Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, the seventh Bishop of Brooklyn, has led the Diocese since 2003. He is a forceful voice on behalf of migrants and immigrants, whose causes he has worked for through most of his priestly ministry. Complete Bio
My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,
As we begin the Season of Lent, the First Sunday of Lent is traditionally the time when we celebrate the Rite of Election, which is the ceremony for those who are to be baptized or to complete their sacraments of initiation at the Easter Vigil. All of these candidates are brought together to the Bishop and are charged with their final preparation for Easter in their baptism or completion of the sacraments of initiation.
My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, After each Synod of the Church, a system that began after the Second Vatican Council, the Holy Father issues a Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation. In this document, the Holy Father reviews the results of the general Synod working groups, the Synod itself where he has been present, and offers his own exhortation. On February 12, 2020, Pope Francis issued “Querida Amazonia,” meaning Beloved Amazon.
My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, On Wednesday, we imposed ashes with the words, “Remember that you are dust and unto dust, you shall return.” These words remind us of the inconvenient fact that each one of us someday will die. Lent is a time when we learn to die to ourselves through prayer, fasting and almsgiving, while at the same time preparing ourselves for our eventual death.
On behalf of the people who are served throughout our Diocese in Brooklyn and Queens, we begin the 2020 Annual Catholic Appeal by thanking those who generously responded to the 2019 Annual Catholic Appeal. If it were not for the commitment of parishioners throughout the diocese to the Annual Catholic Appeal each year, fulfilling the responsibility to provide the basic services and ministries of the Diocese of Brooklyn would be impossible.
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the beginning of National Marriage Week USA. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops heartily endorses this international movement.
My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,
The 24th World Day of Consecrated Life, established by St. John Paul II, gives us an opportunity to focus our attention on the necessity of consecrated life in the life of the Church.
My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,
The infamous Supreme Court decision, Roe vs. Wade, that legalized abortion in the United States on January 22, 1973, was commemorated and protested during the March for Life on January 24. Catholic and Orthodox bishops of the United States were present to open the March with a prayer at noon.
My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,
Catholic Schools Week is a time for everyone to celebrate the great success stories of Catholic education within the Diocese of Brooklyn. During this special week, we celebrate the significant accomplishments of the students entrusted to us. We recognize the commitments made by our parents, the dedication of our teachers and staff, the leadership of our principals, the work of the board of directors, and the spiritual leadership of our pastors and parish priests. Truly, the theme of Catholic Schools Week: Learn, Serve, Lead, and Succeed is evident in all of the Catholic Academies and Parish Schools.
My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,
Each year since 1996, the President of the United States has declared January 16 as Religious Freedom Day. It would seem odd that a special day needs to be dedicated to understanding that religious liberty is a fundamental human right, as found in the universal declaration of human rights adopted by the United Nations General Assembly many years ago.
My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,
There are many songs regarding the 12 days of Christmas. The 12th day, January 6, was traditionally on the Catholic calendar the Feast of the Epiphany. Today, at least for the Latin Rite of the Church, the feast is transferred to the nearest Sunday. This is an especially important feast for those in the Eastern Churches, because their principal Christmas celebration takes place on the Epiphany, whose theme is the manifestation of the Christ Child to the world.
