Congratulations to Award Winning Students and their Teacher of the Year!

This March, a group of 7th and 8th grade students at Sacred Heart School in Bayside participated in the local History Day competition held at the Museum of the City of New York. This group of students began preparing for this event last Spring by meeting with their teacher, MaryAnne Cooke, to develop their projects.

“The event at the museum is very impressive and the level of sophistication of the presentation is exceptional.  Additionally, this year, for the very first time, the coordinators of this event awarded an ‘Educator of the Year Award.’ The first recipient of this award for all of New York City is their very own Mrs. Cooke,” said Dennis Farrell, Principal at Sacred Heart School in Bayside. Read more »

‘The Scourge of Pornography’ by Bishop DiMarzio

March 25, 2015 – Excerpted from “Put Out Into the Deep,” Bishop DiMarzio’s column in The Tablet

My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

As we begin Holy Week, with the celebration of Palm Sunday, sometimes called Passion Sunday, we recognize that a modern-day passion event is unfolding in our society. The release of the movie version of the book “Fifty Shades of Grey” has brought to our national attention a problem that has been brewing for over a generation, which is the justification and mainstreaming of pornography.

Christian anthropology understands that human nature and our sexual nature must be treated with consummate care, otherwise it can lead to our downfall. In the garden of paradise, Adam and Eve’s recognition that they are naked is a consequence of the loss of original innocence due to sin which was not intended by God but because of our first parents’ pride and disobedience.

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

Statement of Cardinal Dolan and Catholic Bishops on Education Tax Credit

Screen Shot 2015-03-25 at 11.54.40 AMOne year ago, with the promise of Education Tax Credits on the horizon, thousands of tuition-paying families were left out in the cold – excluded from a state budget that provides the nation’s highest level of spending per pupil in public schools. Governor Cuomo knows how genuinely disappointed we were.

This year, the Governor has included Education Tax Credits in his proposed state budget. And so we have renewed hope. But in politics, it is not enough to propose; the measure still must survive the negotiation process with the Legislature in order to be enacted, and we are strongly urging the Governor to be unwavering in demanding the tax credit be included in the final budget.

We have reason to be hopeful. In addition to the Governor’s important actions, we have seen continually increasing support for Education Tax Credits since last year. The state Senate has again passed the measure with strong bipartisan support, and strong bipartisan support exists in the state Assembly. Nearly 150 community, business, education, faith, and labor organizations support the measure, having seen the benefit such tax credits bring to improving educational opportunity in other states.

While tax law can be complicated, the bottom line is quite simple. The Education Tax Credit will help all children by encouraging increased charitable donations to generate more private scholarships for tuition-paying families and additional resources to our public schools. It’s a win-win for all families, regardless of where their children attend school.

Despite the strong support of families and parishes firmly committed to the value of Catholic education, more than 200 Catholic schools have closed in the last 15 years throughout New York State, simply due to increasing costs. This has been devastating, both to the children who missed an opportunity for a quality education, and for taxpayers.

Governor Cuomo is right to have called the Education Tax Credit a “matter of justice.” And with matters of justice, there can be no delay. Please join us in praying that our leaders include it in the enacted state budget this month.

Diocese of Brooklyn Launches Campaign Encouraging Catholics To Return To Confession

In partnership with the Archdiocese of New York and the Diocese of Rockville Centre, the Diocese of Brooklyn is launching a campaign to promote the Sacrament of Reconciliation during one of the most important seasons for the Catholic Church: Lent. Reconciliation Monday, which this year falls on March 30th, has become an annual event, where every parish in the greater New York City area will be open for confessions.

The advertising initiative targets the diverse population of the greater New York City area and encourages people to return to confession. The series of ads include a young man praying at the steps of a subway stop, and a close-up of a woman with praying hands, and reads “We’re All in Need of Forgiveness” and invites people to confess at any church in the three Catholic dioceses, on March 30th, from 3 p.m. through 9 p.m.

Read more »

Survivors of Sexual Abuse by Members of the Clergy Partner With the Diocese of Brooklyn To Sponsor a Mass of Hope And Healing

Survivors of sexual abuse by members of the clergy have partnered with the Diocese of Brooklyn to sponsor a Mass of Hope and Healing on Wednesday, April 15th at 7 p.m. at the Cathedral Basilica of St. James, 250 Cathedral Place, Downtown Brooklyn.

The Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop of Brooklyn, will be the main celebrant and homilist.

