100 Year Old Church Renewed and Rejuvenated

By Katie Engesser

Parishioners of Our Lady of The Miraculous Medal Church are amazed as they see what’s been accomplished in the place where they worship God.

“When you sit in mass sometimes, I just can’t help but sitting there and looking up at the stars,” said parishioner Karen Loweth, “I think it’s absolutely exquisite.”

“I think it’s fabulous,” Fred Hoefferle agreed.

Brooklyn Auxiliary Bishop James Massa blessed the newly renovated church Sunday in conjunction with the parish’s 100th anniversary of serving the people of Ridgewood, Queens.

Pastor Father Anthony Sansone explained the renovations, saying “We needed to address the issues of the interior of the church.”

Thanks to the Brooklyn Diocese’s Generations of Faith fundraising campaign, many more generations will be able to witness stained glass windows dedicated to the Blessed Mother; as well as shrines for Our Lady of Czestochowa and Mary’s Mother, St Anne.

Bishop Massa talked about what’s happened at Our Lady of The Miraculous Medal, saying “The cracks of the church have been painted over and many of the statuary and images have been touched up. This is a wonderful history to the worship site of the church.”

The Ridgewood parish was established in 1917 but the faithful didn’t have a church building right away. That took more than ten years to create.

“The first church or chapel for Our Lady of The Miraculous Medal was the first floor of the school,” Bishop Massa said, “But it opened in August of 1929, within weeks of the Great Depression.”

Despite the economic calamity, the Miraculous Medal Parish continued to grow. In 1941, they finished their official church, shortly after another world-changing event: Pearl Harbor and the beginning of World War II.

“The church became kind of a place of refuge,” Bishop Massa said.

Now today’s parishioners of Our Lady of Miraculous Medal are providing for those who will follow.

Father Sansone said, “We have about 1,200 people who come here to mass every Sunday morning and we’re grateful to God for such an outpouring of devotion and commitment from parishioners.”

Because of all of them and their sacrifices, the church is rejuvenated for generations to come.

“I think all of this is making a big statement to the community that ‘we have a future.’ And it kind of points people in the direction of the future with great hope.” Bishop Massa said.

Currents News for Friday, March 1, 2019

On this special edition: A big problem for some New Yorkers that makes it almost impossible to get from the street to the subway; A young girl’s dying wish is to go to school. Her mother is turning heartbreak into action; A special honor for Catholic NYPD Detective Brian Simonsen. A memorial for the Catholic officer is celebrated in Queens; A new movie about a huge Pro-Life advocate is hitting the big screen. We have a sneak peek.

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

Currents News for Thursday, February 28, 2019

On the newscast: Saint Joseph High School is coping with the passing of their beloved principal Caroline Latham; America’s top ally in the Middle East is facing indictment tonight on corruption charges; the reasons why roads are deadlier now than any time in nearly thirty years.

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

Black History Month – Catholic Academy Students Learn and Perform

By Tim Harfmann

Students honored Black History Month by performing for children and parents at Incarnation Catholic Academy in Queens Village, Queens. “It’s a time to celebrate all the black people that have done great things for us,” said Chrisitan Scott. The 2^nd grader dressed up as Michael Jackson, the “King of Pop.” Other students also dressed up as notable figures and pretended to be part of a wax museum. It was part of the festivities along with singing, dancing, poems and skits.

Four-year-old Sydney Mae-Campbell wasn’t too young to understand the Civil Rights Movement. She portrayed Rosa Parks. On-stage with her pre-k classmates, they perform a skit about the Montgomery bus boycott and Parks’ fight against segregation. “The man wasn’t being nice to her, so she boycotted the bus,” said Mae-Campbell.

But it wasn’t the only day students learned about black history. All month long, they worked on projects in their classrooms. “Every day we have a writing prompt on the board. Each day it’s a different person. Today was Barack Obama, and he had a quote. We had to write about it and explain its meaning,” said Michael Echevarre. He is an eighth grader at Incarnation Catholic Academy.

For the students, understanding black history gave them a greater appreciation for the past to continue the fight for equally in the future. “We can do whatever we want and that we can be free and do good things for the world,” said Shiloh Milford. He’s a 5^th grader at the Queens school. “Kids don’t understand what racism is, and that’s why adults need to teach them. So, they need to not contribute to racism and keep the world equal,” said Echevarre.

At the end of the show, all of the students sang “Lift Every Voice and Sing” as a show of solidarity.

School Coping with the Death of Beloved Principal

By Emily Drooby

The halls of Saint Joseph High School, quieter than usual, as students, like Armani Meza, adjust to a life without their beloved principal.

Meza explained, “She meant so much to me and my school I don’t know if it’ll ever be the same without her.”

The school has been doing their best to help those grieving. Guidance department head counselor, Mary Christy, explains it started when they broke the news of principal Latham’s death. Christy said, “We gave them the opportunity to go where in the building they needed to go. Did they need to talk to somebody, did they need to go to the chapel, did they need to be with each other?”

