Jasmine Zuniga is one of the hundreds of people, called catechumens, who are enrolled in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) in the Diocese of Brooklyn and have been busy studying in their local parishes to be baptized into the Catholic Church. On Feb. 21, Jasmine and her fellow catechumens took part in the Rite of Election.
Pews, chairs, and a church bell, all formerly used in Diocese of Brooklyn churches, have a new home at the Cathedral of St. Anne in Anse-à-Veau, Haiti. The diocese donated these historical pieces to help the cathedral get ready for Anse-à-Veau’s upcoming tricentennial celebration in July.
This Ash Wednesday, priests and bishops across the Diocese of Brooklyn imposed ashes in a new way due to the ongoing pandemic. Under Pope Francis’ recommendation, ashes were sprinkled on worshippers’ heads instead of drawing the sign of the cross on the forehead.
Even though the pandemic changed how this year’s Catholic Schools Week could be celebrated, the spirit was still alive and well across schools in the Diocese of Brooklyn.
The nationwide “9 Days for Life” Novena, sponsored by the United States Catholic Conference of Bishop’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities, has officially begun in the Diocese of Brooklyn. This year, the Novena takes place from Jan. 21 to 29, providing parishioners with daily reflections and opportunities for prayers and actions to promote the respect of all human life.
The lights finally came back on at the San Damiano Mission Catholic Church after nearly nine months when the pandemic began. Parishioners were welcomed back with masked smiles and open arms as Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio celebrated the reopening Mass, which took place on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary.
The 220 attendees also paid loving honor to the late Father Jorge Ortiz-Garay, who died in March of COVID-19.
Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, joined by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, on Tuesday, Dec. 8, unveiled the sculpture, “Angels Unawares,” at the Soldiers and Sailors Arch in Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza. The annual lighting of the plaza’s Christmas tree followed the unveiling.
A duplicate rendering of “Angels Unawares” is touring the U.S., with a stop in Brooklyn to serve as the Nativity scene for the Diocese of Brooklyn in Grand Army Plaza of Prospect Park. Its unveiling is set for early Tuesday evening, Dec. 8, along with the annual Christmas tree lighting, also in the plaza.
Two weeks after Election Day, President Donald Trump had not eased up on challenging the voting results. Reconciliation of the citizenry seemed elusive. But leaders of the Catholic clergy in Brooklyn and across the nation reminded the Church of its unique role in helping the nation heal.
