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Spree of Religious Statue Thefts in Southwestern Queens Prompts Call to Action

By Jessica Easthope

A spree of religious statue thefts are being investigated as hate crimes by the NYPD. Within the last month, several religious statues have been stolen from outside homes and businesses in southwestern Queens. Local elected officials, civic leaders and community members say Catholics are being targeted and once someone is caught they are pushing for legal consequences. A missing St. Anthony statue that sat for decades outside of a Howard Beach medical office was swiftly replaced and secured with a lock and chain. Local leaders say the stolen statues in Howard Beach and Ozone Park represent generational faith for families and communities.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Feast Honors Italian Heritage

By Katie Vasquez

WILLIAMSBURG —More than 100 men carried the towering Giglio through the streets of Williamsburg as thousands gathered for the annual “Dancing of the Giglio,” one of New York City’s oldest and most beloved Italian-American religious traditions.

The celebration is part of the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St. Paulinus, a 139-year-old tradition honoring the return of St. Paulinus to Nola, Italy. Alongside the 72-foot Giglio tower, lifters also carried a symbolic boat through neighborhood streets.

“Welcome to the great feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Saint Paulinus here in Williamsburg,” said Monsignor Jamie Gigantiello. “I call it America’s Parish Feast because it’s a great feast. Every year it’s getting bigger and bigger. We honor our Blessed Mother, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and we honor Saint Paulinus of Nola.”

The annual feast, considered New York City’s oldest Italian-American feast, draws visitors from across the country who return year after year to celebrate their faith, heritage and family traditions.

Stephen Menna, who has participated as a Giglio lifter for 44 years, said the celebration has deep roots in his family.

“I’m here 44 years. Both my parents are born and raised on this block, and it’s all about tradition and love,” Menna said.

For many visitors, the feast is a lifelong tradition.

Margaret Ponterella said she has attended since she was an infant.

“Since 1961, when I was a baby, since I was a very little girl, but we lived in the neighborhood,” she said. “We didn’t stay all day. We used to walk back and forth all day long. It was great.”

Annette Bergamo, 92, said her family’s connection to the feast dates back decades.

“My father came from Italy and he loved the Giglio,” Bergamo said. “We’ve been coming for about 80 years.”

As the towering structure moves through the streets, commands are shouted in a Neapolitan dialect to coordinate the lifters’ movements.

Neil Dellamonica, a Giglio lift lieutenant, explained the meaning behind the traditional commands.

“It’s basically four different commands,” Dellamonica said. “‘Guagliu” is like you’re calling the men. ‘Aizate ‘e Spalle!’ tells them to stand up straight and get their shoulders set. ‘Cuonci Cuonci!’ is asking if they’re ready. ‘Aghiett!’ means throw it off your shoulder. Lift’s over.”

Beyond the spectacle, organizers say the feast continues to strengthen the parish and preserve Italian-American traditions that have endured for generations.

“It does have a special place in my heart,” Dellamonica said. “However, it does keep our parish going. It does keep our community going. It keeps everybody together.”

Gigantiello said the celebration reflects the values that have sustained the community for more than a century.

“It’s a way of expressing our faith, enjoying the values of family, you know, faith and fun,” he said. “It’s all about being human.”

New York City’s First Female Chief Lifeguard Shares Beach Safety Tips

By Katie Vasquez

ROCKAWAY PARK — Janet Fash has spent more than four decades watching the waters off Rockaway Beach, and she knows danger isn’t always easy to spot.

“The rip current is in an area that sometimes looks inviting because it’s not like foamy waves,” Fash said. “Here they don’t pull you out that far, but you have to float on your back and you have to remain calm.”

Fash served as a New York City lifeguard for more than 46 years, eventually becoming the first woman to serve as chief lifeguard at Rockaway Beach.

“We broke down the barrier for females to be bosses on the beach,” she said. “It wasn’t easy, but I learned pretty quickly how to command a troop of 35 lifeguards.”

Throughout her career, water safety remained one of her greatest priorities.

“I’ve always wanted people to learn how to swim,” Fash said. “But it spurred me on when there were so many drownings in the early 2000s.”

A parishioner at St. Camillus Church, Fash said her Catholic faith has guided her both in and out of the water.

“I always say a prayer when I enter the water. I always bless myself,” she said.

Although retired, Fash continues teaching water safety to young people, passing along lessons she hopes will help prevent future tragedies.

“Janet showed me about how the winds can affect the water, which is something I never knew,” said water safety student Jay Sanchez. “You always come to the beach and hope that it’s low tide, or you hope that these things can happen.”

