Various ministries across the Diocese of Brooklyn adapted to new norms amidst coronavirus safety protocols, including limiting church capacity, wearing masks, and socially distanced seated in the pews. For Filipinos celebrating “Simbang Gabi,” or “Mass at Night” at the Queens Village church, the adjustment meant a scaled-down version of its traditional celebration.
Author: Melissa Enaje
Shooting at St. John the Divine Christmas Concert Cathedral Leaves Gunman Dead, Crowd Shaken
A gunman was fatally shot by police on the front steps of St. John the Divine Cathedral in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, Dec. 13, after the 52-year-old man began firing two semi automatic handguns just before 4 p.m., at the end of the church’s public outdoor Christmas Choir concert scheduled that afternoon.
On International Human Rights Day, Pakistan’s Religious Minorities Declare Dec. 10 as ‘Black Day for Human Rights’
As the United Nations and various international organizations observe Dec. 10 as the annual day to declare the dignity and human rights of all persons, Pakistan’s religious minorities planned demonstrations against increased abductions and forced conversions and marriages of their women and girls by Muslims.
Bishop DiMarzio’s First Virtual Christmas Luncheon
The central message throughout the first virtual Christmas luncheon presented by the Catholic Foundation for Brooklyn and Queens (CFBQ) was clear: even during a pandemic, one can still get into the Christmas spirit and help support the diocese’s youth.
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI Did Not Lose His Voice, Says Archbishop Gänswein
Archbishop Georg Gänswein, the pope emeritus’ secretary, is denying media reports that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI lost his voice.
China Dismissed Pope Francis’ Remarks About ‘Persecuted’ Uighur Muslim Minority
The Chinese foreign ministry dismissed Pope Francis’ criticism of China’s treatment of Muslim Uighurs as groundless. In a new book to be released next month, “Let Us Dream: The Path to a Better Future,” the pontiff said that he often thinks of “persecuted peoples: the Rohingya, the poor Uighurs, the Yazidi.”
Coronavirus and Mass Incarceration: How the Church Shines Christ’s Light in Isolation
As the world transitioned to shelter-in-place mode, and the word coronavirus entered into the lexicon of everyday life, one particular technological innovation became the epicenter of human connection: video and audio conferences. While churches, schools, and institutions reimagined and adapted to new forms of engaging their communities, for those in prison, the only way to speak with anyone from the outside has been through a screen.
A Cultural Celebration of Life for the Late Father Jorge Ortiz-Garay
¡Ánimo, el Señor es bueno! That Spanish phrase — Cheer up, friends, God is Good! — were words that members of the diocese’s Mexican ministry said perfectly summarized their beloved priest, friend, and leader, the late Father Jorge Ortiz-Garay, who died March 27 as a result of COVID-19. Father Jorge used the phrase as a personal motto.
Only in Print: Mother Cabrini’s Compassion Found Its Home in Carroll Gardens
The woman whom Pope Francis heralded as a shining example of “love and intelligence” in ministering to the needs of immigrants and helping them become integral members of their new homelands, goes by the birth name of Francesca Saveria Cabrini, better known as Mother Cabrini.
Pope Francis Invites Children Worldwide to Pray the Rosary on Oct. 18
In his last Angelus, Pope Francis invited children to participate together in a very special initiative. He spoke to the crowd gathered outside of St. Peter’s Square, asking that children all over the world pray the rosary together on Sunday morning, Oct. 18.