Fran Vella-Marrone, a paralegal from Dyker Heights, has taken up boxing, not to go 12 rounds in a championship fight, but to throw swift jabs at Parkinson’s disease, an illness she has been living with for the past two years.
Author: Paula Katinas
The Symbolism, Meaning Behind What Surrounds You in Church
While many Catholics might not be aware of it, the simple act of blessing oneself with holy water upon entering a church is filled with symbolism and meaning.
New Archbishop Brings Chicago Flavor to New York City
When Archbishop Ronald Hicks is installed in the Archdiocese of New York at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Feb. 6, it will mark the second time this year that a native of a Chicago suburb has been chosen to hold a prominent position in the Catholic Church.
Warriors, Come Out to Pray! Civilian Group Show Support for NYPD Officers
To demonstrate support and appreciation for officers, members of a newly formed NYPD Prayer Warriors gather outside police precincts on Saturday mornings to pray, sing hymns, and say a heartfelt “thank you” to cops.
Carroll Gardens Family’s Devotion to St. Lucy Spans Generations
Whenever Carmine Balsamo strolls through his neighborhood and walks by the corner of Court Street and Third Place, he is passing a piece of his family’s history. On that street corner is a shrine to St. Lucy that was erected by his late father in 1969.
Christmas Toy Shop a Gift for Financially Strapped Shoppers in Diocese
An estimated 600 people visited the Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help on Dec. 10, where Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens (CCBQ) set up a free “toy shop” filled with everything from dolls to trucks to books and puzzles that parents could pick out to give their children for Christmas. All for free.
Diocese of Brooklyn’s Christmas Tree a ‘Gift’ Spreading Hope, Joy in Grand Army Plaza
Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza looks even grander these days, thanks to the presence of a 25-foot-tall Christmas tree erected by the Diocese of Brooklyn. Bishop Robert Brennan blessed the tree and the creche with holy water on Dec. 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
St. Francis de Sales Students Help Decorate Christmas Tree at White House
New York State is represented on a Christmas tree at the White House thanks to sixth graders from St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy.
Let There Be (Christmas) Light! Maimonides Medical Center’s Donations Help Churches Decorate in Brooklyn and Queens
The twinkling lights adorning Christmas trees in dozens of churches will shine a little brighter this year, thanks to the Maimonides Medical Center Celebration of Light program. This year, Maimonides is donating $1,000 to 44 churches and the Fort Hamilton Army Base.
Five Decades Later, Holy Cross HS Remains Second Home for Teacher
It’s probably a good thing Ronald Vallar is a history buff. After all, he’s a part of the history at Holy Cross High School. It’s where he went to high school as a teenager and where he’s taught for 40 years. And at the age of 80, he has no plans to slow down.