Bishop Robert Brennan is marking the beginning of the Lenten season on Ash Wednesday and preparing parishioners for a local pilgrimage throughout the Diocese of Brooklyn.
Following Pope Francis’ continued prayers for peace in the world, Catholics are coming together to call for an end to the use of nuclear weapons.
As the 2025 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage draws near, Currents News introduces you to the eight pilgrims who – out of hundreds – have been chosen to participate in the journey.
By Katie Vasquez
The pews at Church of Our Saviour in Manhattan were filled with people advocating for the same cause: an end to the use of nuclear weapons.
Their prayers hoping to guide world leaders who are at the United Nations the week of March 3 to discuss a new treaty that would prohibit them..
Archbishop John Wester of the Diocese of Santa Fe, New Mexico celebrated the Tuesday evening Mass on March 4. He is one of the leading voices in the nation calling for the abolition of these weapons. Archbishop Wester discussed the dangers and morality of these devices, along with how the church is engaging with the meetings at the United Nations this week.
This will be the third gathering of states parties on the treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons. World leaders will discuss how to eliminate the weapons, provide victim assistance and environmental remediation.
So far 94 states have signed the treaty and 73 have ratified or acceded it. Several Catholic groups including the Dorothy Day Guild, Pax Christi New York, and the New York Catholic Worker helped to organize this Mass to coincide with the discussions.
Members say hearing the guidance of Archbishop Wester brings motivation to their work.
“I think Archbishop Wester is drawing our attention to both levels, both the high, high level work at the Church and diplomatic work, but also the importance of the local level in organizing Catholics to see the dangers of these types of weapons,” said Kevin Ahern, the director of the Dorothy Day Center.
“He’s really articulated how the Church has evolved from accepting deterrence to releasing nuclear weapons are immoral and how we can shift away from that,” explained Claire Schaeffer-Duffy, a member of the Catholic Worker movement.
“I would think that Catholics can work hard by educating. All of us need to educate ourselves on the issue,” said Archbishop Wester. “We really are in this false sense of security right now, in my opinion. Our young people, really, don’t remember the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, and they don’t have any real memory of the first arms race at all. And so it’s important for us to especially to educate our youth, but also educate all of us on the dangers of nuclear weapons,”
The Catholic groups there planned to hold other events throughout the week including a peaceful protest outside the United Nations on Wednesday, March 5.
They hope their voices will make a difference in ending the use of nuclear weapons.
By Currents News
A cross with ash from Palm Sunday palms is a sign of faith on the foreheads of Catholics around the Diocese of Brooklyn this Ash Wednesday.
Bishop Robert Brennan is marking the beginning of the Lenten season at the Cathedral Basilica of St. James in Brooklyn and preparing his people for the death and resurrection of Christ.
Across the Diocese of Brooklyn Catholics are preparing for Easter and getting ready to begin a Lenten pilgrimage.
NET-TV will be airing 4 Masses on Ash Wednesday – Currents News has the schedule.
The Vatican says Pope Francis’ prognosis remains reserved as faithful continue to pray for him outside of Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, in Washington D.C., and around the world.
Starting a new life in a new country and learning a new language isn’t easy, but Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens is helping newcomers ease into the transition.
The Vatican is continuing to monitor Pope Francis’ health, saying that on Monday the Holy Father had two episodes of acute respiratory failure.
Bishop Robert Brennan is sharing an important Gospel message with parishioners in the Diocese of Brooklyn as they prepare for the Lenten season.
The St. John’s University’s men’s basketball team has won its first Big East regular season title since 1985, and the school’s athletics chaplain is sharing his courtside view of the big moment with Currents News.
By Katie Vasquez
The lesson for the March 3, 2025, English as a Second Language class Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Corona, Queens is “days of the week,” where students are learning basic phrases and a new language from scratch.
“I need talking, the English, very important,” Eva Mireles, a student in the class, tells Currents News.
The courses at the churchare offered by Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens free of charge thanks to federal and state funding, as well as private donations. Laura Dotterer, who is the project director for Queens, says they do so to give the new arrivals a chance at a better life.
“They’re here to first survive. They don’t have money to spend on going to private English, a second language school program,” she explains.
This class’s instructor, Charito Tubera, understands personally how the adults in these seats feel. In 1975 she came to the U.S. from the Philippines.
“I had no clue because I wasn’t given any orientation on what the weather is like, what the people looked like, the culture,” she recalls.
Charito says one of her biggest struggles back then was learning English.
“I was eager to learn because I’m in a foreign country where I have to relearn everything,” she says of how she became a fluent English speaker.
Now, she’s paying it forward, Charito has been teaching English as a second language for nearly 16 years and recently she joined with Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens in their efforts to help new arrivals,. She says combining her professional experience with her faith has brought new power to her calling.
