Death, and burial, are lively topics of conversation in the Catholic Church these days. With increasing numbers of people opting for cremation over the more traditional full-body burial, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, the department within the Vatican responsible for defending Catholic teaching, recently clarified the Church’s position on cremation.
It was a long time coming for the Diocese of Brooklyn to have its own Mother Cabrini statue, but the faithful finally got to see the final figure. Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio unveiled and blessed the statue and shrine of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini — also known as Mother Cabrini — outside her Brooklyn parish, Sacred Hearts & St. Stephen Church on June 11.
The New York State-funded Mother Cabrini statue, commemorated in St. Frances Xavier’s honor, will be unveiled in Battery Park on Oct. 12.
COVID-19 is forcing everyone to change their Columbus Day plans. The Columbus Citizens Foundation recently announced that the march will not be held in person but will be a virtual event.
Michael and Illisse, both 30, make the extra effort because they feel strongly connected to Sacred Hearts-St. Stephen’s. They aren’t the only ones. A number of parishioners, who once lived near the church, still come back to Mass there every Sunday, even after they have moved away. They come from Westchester County, Long Island, Staten Island and other parts of Brooklyn.
