by Marietha Góngora V.
BUSHWICK – On Aug. 14, Bishop Robert Brennan celebrated a Mass at St. Joseph Patron of the Universal Church to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Pope John XXIII Movement in the Diocese of Brooklyn.
Amid a festive and very solemn atmosphere, hundreds celebrated the history and fruits of this movement, founded in 1970 in the town of Aibonito, Puerto Rico, which works to evangelize and convert people to the Catholic faith. Bishop Brennan opened his homily with a note of “congratulations on its 25 years to the John XXIII Movement.”
Bishop Brennan recalled that he witnessed the first steps of the movement in the diocese and said that he felt blessed to serve them as their bishop. He acknowledged the mission that the movement has fulfilled for a quarter century in Brooklyn and Queens.
“Thank you for your faith, for your love for God, for your zeal in the work of evangelization,” Bishop Brennan said. “Years before Pope Francis’ call to proclaim the joy of the Gospel, especially to those who are far from the Church and to the marginalized, you were already reaching out to them with love, hope, and joy.”
The Mass was concelebrated by Father Sergio Dall’Agnese, pastor of St. Joseph Patron; Father Duc Dat Le, the parish’s parochial vicar; Father Vicente Villamil, parochial vicar for the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph in Prospect Heights; and Father Juan Camilo Herrera, parochial vicar for Blessed Sacrament in Jackson Heights.
The celebration, which coincided with the eve of the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, brought together faithful from parishes throughout Brooklyn and Queens, who participated in the Mass, and later a banquet sponsored by the movement.
Bishop Brennan told those present that “to celebrate the Assumption of Mary is to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus; the Assumption is the fruit of the resurrection.”
“We know that God keeps his promises. What God did in fidelity to Mary, he will do for us one day,” Bishop Brennan said, adding that “our task in evangelization is to share this hope with our neighbors.”
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Jackie Moreno, national president of the John XXIII Movement, told The Tablet that listening to Bishop Brennan’s words was encouraging and inspired the efforts of the movement’s members in Queens and Brooklyn.
“His words made me cry,” Moreno said. “To see that he really sees the mission and sees how our brothers and sisters in Brooklyn have worked for 25 years to fulfill the mission that the Holy Spirit entrusted to our founder, which was to go out and seek those who were far away, it even makes me emotional to see how they have done it here in Brooklyn.”
Ana Gómez, a member of the movement for six years and a parishioner of Blessed Sacrament, said the retreats lead participants on a path to conversion.
“At the retreats, we have had people who are not Catholic and also those who are Catholic but have never persevered in a movement or parish group,” Gómez said. “And that is where they begin to persevere with us and learn a little more about our faith.”