The Diocese of Brooklyn, known as the Diocese of Immigrants for the many nationalities attending Mass in its churches, took on even more of an international flavor when four cardinals from different parts of the world came to St. John’s University for a summit designed to train lay Catholics to become leaders and work for societal changes.

Mary Giudice had never heard of St. Sharbel until her cousin, Deacon Michael Chirichella, introduced her to the obscure 19th-century Lebanese priest. The introduction came at a time when Mary could really use help from a saint.

It was the trip of a lifetime for a group of young Catholics from the Diocese of Brooklyn, who came away with enriching, unforgettable memories.

Four years after the pandemic, COVID is still adversely affecting children’s mental health, according to experts at a newly dedicated walk-in counseling center that Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens (CCBQ) runs in Woodhaven, Queens.

At 93 years of age, Marilyn McArdle admits that she has slowed down some and often needs her cane to help her steady herself. But while she gets around slower than she did when he was younger, there is one place she rushes to get to — the biweekly meetings of a support group at St. Helen’s Church in Howard Beach for people with physical challenges.

Thomas Fascianella, who is in charge of scheduling the altar servers at the Shrine Church of St. Bernadette in Dyker Heights, used to scramble to fill the spots to ensure that there was a server to cover each Mass. His task was challenging because the church had only five altar servers.