In my column at the beginning of Lent, I suggested that getting our vaccination against the COVID-19 virus would be a good practice for us during Lent. Given the difficulty of receiving the vaccine and the skepticism of some about being inoculated, I write this article.
On behalf of the people who are served throughout our Diocese in Brooklyn and Queens, we begin the 2021 Annual Catholic Appeal by thanking those who generously responded to the 2020 Annual Catholic Appeal. Thanks to your support, the challenges we faced in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic were met by the Church and, as a result, our community faith grew stronger.
On the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8, 2020, our Holy Father, Pope Francis, called the faithful to engage in “The Year of Joseph.”
This year, we celebrate the 54th World Day of Peace. Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, has chosen the theme “A Culture of Care as a Path to Peace.” This can certainly bring about a peaceful situation among individuals and nations.
As we celebrate Christmas this year, it is a Christmas like no other that I have ever celebrated in my 76 years. Fortunately, I never celebrated Christmas in a time of war when the whole world was in turmoil, but this year the Coronavirus has joined the world together in a crisis never before seen in the last hundred years.
Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio unveiled the replica of the “Angels Unawares” statue to serve in place of the Nativity scene for the Diocese of Brooklyn in Grand Army Plaza of Prospect Park.
The central message throughout the first virtual Christmas luncheon presented by the Catholic Foundation for Brooklyn and Queens (CFBQ) was clear: even during a pandemic, one can still get into the Christmas spirit and help support the diocese’s youth.
This week, as in the past five years, our DeSales Media Group sponsored a Christmas Tree lighting in Grand Army Plaza in front of the monument dedicated to the Union Soldiers from Brooklyn who fought in the Civil War. In addition to the tree, a large Nativity has a place of honor.
The Gospel reading this year for the First Sunday of Advent tells us of a rather ominous saying of Jesus which is meant to prepare us not only for Christmas, but also for the end of time: “Be watchful, be alert for you do not know when the time will come.”
We all know that this year our Thanksgiving will not be what we have normally experienced, no parades, perhaps limited football, smaller dinners, and less interaction with our most beloved family members. But we still must give thanks. As we look back over the past year, for what can we give thanks?
