The diocesan Assembly on Evangelization took time out of its program to honor Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio for his emphasis on evangelization over the past 15 years that he has been the spiritual leader of Brooklyn and Queens.
Auxiliary Bishop Raymond Chappetto, Vicar General of the Diocese, presented Bishop DiMarzio with three tokens of appreciation.
The first was an icon of Jesus.
The second was a book of Bishop DiMarzio’s “Put Out Into the Deep” columns on evangelization that have appeared in The Tablet.
Thirdly, he was named the recipient of the first annual Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio Duc in Altum Award – Latin for “Put Out Into the Deep” – that will be presented each year by the diocese’s Secretariat for Evangelization and Catechesis to a person who demonstrates a lifetime commitment to the work and mission of the New Evangelization.
Bishop Chappetto pointed out that the presentations were a surprise for Bishop DiMarzio.
“The Bishop has often said ‘There are no surprises in the Church, only mysteries,’ but I think we surprised him with this,” said Bishop Chappetto.
Bishop DiMarzio was also the subject of a video tribute in which members of the diocese said “Thank you” to him for his contributions to the Church.
Appearing in the video were Peter Damour, youth minister at St. Clare’s parish, Rosedale; Michael Loccisano, a sixth grader at Good Shepherd Catholic Academy, Marine Park; the Cywinski Family, representing the Polish community; Susana Villegas, Hispanic catechetical leader; and Sister Clara, from St. Agatha parish, Sunset Park.
“This historic Assembly on Evangelization and the diocesan celebration of the V Encuentro will go down as a watershed moment in the life of the people of the diocese in Brooklyn and Queens and beyond,” said Theodore Musco, director of the Diocesan School of Evangelization, which organized the two-day event at St. John’s University.
“After participating in the Mass of the New Evangelization and listening to our wonderful keynote addresses and workshop presentation, how can we help not be determined to ‘put out into the deep.’ We have been given the gift of seeing that a new ‘springtime’ in the life of the Church is certainly within our reach,” the bishop said.
The Assembly on Evangelization featured a keynote address in English and Spanish by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.