On Saturday Sept. 23, a Mass to stress the importance of Catholic journalism was celebrated at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph in Prospect Heights by Bishop Robert Brennan; it was concelebrated by Bishop Emeritus Nicholas DiMarzio; Msgr. Sean Ogle, chairman of the board of DeSales Media Group, the ministry that produces The Tablet; and Father Christopher Heanue, rector of the co-cathedral. 

This week’s The Tablet spotlights the resurgence of Catholic media and its growing influence on spreading the good word to the faithful. 

This week’s edition of The Tablet celebrates the reopening of the Diocese of Brooklyn’s schools and Catholic academies. As the children return to school, we are seeing a renaissance in Catholic education, from growing enrollment numbers compared to pre-pandemic rosters to enhanced curriculum in many of the Catholic high schools within the diocese. 

In a beautiful entry on his blog, “Sententiae Minores,” Father Adam McMillan posits the following: 
“I have for years promoted the idea that Lazarus whom Jesus raised from the dead was a developmentally disabled man. I would like to see St. Lazarus named a patron of the developmentally disabled and to serve as an example of their presence in the world of Jesus.

We have witnessed the first presidential debate in a post-Roe v. Wade climate. The eight Republican candidates — sans the party’s frontrunner, former President Donald Trump — participated in the Republican National Committee’s first debate of their party’s presidential primary process on Aug. 23 in Milwaukee. 

Recently The Tablet featured stories on what some diocesan priests in Brooklyn and Queens did before they entered the seminary and were ordained to the priesthood. From the fascinating life of Msgr. Jamie Gigantiello as a chef in some of the most exclusive restaurants in the New York City area to Father Bryan Carney’s career in the military, our priests in Brooklyn and Queens have had all sorts of jobs. 

More concerning news was released last week out of Washington, D.C., and Springfield, Massachusetts, that affects Catholics and their relationship with our federal and local governments.

The Church celebrated the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly on July 23, as decreed by Pope Francis in 2021 to be marked on the Sunday closest to the July 26 feast of Sts. Joachim and Anne, Jesus’ grandparents. 

In 1993, Saint John Paul II came to Denver, Colorado, for World Youth Day. It was covered by the media, both Catholic and secular, and by all accounts, it was a peaceful, joyful, inspirational experience. 

In this week’s edition, The Tablet looks at nature’s beauty and bounty as the summer harvests from many backyard gardens begin to flourish.