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New Chapel in Astoria, Queens Honors Modern Saints Including St. Carlo Acutis

By Currents News and Alexandra Moyen

ASTORIA — There’s a new sacred space inside Immaculate Conception Church where parishioners can find inspiration — a chapel dedicated to saints of the 20th and 21st centuries.  

Immaculate Conception’s pastor, Msgr. Fernando Ferrarese, said the chapel is meant to be a call to sanctity in our modern world and to show, especially to young adults, that they too can become a saint.  

“That’s why there is this sign here, ‘You’re turn now,’ ” Msgr. Ferrarese said as he pointed to the words at the chapel’s exit. “This is more than lighting a candle to the memory of saints; it’s learning their lives and putting what you’ve learned into effect.  

“We are hoping that everybody strives to be a saint.” 

Another sign placed near a statue of Mother Teresa of Calcutta reads, “The only real tragedy in life is not to become a Saint.” 

“This quote has always been really important to me because we all want to be in heaven with the Lord, so sanctity is very important,” Msgr. Ferrarese said.  

On Sept. 1, Immaculate Conception unveiled its “Chapel of Today’s Saints,” a sanctuary dedicated to influential holy men and women of the 20th and 21st centuries.  

For those who may never get to walk the streets of Assisi or visit the Vatican, this chapel serves as a local pilgrimage site. 

Among some of the featured saints are St. Teresa of Calcutta, patron saint of World Youth Day; St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, patron saint of immigrants; Pope St. John Paul II, patron of youth, families, and his native country Poland; St. Faustina Kowalska, patron saint of Divine Mercy; Blessed Michael J. McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus; St. Gianna Beretta Molla, patron saint of mothers, physicians and unborn children, newly canonized St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, patron of young adults; and of course, St. Carlo Acutis, the Church’s first digital-age saint who used the internet to promote devotion to the Eucharist. 

RELATED: Local Pilgrims Gather in Diocese of Brooklyn to Pray Before Relics of St. Carlo Acutis

Although Blessed Father McGivney has not yet been canonized, the statue was placed in the chapel at the request of the Knights of Columbus, who remain hopeful in his eventual sainthood. 

As Msgr. Ferrarese gazed upon the statue of St. Carlo Acutis, he reflected on how excited the students of Immaculate Conception Catholic Academy are to have a saint they can relate to. 

“We have these wonderful saints, but they are dressed in their habits and cassocks, and the kids can’t relate to that. But Carlos there, with a backpack, rosary, and a cellphone — you can relate to that,” he said. “The idea of this chapel is to show kids and everybody that you don’t have to be a certain mold to be a saint. You use their example.” 

Msgr. Ferrarese said he will formally bless the chapel on All Saints’ Day on Nov. 1, but the chapel’s blessings have already multiplied with the number of visitors it has received thus far.  

“We can’t have a big crowd in here, so I plan to do it in between Masses and invite people who are here to come to the blessing,” he said. “I also plan to bring classes here one at a time and talk to them about the saints and give them examples, especially Carlo.” 

Parishioner Keila Bisono called the new chapel “stunning,” adding that she was excited to have the new addition in her parish.  

“We review and follow the saints,” she said. “My daughter is named after St. Gianna, which is one of the saints that’s there. So, it’s meaningful for us to see she has her saint there, where we can pray for her intercession.” 

Young Adults Envision St. Carlo Acutis and St. Pier Giorgio Frassati Drawing Their Community to Church

GREENPOINT — When nervous about her final exams at St. John’s University this past spring, Grace Lugo sought a little heavenly help by praying for the intercession of then-Blessed Carlo Acutis.  

Her devotion to him will grow even stronger now that he has been canonized, she said. 

“Now that the day has come and he’s canonized, it just feels like a big celebration,” Lugo said. “Maybe I never met him before, but he is my friend. I have a friend who’s now an official saint.”  

On Sept. 7 — the day St. Carlo Acutis and another man, St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, were canonized — Lugo was at San Damiano Mission Church in Greenpoint attending a Mass organized by the Diocese of Brooklyn for young people to celebrate the two new saints. 

At San Damiano Mission, a parish the diocese established in 2015 to serve young adults in the Greenpoint/Williamsburg area, there is great hope that the two new saints will bring more young people into the Catholic Church. 

In particular, St. Carlo (1991-2006) can attract members of Gen Z because he was a tech-savvy teen, Lugo said. Shortly before he died in 2006, he launched The Eucharistic Miracles of the World, a website that drew a lot of attention. 

RELATED: Diocesan Youth Find Inspiration in Blesseds Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati

“One thing about Carlo Acutis is that he is almost like this influencer for God before we even had social media,” she explained. “And also there’s really a lot of young people who are growing in the faith. A lot of it is because of social media.  

“He’s kind of our patron.”  

St. Carlo’s age and the fact that he lived in the 21st Century is also an important calling card because it makes it easier for young people to relate, Lugo said.  

