Bishop Robert Brennan’s April 20, homily message at the Diocese of Brooklyn’s Eucharistic Revival at Louis Armstrong Stadium in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park Looking out at all of us gathered here this day, I can’t help but think of a prayer in the earlier English translation of the Roman Missal: “How wonderful are the works […]
Today for sure is a joyous day. A joyous day when we celebrate our identity, who we are as a people of God. The source of our unity, the source of our joy. We celebrate the sacramental life of the Church and the ways that God is working in our midst, especially here in Brooklyn and Queens. Thank you for your presence here today. Gracias a todos, merci beaucoup.
Last month, I wrote to Gov. Kathy Hochul to share my concerns regarding the pending closure of SUNY Downstate Medical Center. As of this writing, New York State budget negotiations continue, and I am hopeful that the final agreement will keep this university hospital, based in Central Brooklyn, open to provide continued care.
“For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory.” (Col 3:4) We hear these words from St. Paul’s Letter to the Colossians.
The kindness of the faithful in Brooklyn and Queens, and in fact in so many places, has been absolutely overwhelming. My family and I are deeply touched by it all and thank you sincerely. While we are trying to offer our thanks as best we can, we don’t have the names of everyone who reached out to us in our time of need.
Over the past year and a half, more than 100,000 migrants and asylum-seekers have arrived in New York City. Like many municipalities throughout the United States, especially those close to the southern border, our city has struggled to provide housing and other material assistance to those newly arrived.
The following is the homily delivered by Bishop Robert Brennan during Easter Sunday Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. James in Downtown Brooklyn.
This is Bishop Robert Brennan’s full homily from the Diocese of Brooklyn’s 2023 Chrism Mass.
Last month, I joined with a delegation from Brooklyn and Queens and with people from all around the country for the March for Life in our nation’s capital. Rightly celebrating the Supreme Court decision in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case overturning Roe v. Wade, we recognized that we still have a long way to go to transform the culture around us, awakening society to the dignity of human life in its earliest stages.
It is a great year to be celebrating, but we also recognize that we have an awful lot of work to do. Part of the problem for us is we need to change the law. Legal victories and political victories only go so far. What we really need to do, and what we’ve been working at, is to transform the culture. Change hearts and minds.