Fellow student Madison Anderson said one lesson stood out above the rest.

“Make sure you are not alone,” Anderson said. “Make sure you are swimming with someone else just in case something goes wrong in the sea.”

As beach season continues, Fash encourages visitors to take simple precautions before entering the water.

“Obviously when you head to the beach, look for a lifeguard-protected beach,” she said.

She also advises parents to accompany children to the shoreline, wear reef-safe sun protection or SPF clothing, and avoid diving into unfamiliar waters to reduce the risk of head injuries.

For Fash, the mission has always been about more than preventing accidents.

“I also think about life and how important it is to protect life,” she said. “That has my faith — no loss of life.”

From Fear to Faith: Immigrant Mother Finds Hope at The Bridge to Life, Earns Scholarships

By Jessica Easthope

COLLEGE POINT — Raynellys Nunez and her two-year-old daughter Zoe are inseparable. Being a mom is everything she’s ever dreamed of.

“She is my world. From the moment I open my eyes to the moment I close my eyes to sleep,” Nunez said.

But Nunez almost missed out on the joys of motherhood when she moved from the Dominican Republic to New York City — alone, afraid and newly pregnant.

“I was scared of the unknown and that was blocking me. That was stopping me and getting me into a dark place,” she said.

Considering abortion, Nunez’s best friend Sara brought her to The Bridge to Life.

“They opened their doors and they listened to me and my little girl is here and I am here and so happy for being her mother and having her and not having to make like a big mistake,” Nunez said.

On July 9, Nunez, who has since moved to Florida with Zoe and Zoe’s dad — her husband — was back where her journey to motherhood began. This time as a guest of honor — the recipient of two scholarships. The Bridge to Life’s executive director Francesca Yellico says Nunez is the perfect candidate for the Bridge to Life Scholarship as well as the Kathleen Mullally Scholarship for pregnant and parenting students. Nunez is studying English, hoping to one day become a medical assistant.

“This is what happens here. People become family. These girls become family. It doesn’t take a lot to help someone. And that’s what Bridge to Life does, they just need to know that there’s somebody they can fall back on if they need some help. It’s a very special gift for me to be that person that they call,” Yellico said.

The Kathleen Mullally Scholarship was started by one of The Bridge to Life’s volunteers. Josie Catalano named the award after her aunt who passed away in 2018.

“Part of it is because she never had children of her own. I think she felt like she didn’t deserve to have her family in a funny way. And this is kind of my way of saying to her, well, now you have a bigger family than you could have ever, ever had,” Catalano said.

The Bridge to Life will always be part of Nunez’s story.

“I want her to see by example through her mother no matter how difficult things are you have to keep going,” Nunez said.

She walked in scared but leaves now a role model for the child she chose and continues to choose every day.

Historic East Flatbush Church Completes Sanctuary Renovation

By Katie Vasquez

EAST FLATBUSH — Parishioners at St. Vincent Ferrer Church are celebrating the completion of a five-year renovation project that transformed the church’s sanctuary while preserving its sacred character.

As Jean Guy attended Friday morning Mass, she took in the updates to her home parish.

“I’m really happy with it. I have no complaints,” Guy said.

The renovation included the installation of new wood paneling and flooring, along with upgrades to the church’s sound system and lighting.

Father Michael Bruno, pastor of St. Vincent Ferrer Church, said the improvements have dramatically changed the worship space.

“The brightness of the space, the colors, the attention, even, to the color scheme connecting, for instance, the sanctuary to the body of the church, using especially that beautiful red wallpaper that runs throughout,” Bruno said.

The changes are a dramatic contrast to the church’s previous appearance.

“Everything’s changed,” Guy said. “The paint was green. Green carpeting. The pews — ehhh.”

Bruno, who became pastor in October, credited his predecessor, Father Gopaul, now serving at St. Matthew Church in Crown Heights, with leading much of the renovation effort.

He said that work, along with the generous donations of parishioners, has helped position the more than 100-year-old church for the future.

“His attention to detail and his leadership allowed the parish to really be set for the next hundred years,” Bruno said.

Parishioner Claudia Elizabeth Hooper said some of the renovations, including the new wallpaper, carry a deeper spiritual meaning.

“It represents Jesus as a link of all our church members and family. So we expect to continue to grow in strength,” Hooper said.

The renovation also intentionally preserved one of the church’s most important features — the altar, where Catholics believe bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ.

“This shows that indeed there is space for the Lord in East Flatbush. And indeed, how beautiful of a renovated liturgical space allows for that statement to be clear,” Bruno said.

