The start of the 2020-2021 academic year last month began positively as schools in the Diocese of Brooklyn reopened on time, with proper health and safety measures enforced.
Diocesan News
Halloween’s Not Canceled at Immaculate Conception in Astoria
With Halloween festivities changing due to the pandemic, the Home Academy Association (HAA) at Immaculate Conception Catholic Academy (Astoria) made sure their students could still have a semi-normal experience. So, they came up with the idea to hold an outdoor “Trunk-or-Treat” event that involved dressing up in masks and costumes, plus trick-or-treating at tables in Immaculate Conception’s church parking lot.
A Cultural Celebration of Life for the Late Father Jorge Ortiz-Garay
¡Ánimo, el Señor es bueno! That Spanish phrase — Cheer up, friends, God is Good! — were words that members of the diocese’s Mexican ministry said perfectly summarized their beloved priest, friend, and leader, the late Father Jorge Ortiz-Garay, who died March 27 as a result of COVID-19. Father Jorge used the phrase as a personal motto.
Judge Denies Diocese Request for Preliminary Injunction Against Cuomo
On the evening of Oct. 16, Judge Nicholas Garaufis denied the diocese’s request for a preliminary injunction to halt restrictions imposed on houses of worship by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Cardinal Dolan Says Mass at Visitation Monastery to Celebrate Sacred Heart of Jesus
Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of the Archdiocese of New York shrugged off fierce rainfall to celebrate mercy, love, and compassion from the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Mass held at Visitation Monastery in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, marked the 100th anniversary of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque’s canonization.
Artists Give Inside Story on Creation of Mother Cabrini Statue
The sculptors behind the statue of Mother Cabrini in Battery Park, Giancarlo Biagi and Jill Burkee-Biagi, gave The Tablet an inside view of their process from concept to completion.
Diocese Goes to Court for 2nd Time Over Governor’s COVID-19 Restrictions
The Diocese of Brooklyn went to federal court for the second time in a week to try to overturn strict new regulations imposed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo on houses of worship in COVID-19 hot spots.
11-Year-Old Finds Strength Through Acts of Kindness While Going Through Cancer Remission
Rocco Pisani celebrated his 11th birthday on Oct. 7 at Cohen Children’s Medical Center while receiving intense chemotherapy treatments. He was diagnosed with leukemia in May and has been going into the hospital every 10 days for three-day stays.
Only in Print: Mother Cabrini’s Compassion Found Its Home in Carroll Gardens
The woman whom Pope Francis heralded as a shining example of “love and intelligence” in ministering to the needs of immigrants and helping them become integral members of their new homelands, goes by the birth name of Francesca Saveria Cabrini, better known as Mother Cabrini.
Only in Print: Going Remote in the ‘Red Zone’, From Educators’ Points of View
On Oct. 6, Governor Andrew Cuomo established three color-coded zones — red, orange, and yellow — to identify areas with increasing numbers of coronavirus cases. Public and private schools in the red and orange zones were temporarily closed, beginning Oct. 6 and Oct. 9, respectively, and must remain closed for at least two weeks.