Up Front and Personal

Ministering Heart-to-Heart For 20 Years

October 14, 2015

It was another typical heart-to-heart ministry party in June in Sullivan Hall at North American Martyrs parish, Bayside – prayer, good food, special needs individuals and small groups from all over the diocese, music, more prayer and dancing flowing together naturally, plus a couple of bishops (Bishops Chapetto and Valero) and, of course, a Beatles song by Father Tom Pettei. “A good time was had by all” would be an understatement because all the love and joy of any Heart-to-Heart gathering was even more intense in this quasi-liturgical celebration.

Hope in Post-Francis City of New York

October 8, 2015

For the first time in a long time, it’s trendy to be Catholic. For the past week, we’ve listened to the secular media struggling – with mixed success – to understand and explain the basic tenets of Catholicism.

I Can’t Believe the Pope Was on Campus

October 1, 2015

Reflecting on my time as an undergraduate at St. Joseph’s University, a Jesuit school in Philadelphia, Pa., there have been many absolutely unforgettable moments. After every single milestone in my college career I have thought to myself, “nothing can top this, it can’t get any better than this.”

Rabbi Eric J. Greenberg

My Meeting With Pope Francis

September 22, 2015

By Rabbi Eric J. Greenberg In early 2012, I received an unexpected phone call from a stranger – an American Jew living in Argentina. He heard I am deeply involved in Catholic-Jewish relations and thought he had a great idea that I could help him with. The former New Yorker had become friendly with Argentinian […]

Following the Pope on Catechetical Sunday

September 16, 2015

Safeguarding the Dignity of Every Human Person is the theme for the annual Catechetical Sunday, which will be celebrated on Sunday, Sept. 20. This Catechetical Sunday will mark the beginning of a week of great joy and celebration as we welcome our Holy Father, Pope Francis, to the U.S. During these next few days of preparation for his visit, it would be good to reflect on the goals of our 2015-2018 diocesan springboard plan for evangelization and renewal, fittingly named The Joy of Encountering Christ: The Families Hope, in place since Holy Family Sunday of 2014.

Pope Francis Encourages A Culture of Vocations

September 10, 2015

Many consider Pope Francis a great reformer in the life of the Church today. His visit to the United States will put the Catholic Church in the center of American media. He will be speaking to Congress, the United Nations, priests and religious, people from different faith traditions, families, the poor and the imprisoned. His speeches and homilies will be heard by millions of people worldwide!

When the Lord Tugs Us, Let Us Heed the Call

September 7, 2015

My tiny, five-pound Yorkshire terrier Sonya, in her old age, first became deaf and then blind. It happened suddenly and quickly. … The reality is that Sonya has to relearn her entire world and how to successfully function in it – but now, in complete silence and darkness.

Appreciating the Value Of Catholic Education

August 27, 2015

By Arielle Kaminski I have been serving the diocese as the marketing coordinator for Catholic schools and academies for the past three years. As we begin the new school year, I am sad that I will no longer be a part of the Diocese of Brooklyn. I am newly married and I will embark on […]

Taking Long View of HHS Mandate Issue

August 20, 2015

Early in our community’s history, a group of townspeople who witnessed the Sisters’ humble charity toward the elderly dubbed them the “Little” Sisters of the Poor. The name stuck. Recently, however, we have become known to some as “the HHS Sisters” due to our lawsuit against the federal government over the contraceptive mandate.

Making a Commitment To Find Freedom

August 17, 2015

I am now beginning to understand what the saints mean when they say that by giving up one’s own will to God, one becomes truly free.