National Pilgrimage Comes to NYC, Blessed Sacrament Travels Through Diocese of Brooklyn

By Jessica Easthope

Zoe Dongas’ feet are tired, but her soul is energized. Christ is the song in her heart.

“My gift that I’ve been able to receive is getting to share music during this pilgrimage,” Dongas said. “It’s been such a blessing to be able to give glory to God in that way. Honestly, I think it’s the Holy Spirit because there should be no way that I’m still able to make noise, but we’ve been able to sing basically the entire day. God is good, and God is providing, even when we’re tired.”

Her voice is evangelizing along the way—she’s been walking for days in the name of the Eucharist as a perpetual pilgrim headed to the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis. The Bread of Life passed through her hometown, New York City, on Sunday, May 26.

“It has been so wild,” Dongas said. “We’ve experienced so many different communities. Getting to walk through the Archdiocese of New York and now the Diocese of Brooklyn is just such a gift since this is my home.”

The day started with Mass and Benediction at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, with Cardinal Timothy Dolan thanking the pilgrims for their dedication.

“No wonder this Archdiocese is thrilled as we welcome the pilgrims accompanying the Most Holy Eucharist on the national journey to the heartland in Indiana for our American Eucharistic Revival this coming July,” Cardinal Dolan said. “As this cathedral, as Fifth Avenue, as Rockefeller Center, as our parishes, our seminary, our streets, our shrines of Elizabeth Ann Seton and Saint Francis Xavier Cabrini, even the Statue of Liberty, will welcome our Eucharistic Lord these days awash in God’s grace and mercy.”

Then it was off, taking thousands of pilgrims with it, making its way down 50th Street in Midtown Manhattan, and hours later, meeting Bishop Robert Brennan and hundreds more on the Brooklyn Bridge. The city skyline served as a backdrop as pilgrims built up the Kingdom of God.

“It’s exciting to be part of something bigger than ourselves,” Bishop Brennan said. “This isn’t just us. So this connection—New York to Brooklyn—is really a connection between all those walking from Hartford all the way to Indianapolis.”

Praise and worship continued through the streets of Brooklyn to Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Cathedral. It was unlike anything perpetual pilgrim Dominic Carstens had ever seen.

“It’s really different for me,” Carstens said. “I grew up on a farm with trees, and now I’m in the urban jungle, but there’s so many people on the sidewalk, and they look, and they hear the music. Then they see the Lord, and they’re just put in awe and curious. It’s those sorts of interactions that I’m going for—to get people to start being curious about our Lord in the Eucharist. From there, they can build their own relationships with Him.”

Hearts on fire with love for the Bread of Life—these pilgrims made a commitment to Christ to proclaim a sacred mystery and fundamental belief many Catholics have fallen away from.

“I’m hoping it’s a powerful sign to those who see the pilgrimage, to those who see the procession, that they themselves are drawn into the power of this moment,” Bishop Brennan said. “Maybe it might ignite that experience of faith, bringing people closer to the Lord.”

Catholic News Headlines for Tuesday 5/28/2024

As the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage passed through New York City, it was a joyful celebration on the streets of Brooklyn. The Eucharist was processed in a monstrance across the Brooklyn Bridge, where Bishop Robert Brennan met the pilgrims.

Pilgrims started with Mass at St. James Cathedral, then again brought Christ in the Eucharist through the streets on Monday before boarding a boat to head to New Jersey, which stopped for a blessing near the Statue of Liberty.

From the Garden State, the pilgrims will move on to Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, and finally Indiana. There, they’ll join pilgrims from three other pilgrimage routes across the U.S. for the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis.

The Congress, a five-day event, will see thousands of Catholics participating in various activities. These include Mass, Eucharistic adoration, speeches, and entertainment, making it a vibrant and engaging event for all.

Thousands Process With Eucharist As Pilgrimage Makes Its Way To Brooklyn

It was a joyful celebration on the streets of Brooklyn as the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage made its way through New York City on Sunday, May 26.

The Eucharist was processed in a monstrance across the Brooklyn Bridge, where Bishop Robert Brennan met the pilgrims.

Thousands joined the procession to the various stops across the diocese, including Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Cathedral and the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph.

Catholic News Headlines for Friday: Faith In Action Special Edition

St. John’s Bread and Life, a beacon of hope for the hungry for decades, is now embarking on a new chapter. This renowned charity is joining forces with the food pantry and soup kitchen at Our Lady of Sorrows in Corona, expanding its mission to reach even more in need.

Families forced to escape the violence of war in Afghanistan and Ukraine have found refuge on Long Island. The Sisters of St. Joseph have opened their hearts and property to house refugees.

A Brooklyn teen fought her terminal cancer with faith. Now, her family is pushing for her to become a saint. Kaitlyn Bernhardt touched many during her 15 years of life and continues to do so five years after her death.

Noah Jacob, 6, is a model and a role model. Noah has Down syndrome and spreads a message of inclusivity through his modeling career. But if Noah’s mom had listened to her doctors, who encouraged her to terminate her pregnancy, the world wouldn’t know him.

http://netny.tv/

Catholic News Headlines for Thursday 5/23/2024

Pope Francis has recognized a miracle attributed to Blessed Carlo Acutis’ intercession, making him the first millennial saint.

One Catholic school student in Queens has a special connection to the soon-to-be saint. Khloe Chavez first learned about Blessed Carlo Acutis when a relic came to Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Academy.

The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage is headed to the Big Apple. Pilgrims will be in the city this weekend.

Join us as we strengthen our souls and cores. Members of the Currents News team participated in a SoulCore class, a ministry that combines movement with prayer.

