Almost 700 soon-to-be Catholics from Brooklyn and Queens took a big step in their faith journey by taking part in the Rite of Election on Sunday, March 9 — a time-honored tradition that takes place annually on the first Sunday of Lent.
Diocesan News
Hope Sprouts in Creativity: Faith Formation Program Showcases Art Inspired by the Jubilee Year
Children in the St. Bernard of Clairvaux Church faith formation program channeled their artistic side with an exhibit on Feb. 26, drawing inspiration for their work from the Jubilee Year theme, “Pilgrims of Hope.”
St. Jude Relic Visits Brooklyn, Inspires Hope Amid Hardship
A first-class relic of St. Jude Thaddeus arrived at Our Lady of Mount Carmel-Annunciation Parish on Feb. 24, with parishioners lining up to venerate it and pray to the apostle of hope.
UPDATE: Diocese Celebrates Ash Wednesday and Start of Lenten Pilgrimage
On Ash Wednesday, Gervin Charles knew exactly where he wanted to be, so he made his way to the Cathedral Basilica of St. James in Downtown Brooklyn around noon to receive ashes on his forehead.
A Beacon of Hope Amidst Immigration Policy Change
For more than six decades, Msgr. James Kelly’s law office on Wyckoff Avenue has handled standing-room-only crowds of clients seeking U.S. citizenship.
Lenten Regulations 2025
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Lenten season, a time of renewal as the Church journeys towards Easter. Bishop Robert Brennan is asking the faithful of the Diocese of Brooklyn to turn their attention to the following regulations:
It’s ‘Shawl’ in the Family for One Ministry at Our Lady of Lourdes
Once a month at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Queens Village, a group of women come together, pick up their knitting and crocheting needles, and get to work. And out of their talented hands, shawls, blankets, scarves, and hats are born.
Schoolbooks to Storybooks: Retired Teacher Inspiring Young Readers
Although Maryann McMahon is a retired school teacher and no longer in the classroom, she’s still teaching kids. But now, rather than telling students to crack open books, she’s writing them.
The Unsung Hero Behind Brooklyn’s First Black Catholic Community
In 1915, a group of black Catholics met at a home on Pacific Street in Prospect Heights, across from what is today the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph. The Spanish Colonial-style church with two bell towers was completed just three years earlier to replace the previous parish church, which was built in 1861, the same year the American Civil War began.
Parishioner Finds a Cold Comfort Zone After Diving Into Faith
Margaret Tumelty’s commitment to her bi-weekly cold plunge into the Atlantic Ocean provides her with more than just the health benefits she believes the activity offers. It also helps strengthen her faith.