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Catholic School’s Popular Music Program Gets Big Boost

By Emily Drooby

Emmy Liu-Wang plays the cello, the piano, and she sings.

The 12-year-old is musically gifted and her talent has grown while attending St. Andrew Avellino Catholic Academy in Flushing Queens.

Emmy said, “It’s just what I love to do and I’m just so happy that I get to do it in school here.”

The Catholic school has a strong music program. Emmy’s mom Clare Liu, who’s a cellist, is one of the school’s music teachers.

Mom and Emmy feel the 12-year-olds musical and performing talents have grown since transferring to the catholic school. Her faith, has also grown, the school inspired Emmy to become Catholic.

The 7th grader explained, “Once I came here, my second-grade teacher, she taught me all about it and I completely fell in love and I wanted to get baptized in third grade.”

Her mother added, “She begged me she said, ‘mommy I want to be baptized’ and I said ‘okay of course, I 100% support you.’ She was so happy.”

While in school at St. Andrew Avellino, Emmy learns about her religion, and the instruments she loves, something she did not do at her public school.

Emmy said, “I mean, I liked my old school but it didn’t really have to much of an opportunity for me to perform and do all the stuff I love to do. This school, I feel, almost like I am performing every day, it’s amazing.”

The school offers all types of programs from chorus to band to percussion to strings and even piano. Teaching kids of all ages to love music.

Now, the school will be able to inspire and teach even more students. A 100,000 dollar grant from the Diocese of Brooklyn will go into the arts and music programs at the school.

Kimberly Larkin, who started the programs and is the music director, said this grant will put instruments in the hands of more students which has always been her goal.

Larkin said, “I wanted the kids to always be making music, because I think it’s easy with limited resources to fall into that the class becomes academic and the students do learn the music notes or they learn songs, but I just really wanted it to be hands on so the students were making music.”

The school has already received half of the funding and is making immediate improvements.

Pope’s New Vatican Law Punishes Vatican Employees For Not Denouncing Abuse

Currents News Staff

The new Vatican laws extend to all Holy See and nunciature employees, with fines up to 5,000 euros, and jail time of up to six months.

After the February Summit on Sexual abuse, Pope Francis has taken action, creating new laws in Vatican City State demanding that sexual abuse claims be immediately reported.

For the first time, Vatican law enforces not reporting alleged sexual crimes with fines up to 5,000 euros, and jail time of up to six months. The only exception to this is if it was heard in confession under the sacramental seal.

The Vatican’s new three-text legislation applies only to the Vatican City-State and its youth seminary, but stand as an example for bishops worldwide on how to implement rules to protect minors and vulnerable persons from sexual abuse.

“It’s a matter of changing the attitude, and this is much more difficult than changing a law and thinking that it is the solution. It’s necessary to have an invested and proactive will to put the spirit of the law into practice.” said Hans Zollner, President, Center for Child Protection, Pont. Gregorian University.

The first text is the new law. It legally equates minors with vulnerable adults, providing thefirst-ever Vatican-defined definition for “vulnerable person.”

The new laws also updates the statute of limitations of abuse in the Vatican from four to 20 years after the minor turns 18.

The second text lists 12 brief articles with guidelines for training Vatican employees about abuse risks and prevention methods. It encourages all victims to freely speak out by creating a service offering medical and psychological help to those abused.

The third text contains Pastoral Guidelines for the Vicariate or “Vatican Diocese”. Adults must be visible to others if with a minor. Additionally, to contact a minor by telephone or on social networks, adults must obtain parents’ and guardians’ written consent.

The new norms are not canonical, rather civil and pastoral for the Vatican. It states priests are assumed innocent until proven guilty and a person found guilty of abuse will lose his or her Vatican job.

With these new laws Pope Francis is specifically setting an example as a model for the global Church. The new law will go into effect June 1, while the guidelines are enforced immediately under a three year trial period.

Unplanned

Host Craig Syracusa welcomes back Abby Johnson. Her life story is the foundation of the new movie UNPLANNED, which opens in theaters around the country on March 29. UNPLANNED shares Abby’s journey from being the director of a Planned Parenthood clinic to becoming one of the loudest voices in the pro-life movement. Ashley Bratcher, who plays Abby in the movie, and producer Chris Jones join Abby in discussing the making of the movie! And later in the show, Laura DePalma visits the red carpet premiere of UNPLANNED!

Don’t miss this truly inspiring episode! To learn more about the movie, visit unplannedfilm.com If you want to get involved in the pro-life movement, or if you are looking for support before or after an abortion, visit unplannedfilm.com/resource.

