News of the appointment of Msgr. Edward B. Scharfenberger to become the 10th Bishop of Albany, N.Y., is a source of pride and joy for all of us in the Brooklyn Diocese. As well it should be. The new bishop-elect is a product of what represents the best of our heritage. We do not speak […]
Month: February 2014
Pope: Mass Is More Than Just a Habit
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Going to Mass and receiving the Eucharist should make a difference in the way Catholics live, Pope Francis said; they should be more accepting of others and more aware of their sinfulness. “If we don’t feel in need of God’s mercy and don’t think we are sinners, it’s better not to […]
Every Month We Fete The Catholic Media
It used to be a big deal when we would mark February as Catholic Press Month. Not so much any more because Catholic Press means so much more to us than just producing a weekly newspaper. With the advent of the DeSales Media Group in 2010, communication in the diocese changed. No longer would all […]
The Power of Renewal
This month, we marked the first anniversary of the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, one of the most historic moments in the history of our Church. It was the first time in over 600 years that a pope had resigned the Papacy. As we look back on this year, we recognize the great act of […]
Turn the Other Cheek? Every Time? Count on It!
by Father Anthony F. Raso Sinner that I am, I have always found it fun to go into a classroom of children and tell them what the Lord is telling us in the Gospel this weekend, especially that part about “…when someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one as well.” The […]
Difficult Decision in Brain Death and Pregnancy
by Father Tadeusz Pacholczyk CNN recently profiled the case of Marlise Munoz, who was both pregnant and brain dead. Its report noted that Munoz was “33 years old and 14 weeks pregnant with the couple’s second child when her husband found her unconscious on their kitchen floor on November 26. Though doctors had pronounced her […]
Going Beyond The Papal States
by George Weigel When the Holy See signed the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1990, a friend knowledgeable in legal matters said, with considerable vehemence, that the Convention was a snare and a delusion that would eventually come back to bite the Vatican. The bite came earlier this month in a […]
Healthy Living Is Key to Better Memory
I have been getting forgetful lately. This past week, I went to the supermarket and couldn’t remember what I was supposed to buy for a few minutes. I sometimes forget my neighbor’s name. It doesn’t interfere with my life that much, but it’s annoying. I went to my doctor who told me I don’t […]
Obituaries
Father Joseph R. Rooney, S.J., a Jesuit priest for 47 years, died on Feb. 3, at Murray-Weigel Hall, the Bronx. He was 79 years old and a member of the Society of Jesus for 60 years. Born in Jackson Heights, he attended Xavier H.S., Manhattan; Mount St. Michael Academy, the Bronx; and St. Francis College, […]
Former Queens Pastor Was a Passionist Priest
Father Thomas Joyce, C.P., former pastor of Immaculate Conception Monastery parish, Jamaica Estates, died Feb. 7 at Immaculate Conception Monastery. He was 73. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Feb. 12 at the church. A native of Pittsburgh, he entered the Passionists in 1961 and was ordained a priest in 1969. He was assigned […]