Taking a cue from the recently completed Synod on Synodality, the Diocese of Brooklyn has commenced meetings to gather members of various parishes to get their input on possible mergers. The first two “Pastoral Planning Information Sessions” were held Oct. 23 at St. Thomas Aquinas in Flatlands, Brooklyn, and Oct. 29 at St. Nicholas of Tolentine in Jamaica, Queens.
Father Christopher O’Connor has traveled to the suburb of Chalco, on the outskirts of Mexico City, numerous times over the past year to serve Mass, hear confessions, and tend to the spiritual needs of students at a boarding school for impoverished girls run by a community of nuns.
A former Diocese of Brooklyn priest has been “terminated effective immediately” from his position as a religion teacher at St. Francis Preparatory High School in Fresh Meadows after the diocese determined that allegations against him of sexual abuse of a minor, dating back to the 1990s, were credible.
Diego Arellano was a student in Camille Ferraro’s second-grade class at St. Mary Gate of Heaven Catholic Academy in South Ozone Park in 2004, and even though 20 years have passed, he still holds onto a life lesson she taught him. After Ferraro’s mother had taken a bad fall that left her a paraplegic, the teacher explained to her class of seven-year-olds that she would be taking time off from work to take care of her.
Margarita Manhardt was a child in September 1944 when her family went to the port of embarkation piers in Hoboken to wish her uncle farewell. George Cerrito was a 26-year-old tank gunner in the 11th Armored Division during World War II.
A historic Catholic cemetery dating back to the Civil War has a new space to provide a final resting place for more than 2,000 deceased persons.
This holiday’s roots stretch back to the 4th century when Christians sought to solemnly venerate Roman martyrs some 300 years after the resurrection of Christ. In that period, persecution against Christians
came in “waves,” said Father Michael Bruno, dean of seminarians and professor of church history at St. Joseph Seminary and College at Dunwoodie, Yonkers.
Oct. 29 marked a day of celebration for Holy Family Church. The parish and its Fresh Meadows community have dealt with an uptick in drag racing in recent years, but with a recent bill passed, they can now reclaim a bit of peace — something lost to them for too long.
The Diocese of Brooklyn will make its presence felt in the Jubilee Year, as nearly 200 people will set off on pilgrimages to Rome to share in the excitement with Catholics worldwide. At least three groups from the diocese will travel to Italy next year, and by far, the largest contingent the diocese will send is young people. Dozens of youths have already signed up for a youth focused pilgrimage with Father James Kuroly, director of the Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the diocese, and Bishop Robert Brennan.
At age 46, Danny Li still carries in his heart a vivid memory of a moment of God’s grace he experienced as an 11-year-old boy in his native China.
