By Katie Vasquez

Miguel Lopez of the Sunset Park bakery Don Paco Lopez Panaderia fondly remembers his lost loved ones.

The photos set up on this altar or “ofrenda” are part of his Day of the Dead or Día de los Muertos celebrations, a tradition that traces back to the Aztecs and Mayans in Mexico.

“They used to celebrate in July, August, but when the Spanish came to Mexico, they joined Día de los Muertos with the All Saints’ Day,” Lopez said.

But the bakery owner says this isn’t a day of mourning, rather it’s a celebration.

“It’s nothing scary, it’s joy,” Lopez said. “Why? Because we feel that the loved ones that are not with us anymore, they come back and they stay with us.”

Each part of the store decorations helps the souls in their journey from the afterlife.

Brightly colored paper represents the wind, marigold flowers for smell, white candles as a guiding light, and water to quench their thirst. 

“We want to offer them the best that we can,” Lopez said.

Even the bread honors the dead. 

The third-generation baker spent weeks cranking out hundreds of orders of the popular bread pan de muerto.

“This small circle is the circle of life,” Lopez said.

Every part of the shop is authentic to their culture.

“This is very traditional Mexican bread, right?,” said Gabriela Miranda, a customer at the bakery. “So it’s not the same in every place that you go.”

But for some customers it’s worth it to give their relatives some piece of heaven on earth. 

“It’s kind of their day on earth with us,” said Anahi Saavedra, a customer at the bakery. As part of the Day of the Dead tradition, on Thursday, the souls will head back to their final resting place.

The Radio City Rockettes are kicking off the Christmas season with a new member of their iconic line you might recognize.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan was on hand Thursday, Nov. 2, for the blessing of the animals used in the Christmas spectacular’s live Nativity.

A camel named Humphrey, some sheep, and a donkey came strutting down Fifth Avenue, ready to make their on-stage debut.

Cardinal Dolan sprinkled them all with holy water and reminded everyone of Christ’s presence in the Christmas show.

You can see the Rockettes and the animals in a live Nativity at the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, which runs from Nov. 17 to Jan. 1.

By Jessica Easthope

It started as a normal day at school for 11-year-old Shaheen Johnson.

He never suspected that while sitting in his sixth grade ELA class at St. Clare Catholic Academy in Rosedale, he’d have the shock of a lifetime.

“I was so shocked, words cannot describe how I’m feeling right now,” Johnson said. “I am so happy. This is a great accomplishment.” 

Johnson sold the most Tablet newspaper subscriptions of any student in the Diocese of Brooklyn during the newspaper’s fundraiser for Catholic schools. 

John Alexander, the paper’s marketing and circulation manager presented him with the grand prize, a check for $3,000, on Wednesday, Nov. 1.

“I want to be a business owner when I grow up so it was great practice,” Johnson said. “I told them the prices. I persuaded some of them because you have to use certain tactics to get them to do something, but still I got them.”

For every $25 subscription sold the student gets $10 and their school gets $10. Shaheen’s classmate Catleya Carnakie-Brown was the fundraiser’s third place winner.

“I was ecstatic, I didn’t know what to say,” Carnakie-Brown said. “I was just … that was a great moment for me and I’m going to treasure that for the longest time.”

Alexander said having the job of presenting the checks year after year never gets old and the fundraiser’s mission continues to take on new meaning for students.

“I really can’t tell you how rewarding and how heartening it is to see the look on these kids’ faces when you present them with a check for something they earned, something they put a lot of work into,” Alexander said. “This isn’t being done by any stretch for money, this is being done for evangelization and for trying to spread the word of Catholic journalism and a paper that we’re very proud of and that’s why I want to give back. That’s what it’s all about.”

Bishop Robert Brennan prayed for the dearly departed during a Mass at Holy Cross Cemetery in East Flatbush.

It’s part of an annual tradition for All Souls’ Day, where the shepherd of Brooklyn, along with the auxiliary bishops, hold services at Catholic cemeteries in Brooklyn, Queens, and Long Island.

Bishop Brennan said the prayers to those who have passed are just another important part of our faith. 

After Mass, Bishop Brennan also honored those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, blessing a monument to 18 Medal of Honor recipients.

The Diocese of Brooklyn’s story of immigration is built into Sacred Heart and St. Stephen’s statues in Carroll Gardens.

Those same statues still greet newcomers, many who now come from different states, people like Christian Kauffmann.  

Kauffmann moved to Brooklyn from Kentucky in 1986 and has made himself at home at Sacred Hearts and St. Stephen’s, whether it’s in the pews during Sunday Mass or in his workshop in the church basement.

Kauffman isn’t a carpenter by trade, he’s just handy, something church leaders noticed.

“He’s downstairs, whatever we need he can do right there,” said Msgr. Guy Massie pastor of Sacred Heart and St. Stephen’s. “He has hands of gold really.”

Kauffman said he’s happy to share his talents with the church.

“I do believe in God very strongly,” Kauffman said. “This is a way to, I guess, it’s a way to say thank you to express gratitude.”

“I don’t generally build from scratch. I just take what I can find and create something for the church,” Kauffman said.

He’s now working on a backdrop for a saint shrine and when this project is done, he will take on another project.

“There will be something else,” Kauffman said. “I noticed that one of these kneelers is broken as I’m sitting here so I’ll fix it.”

Christian Kauffmann, of Sacred Hearts and St. Stephen Church is The Pulse Of The Parish.

Wednesday, Nov. 1, marked All Saints’ Day for the universal Church, and some saints delivered a special message to a parish in Astoria.

The fifth grade students from St. Joseph’s Catholic Academy donned their habits and friar frocks for a special All Saints’ Day Mass.

The kids took turns telling the church about the lives of the saints they represent, some even honoring the rich cultural diversity of their parish by speaking in Spanish, Italian, and Polish. 

There is more All Saints’ Day coverage in this week’s issue of The Tablet.

The paper gives you an in-depth look at the 11 saints who’ve served here in the U.S., from Mother Cabrini in Brooklyn to St. Junípero Serra in California.

You can also get a sneak peak of some saints-to-be, such as Father Augustus Tolton, the first known African American priest, or Father Michael McGivney, the founder of the Knights of Columbus. 

To read more about these American saints and saints-to-be, pick up the paper at your local church this weekend.You can get future editions sent to you by subscribing online at thetablet.org.

Cathedral Prep High School and Seminary handed out one of its highest honors over the weekend. 

Every year, the Queens high school recognizes priests and lay people for their service to the community and this year Monsignor Sean Ogle, the Chairman of the Board at DeSales Media Group, the Parent company of Currents News, received an award.

Msgr. Ogle was not only a student at the cathedral, but he was also a teacher there for many years.

The Rector President of Cathedral Prep, Father James Kuroly also awarded Desales Media Group for its support.