Month: January 2017

STATEMENT ON FATHER PHILIP J. PIZZO’S MEME ON FACEBOOK

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Father Pizzo did share the meme in question on his personal facebook page. He says he intended it as satire only, regrets the offense it has caused, and has deleted it. Suicide is, indeed, a serious subject and this post does not, in any way, represent the view of the church.

Diocese of Brooklyn

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“I apologize for the hurt that I have caused over a Facebook post. I never intended it to get this kind of reaction and I regret posting it. I have been a priest for 40 years and my goal has always been to bring Christ to the people. I am pro-life and any reference to suicide is contrary to my beliefs, therefore, making my post completely inappropriate. Again, please accept my sincerest apology.”

Fr. Philip J. Pizzo
St. Benedict Joseph Labre Parish

Passing of Rev. Joseph F. Wiseman

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Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop of Brooklyn, regrets to inform you of the death of Reverend Joseph F. Wiseman, a retired senior priest of the Diocese of Brooklyn, who was in residence at Mary’s Nativity-St. Ann, in Flushing. Father Wiseman was born on October 13, 1923, in Brooklyn, was ordained to the Priesthood on June 7, 1952, and died Sunday, January 29, 2017, at Flushing Hospital Medical Center.

Father Wiseman served the Diocese of Brooklyn as Parochial Vicar of Immaculate Conception (Long Island City), Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Brooklyn), Saint Jerome (Brooklyn) and Holy Family (Flushing).

The arrangements are as follows: Read more »

PARAMEDICS TRANSPORT MAN WITH GUNSHOT WOUND FROM ST. JOHN CEMETERY IN QUEENS

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On Friday, January 27, 2017, officials at St. John’s Cemetery at 80-01 Metropolitan Ave. in Queens, called police around 3 p.m. after a groundskeeper heard a gunshot and noticed an elderly man lying near a gravesite. Police and paramedics soon arrived. The man was transported to the hospital and we do not know his condition. Many of the employees at the cemetery know the man because he visits his late wife’s grave often. We are saddened about happened and are praying for him and his family.

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‘A Season of Prayer, Fasting, Almsgiving’ by Bishop DiMarzio

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March 1, 2017 – Excerpted from Put Out Into the Deep, Bishop DiMarzio’s column in The Tablet:

My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, since Lent has now begun, I call attention to the Message of His Holiness Pope Francis for Lent 2017 entitled “The Word is a gift. Other persons are a gift.”

The Word of God is a gift to us. In the Sacred Scripture, Jesus the Word Incarnate gives us the direction for Lent in works of fasting, prayer and almsgiving. To illustrate his point that “other persons” are also a gift, the Holy Father chooses to reflect on the parable of Lazarus. From the very beginning, we understand that Lazarus is a person whose name literally means, “God helps.” In fact, it is not a name; it just means a special person. The person in need was Lazarus who stood at the door of the house of a rich man begging for scraps, which came from his table. The rich man, totally unaware of the presence of Lazarus, ignored him for he was not a person to the rich man.

Our Holy Father tells us the essence of the parable, which shows that the rich man’s greed made him vain, when he says, “The lowest rung of this moral degradation is pride. The rich man dresses like a king and acts like a god, forgetting that he is merely mortal.”

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

‘Baby Steps on the March For Life’ by Bishop DiMarzio

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January 18, 2017 – Excerpted from Put Out Into the Deep, Bishop DiMarzio’s column in The Tablet:

My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

Each year on January 22, the Catholic Church in the United States, along with many others, recognizes the anniversary of the flawed Supreme Court decision entitled Roe v Wade. The decision was flawed because it was made on the basis of false information. Two women brought the lawsuit, and later recanted their claims. One said that she was never pregnant, and the other said her pregnancy was not a result of rape as we were previously told. On the basis of false facts, we have seen the massive abortion of over 50 million unborn children since 1973. There was one other flawed Supreme Court decision that fortunately was overturned which was the support of slavery in the United States in the Dred Scott decision.

But why do we commemorate tragic events? Well, it becomes a reminder to us that these events, especially the legalization of abortion in the United States, are injustices that must be overturned. This may not happen all at once. However, any attempt to limit the number of abortions is a step in the right direction. Notwithstanding the present political climate, which might lend some hope to future curtailment of abortion, it is our responsibility as Catholic Christians to work for the elimination of this stain on our national conscience.

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

SAINT AGATHA CATHOLIC SCHOOL IN BROOKLYN WILL PERMANENTLY CLOSE IN JUNE

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Saint Agatha School, located at 736 40th Street in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, will permanently close after the conclusion of the 2016-2017 school year. The school serves children from pre-K to eighth grade. Father Vincentius Do, pastor of St. Agatha Parish and Principal Maximo Catala made the announcement during a meeting with parents on Tuesday, January 10.

Read more »

Statement on Arrest of Rafael Diaz

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On Saturday, January 14, 2017, Rafael Diaz was arrested by the NYPD for the alleged sexual assault of a parishioner who attends Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Queens. The church was not aware that Diaz, who was the musical director at the church, was hired by the alleged victim’s parents to give their child private music lessons at their home.  On Thursday, January 12, 2017, the alleged victim’s father came to the church and reported that Mr. Diaz had sexually abused his daughter during private lessons. Diocesan officials immediately contacted the NYPD and are cooperating with authorities during the investigation. Mr. Diaz’s employment was terminated upon his arrest. The Diocese of Brooklyn takes the protection of children very seriously. It performs criminal background checks on every employee and volunteer. It also requires them, as well as minors, to complete ongoing training for the prevention of sexual abuse.

‘Encountering the Strangers Among Us’ by Bishop DiMarzio

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January 11, 2017 – Excerpted from Put Out Into the Deep, Bishop DiMarzio’s column in The Tablet.

My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

For over 35 years, the first week after the Epiphany, has been designated as National Migration Week. This year it occurred from Jan. 8 to 14. The Church in the United States, recognizing that it has become again an immigrant Church, must understand a new culture that has grown in the Church. This year’s theme, “Creating a Culture of Encounter,” comes from the first Pentecost homily of our Holy Father, Pope Francis, where he emphasizes the importance of encounter in the Christian faith. He says, “For me, this word is very important. Encounter with others. Why? Because faith is an encounter with Jesus and we must do what Jesus does: encounter others.”

The Lord, Jesus, had one pastoral method: encounter and making friends with people. He seemed to have that ability to encounter others and engage them almost immediately in life-changing situations. Jesus called the Apostles from their work and they followed Him; Peter and Andrew and Matthew. He met the Samaritan Woman at the well and engaged in deep conversation with her. He encountered the two disciples on the way to Emmaus and they too had life-changing experiences. Our call to a greater culture of encounter with immigrants follows the mandate of Jesus in the scene of the Last Judgment when He tells us, “Whoever welcomes a stranger, welcomes me.”

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