On Nov. 15, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Thomas Chadzutko reassured families, faculty, and staff that all 69 Catholic schools and academies across Brooklyn and Queens will remain open and continue to provide in-person learning — irrespective of any impending decision pertaining to the status of city public schools.
COVID-19
Red and Orange Zone Schools Must Have Mass COVID-19 Testing, Prior to Reopening, Governor Says
On Oct. 30, Governor Andrew Cuomo released new guidelines for schools in red and orange zones that would allow them to reopen for in-person learning. The guidelines state that mandatory mass testing in schools must be conducted before they can reopen, followed by daily symptom and exposure screenings.
Priests Support ‘Spiritual Communion’ as COVID-19 Cases Spike Again
When Father Brian S. Lewis celebrates Mass these days, it’s being filmed and uploaded to YouTube so that those who are self-isolating because of the increased spread of the coronavirus can worship along with him and his masked congregation at St. Jude the Apostle Catholic Church in Lewes.
On Pope Francis Not Wearing a Mask: ‘We’re Working on It’, Vatican Official Says
As Pope Francis faces mounting criticism for not wearing a face mask amid a sharp rise in coronavirus cases in Italy and the rest of Europe, a Vatican official has acknowledged that the pontiff is at high risk and voiced hope that the Holy Father would wear a mask more often.
President Trump and First Lady Test Positive for Coronavirus, President Experiencing Mild Symptoms
In a Twitter message posted early Friday morning, President Trump announced that he and First Lady Melania Trump have tested positive for coronavirus.
In the 2020 Presidential Election, Immigration Is About Two Americas
The way two panelists at a key immigration conference see it, the issue Donald Trump ran on in his successful 2016 campaign emerges in this year’s presidential contest much the same way it did before: as a battle between a group seeking to stop demographic changes and one embracing them.
We Cannot Live Without the Eucharist
Let’s face it — everyone’s lives have changed since the start of the worldwide spread of the Coronavirus. Education, health-care, entertainment, and family life all have been affected, and not in ways that are positive, by and large. This is also true for the common worship of the Lord.
Pope Francis Prays for Young People as School Year Begins Amid Pandemic
In a letter to people participating in a virtual Marian pilgrimage, Pope Francis offered words of encouragement to families struggling amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Father Gioacchino Basile Is Finally Going Home
The body of the late-pastor of St. Gabriel’s Church in East Elmhurst, Father Gioacchino Basile, one of the diocesan priests who died April 4 due to complications associated with COVID-19, will make its way home to Calabria, a region in southern Italy. On Sept. 8, parishioners gathered outside of Sacred Hearts & St. Stephen, Carroll Gardens, to bid their final farewell to their beloved pastor and friend.
Eviction Moratorium Seen As Short-Term Fix That Might Bring Long-Term Problems
A moratorium on housing evictions announced Sept. 1 by President Donald Trump will keep thousands of Americans in their homes through the end of the year, but critics say it would only delay a housing catastrophe for a few months.