“Wait a minute. I thought saints were from the medieval period, from the Renaissance period. This guy who was 15 years old? He’s a great example that sainthood is possible at our age,” she said.  

Barbara Freitas, apostolic coordinator for San Damiano Mission Church, said the fact that St. Carlo and St. Frassati (1901-1925) lived normal lives can serve as an inspiration. St. Carlo, for example, loved soccer. And St. Frassati, who worked with the poor in Turin, Italy, was a man who smoked cigars and enjoyed having a good time with friends. 

“They are testimonies for us that we can like things in the world, like sports, and we can be normal people. And being normal people, we can make the most of that,” Freitas said. “We can let God’s grace dwell in that and help us be creative on our evangelization.  

“I really have a lot of hope.”  

RELATED: For Brooklyn Teen, Carlo Acutis’ Sainthood Is Personal

Father James Kuroly, director of youth and young adult ministry for the Diocese of Brooklyn, who celebrated the Mass, said the two saints are already having an impact.  

“We’ve already seen it. I think that we see among the youth in our diocese that they are alive and vibrant for the faith, and very much the saints that come to mind of inspiring these young people are the two saints that were canonized this morning,” he said.  

While much of the attention surrounding the canonization has focused on St. Carlo, Mike Delouis brought a relic of St. Frassati to the Mass.  

“I’ve heard stories about him opening his door and if there was someone begging at the door, he would give them his shoes. That was something that really touched me and inspired me,” Delouis said. 

St. Edmund Church in Breezy Point Races to Rebuild After Fire

By Katie Vasquez

Green gates surround St. Edmund Church in Breezy Point, after flames tore through the Queens church the day before Easter Sunday. 

Its pastor, Father Michael Gelfant, was preparing his homily for the evening when he heard fire trucks.  

“I got in my car, raced down here, and, you know, no sooner that you get a few blocks away, you just see the smoke going across the street. and it was pretty bad at that point,” he said. 

Longtime parishioner Joseph Izzo lives across the street from the church and says the loss was heartbreaking.

“Everybody was looking forward to the Saturday evening and the Sunday Mass, of course, to follow. So it was a very, very sad day and obviously, one that touched the heart of the community deeply,” Izzo said.

The parish has been hard at work to rebuild. New beams and a roof were put on to protect it from the elements, but there’s still a lot of work ahead on the inside. 

“They’ve never seen a church construction project go as fast as we are moving, because I’m a very impatient person and so we are going so fast,” said Father Gelfant. “You see the outside come together and you say, ‘great, the building has been fixed.’ There is nothing left to the inside of the building, to the school. There’s nothing: electric wires, switches, outlets, heating, air conditioning, light fixtures, flooring, walls.”

The project is partially covered by insurance but it comes with a high price tag. 

“The total loss we have is about $3.3 million. We’ve already spent almost a million,” said Father Gelfant. 

Izzo is looking forward to returning to the pews as it’s left a deep hole for parishioners. 

“The church is the heart of the community, the place where we gather. So it’s tough.”

While it won’t be exactly the same, the church is trying to maintain the same character it’s had for nearly a century. 

“It’s going to look like a beach church,” said Father Gelfant. “There will be elements and a few changes to the interior that I think will enhance our worship. But other than that, it’s pretty much going to be the same footprint.” 

Starting Monday, crews will be working a full week to get the church back to its glory. 

Those who would like to help can head to the Blessed Trinity Parish website and navigate to the icon that says, “Donate to Rebuild St. Edmund Church.”

Catholic News Headlines for Friday 9/5/2025

A church in Breezy Point, Queens is undergoing reconstruction following a fire that tore through the church right before Easter Sunday – we have an update on the progress.
Pope Leo XIV held his first private meeting with the president of Israel to discuss peace and stability in the region.
Blessed Carlo Acutis will be canonized a saint in St. Peter’s Square on Sept. 7 and in Assisi, Italy, the church that houses his remains has become a popular pilgrimage site.

TONIGHT AT 7: Queens Church Marks Progress on Rebuilding Post- Fire

By Katie Vasquez

St. Edmund’s in Breezy Point, Queens is undergoing reconstruction following a fire that tore through the church right before Easter.

The project aims to recreate some aspects of the spiritual home parishioners have known for nearly a century, and bring some changes.

Catholic News Headlines for Thursday 9/4/2025

New York City students will now be banned from using any devices other than school-issued technology while on school grounds, but it’s a policy that’s already in place in many Diocese of Brooklyn schools.

One Diocese of Brooklyn employee is headed to Rome to witness Church history: he’ll see the canonization of the first millennial saint, Blessed Carlo Acutis.

A statue of Knights of Columbus founder Blessed Michael McGivney has made its way to New York, where it will inspire the seminarians during their studies.

Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Brooklyn Embrace New York State Cell Phone Ban

By Katie Vasquez and Paula Katinas

PARK SLOPE — While Gov. Kathy Hochul is advocating a ban on cell phones in public schools, such a move would be nothing new in the Diocese of Brooklyn, where many Catholic schools already forbid students from using the devices.

“We don’t let our students use cell phones at all,” said Carol Timpone, principal of St. Saviour High School in Park Slope. “[They are] not to be seen or used until they are outside of the building.”

St. Saviour requires students to store cell phones in their lockers at the start of the school day — no exceptions — and if a student is caught with one, it is taken away and given to the dean of discipline, she explained. In addition, the student is given detention.

Timpone’s strict policy, which has been in place for more than a decade, is similar to that of other principals.

At Cristo Rey Brooklyn High School in Flatbush, Principal Deanna Philippe gives students a chance to tuck the cell phone away and face no punishment, but only if it’s a first infraction. If it happens a second time, the phone is taken, and the student’s parent or guardian must come to school to retrieve it.

Students usually learn their lesson once mom or dad has to show up at the school, Philippe said. “Once a parent’s been disrupted to come and get it, students are better about putting it in their locker and making sure that we don’t see it from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.,” she added.

Hochul announced her proposal earlier this year, calling for $13.5 million to be allocated in the state budget to assist schools in implementing bans.

The ban is important, Hochul said in a statement, because cell phones are a hindrance to learning. “From parents and teachers to social justice and law enforcement leaders, New Yorkers agree that our young people succeed when they’re learning and growing, not clicking and scrolling,” she stated.

“Kids shouldn’t have these devices during the school day,” said Chris Scharbach, principal of St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy in Belle Harbor. “They spend hours on their cell phones when they’re not in school. It’s good to have school be a cell phone-free zone.”

The policy at St. Francis de Sales is to give students a choice between two options when they enter the building — 1) place the cell phone in a secure bin or 2) keep it but turn it off and store it in their bookbag or backpack.

“They’re a distraction,” Timpone said. “If you’re scrolling through Facebook or Instagram, you’re not concentrating on what the teacher is saying.”

Not only that, but cell phones provide opportunities to cheat on exams because with internet access, a student can research the topic, she explained.

According to a 2024 survey by the Pew Research Center, 72% of high school teachers in the U.S. said that students being distracted by cell phones in class is a major problem, with 33% of middle school teachers saying the same.

Julie Scelfo, founder and executive director of the group Mothers Against Media Addiction (MAMA), who supports a statewide cell phone ban in schools, said the phones should be prohibited because the devices harm kids.

“Smartphones distract kids and make it harder for them to focus and learn and also displace critical real-life experiences and interactions that are essential for healthy development,” she noted.

There has been surprisingly little pushback on the ban from parents, according to Philippe, who noted that it has been in effect for two years.

She chuckled when describing how students sometimes unconsciously turn themselves in.

“A student will come to the office saying, ‘My mom wants me to call her.’ And we’ll ask how they knew that,” she explained. “The student then has to admit that their mom texted them and that they saw the text because they were on their phone.”

 

TONIGHT AT 7: New York Schools Institute State-Wide Cellphone Ban

By Katie Vasquez

From kindergarten through 12th grade, New York City students will now be banned from using any devices other than school-issued technology while on school grounds.

But the new state-wide policy is already in place in many Diocese of Brooklyn schools.

Catholic School Students in the Diocese of Brooklyn Return to Class With Extra Security Measures in Place

By Katie Vasquez

This year Catholic school students returned to the classroom eager to share their summer adventures and ready to learn at St. Gregory the Great Catholic Academy in Bellerose, Queens. 

Then it was off to their opening Mass, but with extra security precautions in place after a Mass shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic school.

The school requested NYPD officers outside while the children prayed. 

“It’s very hard to stand and ensure safety when honestly, anything can happen,” the school’s principal, Joseph Paniccia, told Currents News.  “Which [this] is why we set up police, which is why there’s constant phone calls, which is why we have emergency plans.” 

7th grader, Olivia Pena, admits she was a little hesitant to return to school. 

“I was a little bit nervous because I didn’t know what could happen, like anything could happen,” she said.

But her mother, Joann Duran-Pena, was relieved that the Queens school took precautions. 

“That says a lot about how seriously these situations are taken and that it raises the awareness of our children that there are safety parameters being put in place,” she told Currents News.

Auxiliary Bishop Raymond Chappetto, who celebrated the Mass hoped to ease any fears that the children might have. 

“There’s no better place to be than in God’s house to ask God’s blessing,” he explained. “And God will bless us and keep us safe, keep us on the path to holiness.”

Meanwhile, the students  offered prayers for those in Minnesota that are still grieving.

“I thought that you should always pray for people that are in need,”  4th grader Lucas Caruana told Currents News.

 “That was nice because we prayed for the people that got hurt and we thanked God. So I liked that,” added 4th grader Clover Trotman.