The recent opinion by the Supreme Court in favor of the Diocese of Brooklyn was a victory for religious liberty. The limits imposed by the governor’s executive order were excessive, of course, but at the core of the diocese’s request there is another important element that we shouldn’t miss. As Bishop DiMarzio highlighted in his statement after the SCOTUS ruling was announced: “We have taken our legal battle this far because we should be considered essential, for what could be more essential than safely gathering in prayer in a time of pandemic.”
That essential role of religion in our personal lives and the public arena is often ignored or denied by opinion leaders and elected officials. But faith is at the very center of each person’s worldview. Expressing those feelings and practicing religion are not only constitutional rights, they are also a fundamental human necessity.
That principle is at the center of many of our efforts, even when we don’t realize it. When The Tablet started the Bright Christmas Campaign half a century ago, the goal was to make sure that no child in Brooklyn and Queens goes without a gift, party, or family dinner during this season. This is still our goal.
By contributing to the Bright Christmas Campaign you are also helping families celebrate their faith and evangelize their children. The campaign helps many parishes and organizations in Brooklyn and Queens to offer our brothers and sisters a truly essential service — the chance to celebrate their faith and pass it on from one generation to the next.
The joy and hope associated with this season come from the realization that God became man and was born in a manger for our salvation. Our hope is born in Bethlehem and is fully realized on Easter Sunday.
Many children in our diocese have experienced the joy and hope of the season during the last 50 years thanks to your kindness and generosity. This year, our efforts have a new urgency since many families in our diocese have been affected in so many different ways by the current pandemic. It would be hard to imagine a year when we all needed joy and hope more than during this terrible year of 2020. We ask you to help The Tablet repeat this Christmas miracle.
To send your donation, simply make out a check to The Tablet’s Bright Christmas and mail it to:
The Tablet’s Bright Christmas
1712 10th Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11215
You can also make donations online by visiting thetablet.org and clicking on the Bright Christmas link on our homepage. If you are a pastor, parish associate, or director of a diocesan group and you need assistance this Christmas to help children in your area, you should contact me immediately so The Tablet can help.
We grant funds only to parish groups and others associated with the Diocese in Brooklyn that ask us for help.
If you have a request, send it directly to:
Editor-in-Chief Jorge Domínguez
c/o The Tablet’s Bright Christmas
1712 10th Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11215
You can also send your request to TabletBrightChristmas@desalesmedia.org. This is not a toy collection drive and we don’t accept clothing or other material goods for distribution.
You send us the money and we put it into the hands of someone who is working directly with people in our neighborhoods. In turn, they use the funds in the most effective ways for those in their charge. Some buy and wrap presents. Others conduct a group party. Some share a meal with their parish families.
The sooner you send the money, the quicker we can share your love with someone who needs it this Christmas.
