well as lawyers to evaluate the situation.

“There were two immigration officials sort of bullying a family inside of their own vehicle, telling them that they had an administrative warrant, which isn’t the same thing as a judicial warrant, and trying to harass them and fear them into coming out,” said attorney Daniel Ayoadeyoon.

At the end of the day the ICE agents left and the family ended up leaving too, in search of a safer place.

New York Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis: ‘All Elected Officials Should Visit the Holy Land’

Currents News Staff

New York State assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis has just returned from a trip to the Holy Land. Her journey took place at a troubled time for the region where Christians in the Middle East continue to face life-threatening persecution.

She joins us to discuss her experience at several of Christianity’s holiest sites, the long-term prospects for Christianity in the region and why all elected officials should visit and see the situation for themselves first-hand.

Holy Child Jesus Student Dies in House Fire

By Allyson Escobar and Tim Harfmann

A fire on the first floor of a Richmond Hill, Queens house took the lives of a mother and her seven-year-old daughter on Sunday, July 21.

The child, Guadalupe Perez, was a rising 2nd grade student at Holy Child Jesus Catholic Academy.

Silvia Umana was home with Guadalupe and two teenage sons, Gilbert and Gabriel, when a two-alarm fire broke out in their building around 9:30 a.m.

The fatal fire was “accidental and electrical,” caused by a damaged air conditioner cord, according to FDNY Deputy Press Secretary Myles Miller. “A working smoke alarm was not present,” Miller said.

FDNY arrived on the scene two minutes after receiving a 9:38 a.m. 911 call.

According to firefighters, the blaze at 117th Street and Atlantic Avenue began on the first floor where Umana and her daughter were trapped from escape by barred windows.

“They were met with fire on the first floor extending to the second,” said FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief Michael Ajello told CBS News.

Witnesses say Umana’s 15-year-old son, Gabriel, was able to jump out of a rear window before the fast-spreading blaze made its way to the second floor.

Umana, 51, and her daughter were taken to Jamaica Hospital and unable to be saved.

Gilbert, 19, was transferred to Cornell Hospital and in critical condition as of Monday (July 22) afternoon, according to the NYPD. Gabriel, 15, was transferred to Kings County Hospital and in stable condition.

A community in mourning

Umana, a pharmacist who immigrated from El Salvador, was remembered by her community as a mother who worked endlessly for her children.

“Her kids were number one,” Richmond Hill neighbor Ramona Elahie told the Daily News.

Andre Scott, who works across the street at a lumber yard, remembers his lunch breaks seeing Guadalupe always playing with her mother on the block, full of joy.

“This is crazy. It’s really heartbreaking to know someone died in here,” Scott said. “Every time I see her she’s always playing, always running up and down the block.”

Soon after the news of the tragedy spread, a memorial fund on GoFundMe was started by Holy Child Jesus Catholic Academy principal Patricia Winters, with the goal of raising $75,000.

Auxiliary Bishop Octavio Cisneros, the pastor at Holy Child Jesus Catholic Parish, expressed his deep sorrow, and shared how parishioners are coming together to both heal and help.

“The parish is in mourning, and we are all shocked,” Cisneros told The Tablet. “Our reaction is first of all one of prayer. We pray to almighty God for Silvia and for the brothers in the hospital. We know that Guadalupe is with the Lord — she’s one of those whom God has said, let the children come to me. We are very sad because of this situation, but we entrust these souls to the Lord, and we pray for the two boys.”

Auxiliary Bishop Cisneros also said that the parish community “doors are open to celebrate the funeral, and to offer our best to this wonderful little girl and her mother.”

Father Christopher R. Heanue, parochial vicar and administrator, appealed for prayers over Facebook. “We mourn as a family – and we will do all we can to help. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.”

A parish community meeting about dealing with loss was held on the evening of July 23 at the school library, followed by a memorial Mass celebrated by Bishop Cisneros.

Currents News for Monday, July 22, 2019

On the newscast: A Catholic schoolgirl and her mom die when a fire rips through their Richmond Hill home. Desperate attempts to save them fell short; Thousands of teenagers come together to grow closer to Christ, packing the arena at Saint John’s University; An inside look at the Pope’s radio. For years the station has sent the Holy Father’s words around the world; And the gigantic Giglio is lifted into the air, after a delay.

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.