In a few weeks, a majority of the 66 Catholic schools and academies in Brooklyn and Queens plan to physically reopen under Plan A (100% in-person instruction), with the flexibility to adopt Plan B (hybrid instruction) or Plan C (100% distance learning through the new St. Thomas Aquinas Distance Learning Catholic Program) quickly if COVID-19 cases arise.
A Mass of Christian Burial for Brother Ralph Darmento, FSC, Deputy Superintendent of Schools, was celebrated Aug. 18 at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Windsor Terrace. He died Friday, Aug. 14 at Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn. He was 68.
The Diocese of Brooklyn is announcing each of its 66 Catholic Academies and Parish Schools have submitted their 2020-2021 Reopening Plans to the New York State Department of Education.
Since May, the Knights of Columbus Holy Family/Bishop Ignatius Catanello Council #14520 has collected and distributed more than 4,000 pounds of food to at least 6,000 families. Their most recent food drive, held on August 16, collected approximately 500 pounds of food that was donated to St. Michael’s Church Pantry in Flushing.
Members of Bishop Kearney’s Class of 2020 reunited at St. Athanasius-St. Dominic Church for a special Mass on August 16. The students — who weren’t able to graduate from the all-girls Catholic high school due to its closure in August 2019 — completed their first three years at Bishop Kearney and transferred to other local high schools this past year to complete their senior year.
Congress and the White House are at odds over a new COVID-19 relief bill, with negotiations breaking down and both sides digging in their heels, but Catholic education advocates say that once everyone returns to the bargaining table, one topic that should be discussed is tuition assistance for Catholic school students.
Following Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s announcement on Aug. 7 that schools in New York are permitted to reopen next month, local Catholic schools are beginning to share their reopening plans. All plans must be approved by the State’s Department of Education and adhere to the safety guidelines and framework provided by the State’s Department of Health.
The three local Catholic colleges and universities have released their respective Fall 2020 reopening plans adhered to the safety guidelines provided by the State’s Department of Health and by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As the number of days until the first day of classes dwindle, students have mixed feelings about the new semester during the age of COVID-19.
Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens worked overtime to ensure that senior citizens got all they needed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the diocese of immigrants, an old-school trend is welcoming in a new-school crowd.