“What’s most important is that I know that these people can actually receive something that they’ve never received before,” she says.
Our Lady of Sorrows offers the courses twice a week, Mondays and Thursdays, for adults 18 and older. Catholic Charities say the door is open for anyone to learn. All they have to do is apply online.
For more information on the English classes and the other services Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens has to offer, just go to ccbq.org
By Currents News
Father Emmanuel Conduah is the hospital chaplain at New York Presbyterian Hospital in Brooklyn, and he’s also a staunch advocate for women’s leadership.
Born and raised in Ghana, West Africa, Father Conduah was nurtured in a patriarchal society that profoundly influenced his early views on leadership.
However, through his extensive education and experiences, he has challenged these traditional beliefs and become interested in understanding women’s leadership, particularly in the context of Catholic education.
His advocacy led him to write a book on the topic. As we approach International Women’s Day on March 8, Father Conduah joins Currents News to discuss his book. “Untapped: Harnessing the Maximum Potential of Women in Leadership.”
You can purchase the book on Amazon.
By Currents News
Almost two dozen boys and girls joined the spiritual team at St. Joseph Church in Astoria, Queens: the parish installed 23 new altar servers on March 1.
The new altar servers are from the church’s religious education program and Catholic academy.
St Joseph’s pastor Father Vincent Chirichella and the parish’s parochial vicar Father Pedro Angucho blessed the altar servers’ white vestments and told the students how proud they are of them for putting their faith into action.
By Currents News
Basketball fans have been making a pilgrimage to Madison Square Garden recently to see the St. John’s University men’s basketball team play in New York City.
On Feb. 28 the sold out crowd at the world’s most famous arena witnessed the Johnnies beat Seton Hall University 71 to 6, clinching the Big East regular season title. It’s a first for the Red Storm since 1985.
Father Richard Rock – the team’s chaplain – spoke with Currents News about the moment the game ended.
“It was unbelievable, you know, with the confetti and everything coming down,” he recalled. “There was such an excitement after such a long period of time and they finally realized that it happened. There was so much joy going on. It was a great experience. They were so excited you couldn’t believe it!”
Father Rock went on to say he believes Lou Carnesecca, the legendary St. John’s basketball coach who passed away late last year, has been watching over the team.
Next up for St. John’s is a game against Marquette, then the Big East Tournament and the NCAA.
By Currents News
Catholics will soon celebrate Lent. As faithful prepare for the death and resurrection of Christ, Brooklyn Bishop Robert Brennan is reminding his flock of an important Gospel message.
Bishop Brennan, the Diocese of Brooklyn, and NET-TV are dedicated to bringing you closer to Christ this Lent.
One of the ways the faithful can do so is by watching all the live Lenten and Easter celebrations on NET-TV. They begin with this week’s Ash Wednesday services.
NET-TV will be airing 4 Masses that day:
Bishop Robert Brennan will be celebrating the Mass at the Cathedral-Basilica of St. James, and it is at that Mass that the Diocese of Brooklyn will embark on a Lenten Pilgrimage.
The pilgrimage is encouraging Catholics to visit 40 churches throughout Brooklyn and Queens during the 40 days leading up to Easter.
Pilgrims are also welcome to log their progress through the Lenten Pilgrimage app.
Even if you are not able to participate in person, you can still join the community online through the app to see all of the pilgrimage stops and even make prayer requests. To do so, download the Lenten Pilgrimage app from the Apple App Store or Google Play.
You can also get more information by visiting lent.dioceseofbrooklyn.org/
BISHOP ROBERT BRENNAN’S ASH WEDNESDAY PUBLIC SCHEDULE
Bishop Robert J. Brennan, Bishop of Brooklyn, will celebrate two Masses to mark Ash Wednesday, a day of fasting and prayer to start the Christian observance of the season of Lent, tomorrow Wednesday, March 5, 2025.
The first will begin at 8:30 a.m. at Christ the King High School, located at 68-02 Metropolitan Avenue, in the Middle Village section of Queens. Bishop Brennan will then celebrate Mass and distribute ashes at 12 p.m. at the Cathedral Basilica of St. James, located at 250 Cathedral Place in Downtown Brooklyn.
As is customary, the ashes used on Ash Wednesday are made by burning the blessed palms distributed the prior year on Palm Sunday. Lent ends with the celebration of the Sacred Triduum, the three holiest days on the Christian calendar: Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil. Easter Sunday will be celebrated this year on April 20.
Ash Wednesday also begins the 2025 Diocesan Lenten Pilgrimage in Brooklyn and Queens, where the faithful will have the opportunity to visit different churches over the next 40 days. Individual parishes will offer opportunities for Mass, prayer, and reflection during these visits. The complete schedule can be found online at https://lent.