Extra help to deal with the profound loss continued throughout the week. Meza explained, “You can step out of the classroom whenever you want, there’s so many people you can speak too.”

Councilors have been available to students and staff and there were organized prayers on Wednesday at Saint Boniface Church.

During the prayer service, students wrote their favorite memories with principal Latham on these hearts, which are now hanging in the school lobby.

Rose Tomassi, a religion teacher, said, “There’s a sort of joy that comes from remembering someone who is really an incredible person and sharing those memories.”

Another way to remember principal Latham is by visiting her office, which has been left open, something students and staff have been taking advantage of.

Students and staff will also have the chance to say their final goodbyes, the school is busing people to the Friday morning mass of Christian burial, at least 170 people plan on going.

Protecting Muslim Babies

Currents News Staff

Holy Family Hospital in Bethlehem is a space for hope in Palestine.

Here, in this Pediatric Intensive Care Ward, most of the babies are children of Muslim mothers.

One of them, Reema, gave this image of Jesus, Mary and Joseph as a “thank you” to the doctors who saved her son’s life, after a complicated premature birth.

This health center, managed by the Order of Malta, is the only one capable of maintaining the life expectancy of premature babies born in Palestine with only seven months of gestation.

Of the 4,500 babies born here each year, about 470 need to go through this intensive care unit.

“The law in Palestine if a baby is born under 25 weeks is an abortion. Here, because we respect the soul and we respect Catholic principles. So, if the baby has a heart rate in the in the delivery room, we support them,” Micheline Alqassis, the Intensive Care Unit Doctor.

In addition to providing quality care for families in Bethlehem, this hospital is a promoter and example of religious coexistence.

“We work together, you know? Half of our employees are Muslims. Then 99.9 percent of our patients are Muslims. This makes us proud, that we are serving not only our people? Because if we were serving only our people, we wouldn’t do anything. Jesus Christ said if you love somebody from your family. Do you understand me? You didn’t do anything. But if you love somebody, even if they are a stranger or enemy, that is the important thing. This is the value,” said Alqassis.

This hospital, a few feet from the place where Jesus was born, is today a benchmark of professionalism and respect for the dignity of each patient.

“I truly thank the employees of the hospital. Because I first was admitted as a caesarian section but they stood with me and they helped me throughout the whole thing. In the end, I was able to deliver normally,” said Marwa Najarech a Palestinian mother.

The Holy Family Hospital in Bethlehem continues to grow and prepares the construction of a new pavilion for gynecological care.

It’s a tribute to life right next to the place where Jesus was born.

Vietnam Summit Ends Without Agreement

Currents News Staff

President Trump is on his way back to Washington from Hanoi, without a deal.

“I think actually it was a very productive two days. But sometimes you have to walk,” said Trump.

The second summit between the two leaders in less than a year still aimed at convincing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to abandon his nuclear program.

Top advisers to the President were said to have warned him that the North Koreans would be unyielding on the topic of the sanctions that severely restrict their trade.

The President thought he could make more progress face to face with Kim but in the end, said he didn’t want to make a bad deal.

“They wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety, and we couldn’t do that. They were willing to denuke a large portion of the areas that we wanted. But we couldn’t give up all of the sanctions for that,” said Trump.

There is no third summit set. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said both sides need some time to regroup but the summit and weeks of work by each side ahead of it showed some signs of progress.

“We made real progress. And indeed, we made even more progress when the two leaders say down over the last 24, 36 hours. Unfortunately, we didn’t get all the way. We didn’t get to something that ultimately made sense for the United States of America,” said Pompeo.

President Trump spoke with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-In after leaving the summit. Both urged continued discussions.

Six Years Since Benedict’s Exit

Currents News Staff

It was exactly six years ago today that the then-Pope Benedict XVI left the Vatican. It came after the historical announcement of his resignation.

On the day Benedict XVI left the papal apartments, he was greeted with a round of applause from the bishops and Vatican employees.

He was then escorted to a helicopter within the Vatican Gardens where he was flown to the papal apartments in Castel Gandolfo. It was there that he gave his last speech as Pope.

World’s Smallest Baby Goes Home

Currents News Staff

The world’s smallest baby was born in Tokyo and weighed just over half a pound at birth. He now has left Tokyo’s Keio University hospital and is headed home.

At birth the baby boy weighed only 268 grams, that’s a little bit over half a pound.

After five months of nutrition management, the baby’s weight is now up seven pounds-two ounces, becoming the world’s smallest baby boy to be sent home healthy.

Before that the record was held by a male infant in Germany who weighed 274 grams at his birth in 2009.

Currents News for Wednesday, February 27, 2019

On the newscast: Mourning the sudden passing of Caroline Latham, the beloved principal of Saint Joseph High School; President Trump’s ex-lawyer Michael Cohen goes public with allegations against his former client; A Brooklyn bishop is leading the humanitarian effort to help those affected by the crisis in Venezuela; Why convicted Cardinal George Pell has been taken away to jail.

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