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Song Still Heard At Notre Dame This Easter

By Michelle Powers

Mathieu Braud is conducting the performance of his life, with a group of people that’s never even played together.

“The world’s best composers walked through the doors of Notre Dame, played in the cathedral – it cannot go silent now,” said Braud.

Notre Dame de Paris has always been a haven for those whose calloused fingers pluck strings and press the keys of woodwinds. But perhaps for the first time, not one note is rising from the bell towers this Easter Sunday.

Instead those musical notes are rising from just across the river Seine.

It’s not a place of majesty and grandeur, like the inside of the cathedral – but the music, the notes and the rhythms are familiar – even if the musicians aren’t. This is a spontaneous concert.

“When we saw it burning we knew we had to do something,” said Braud.

He immediately created a Facebook event, inviting anyone with passion to play.

Nearly thirty performers, from all over the world, gathering together at the homeland for musicians.

Notre Dame became the musical capital of the world in the middle ages. Le Grand Orgue with eight thousand pipes sending melodies to the heavens for centuries. Today there would be songs of praise and resurrection.

“Sometimes music is better than words,” one onlooker commented.

Bishop DiMarzio Leads Easter Vigil Celebration in Queens

By Tim Harfmann

A single candle shined in the dark church as a dramatic demonstration of the Lord. “The Easter Candle symbolizes Christ, who is the Light of the World. So, we light that first from the new fire, then we bring it in procession up the aisle,” said Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio. At Saint John Vianney Church in Flushing, Bishop DiMarzio led the Easter Vigil Mass — the celebration that Christ is Risen! “The Easter Vigil reminds us of the Resurrection. We remember that the Lord — during this time from Good Friday to Easter Sunday — as we say in the Creed, ‘descended into Hell.’ He went to free all of the souls that had gone before Him, who were faithful, to give them the entrance into Heaven,” said Bishop DiMarzio.

The holiest of nights is also the joyous time when Bishop DiMarzio welcomes new Catholics into the Church. With holy water, he baptized nearly 50 men and women and three young children. Anointed with chrism oil, most are Confirmed into the faith and receive the Holy Spirit. All, except the children, receive Holy Communion. Across the Brooklyn diocese, over 550 are sacramentally initiated into Catholicism. Rachel Lin, now a parishioner at Saint John Vianney, explained why becoming Catholic is so important for her life; “Life is very precious and it’s very short. Just like Jesus wants us to use our life to do our best to love, it makes me have more faith.” Lin also wants to spread the Good News of the Risen Lord to those who have turned away from the Church; “If others are lost, we can talk to them [to] understand. It’s also to guide them to Jesus.”

Most of the new Catholics at Saint John Vianney are Chinese, the fastest growing Catholic community in the Brooklyn diocese.

Yiu Yu, another new Catholic, said the large gathering inspires him to learn more about Catholicism; “It makes you want to come to church more. It makes you want to educate yourself a lot more.”

In order to make Christ the center of their lives.

Cathedral On Canvas – Visual Tribute To Notre Dame

By Michelle Powers

Ric Adam may sound like a native to the city of lights, but it was only fifteen years ago that he first dipped his brushes in France.

“I was in NYC and Chelsea, my friends said you have to go to Paris,” he said.

It was there rick met his muse, his mademoiselle, a so-called old lady, the subject of hundreds of his paintings, the Notre Dame de Paris.

But unlike most tourists who take photos of the famous towers – when Ric puts his brush to canvas, it’s from a different vantage point.

Since the fire, his paintings have become visual tributes on canvas, with the power to move people to tears.

“That’s one of the most beautiful things in Paris,” said Nancy Hennig.

She chose a painting with the spire she watched fall before her eyes.

“The say they are going to rebuild this – you can’t rebuild 850 years,” Nancy added.

Ric hasn’t painted since the cathedral’s roof crumbled, but he says one day soon, he’ll continue to paint what once was. As long as people still have their memories–the beauty remains.

Could Notre Dame Ignite The Rise Of The Zombie Catholics?

By Michelle Powers

The Diocese of Nanterre is less than ten miles from Notre Dame, so close the land used to be part of the Archdiocese of Paris.

Bishop Matthieu Rouge says the cathedral is mile zero. It’s how the French measure distances all over the country, but its more than just that, it’s their history.

“Notre Dame is the beginning of all measures, it’s the center of this country,” said Rouge.

Through the grace of flames and the way of the cross, some are rediscovering it this Good Friday.

Once among the most Catholic countries in the world – sometimes called the eldest daughter of the church – in recent years France has seen a serious decline in churchgoing numbers.

“In France everyone is a catholic but they ignore it,” added Rouge.

Bishop Rouge speculates that the Notre Dame fire just may ignite a spiritual reawakening of sorts. One that might already be underway across secular France.

Sociologists in the country call the phenomena the rise of “Zombie Catholics.” People who do not attend church, but voters who turn out in droves to support leaders backing catholic social teachings.

The sociologists who coined the term say its Catholicism having attained a life after death in France, and no one is quite sure just where it will go.

As the way of the cross made its way around the Diocese of Nanterre, many people joined in. The crowd grew in size at every station.

Experts Confident Notre Dame Will Rise Again

Restoring Notre Dame to its former glory is going to be a massive undertaking. French President Emmanuel Macron is promising to rebuild the cathedral in 5 years, but some are predicting it could take decades.

Crux Faith and Culture Correspondent Claire Giangrave has been talking to experts and art historians about the scope of the restoration and she joins Currents News to discuss the future of the heart of Paris.

