Parishioners flocked to St. Brigid Church on Saturday for a Mass for the repose of the soul of Father Jorge Ortiz-Garay, their beloved late pastor, on the first anniversary of his death from complications of COVID-19.
COVID-19 Pandemic
Holy Water Fonts Adapt to Pandemic Times
Holy water fonts have remained dry since churches in Brooklyn and Queens reopened on May 26, due to health and safety measures. However, companies and entrepreneurs have gotten creative while expressing their faith by building touch-free holy water font dispensers.
Chinese Faith Community Clears Trash, Shares the Gospel
About 30 members of the Asian faith community at Basilica Regina parish assemble for the weekly cleanup each Sunday after their noon Chinese-language Mass. Msgr. Ronald Marino, pastor, said their work is courageous, especially while Asian people across the U.S. face violent hate crimes or verbal abuse and blame-laying for the pandemic.
How the Diocese’s Futures in Education and Catholic Foundation Prevailed During the Pandemic
Educator Helen Keller once said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” It’s a mantra that can be applied to the teams who work simultaneously at the Catholic Foundation for Brooklyn and Queens (CFBQ) and Futures in Education (FIE) for Brooklyn and Queens.
Landlords Fret Rent Debt Avalanche Will Fall on Them
Unpaid rent in New York City, estimated at $1-to-2 billion, could cause a serious ripple effect, and landlords say they fear having to absorb most of it.
Cuomo’s Executive Powers Under Scrutiny, Calls to Resign Intensify
March 2021 began with a flurry of calls for Gov. Andrew Cuomo to resign, be impeached, or stripped of executive powers the Legislature approved last year to address the COVID-19 pandemic.
Focolare Catholics, Friends Strive to Ease COVID Suffering
By learning the scriptures, local followers of the Focolare movement find ways to be like Jesus, which opens doors to serious exchanges between Catholics and other religions. Service to people in need is also key, so some members volunteered to assemble respirators soon after the COVID-19 pandemic reached New York City.
‘Concert for Healing’ at St. Pancras Showcases Christ’s Power of Redemption
The thematic arc of “A Concert for Healing” allows viewers of this online performance to experience Christ’s power of redemption, said its organizers at St. Pancras Church, Glendale, Queens. It was videotaped and produced at the church to help its members mend from a tumultuous year for their parish.
‘It was Like an Answer to a Prayer for me’
Father Brian Shanley is the new president of St. John’s University, with a start date of Feb. 1, 2021. He is the former president of Providence College, Providence, R.I., where he earned notoriety for improving campus facilities, increasing the faculty, and building a more diverse student body.
Chaplains, Care Home Staff Coping With COVID-19 Protocols
When Father Michael Garvey arrived for his shift as a chaplain at the Ascension Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola, Florida, on Dec. 15, his first stop was the coronavirus floor, right now full with 24 patients.