My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, For almost 20 years, the month from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 has been called Hispanic Heritage Month. Almost 55 million Americans are from an Hispanic-speaking background who come from all of the countries of Latin America and even Spain.
Put Out into the Deep
Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, the seventh Bishop of Brooklyn, has led the Diocese since 2003. He is a forceful voice on behalf of migrants and immigrants, whose causes he has worked for through most of his priestly ministry. Complete Bio
A Plan to Teach the Faith
This Sunday we will celebrate Catechetical Sunday. This year’s theme is “Prayer, the Faith Prayed.” Catechetical Sunday is always celebrated at the beginning of the academic year because this is when our programs of catechesis begin in earnest.
15 Years Later, Memories Still Vivid
My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, As we approach the 15th anniversary of September 11th, the terrible terrorist attack on the twin towers in New York; the State Department in Washington, D.C.; in Shanksville, Pa.; and, in fact, all of our Nation, we recall the lingering pains of those horrific events. The fact is, we never will forget, nor never can we forget what happened on that day. This is because in a real sense this brought us to understand the conflict between good and evil in our world.
A Day to Put a Face on Labor
My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, As Labor Day approaches, our thoughts turn not only to a long holiday weekend, but also to the true meaning of Labor Day. It is a day to celebrate the gift of human labor and genius.
Two Saints of Perseverance and Zeal
My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, On Aug. 27, the Feast of St. Monica, mother of St. Augustine, will be celebrated. Monica is a great example of a mother who never lost confidence in the possibility of conversion for her son.
Mary, Our Model for Living
My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, I read an interesting article on icons some years ago. It is important to understand these images that come from the Eastern tradition and contain in themselves its whole theology. For example, the clothing of Jesus and Mary shows the colors red and blue, but they are reversed in that Jesus usually has a red tunic and a blue mantle while Our Lady usually has a blue dress and a red mantle. Why, you might ask? Red symbolizes divinity, while blue is a symbol of humanity. In this way, it can be said that Jesus is God made man, while Our Lady instead is a human creature who has been in a certain sense divinized.
The Youth of the Church Universal
I just returned from having attended my sixth World Youth Day … a wonderful experience, not only for the young people, but also for the bishops to see the young people expressing their love for Christ and His Church by making difficult sacrifices to attend all of the events.
Support for Marriage Is Communal Event
My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, Wedding season began in June and lasts through the summer months. Although Church weddings have declined over the past number of years for many reasons, we do see a bit of an increase during this time. Unfortunately, many continue to see a Church wedding as an expensive adventure that may not enhance the quality of the marriage relationship.
Journeying with Our Young People
My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, Last week, we held a Sending Off Mass for those pilgrims from Brooklyn and Queens who will travel to Poland for World Youth Day Krakow. World Youth Day is a tradition begun by St. John Paul II at the beginning of his Pontificate which has brought great graces to the Church and engendered enthusiasm of our young people for their faith.
No Easy Answers to Racial Divide
My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,
Last week, under the leadership of the communication office of the Diocese of Brooklyn, a solidarity rally was held at Grand Army Plaza in Park Slope, where we brought together the community, especially the New York City Police Department and our African-American members, in an effort to pray together for peace and calm in the present situation.