The world as we know it has changed forever. We’ve heard that statement repeatedly since COVID-19 took root and spread around the world.

Wherever news is made that signals the need to alleviate human suffering — Afghanistan, Haiti, the latest efforts to rein in COVID-19, the rapid responses to aid victims of Hurricane Ida, and more — there is an accompanying story: The Catholic Church is there with a compassionate, effective infrastructure of service.

What we have witnessed in Afghanistan over the past few weeks is a nightmare. Yes, the United States has been in Afghanistan for far too long, and the lives of countless young American men and women have been lost in the defense of a nation so far from our shores.

There are a few lessons that one can take from the event of the Holy Father’s hospitalization — illness can come to anyone, everyone needs to take care of their personal health, and we need to keep each other in prayer.

As we celebrate Independence Day, perhaps we should think about the role that our nation plays in the world and if our country’s quest for freedom and liberty is compatible with the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.

We have seen the fight for religious freedom recently here at home. The Diocese of Brooklyn sued to get fair treatment in regards to capacity limits so that the faithful could safely attend Mass when many retail stores were allowed to operate at what appeared to be full capacity.

For all these reasons, we are blessed by the dedication of the statue of Mother Cabrini in Carroll Gardens. We know that she is one of the many great women that built New York City and we hope to get more people to know all about her!

Sometimes the ordination classes are large, sometimes they are smaller, but, because of God’s providential care for us, there have always been priestly ordinations in our diocese. This is not always the case in some other dioceses in the country. There are some dioceses that have not had an ordination to the priesthood in several years.