Father Robert Whelan, pastor of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, Bayside, recently led a group of 12 missioners to Mustard Seed Communities in Managua and Diriamba, Nicaragua, for a weeklong mission of work, prayer and support. Tasks for the group consisted of clearing land of weeds, debris and stones; scraping and painting window grills […]
By Marie Elena Giossi Shouts of “Viva la Virgen de Guadalupe!” could be heard through the streets of Ridgewood on Saturday evening, Dec. 7. Parishioners of St. Matthias Church celebrated their beloved Our Lady of Guadalupe with a street procession, solemn Mass celebrated in Spanish by Auxiliary Bishop Paul Sanchez and cultural festivities in anticipation […]
Hundreds of parishioners huddled together, on Dec. 7, in front of Our Lady Mercy Church, Flushing, to witness their Christmas tree light up the cold night. Msgr. John McGuirl, pastor, blessed the tree during the parish’s first official lighting ceremony. Parishioners warmed the air with Christmas carols, and Santa Claus presented Candy Canes to giddy […]
The Spirit of Christmas concert sponsored by Futures in Education at Carnegie Hall, Manhattan, drew almost 3,000 attendees. The concert featured The New York Tenors – Danny Rodriguez, Michael Amanti and Andy Cooney, with an opening act by violinist Gregory Harrington. Msgr. Jamie Gigantiello, vicar for development, presented Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio with a check for […]
Ninety-six units of affordable housing for senior citizens and persons with developmental disabilities are now open in Howard Beach, thanks to the efforts of Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens and several state and city agencies that partnered with them. The building on Cross Bay Boulevard near the Belt Parkway entrance, which once served as […]
by Ed Wilkinson The first parish established in Queens is now the first church in the diocese to house a stained-glass window honoring Pope Francis and one depicting Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio’s coat of arms. Bishop DiMarzio dedicated the colorful new windows at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Astoria, Dec. 7, as part of a […]
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that Msgr. John Brown, Walgreens drugstores and the New York Mets have been awarded the 2013 Rick Rescorla National Award for Resilience, recognizing their contributions to their communities in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Msgr. Brown, the pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas parish, Flatlands, was the pastor of St. […]
Msgr. Jamie Gigantiello, diocesan director of development, has been named by Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio to his Inauguration Planning Committee. He is the only Catholic clergyman named to the 73-member panel, that also includes a Greek Orthodox priest, a Jewish rabbi, an imam, a female bishop of the Bethesda Healing Center and a bishop of […]
The Christmas creche and trees were lit Dec. 1 at Visitation Monastery, Bay Ridge, to mark the traditional opening of the Festival of Lights. Msgr. Jamie Gigantiello, chaplain to Visitation Academy, blessed the manger scene and then celebrated Mass for the First Sunday of Advent. Following Mass, two awards were presented: the Distinguished Faculty Award […]
Grandparents often do not realize the sphere of influence they can have over raising their grandchildren. Catholic grandparents especially have so much experience with their faith that they can be valuable resources in passing on that faith to their grandchildren. That is the mission of the Catholic Grandparents Association (CGA), an international grassroots organization that […]