“There has been much darkness in the past regarding this issue, but it must come out into the light,” said Bishop DiMarzio. “We must own up to past mistakes and seek to heal those who have been abused, and I must take this opportunity to publicly thank those who have come forward to help us shed light into the darkness of this most serious issue. These survivors have shown us that there is hope for healing and have helped us to identify the pastoral resources which our Diocese makes available to assist them on their journey.”

Read more »

‘Praying With Survivors of Sexual Abuse’ By Bishop DiMarzio

March 18, 2015 – Excerpted from “Put Out Into the Deep,” Bishop DiMarzio’s column in The Tablet:

My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

Over the course of my ten years as Bishop of Brooklyn, I have been meeting with survivors of sexual abuse by members of the clergy. Each encounter is heart wrenching for me, as their bishop, to listen to their stories and to apologize in the name of the Church, and to offer my own personal support for their journey towards healing. On April 15, our Diocese will take another step in the healing process, when a Mass of Hope and Healing is offered at 7 p.m at the Cathedral-Basilica of St. James in Downtown Brooklyn.

This type of Mass has been celebrated in other dioceses, and the survivors, themselves, have asked that we do the same. Our Diocese of Brooklyn is committed to the spiritual and emotional well-being of victims who become survivors, and what an important way to begin with this focus group of survivors who have shared with us what would be meaningful to them.

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

Catholic Schools to open a Student Art Exhibit

Art by Anthony Randazzo, Ave Maria Catholic Academy
Art by Anthony Randazzo, Ave Maria Catholic Academy

TD Bank in Howard Beach will host a unique exhibition featuring student artwork from local Catholic academies. The art exhibit is the first public collaborative event between the two Catholic academies in Howard Beach.

From March 18th to March 27th, works of art by the students at Ave Maria Catholic Academy and Saint Helen Catholic Academy will be displayed at TD Bank located on 162-02 Cross Bay Boulevard.

“We are proud to present the artwork of our talented students. In the Diocese of Brooklyn, a comprehensive art program is an important component of educating the whole child within a faith based approach to learning. Art classes create environments that allow students to think ‘outside the box’ and address challenges with creative solutions. We strive to support students as they think creatively, find their voice and tap into their undiscovered talents,” stated Christine Zerillo, Principal at St. Helen Catholic Academy.

“The purpose of the art exhibit is to share the artistic and creative talents of the students in both Read more »

Theology on Tap: March 26

On Thursday, March 26, Theology on Tap returns to Manor Oktoberfest in Forest Hills! However, due to a scheduling conflict, our original presenter, Dr. Greg Kandra, is unavailable to present. Instead, we will have Mrs. Amanda Cardone, PhL Professor of Catholic Philosophical Studies at The Cathedral House of Formation speaking about “The Story of Original Sin (As Told By the Snake)!”

Mark your calendars for this awesome event!

“Meeting Needs Around The World” by Bishop DiMarzio

March 11, 2015 – Excerpted from Put Out Into the Deep, Bishop DiMarzio’s column in The Tablet:

My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

This weekend, March 14 and 15, the Diocese of Brooklyn will take up the Catholic Relief Services Collection that funds six Catholic agencies that work to serve our suffering brothers and sisters around the world. Through humanitarian aid, resettling displaced individuals and families, and providing legal and advocacy services for migrants, the Catholic Relief Services Collection allows us to see every encounter with a person who is suffering as an opportunity to help Jesus in disguise, a term coined and made popular by Blessed Teresa of Calcutta.

Catholic Relief Services was there for the Typhoon in the Philippines and still assists in the reconstruction process.

Catholic Relief Services is present in assisting the refugees from Syria and other countries in the Middle East who flee for their lives and take with them nothing but the clothes on their backs, and whatever they can carry.

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

Young Adult Cruise

The Young Adults Group From St. Thomas Aquinas in Flatlands is organizing a 6 night Western Caribbean cruise retreat aboard the Carnival Conquest, which will sail January 17, 2016 – January 23, 2016 round trip Fort Lauderdale, Florida! Persons of any age are welcome. Ports of call are Key West, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel.

Retreat activities will include daily mass, penance, Catholic trivia, Theology on Tap, Reflections with Father Dwayne, and a Young Adults Dinner.  Initial deposits are due March 28, 2015.

For more information or to reserve your cabin, call CruiseOne – Vincent Vigueras, Bert Vigueras at 800-619-1694 or e-mail bvigueras@cruiseone.com. You can also click here to view a flyer for the cruise or here for an information page with dates of events and pricing.