World Youth Day Musician Performs at Queens Church

By Tim Harfmann

Ryan Tremblay is a talented musician and performed for parishioners at Saint Francis de Sales Church in Belle Harbor, Queens on Sunday, January 20th. His next stop is Panama, where Tremblay will sing for thousands of young pilgrims attending World Youth Day. “I go there on a mission. I go there to inspire; and I go there in hope that through my performance, others can draw closer to the Lord and the Church,” said Tremblay.

This will be the second time Tremblay performs at a World Youth Day. In 2016, he was in Wadowice, Poland — Saint Pope John Paul II’s hometown. Being selected for that celebration is something Tremblay will never forget. “There were over 400 applicants from 60 different countries, and we chose you.’ I was like, ‘wow, that’s amazing!”

Although Tremblay doesn’t expect to meet Pope Francis in Panama, he did encounter him five years ago when the pontiff blessed newlyweds at Saint Peter’s Square. “It was such an amazing experience because he’s such a humble man. He took his time, as I’m sure he’ll do this week at World Youth Day, with everyone he came in contact with. When he approached us, it was no different. He was present to us and only us in that moment; and then I, shamelessly, plugged my first album to him and gave it to him,” said Tremblay.

At Saint Frances de Sales, Tremblay’s performance encouraged the church’s youth group to sing and dance along. “It was really cool to have my friends there and to get involved in the faith in a fun way,” said Hagan Carlin, a member of the parish’s youth group. “You could definitely feel the spirit. They all seemed to be on fire. That was fun to watch,” said Kathleen Woods, the parish’s youth minister. “I thought it was marvelous, uplifting and so spiritual! He’s a wonderful guy and all the guys are great. I feel like I’m on cloud nine!” said Eileen O’Callaghan, a parishioner of the Belle Harbor church.

Tremblay will also perform for the Saint Francis de Sales Catholic Academy students when he returns from Panama on January 29th.

MLK Celebrated at Prayer Service

By Emily Drooby

Parishioners ‘let freedom ring’ while celebrating a special midday praise and prayer service for Dr. King, led by the Vicariate of Black Catholic Concerns in the Diocese of Brooklyn and Queens.

Father Alonzo Cox, who is the coordinator, said, “We commemorate who he is, we commemorate his message of equality, and peace, and social justice, as we strive every single day to be good and to be holy and to look at each other as brothers and sisters.”

The homily was given by a special guest, Father Peter Damien Harris, of Houston’s Holy Rosary Church, invited because of his passionate speeches. Father Damien Harris reminded parishioners about the importance of love and respect, he said, “As Christians, as brothers, as one in Christ; be energized by God’s indiscriminate love for one another. Instead of pointing blame at each other.”

Held at Our Lady of Lourdes In Queens Village on the anniversary of Dr. King’s birth, the vigil was full of music, prayer, and messages of unity.

Attendees said they did so to honor Dr. King, and to celebrate all he did for the world. Including Karrina Brown from Brooklyn, who said, “Without people like Martin Luther King, I wouldn’t the responsibility or the opportunity to reach my highest potential, so I’m grateful for people like Martin Luther King and the predecessors before me, that allows me to be the best me I can be.”

Teen in Native American Confrontation Speaks Out

By Currents News Staff

**Warning: the video contained in this report contains strong language. Viewer discretion is advised.

New video emerges in a story that has gone viral between Catholic school students and a Native American elder named Nathan Phillip.

Phillips found himself surrounded by students- one staring him down, the others chanting around him. Phillips says he was trying to create calm between two groups at odds.

“I realized I had put myself in a really dangerous situation,” Phillips says, “You know there’s like, here’s a group of people who were angry at somebody else and I put myself in front of that and all of sudden I’m the one who all that anger and all that wanting to have the freedom to just rip me apart.”

Video shows what happened long before Phillips shows up. Five black men who identify as Hebrew Israelites are preaching. They start taunting people of all colors: other black visitors, natives and a Catholic priest.

“That’s make America great again. A bunch of child molesting fa*****,” they yell.

This is the moment that group is aware of the students — some wearing Make America Great Again hats.

At first the Catholic students are there in small numbers. But more and more students begin to gather, watching with few weighing in. The small group of men continues taunting them. The students begin to react but do not approach the men. The black Israelites continue to condemn the kids.

“You worship blasphemy,” they say, “We’ve got angels that work for us.”

Then one of the students takes off his shirt and the group begins chanting. Two minutes later, you hear a drum beat: Phillips and another native drummer. He says it was an attempt to thwart potential violence. The kids dance to it and some begin chanting along with the native song.

But for those who think they were enjoying each other’s company, Phillips says that is not at all how it felt; especially because of the student standing before him.

Phillips says he felt “fear, not for myself, but fear for the next generations. Fear where this country’s going. Fear for those youths. Fear for their future, fear for their souls, their spirit, their — their what they’re gonna do to this country.”

