Father James Rodriguez visited Paris when he was 15 years old and found that spending time in the City of Light helped him see the light.
Diocesan News
Lack of Respect Top Concern of Black Catholics Before National Congress
Black Catholics in Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island have concerns about how they are treated by the Church, and they’re preparing to voice those concerns at a national convocation this summer.
Only in Print: St. Josephine Bakhita Imbues Hope for Human Trafficking Survivors
Josephine Bakhita chose to love. She eventually reached Italy, where she won her freedom, embraced Catholicism, and became a nun. In 2000, she became Saint Josephine Bakhita.
Teens Forgoing Social Media For Lent to Get Closer to God
Adriana Dorner admits that she checks her phone at least 50 times a day, mostly to look at her social media accounts like Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok. But Adriana, a senior at Midwood High School, is saying goodbye to all three for a while. She wants to give up social media for Lent.
Bensonhurst Woman Calls Helping The Homeless ‘Blessing in a Bag’
With thousands of people living on the streets and sleeping in the subways, New York City’s homeless situation can seem like an overwhelming crisis. But one woman is gamely trying to do her part. Sandy Irrera knows she can’t solve the problem all by herself. “But I’m doing what I can, in my own small way, to help,” she said.
Only In Print: Alligator Among a Growing List of Creatures Dumped in Prospect Park
The 4-foot-long alligator that was unceremoniously dumped in Prospect Park Lake and left to fend for itself drew worldwide attention, but it’s far from the only unwanted creature to be abandoned in the sprawling Brooklyn green space lately.
Jesuits Welcomed 16th-Century Princess As First And Only Female
You might not have heard of Joanna of Austria (1535-1573), the first — and so far only — female ever admitted to the all-male Society of Jesus in the religious order’s 483-year history. Alas, she could not be described as a trailblazer — because no one ever followed in her wake.
Bishop Brennan Grants Dispensation From Meat Abstinence on St. Patrick’s Day
Bishop Robert Brennan has announced that Catholics in the Diocese of Brooklyn are exempt from the Friday Lenten regulation to abstain from meat on St. Patrick’s Day this year.
More Bilingual Skills Needed for Clergy to Serve Chinese Immigrants
About 3,000 speakers of Chinese languages attend Sunday Mass in the Diocese of Brooklyn. However, priests who speak Mandarin and Cantonese say they need help — specifically, more bilingual clergy and volunteers to help serve this growing community.
McGuire Scholarship Winners Pledge to Work for Community
In his freshman year at St. Francis College, Stiven Vasquez Nunez secured approximately $9,000 in financial assistance from the Robert J. McGuire Scholarship program to put toward his tuition. “I’m really happy to have it,” he said.