Blessed Sacrament Food Ministry Thrives During Pandemic

A prayer group at Blessed Sacrament Church in Jackson Heights, Queens started to deliver a few groceries to people in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.  But this ministry has flourished into a parish-supported effort, now serving as many as 300 families each week.

Landlords Can Still Petition for Evictions Despite Moratorium 

Only a judge can order evictions, which are banned until Dec. 31 through a federal order approved earlier this month. But the ban doesn’t prevent a landlord from filing eviction lawsuits, which gets their cases on the record. Still, landlords will be in for a long wait. The New York City housing court has 14,000 backlogged cases filed before the COVID-19 lockdowns began in mid-March.

Youth Speaker Series Helps Cut COVID-19 Loneliness 

Youth ages 11-18 at St. Therese of Lisieux Roman Catholic Church said they felt lonely during the COVID-19 quarantine. Seeing a need, the parish’s youth ministry team created a speaker series over the summer to engage the kids and help them grow spiritually.

Two Catholic Women ‘Shortlisted’ to Replace Ginsburg

Speculation swirls about two potential nominees to the Supreme Court — Judge Amy Coney Bryant and Judge Barbara Lagoa, both Catholics. Analysts question how religious faith would influence their rulings on cases involving abortion and other issues.

Landlords Face Tough Times But One Still Shares Blessings

New York City rental industry analysts warn of massive financial losses for landlords in 2020, yet one Brooklyn Landlord, Mario Salerno, made headlines when he canceled April rent for his 200 tenants to help them deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.