‘Ring-Gate’ Shows Folly of Over-Analyzing Every Papal Gesture

After nearly a week of theological speculation about “Ring-gate,” the Vatican says the pope’s reluctance to let people kiss his ring after a Mass in the Italian town of Loreto was due to a fear of spreading germs, as opposed to him dramatically ending a longstanding practice in papal protocol.

 

Teamwork Earns Catholic Academy Top Robotics Prize

By Tim Harfmann

Zipping across the science lab floor, a remote-controlled robot can pick up and throw a ball. The group, known as the ‘Sharp Blades,’ built it from scratch. “It’s really awesome being able to build stuff and represent the school,” said Jamila Torres. She’s a fifth grader and Sharp Blades team member.

At a citywide LEGO competition, the young inventors from Saint Bartholomew Catholic Academy in Elmhurst, Queens beat nearly 30 other teams in the ‘core values’ category. “That meant that the judges saw the team is really a cohesive team, they respect each other, they work together, and they have fun while they’re working,” said Francis Belizario, the leader of the award-winning team. The group is made up of nearly 20 students from the fourth to the eighth grades and started working together only a few months ago. “If you get one or two kids who are great with robot design or research, you get an award; but you have to have every single person on the team working together,” said Belizario.

The Sharp Blades credited their Catholic education for winning the core values category. “It helps with behavior. It also teaches you to be a good student and a good role model for little kids,” said Jesson Phagoo. He is a fifth grader and team member.

And what they’ve learned building robots will help them in the future. Fifth grader Danielle Tuble dreams of becoming an engineer, following in her father’s footsteps. She wants to help people back in her family’s homeland of the Philippines. “They travel through boat, which is why I want to design a bridge so people with cars can travel from one island to another island,” said Tuble.

Now, the mini-but-mighty geniuses have their inventions on exhibit at the New York Hall of Science in Queens. At this weekend’s expo, they’ll show off their robots — and core values.

Currents News for Thursday, March 28th, 2019

On the newscast: Strong reactions are forming a backlash against New York’s extreme abortion law.  The pro-life movement is growing; An uproar over proposed budget cuts to the Special Olympics.  A cabinet secretary defends herself; The links between radical right-wingers in Europe and the New Zealand mosque massacre; And new reaction tonight about kissing the papal ring of Pope Francis. The Vatican has something to say.

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)

Pro-Life Sentiments Growing in New York

By Emily Drooby

As Denise Collins prepares her morning tea before heading to Mass, she thinks about the Reproductive Health Act, the Governor Cuomo backed law that eliminates virtually all restrictions on abortion in the state.

Denise Collins is a parishioner at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church. She explained, the law has motivated her to become more pro-life.

Collins said, “I had called myself pro-life but I was very inactive and felt guilty for not paying attention to the issue.”

Collin’s is not alone, Laura Sica of the Life Center of New York in Bay Ridge said she’s also seen the pro-life movement grow since Governor Cuomo signed the bill into law.

Sica explained, “A lot of people who have not been pro-life are so horrified by this bill that they’re turning to our side and coming to realize that abortion is wrong.”

Denise Collins also at one time approved of legalized abortion, until she faced questions about snuffing out the lives of the unborn.

Collins explained, “That fateful question, like why, why would you actually do that, turned me around.”

As Collin’s heads to Mass, she knows the sanctity of life will be supported by her parish and fellow parishioners. With the help of parishioners like Collins, Immaculate Heart, has started a pro-life ministry.

Deacon John Cantirino of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, said, “That’s a direct result of what has been festering for a while as abortion has become more and more accepted.”

While Father Ilyas Gill, the church’s pastor said, “They want to do something for the people and raise their voices against this injustice.”

The group is new but they plan on offering information and support for the unborn.

Awilda Perez, parishioner at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church and member of the group explained, “We have to get the word out there because the media, tv, internet has given a false sense of message, it’s not the truth.”

The pro-life ministry meets once a month. Those interested can call the rectory at 718-871-1310 or email [email protected].

A eucharistic adoration dedicated to the pro-life movement being held here every second Friday of the month, at 8am.

Cupich Denounces Illinois Abortion Bills

Currents News Staff

Chicago’s Cardinal Blaze Cupich is taking action against a pair of Illinois abortions bills that he calls radical and disturbing.

The cardinal and six other Illinois bishops went this morning to the state’s capital in Springfield and told the General Assembly to vote down the proposed legislation.

“The state and it’s leaders, have not only a responsibility but a vested interest, in defending the sacredness and value of every human life,” said Cupich.

The measures would repeal all existing restrictions on abortion in the state, remove protections for doctors and hospitals who morally object to performing abortions, and repeals an existing law that requires health care professionals to notify parents before performing abortion on a minor.