Bishop DiMarzio Leads Good Friday Services

By Tim Harfmann

For the solemn service at Saint James Cathedral in Downtown Brooklyn, it was standing room only as worshippers packed the pews and entrance on Good Friday. “It’s a day where we remember Christ’s death, and it’s a day that we remember many other innocent people who have died in the world today. This is a violent world where many innocent people give their lives,” said Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, who led the service. After the prayers, Bishop DiMarzio was joined by Archbishop Bernardito Auza, the pope’s ambassador to the United Nations, for the Way of the Cross procession over the Brooklyn Bridge. The walk symbolizes the Lord’s path to his crucifixion. “Christ suffered for us, and we have to also suffer for the world. We have to join our sufferings to the work of Christ in redeeming the world,” said Bishop DiMarzio.

The procession was a collaboration with Communion and Liberation, a Catholic, international lay movement. Raquel Isaza is a member of the group; “New York City is such a big, big melting pot. And in such a public place, like the Brooklyn Bridge, we can all get together.”

The Catholics prayed the Stations of the Cross and picked up other worshippers along the way. “Like the pope said, ‘go to the ends to meet the people.’ So, we go over the bridge meeting other people,” said Isaza. The symbolic procession ended near the World Trade Center. “I’m really excited and I feel emotional. I’m really happy to see a lot of people having the Holy Week in their hearts,” said Sheyla Curtis, who participated in the procession.

Bishop DiMarzio also led the Good Friday service at Our Lady of Miraculous Medal. It included reading the Lord’s Passion, the bishop’s homily and Communion, before worshippers processed through the streets of Ridgewood, Queens. Father Anthony Sansone is the church’s pastor and said the procession draws the attention of those who may have turned away from the Church. Worshippers processed to the neighboring Saint Aloysius Church and back. Bishop DiMarzio later led a prayer service in Italian.

Currents News for Friday, April 19, 2019

On the newscast: Good Friday in Paris. Currents News Michelle Powers is there, reporting on the rebuilding of Notre Dame… and the faith; Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio leads the Way of the Cross procession across the Brooklyn Bridge; Pope Francis prostrating himself before Christ’s cross in humble veneration at the Vatican; Good Friday gives way to the joy of Easter.  Bishop DiMarzio is here to talk about the Light of the World.

Today’s top news from the Catholic perspective anchored by Liz Faublas. Currents News airs Monday through Friday at 7:00 p.m. ET on NET-TV (netny.tv)

Pilgrims Follow the Path of Christ

By Currents News Staff

For the first time in centuries, visitors to Rome can climb the stairs that Jesus ascended when he was brought before Pontius Pilate to be judged ahead of his crucifixion. The Rector of the Holy Stairs, Father Francesco Guerra, says the Holy Stairs were brought to Rome from Jerusalem in the 4th century.

The new devotion is thanks to a recent restoration that removed wooden planks that had covered the stairs for 300 years. The work turned up a surprising discovery: deep grooves in the marble caused by wear and tear. They also revealed drops of Jesus’ blood that had fallen on the steps.  Those sites are marked by medieval crosses in 3 places.

Frank Scherra is a U.S soldier stationed in Germany who climbed the stairs with his 6 children. He explained that the devotional means a “time to reflect and think about people that had an impact on my faith and my family and those that I know are in heaven or trying to get there; a chance to pray for them.” Others have recounted stories of conversions and deeply emotional experiences from their climb.

At the top of the stairs is a room called the Holy of Holies. It was once a private chapel of Popes and it contains relics of saints and one of the oldest icons of Jesus found in Rome, dating to the 5th century.

The stairs will soon be covered over again with wood to protect the marble, but for the next few weeks visitors to Rome can literally walk or at least kneel on what are believed to be the original footsteps of Jesus.

 

 

Bishop DiMarzio Symbolically Washes Parishioners Feet

By Emily Drooby

One of the most important Catholic liturgies of the year is the Mass of the Lord’s Supper.

It was celebrated Thursday night by Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint James. The liturgy commemorates both the institution of the Holy Eucharist and the beginning of the priesthood, which Jesus accomplished at the Last Supper.

Bishop DiMarzio explained, “He left us his presence in the Eucharist so that’s the greatest gift we have. Especially as Catholics, because we believe it’s the real presence, it’s not just the commemoration, it’s not just symbolic, it’s a real presence.”

Much of the Mass is similar to one you would see on a Sunday but there are some important additions. One is the washing of the feet of twelve members of the Brooklyn Diocese. Bishop DiMarzio following the example of Jesus, washing the feet of his twelve Apostles at the Last Supper.

The Bishop elaborated on its significance, “It’s important because it does show the humility of Christ and he showed us that we need to do the same thing and that’s why the celebrant of the Mass would be washing the feet of twelve people.”

The Cathedral Basilica’s Rector, Father Peter Purpura, helped choose the twelve this year. He picked people he thinks represent the community.

Father Purpura added, “We’re the only parish in Brooklyn that has Mass interpreted every Sunday so two of the twelve will be from the deaf community…There’s [also] a college student who has been very active here, from another state, who’s graduating in May.”

One of the twelve, Michael Gilbride is a victim-survivor of clergy sexual abuse.

After taking part in the ceremony he said, “Having my feet washed by the Bishop was very humbling, it means service to me, it means we are to do what the Lord did.”

At the conclusion of Mass there was a transition from celebrating to recalling the suffering and death of Jesus. During that time, the Blessed Sacrament is moved from the tabernacle to another location called the “Altar of Repose.” Parishioners continued the adoration well into the night, taking a moment to remember and reflect on Christ’s sacrifices.