Hooper said she has also noticed growth within the parish community.

“You haven’t seen too many full families coming to church in past years. But now, with the new people in the community, it’s beautiful to see a mother, a father and children and different ages,” she said.

“It’s just beautiful to look forward to the future, because I know it’s going to be beautiful. The Holy Spirit is thriving.”

The work at St. Vincent Ferrer is not yet complete. The parish plans to renovate the baptismal font area and make several additional minor improvements around the property.

 

Catholic News Headlines for Friday 7/10/26   

After one New York City mom chose life for her child with the support of Bridge to Life, the Queens-based organization is now helping her build a bridge towards the next stage of her life with a school scholarship.

At St. Vincent Ferrer Church, building renovations have brought something new to the almost 100-year-old Brooklyn Catholic community. As parishioners celebrate the church’s past, they’re also looking ahead to the future of their faith.

Hundreds of men will soon gather in Williamsburg to participate in one of Brooklyn’s most beloved traditions: the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Giglio Feast. They will lift an 80-foot tower, called the “Giglio,” onto their shoulders — we got a behind-the-scenes look at the preparations.

TONIGHT AT 7: Bridge to Life Honors Mom With Scholarship

by Jessica Easthope

Bridge to Life, a pro-life organization in New York City, helped one scared woman choose life for her child.

Now they’re celebrating her story and supporting her academic growth as she makes another important choice and shows her daughter what true strength looks like.

Brooklyn Youth Reflect on Dominican Republic Mission Trip

By Katie Vasquez

Less than a week after returning from a mission trip to the Dominican Republic, three members of the Vicariate of Black Catholic Concerns Youth Leadership Ambassador Program continue praying for the people they served.

“Their house is like half of a regular room,” said Christelle Couloute, a VBCC ambassador. “They would have a small kitchen, sometimes a pot, maybe not. They would have to cook outside.”

“I think when you really get to see firsthand what was going on, it really touches you,” added fellow ambassador Bryan Maitland-Jones.

Eighteen ambassadors and eight chaperones traveled to a batey, a community where workers from a sugar cane plantation live. Many of the residents are Haitian migrants who came to the Dominican Republic after being promised a better life as Haiti continues to face gang violence.

Father Dwayne Davis, executive director of the VBCC Ambassador Program, said the reality was far different.

“It seemed to me like modern-day slavery,” Father Davis said. “These people from Haiti were promised these wonderful things. And really, they come, and what they’re living in is like a little shanty town, living in shacks.”

During the mission trip, the group helped dig the foundation for a community center, installed water filters, played with children and ministered to residents.

“We did a lot of digging, we worked with the kids, but we also worked on our hearts,” Father Davis said. “I think a relationship with Jesus Christ is an experience that you can never get anywhere else.”

Several ambassadors spoke Spanish and Haitian Creole, allowing them to communicate more easily with residents.

For Christelle Couloute and Christian Lafontant, both of whom were born in Haiti before moving to New York as children, the experience was especially personal.

“That kind of broke my heart because I’m like, ‘Oh, my people, they don’t catch a break,'” Couloute said. “So that really touched me. I was just praying that God would help them.”

“It shocked me the most because that, in the realest sense, could have been my life,” said Christian Lafontent, a VBCC ambassador alumnus. “In another life, if I didn’t come to America, that was me.”

Despite the hardships they witnessed, the ambassadors said they were inspired by the faith of the people they met.

“It was good to see the people’s faith,” Father Davis said. “They had hope, they had joy.”

“I believe with God, if they walk with God, walk with Christ, that hope will come,” Maitland-Jones said. “I pray that every single day.”

The ambassadors said they will carry the lessons of the mission trip with them as they continue their faith journey.

Next year, the group plans to follow the Selma-to-Montgomery trail, tracing the path of the Civil Rights Movement.

Catholic News Headlines for Thursday 7/9/26

The Diocese of Brooklyn’s Vicariate of Black Catholic Concerns Youth Leadership Ambassador Program has returned from a mission trip to the Dominican Republic where they offered support to Haitian immigrants who are struggling to build a new life there.

In Manhattan’s Upper East Side, the Legionnaires’ Disease outbreak is still spreading – we tell you about a town hall held at a Catholic church that discussed what’s being done in the City of New York to address it.

A new fundraising campaign is underway to complete restorations at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris as the landmark continues to rebuild following a fire in 2019.

Pope Leo XIV is preparing for an upcoming papal trip to France where he’ll not only visit the famed French cathedral but also stop at Lourdes and Metz.