Months before the calendars read “December” and pink and purple Advent candles were placed on altars in preparation for Jesus’ birth, one man was tasked with configuring how many tiny red fluorescent lights would complement hundreds of yards of red ribbon on a Christmas tree to bring awareness to the plight of persecuted Christians around the world. Enter the world of Mark Steele.
The end of the liturgical calendar has become an opportunity for new beginnings at Christ the King, Springfield Gardens.
Gifts made to the Annual Catholic Appeal (ACA) provide support to tens of thousands of people in Brooklyn and Queens through vital programs, ministries, and services administered by the Diocese of Brooklyn.
The organization, which is run by the Sisters of St. Joseph, has seen a steady increase in donations over the last seven years, according to Jeffrey Smith, a development associate at the agency, countering a national trend of less charitable giving. Donations to Hour Children rose 19 percent during a three-year period ended June 2018, the charity said.
After Mass, Bishop DiMarzio and six auxiliary bishops prayed in the downstairs crypt at the Immaculate Conception Center for the 16 diocesan priests and deacons who have died within the past year and for the souls of all the clergy who have gone before.
A woman was punched as she was leaving St. Michael’s Church in Flushing on Oct. 28, the New York City Police Department said.
“We hope to not only dress like the saints on the outside, but to be saints on the inside,” said Father Frank Tumino, the pastor at St. Thomas the Apostle.
The Missionaries of Charity sisters joined hundreds of the faithful gathered for field Masses held each year at the four Catholic cemeteries operated by the Diocese of Brooklyn on All Souls Day — a day when Catholics all over the world attend Mass and visit their deceased loved ones at the cemetery.
An unidentified male stole a bag outside Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church on East 116th Street in Manhattan on Oct. 13. Inside was a second-class relic, a piece of stone from the Shrine of St. Michael on Mount Gargano in Italy.
One way the Diocese of Brooklyn is helping “tweens” and early teens deal with the awkwardness they often face: Hosting a prayer rally reaffirming that every person is made in the image and likeness of God.
