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Catholic News Headlines for Monday 6/10/2024

The canonization of the first millennial saint could happen this summer. Blessed Carlo Acutis is being considered for the momentous title, and ahead of that milestone, St. Joseph Catholic Academy in Astoria students took a saintly field trip to learn more about him.

Among those eagerly anticipating the canonization is Antonia Salzano, the mother of Carlo Acutis. In an intimate interview with Currents News, she shared her memories of raising Carlo, from the snowball fights to the superhero costumes and birthday celebrations. To her, he was just an ordinary child, now on the path to sainthood.

Pilgrims on the Seton Route are making their way through Pennsylvania. They’ll visit churches there for the next few days before moving on to West Virginia and Ohio and then crossing into Indiana, where the National Eucharistic Congress is being held.

The sisters from the “Daughters of Mary, Mother of Healing Love” order in New Hampshire are participating in the 65-day pilgrimage. They’ve been very active on social media, keeping people updated on their whereabouts.

This Was How The Vatican Prayed For Peace in the Holy Land

Pope Francis presided over a ceremony to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the prayer for peace in the Holy Land. It was on June 8, 2014 when the presidents of Israel and Palestine traveled to the Vatican.

A decade later, the prayer ceremony took place in the same place in the Vatican Gardens where the leaders planted olive trees. Representatives of the Muslim and Jewish communities were present at the event as well as ambassadors and some 20 cardinals.

Seniors in Williamsburg Show Off Their Skills in Annual Art Show

Works of art that could rival any gallery are on display at the Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens Northside Older Adult Center.

It’s part of their annual art show where seniors get to show off their skills.

Music was performed for the small crowd that came to view the work of the 15 artists.

Each of the 70 works was unique, reflecting the artists’ experiences from landscapes to self-portraits and abstract pieces.

Many say it’s a soothing experience to put their ideas to canvas.

Although the 70 pieces of work might look professional, several artists just picked up the hobby within the last year.

The show will run until September 7th.

People can pop in throughout the week between 8 AM and 4 PM.

Select works will be up for sale as well.

Xaverian High School Valedictorian Harmonizes Music and Academics

By Jessica Easthope

Christopher LeDoux has played on stages around the world with the most talented musicians in elite youth orchestras, but this might be the last note he ever plays on the stage where he feels most at home: Xaverian High School’s auditorium.

“Balancing music and academics has taught me invaluable life lessons. Going to weekly rehearsals is a seven-hour endeavor every weekend, and with assignments and tests throughout the four years, time management is imperative,” LeDoux said.

This summer, the Class of 2024’s valedictorian is going on tour in Latin America with Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Orchestra and to Greece as a member of the Grammy-winning New York Youth Symphony.

“I always like to play up, and I think that playing with older musicians helped me have a more comprehensive view of music in general and life lessons such as musicianship and punctuality,” LeDoux said.

He has earned many opportunities to share his gift. He has a natural ability but has never allowed himself to get too comfortable.

“I think complacency is mediocrity,” LeDoux said. “Striving for excellence and seeing others around me perform at high levels definitely inspires me.”

Joseph Loposky, Xaverian’s Director of Music, has known LeDoux since he was 10 years old—first as a private music teacher, and today as a mentor and friend. He knows exactly how to challenge a student who has already achieved so much.

“I tried to show him the way that he’d be the best person he could be, based on what I went through,” Loposky said “Also as a trumpet player, as a young trumpet player, and coming through and doing what I did professionally before I came to Xaverian.”

LeDoux is hoping to use his fingers in his future career not in a music theater but an operating theater. He has been accepted into Hofstra University’s 4+4 Program that fast tracks him into medical school right after college.

“I like neurosurgery and cardiothoracic surgery,” LeDoux said. “They’re very competitive and ambitious fields. So we’ll see where life takes me. The goal is to have classical music in the O.R. while I’m operating. That would be ideal,” he said.

LeDoux wants to leave the world a better place, and he’s already done that at Xaverian.

“Xaverian is a very service-oriented school,” LeDoux said. “I’ve had a plethora of opportunities to exercise my faith, practice my faith, and share it with others. There should be some sort of foundation, a moral compass that should guide you. For me, that’s Catholicism. That’s my faith,” LeDoux said.

High-level academics, high-level performing arts, his Catholic identity—Xaverian wants more Chris LeDouxs in the future.

St. Adalbert Parishioner Turns Hobby into Fundraiser for Children

By Katie Vasquez

With just a crochet needle and some yarn, Zofia Ucinek creates whimsical items like a bear or peas in a pod.

The 16-year-old picked up the hobby two years ago; it wasn’t like she had free time since she is a swimmer and tennis player on top of schoolwork.

“I come home, sit down, do my homework, and then crochet until like one in the morning,” said Ucinek, a parishioner at St Adalbert Church.

During lent, she decided to use her skills for good. She made dozens of bunnies and baby chicks to sell after the Polish mass at St Adalbert church.

“Even before the mass finished, when people saw us leaving there, they were starting to follow us. They were already starting to follow us, asking, you know, like purchasing everything. And then once the mass finished and everybody was starting to leave, people were like asking, oh my gosh, do you have more? Do you have this one?” said Ucinek.

