My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, The issue of immigration reform has surfaced now in the 113th Congress as a priority of both President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner. It is important that we understand this issue from a Catholic perspective. The interest of the Church in the issue of immigration is […]
My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, St. John recounts a beautiful story of Our Lord and His dialogue with a woman drawing water from a well. The scene is remarkable because it seems to be a breach of the ancient code of conduct between men and women, as well as an affront to […]
Msgr. Edward Scharfenberger, currently the pastor of St. Matthias parish, Ridgewood, was officially installed April 20 as the new episcopal vicar for Queens. He had been serving in that position since Jan. 31, but the installation Mass, celebrated by Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio at St. Matthias, was the formal public decree of his new post. Msgr. […]
China is undergoing massive growth, and buildings and towers are springing up all throughout the country. It is a modern society, but it is still a country of the East, and I was very fortunate to have Msgr. Joseph Chiang as my traveling companion. He is an 83-year-old priest who was born in FuZhou City; […]
by Marie Elena Giossi Arrayed in the attire of their native lands, representatives of 32 ethnic groups from Brooklyn and Queens led the entrance procession at the annual Migration Day Mass, celebrated by Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio at St. James Cathedral-Basilica, Downtown Brooklyn, Sunday afternoon, April 14. This year’s focus was on immigration reform, and among […]
Hundreds gathered at St. James Cathedral-Basilica, Downtown Brooklyn, to celebrate their unity in faith and diversity in language and culture at the Brooklyn Diocese’s annual Migration Day Mass, Sunday, April 14. Donning the garb of their homelands, Catholics representing 32 ethnic groups participated in the festivities, which included an afternoon Mass, celebrated by Bishop Nicholas […]
My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, Recently, I returned from a 10-day pastoral visit to China. My intention was to better understand the Chinese culture so that we in the Diocese of Brooklyn may better attend to the needs of Chinese immigrants. Moreover, I intended to visit with Father John Vesey, a priest […]
My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, The events surrounding the massacre of so many small children and their teachers in Newtown, Conn., scarred the conscience of our Nation. The horror that touched upon suburban America is one that we in the city live with all too frequently. I am sympathetic to those who […]
My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, The following is the full text of the homily preached by Bishop DiMarzio at the Chrism Mass held Tuesday, March 26 at St. James Cathedral-Basilica, Downtown Brooklyn. We have passed through one of the most eventful Lents in our lifetime. Six weeks ago yesterday, the great teacher-pope, […]
On Saturday, March 23, our new Holy Father, Pope Francis, met with his predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, in what was the first such encounter recorded in the history of the Catholic Church. Father Federico Lombardi, S.J., current director of the Holy See Press Office, said the meeting was “a moment of profound and elevated […]