SoulCore Pairs Prayers With Movement, Nourishing Body and Spirit

It looks like yoga, but it isn’t. Instead of mantras, participants recite the rosary.

It’s called SoulCore.

“SoulCore is a movement that engages the whole person in the sacred experience of the rosary, pairing the prayers of the rosary with functional movement, stretching, and strengthening,” said Colleen Scariano, creator of SoulCore.

This Catholic fitness apostolate is all about uniting the mind, body, and soul, combining poses with prayer.

Scariano created this movement mission after suffering a tragic loss.

Her mother, father, and brother all died in the span of three months.

Soon after, she turned to the Blessed Mother.

“The rosary began to be an instrument of healing for my grief, and as a busy mom, I started pairing the rosary with running—just more for getting two for one at the same time,” Scariano said. “And during those times of movement paired with the rosary came the most beautiful and healing time of prayer for me.”

Now through SoulCore, she’s sharing her peace, leading others in praying the rosary to strengthen their souls while working out to strengthen their cores, making our prayer more powerful.

“We are created body and soul, and even the Catholic Church teaches us that to give the highest form of prayer possible to the Lord, we need to engage both body and soul. We need to engage the full person,” Scariano said.

Diocese of Brooklyn Gears Up for National Eucharistic Revival in Indianapolis

Following the joyous celebration of its Eucharistic Revival in April, the Diocese of Brooklyn is preparing for the National Eucharistic Revival, which will take place on July 17 in Indianapolis.

Pilgrims are already en route to Indianapolis, with some making their way to New York and expected to reach the Diocese of Brooklyn over the Memorial Day Weekend.

Bishop Robert Brennan joins Currents News to discuss the national pilgrimage and faith movement.

Students Compete in Oratorical Contest to Determine Who is the Best at Public Speaking

Students from across the Diocese of Brooklyn have been learning the art of public speaking, and they put those skills to the test on Tuesday, May 22, at the 2nd Annual Oratorical Contest in Queens.

Fifth through eighth grade students selected a speech to present to judges, reciting the words of well-known speakers, like Martin Luther King Jr., in front of a packed crowd at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Academy in Forest Hills.

Each student’s performance was evaluated based on their delivery, interpretation, and ability to convey the original speaker’s intent. This comprehensive judging criteria ensured a fair and thorough assessment of their public speaking skills.

After two rounds, the group was narrowed down from 14 to just six finalists, and as the competition grew tighter, the students said they managed to keep their cool.

Seventh grader Francesca Viola from Good Shepherd Academy ultimately took first prize for her speech from Prince Ea called “Dear Future Generations,” which talks about environmental issues and how they go unrecognized.

Path to the Priesthood: Deacon Luis Marquez’s Ordination Fulfills Lifelong Promise

By Jessica Easthope

He’s not playing dress-up anymore; these days Deacon Luis Marquez gets vested for real.

“Back then they would always call me little father, like Padrecito,” he said. “Like, okay, bye padrecito. It was funny.”

Soon, he will be the man he’s always dreamed of being, a priest of the people.

“Sometimes they need somebody to listen to them because in society today, there is no person that will sit down with you and listen to you,” Deacon Marquez said. “Because we are busy all the time, on our phones. As a priest, we should do that.”

His future has promise, but in his past, there was pain. As a kid, he grew up in Medellin, Colombia, during the height of notorious cartel leader Pablo Escobar’s reign of terror.

“Everybody knows Medellin, for good or for bad,” he said.

His childhood years were lived in fear.

“We couldn’t go to enjoy ice cream in the park or go to Mass, because there were terrible things happening in Medellin, like car bombs and everything,” he said. “And it was not a secure place to live at that time.”

Deacon Marquez’s father was a police officer, an enemy of the most powerful man in his country.

“He was sending people to kill the policemen,” Deacon Marquez said. “And we suffered a lot because every time he left home, we didn’t know if he was going to come back. It was terrible.”

In 2004, his family started a new life in the U.S. Deacon Marquez was met with a new set of challenges: language and cultural barriers, and a lack of faith propelled him back to his native Colombia, where he entered the seminary.

“I was not happy at all in America,” he said. “I couldn’t find the same feelings that I felt when I was in Medellin.”

He eventually realized home is where your family is, and was once again bound for America. His formation took a ten-year hiatus over that time. He graduated college and began teaching Spanish to children in New Jersey.
“It was a beautiful, beautiful experience to teach kids from 4 to 5 years old in pre-K,” Deacon Marquez said. “I learned many things from them. They are very humble. They have God in their hearts. And if you teach something good, they are going to get a good thing from you.”

It was among those kids that God called him again to fulfill the promise he made to his younger self. He got to relive his childhood through their eyes, experiencing the carefree life he missed out on.

“They get to go to the park, and they enjoy having ice cream,” Deacon Marquez said.

Today, Deacon Marquez said his inner child has healed. Padrecito is grateful, and now he’s ready to just be Padre.

“As a priest, you can bring Jesus to everybody like this,” he said. “This is like a sign that we are Jesus Christ for people.”

You can tune into Deacon Marquez’s big day at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph on June 1st.

Bishop Robert Brennan will be there to ordain him and three other deacons to the priesthood.

It all begins at 11 o’clock, right here on NET TV.

Catholic News Headlines for Wednesday 5/22/2024

The Diocese of Brooklyn will soon welcome four new priests. We are bringing you their stories leading up to ordination day.

Ordination day is June 1. The ceremony will be held at 11 am at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph.