‘Preserving Our Freedom’ by Bishop DiMarzio

Excerpted from Put Out Into the Deep, Bishop DiMarzio’s column in The Tablet:

My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

On June 14, 1777, the Stars and Stripes were adopted as our Nation’s flag. This national symbol was the subject of Francis Scott Key’s hymn during the War of 1812 that would later become our national anthem.

On this Flag Day, perhaps we might consider how best to celebrate the freedoms that the flag represents. America is in some sense an exceptional Nation, for what joins us all is not a common blood, but rather a willingness to leave our homelands so that we might live free of the tyranny of political oppression or poverty.

It is the sense of adventure, as well as the unwavering commitment to freedom, that binds Africans, Asians, Europeans and Latin Americans to one another. It just takes a walk in Flushing Meadows Park or Prospect Park to notice the many faces of people, who, in some cases, are enemies in other parts of the world but live peacefully as neighbors here in New York.

Read the full text of the Bishop’s column on The Tablet website.

NET TV to Premiere Documentary in Anticipation of Pope Francis’ Environmental Encyclical

On Sunday, June 14th, New Evangelization Television (NET TV) will premiere its original production Custody + Creation, a moving environmental documentary about the care of creation and the role of the faithful.

Assessing the state of the Planet Earth and the imminent threat of climate change, Custody + Creation focuses on the Church’s reaffirmation of the biblical custody of the Earth, the dignity of creation, and human ecology. The documentary comes in anticipation of Pope Francis’ encyclical letter on the environment, to be published on June 18th.
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Assemblywoman Davila Supports Tax Credit Bill

Thanks to leaders like Assemblywoman Maritza Davila of Assembly District 53 in Brooklyn, families continue to have hope. Yesterday afternoon, Assemblywoman Davila visited Queen of the Rosary Catholic Academy and Saint Frances Cabrini Catholic Academy to assure them of her support in education choice.

Left to right: Thomas Winters, Chairperson for St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Academy; student that received a full scholarship to Regis High School; Assemblywoman Davila; Przemyslaw Murczkiewicz, Academy Principal; Anne-Marie Baumis, Associate Superintendent for Government Programs and Services for the Diocese of Brooklyn.
Left to right: Thomas Winters, Chairperson for St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Academy; student that received a full scholarship to Regis High School; Assemblywoman Davila; Przemyslaw Murczkiewicz, Academy Principal; Anne-Marie Baumis, Associate Superintendent for Government Programs and Services for the Diocese of Brooklyn.
Assemblywoman Davila and Marian Hernandez, Principal at Queen of the Rosary Catholic Academy.
Assemblywoman Davila and Marian Hernandez, Principal at Queen of the Rosary Catholic Academy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Congratulations to the 2015 Principal Leadership Award Recipients

Left to Right: Rev. Michael Carrano, Pastor at Our Lady of Hope Parish; Bishop-elect James Massa; Michele Krebs; Anthony Biscione, Senior Deputy Superintendent of Schools; Anne Zuschlag; Thomas Chadzutko, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools; Theresa Attianese; James Hennessy, Ph.D., Dean of the Graduate School of Education; Gerald M. Cattaro, Ed.D., Executive Director of the Center for Catholic School Leadership; Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., University President.

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Help for Catholic School Families Paying Tuition is Within Reach

In the final days of this legislative session in Albany, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and key legislators are leading the fight to enact the Education Tax Credit. The governor’s plan, called the Parental Choice in Education Act, will help keep Catholic schools affordable.

The Act provides $150 million in education tax credits annually that will provide:

· Tax credits directly to low-income families who send their children to Catholic and other schools
· Scholarships to students from low- and middle-income families to attend a school of their choice
· Donations to public schools for enhanced educational programming
· Tax credits to teachers for their out-of-pocket classroom expenses

But we need your help! Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and some Assembly Democrats are blocking this important bill. They are blocking this bill for one simple reason: the public school teachers’ union lobbyists don’t want parents to get any help with sending their children to a school of their choice. The opposition is doing all they can to defeat this proposal and to keep families from getting the help they need. Don’t let them win!

Take a few moments to demand that your legislators enact the Education Tax Credit before they conclude their work in mid-June. Go to nyscatholic.org to send an email to your lawmakers. You’ll also be prompted to call your lawmaker’s office, which we urge you to do.

Thank you for doing your part in fighting for our families, kids and schools! Please act today – for the sake of our children, families and schools!

Learn more about the Education Tax Credit: The Tablet | NET TV