Nick Sandmann, the student in the video, released a statement on the incident Sunday, saying Phillips confronted him and singled him out. He denied blocking or provoking Phillips and said his family has received death threats after the video surfaced online. Sandmann said he’s given his account to his local diocese and will cooperate with their investigation of the incident.

New York State’s Attorney General Talks to Students Ahead of Martin Luther King Day

By Currents News Staff

Letitia James broke barriers as the first woman of color to hold a statewide office in New York and as the first woman elected Attorney General in the Empire State.

She visited Christ the King High School in Middle Village, Queens ahead of Martin Luther King Day to inspire students to continue living their dreams.

March for Life: Full Currents News Coverage

By Emily Drooby

In 1985, Denise Shetty discovered she was pregnant. During this time, she was also taking medication for Graves Disease.

Shetty, said, “My endocrinologist, when he confirmed I was pregnant said, ‘well, you probably should terminate this pregnancy’…I was just blindly pro-life and I said no.”

Doctors told her she could die, but Shetty took a chance and gave birth to a healthy daughter.

Shetty, said, “She got married and she has three beautiful babies and so I have three beautiful grandchildren and if I had aborted her, this story never would have happened.”

Together, they attended the 46th annual March for Life. Her daughter, Erin Sweet said, “Just really grateful because even though stuff could have turned out really bad, she loved me enough to give me life.

They joined hundreds of thousands of pro-lifers gathered at the National Mall to fight for life.

Vice President Mike Pence told the crowd, “We’re the Pences and we’re Pro-Life.”

For the second year in a row, President Donald Trump addressed the crowd, “I will always defend the first amendment in our Declaration of Independence, the right for life.”

President Trump added, “Today, I signed a letter to congress to make clear that if they send any legislation to my desk that weakens the protection of human life, I will issue a veto.”

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issuing a statement following the President’s comments, that read, “We are deeply grateful for the President’s pro-life commitment, and for all the actions this administration has taken to protect unborn children and their mothers from the violence of abortion. We look forward to working with Congress and the Administration to advance policies that value human life and dignity from conception to natural death.”

The march buzzing with pro-life activists from all over the country, all with one goal in mind.

March for Life participant, Anthony Venditti, said, “You just have to stand up for what’s right and I believe it’s right.”

This year’s march theme, unique from day one, the idea that pro-life is pro-science, that life begins at fertilization.

Julia Wierzbicki, said, “We are all studying some sort of science or STEM and it’s so important to know that they’re not two separate things, they’re one in the same and it’s so important to know that science actually backs up what we believe in, that pro-life is pro fetus and pro child.”

The march, marks the anniversary of both Roe V Wade and Doe V Bolton, Supreme Court decisions that legalized abortion throughout a woman’s pregnancy.

March for Life participant, Bridget Howard, said, “Abortion is just such a horrible, horrible thing. Women deserve so much better, children deserve better.”

Marchers walked across the National Mall, stopping in front of the Supreme Court, a nod to Roe V Wade.

Mary Buck and her children, including her newborn son Jacob, are in Washington D.C. for the March For Life. Back in 2014 Mary buck’s daughter grace, was born with Trisomy 18. That’s a genetic condition that is usually fatal.

“I carried my daughter Grace through the pregnancy and she was with us for 46 days and then she passed away and she was very much a blessing to our family,” said Buck.

Discovery of the disease can sometimes lead to an abortion – buck says she was grateful for the time she was able to spend with her daughter.

“We really just let God and our daughter Grace lead the way,” she said.

Buck and her children are some of the ten thousand people, 500 seminarians, 50 deacons, 250 priests, and 39 bishops who attended the opening Mass for the National Prayer Vigil For Life at the Basilica Of The National Shrine Of The Immaculate Conception

“It’s like heaven on earth, seeing everyone here together, especially the amount of youth that are here, is very hopeful,” said Debra Carey Westerly from Rhode Island.

Archbishop Joseph Naumann, the Chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, was the celebrant for the vigil’s opening Mass. During his homily and an interview, he discussed what conservative Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court could mean for Roe V Wade, which legalized abortion throughout a woman’s pregnancy.

“Certainly with the reconfiguration of the court there is some hope that might happen. But I think even if that were to happen we have to be prepared to fight battles in every state across the country,” he said.

Pilgrims listened intently to Archbishop Naumann, and for so many, the vigil prepares them for not only for Friday’s march, but also their continued fight for life.

“There’s so many young people, religious sisters, the priests, the deacons, the seminarians, the bishops the cardinals, it just brings so much hope it’s kinda a shot in the arm to keep on keeping on, what we are doing,” said Colleen from Donohoe Boston.

2019 March For Life – Hundreds Of Thousands March To End Abortion

By Emily Drooby

In 1985, Denise Shetty found out she was pregnant when she was also taking medication for Graves Disease.