In just two Sundays, Zofia raised 800 dollars. As a sign of gratitude, she gave 200 to the Elmhurst church and 600 to St Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. A facility that treats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

“My first thought was, I want to give to children. I want to give to children in hospitals, you know, who can’t like going to parks with their friends,” said Ucinek.

Zofia’s strong catholic faith motivates her to show kindness to others, and she’s proud of the help she can provide young people.

“I felt amazing. It’s like being unable even to describe what I’m feeling because it felt so good. I love helping people.”

The Queen’s student plans to spend her summer stitching more items to raise money for St Jude around Christmas.

If you want to learn more about Zofia’s crocheted creations, call St. Adalbert church at 718-639-0212.

Catholic News Headlines for Friday 6/7/2024

As the school year comes to an end, we’ll introduce you to the valedictorian at Xaverian High School. Christopher Ledoux doesn’t just excel academically; he’s also a Grammy Award-winning musician as a member of the New York Youth Symphony.

A young parishioner in Queens is giving back one stitch at a time. During Lent, Zofia Ucinek decided to turn a hobby into a fundraiser to help children with cancer.

Some Brooklyn students took their classroom outside this week. The kids at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Academy in Sunset Park had a field trip to the zoo. They got up close and personal with sea lions, peacocks, and turtles.

Pope Francis made a surprise visit to some families on the outskirts of Rome. The Holy Father had conversations with them, talking about the importance of creating a community and the need to take care of children and the elderly.

80 Years Since D-Day Invasion, Son of Coast Guard Gunner Preserves History

By Jessica Easthope

Frank DeVita wore this jacket with pride, nearly every day for the last 10 years of his life.

His medals and patches tell a story of bravery, but DeVita had a different recollection of June 6th, 1944.

“Everybody in that generation was called heroes, and he would say, ‘I’m not a hero,’ not to be humble or anything, but he would say, ‘I’m not a hero. The people who are heroes are the people that are buried there still.’ He continually vocalized that.”

DeVita passed away in 2022 at age 96. This treasure trove of history, albums, documents, and even Frank’s uniforms will soon be displayed in the National Coast Guard Museum in Connecticut. But for now, it lives at home with his youngest son, Richard, in Hoboken.

D-Day – the largest sea invasion in history. DeVita, a 19-year-old from Bensonhurst, was a Coast Guard gunner on the U.S.S. Samuel Chase. He was in charge of dropping the ramp on a Higgins boat carrying soldiers from the Army’s 1st Infantry Division during the first attack wave on Omaha Beach, exposing them to German machine gun bullets.

In a 2020 interview with the American Veterans Center, DeVita was still haunted by his memories of the sea, dyed red with blood.

“And the guy that was two feet away from me, the machine gun took his helmet off and part of his brain, and he was crying, ‘Help me, help me, help me!’ I had no morphine. I couldn’t help. The only thing I had was the Lord’s Prayer. And he died. He was just a little boy.”

Plagued with survivor’s guilt for decades, DeVita went on to live a happy life. He married his childhood friend Dottie Guardino at St. Finbar Church in Bath Beach, raised three children, and provided for his family as a pattern maker in New York’s fashion industry before becoming a Knight of Columbus.

“I said to myself, ‘What the hell just happened? And how come I’m still alive? How come I’m still alive?'”

But no amount of happy memories could replace what took up room in his subconscious.

“You wouldn’t notice it day to day. I noticed it more when he was sleeping. He talked in his sleep, he tossed and turned, and he moaned a lot in his sleep. I think that’s how his PTSD or subconscious tried to deal with it.”

Pilgrim Check-In: National Eucharistic Pilgrimage in Maryland, Headed To Indianapolis

Pilgrims have been walking for almost three weeks now on their way to Indianapolis for the first National Eucharistic Congress in 83 years.

Among those pilgrims is Zoe Dongas.

She works in the Office of Young Adult Outreach in the Archdiocese of New York and is walking the entire way.

We checked in with her today along the route at the National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton in Maryland.

The pilgrimage is making its way through Maryland, D.C., Pennsylvania, and Ohio, and will eventually end up in Indianapolis for the National Congress.

There are four routes bringing pilgrims from four corners of the country to the Congress.

In all, they are traveling 6,500 miles, and passing through 65 dioceses in the 60 days leading to the Indianapolis event, which runs for five days beginning on July 17th.

Stay with Currents News for updates about the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage and Congress.

If you want to read more about the event, just go to EUCHARISTICREVIVAL.ORG.

Biden, Macron Honor D-Day’s 80th Anniversary in Normandy, Emphasize Global Democracy and Ukraine Support

French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife greeted the Bidens as they arrived for the 80th anniversary of D-Day.

Leaders from around the world traveled to Normandy.

They joined a dwindling number of veterans from D-Day, most are now in their late 90s, and some are centenarians.

There were several stirring moments throughout the day.

The president and first lady laid a wreath at the cemetery and the F-35 flyover, as Presidents Biden and Macron watched with emotion.

President Macron bestowed France’s highest honor, the Legion of Honor medals, to 11 D-Day vets who he said risked everything to help France in its fight for freedom during World War Two.

President Biden, addressing the crowd, said democracy around the globe is again at risk, adding the Allied forces did their duty on D-Day.

President Biden also spoke about what’s happening in Ukraine, saying we will not walk away from Ukraine’s defense and to surrender to bullies or bow down to dictators is simply unthinkable.