For Katrina Calvacca-Burger, having the opportunity to still hold her wedding on Oct. 24, 2020, at St. Mary Gate of Heaven Parish (Ozone Park) meant everything.
Diocesan News
Friends, Not Foes: Queens City Councilmen Reach Across Political Aisle
At a time when the country feels like it has been torn apart by polarization, City Council members Eric Ulrich and Paul Vallone are proof that friendship transcends politics.
High School Peer Guidance Program Builds Everlasting Bonds
Archbishop Molloy High School’s Peer Guidance Program proved to be more crucial than ever when the pandemic upended students’ lives in the spring of 2020. It has been a staple in the Queens high school’s curriculum since 1973, as an offshoot of the late Brother Leo Richard Morris and Sheila Murphy’s Something More in Life’s Experience afterschool program in 1964.
‘A Lantern During Dark Times’: School Rallies Behind Teacher, Family Affected by Fire
One of the most terrifying moments teacher Emily Espinal and her family ever experienced was a fire that spread from a next-door neighbor’s attic to their home last month. A few days into 2021, the bedroom of Espinal’s 6-year-old daughter Mia — filled with newly opened Christmas presents on the second floor — was extensively damaged in the middle of the night. Espinal and her family made it out of their house, unharmed, on Jan. 3.
St. Mel’s Experiences ‘Rebirth’ After Reopening as Early Childhood Center
St. Mel’s Catholic Academy — which had been slated to permanently close after 59 years as a kindergarten through eighth-grade school on Aug. 31, 2020 — received a second chance by becoming an early childhood center in the fall of 2020.
No Word Yet on Playing High-Risk High School Sports in NYC
Local Catholic High School Athletic Association (CHSAA) schools are feeling frustrated with the lack of communication from city officials as to if high-risk sports can be played for the remainder of the academic year. The State Department of Health (DOH) announced on Jan. 22 that high-risk sports could resume Feb. 1 — but the final decision still needs to be made by city health authorities.
Only in Print: Long Before Super Bowl LV Championship, Maral Javadifar Was Supported, Encouraged at Diocesan Catholic Schools
As the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense decided to run out the clock in victory formation at Super Bowl LV on Feb. 7, along the sidelines stood a woman who already made history: Maral Javadifar, who is one of the first full-time female coaches in the NFL.
Students Learn a New Language: Coding
In today’s digital age, young people are becoming more exposed to the behind-the-scenes of technology, including learning how to write code. At St. Brigid-St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Academy in Bushwick, junior high students are doing just that since September 2020 with their math and science teacher Jose Martinez.
Tablet Series ‘Friends, Not Foes’ Looks at How We Really Live
The Tablet is introducing “Friends, Not Foes,” a series about people in the Diocese of Brooklyn who have forged an unlikely alliance and get along quite well despite their differences.
A Note of Gratitude for Our Readers
Once again, it was a memorable Bright Christmas campaign! At the end of a challenging, and quite frankly, devastating year, The Tablet’s readers showed that despite the pandemic and an economic crisis, they remain truly generous. For that, we say thank you from the bottom of our hearts.