“My endocrinologist, when he confirmed I was pregnant said, well, you probably should terminate this pregnancy. I was just blindly pro-life and I said no,” she said.

Doctors told her show could die, but Shetty took a chance and gave birth to a healthy daughter

“She got married and she has three beautiful babies and so I have three beautiful grandchildren and if I had aborted her, this story never would have happened,” she said.

Together they attended the 46th annual March For Life.

“Just really grateful because even though stuff could have turned out really bad, she loved me enough to give me life,” said Erin Sweet.

They are joining hundreds of thousands of pro-lifers gathered at the National Mall to fight for life.

Vice President Mike Pence spoke before the crowd, saying “we’re the Pences and we’re pro-life.”

And for the second year in a row, President Donald Trump.

“I will always defend the first amendment in our Declaration of Independence, the right for life. Today I signed a letter to congress to make clear that if they send any legislation to my desk that weakens the protection of human life, I will issue a veto,” said Trump.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issuing a statement following the President’s comments. Writing…

“We are deeply grateful for the President’s pro-life commitment, and for all the actions this administration has taken to protect unborn children and their mothers from the violence of abortion. We look forward to working with Congress and the Administration to advance policies that value human life and dignity from conception to natural death.”

The march was buzzing with pro-life activists from all over the country all with one goal in mind.

“You just have to stand up for what’s right and I believe it’s right,” said Anthony Venditti.

This year’s march theme, ‘Unique From Day One’, is the idea that pro-life is pro-science and that life begins at fertilization.

“We are all studying some sort of science or STEM and it’s so important to know that they’re not two separate things, they’re one in the same and it’s so important to know that science actually backs up what we believe in, that pro-life is pro fetus and pro child,” said Anthony Venditti.

The march, marks the anniversary of Supreme Court decisions in both Roe V Wade and Doe V Bolton. Both legalized abortion throughout a woman’s pregnancy.

“Abortion is just such a horrible, horrible thing. Women deserve so much better, children deserve better,” said Bridget Howard.

2019 March For Life – Analysis

Currents News Staff

National Correspondent for The Tablet and Crux, Christopher White, joins Currents News from Washington, D.C. to talk about the political implications of this year’s March, and it’s impact on the Church.

Currents News for Friday, January 18, 2019

On the newscast: Team coverage of the March for Life; A priest from New Jersey is under arrest for counts of abuse that date back to the 1990s; Winter is coming – parts of the country are expected to reach dangerously low temperatures; An AirBnB guest makes a startling discovery in a room he rented.

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)

Massive Winter Storm Causing Traveling Headaches This Weekend

Currents News Staff

Frigid temperatures, heavy snow and dangerously strong winds are all part of a series of storms will bring hazardous winter weather to huge portions of the country this weekend.

“So just about everybody is going to see some kind of winter weather or heavy rain event over the next 24 to 48 hours,” said Meteorologist Bob Van Dillen.

Nearly 100 million people are under some form of winter storm watch, warning or advisory.

The midwest and the plains are already getting snow. Residents who spent the week digging out after last week’s snow storm are preparing for more.

“I know it will feel a lot easier to push it with a snow blower and not a shovel. It was pretty tiring last weekend,” said one resident.

The storm is expected to blast quickly through the northeast over the weekend bringing a wintry mix of snow and freezing rain.

“Icing. That’s going to be the concern from Northern New Jersey through Pennsylvania, right through Hartford maybe into Springfield Missouri. That could be a big power outage maker as well,” said Van Dillen.

The timing is still uncertain but forecasters believe it will move into New York and Boston Saturday night into Sunday.

Hundreds of flights are already canceled and many airlines are already issuing waivers for travelers in the midwest and north.

Vatican Launches New Guide For Ending Human Trafficking

Currents News Staff

The Vatican has published a guide with proposals to end human trafficking. It is to combat prostitution, slave labor and trafficking of both emigrants and organs.

One of the authors of the document explains that the first key is to raise awareness about the diffusion of the problem.

“When you realize that what you thought of as a foreign problem happening in a country faraway, that you can’t understand, when you realize that this is happening here and now, then you change your attitude,” said Fr. Michael Czerny S.J.

The Vatican document proposes facing the cultural root of the problem, such as individualism and consumption. Thus, it’s important to not only act against those who traffic people, but also against the customers who buy them.

Other measures are to facilitate public complaints, to collaborate between institutions or create social conditions so no one is forced to leave their homeland.

“It should be read as proposals for policy. It’s up to citizens to make it clear to the States that this is something that is going on within our borders, within the state. These are things happening within our borders, and the first entity that is responsible for the human rights and the security of all persons within the territory is the State. So, I think the state will have to draw its conclusions,” he said.

The Vatican department has also published a compilation of the pope’s interventions on human trafficking. The text is also a database published on its website in five languages.