Catholic Charities Stays on Its Quest for Affordable Housing

Construction of a new home for low-income people was about to start last spring in Queens, but the COVID-19 pandemic rattled all aspects of normalcy worldwide.
The Bishop Valero Residence, a project of Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens, is expected to add 102 badly-needed apartments for seniors and formerly homeless adults. It’s located at 23-11 31st Road in Astoria, Queens.

No COVID-19 Cure Yet, But Treatments Are Improving

As the world awaits a COVID-19 vaccine, lessons learned in emergency rooms and intensive care units have spurred adjustments in treatments, such as oxygen therapy and some therapeutic drugs and steroids. None of these are actual cures for coronavirus infections, but they are credited for helping people survive the disease.

Memphis Rep. John DeBerry Says He Was Ousted by Democratic Party for Pro-Life Views

John DeBerry is running for re-election for his seat in the Tennessee House of Representatives, but not as a Democrat, which has been his party since the 1960s. Instead, he is campaigning as an independent after the Tennessee Democrat executive committee voted to take him off the ballot for the primary election in August. 

Committee members cited DeBerry’s support of school vouchers and his pro-life votes as reasons for the ouster.

Bishop Paprocki Challenges Morality of Government Lockdowns

Bishop Thomas John Paprocki, of the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois, has suggested that some government-ordered shutting down of nonessential businesses can stunt the economy. But, he added, the more significant concern is shutting down churches, which impedes the nurturing of spirituality among people who seek communion with God.

China-Vatican Negotiations Frustrating for Local Chinese Clergy, Parishioners 

Chinese Catholics say undisclosed details about negotiations between the Vatican and the Chinese government add to confusion about Church leadership in their native country. The confusion also drives a wedge between Catholics willing to cooperate with government regulators and others who want only to recognize the Vatican’s leadership, local Chinese clergy say.