FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 30, 2020

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Adriana Rodriguez
718-517-3143
arodriguez@desalesmedia.org

John Quaglione 
718-517-3112
jquaglione@desalesmedia.org

BROOKLYN PRIEST TO BE INSTALLED AS BISHOP OF PATERSON WEDNESDAY

The Diocese of Brooklyn has announced that Bishop-elect Kevin Sweeney, currently the Pastor of St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Church in the Sunset Park section of Brooklyn, will be ordained and installed as the eighth Bishop of the Diocese of Paterson at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, 381 Grand Street in Paterson, New Jersey, on Wednesday, July 1, 2020, at 2 p.m.

The ordination/installation Mass will be televised live on NET-TV, the Diocese of Brooklyn’s cable channel, and online at www.netny.tv beginning at 1:40 p.m., with the procession to start at 1:45 p.m. tomorrow, Wednesday, July 1.

Cardinal Joseph Tobin, Metropolitan Archbishop of Newark will ordain Bishop-elect Sweeney to the Order of Bishops and install him as the new bishop of Paterson.  The Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop of Brooklyn, will join retiring Bishop Arthur J. Serratelli as co-consecrating bishops.

Bishop-elect Sweeney is a native of Queens, New York, a graduate of Cathedral Prep High School, who went on to study at the Cathedral Seminary House of Formation in Douglaston. He then earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy from St. John’s University in 1992. Bishop-elect Kevin Sweeney also earned a Master’s Degree in Divinity from the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington.

He was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Brooklyn on June 28, 1997, and was assigned to St. Nicholas of Tolentine in Jamaica and Our Lady of Sorrows in Corona. In 2004, Bishop DiMarzio appointed then-Father Sweeney as the Vocations Director for the Diocese of Brooklyn, and in January 2010, he was appointed Pastor of St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Sunset Park.

NET-TV can be seen in the New York City area on Spectrum-channel 97, Optimum-channel 30, and FIOS by Verizon-channel 48. Video footage must include a courtesy to NET-TV/DeSales Media.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 27, 2020

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Adriana Rodriguez
718-517-3143
arodriguez@desalesmedia.org

John Quaglione 
718-517-3112
jquaglione@desalesmedia.org

PHOTO UPDATE: Photos attached – Courtesy: Ed Wilkinson/The Tablet

BISHOP NICHOLAS DIMARZIO TO ORDAIN FOUR MEN AS PRIESTS TO SERVE THE DIOCESE OF BROOKLYN

            The Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop of Brooklyn, will ordain four men as priests during a Mass of Ordination, later this morning, Saturday, June 27, 2020, at 11:00 a.m., at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph, located at 856 Pacific Street in the Prospect Heights section of Brooklyn.

The four to be ordained include:

*Rev. Mr. Nestor Martinez, born in Colombia and raised on a farm outside the City of Molagavita, felt the calling to become a priest at the age of thirteen. Later on, after achieving his goal and starting in the Seminary in Antioquia, he decided he wanted to go to a place that didn’t have enough vocations, and traveled to the United States. Mr. Martinez completed his seminarian studies in Connecticut and service in the Diocese of Paterson, and will be ordained in the Diocese of Brooklyn.

*Rev. Mr. Peter Okajima, raised in a family that did not practice religion, is a late vocation who had a career in finance, was married with two children, divorced, and had his marriage annulled. Throughout his life, Mr. Okajima always felt in his heart that something was missing, which led him to the Church. Peter converted to Catholicism and soon thereafter, enrolled at the Pope St. John XXIII Seminary at the advice of Bishop DiMarzio. Peter’s father was a Japanese translator for General Douglas McArthur’s team during the surrender aboard the USS Missouri at the end of World War II. Peter’s mother was held in a Japanese internment camp during World War II.

*Rev. Mr. Gabriel Agudelo-Perdomo, who was raised in Bogota, Colombia, felt the calling to the priesthood at the end of high school.  However, the unrest in his hometown delayed his calling, but the drug-related violence in Colombia made his vocation certain. Deacon Agudelo-Perdomo’s brother, a priest in the Archdiocese of Miami, shared his brother’s wish to become a priest on a trip to New York City, and it was Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio who sent a priest in Colombia to interview him. Gabriel Agudelo-Perdomo was then accepted as a Seminarian of the Diocese of Brooklyn.

*Rev. Mr. Dragan Pusic, who was born in Bosnia, grew up under Communist rule. Despite the government’s dislike of religion, the Pusic family attended Church every Sunday, and Dragan served as an altar server from the age of 9 until he was 14. Mr. Pusic maintained a professional career, working in an industrial plant for over twenty years, until the company went bankrupt.  It was at this time that Dragan recognized that faith was playing less of a role in his life, and found his way back to God.  It was shortly thereafter that he arrived in the United States and began his studies at the Redemptoris Mater Seminary in Douglaston.

Members of the media are encouraged to attend.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 26, 2020

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Adriana Rodriguez
718-517-3143
arodriguez@desalesmedia.org

John Quaglione 
718-517-3112
jquaglione@desalesmedia.org

Diocese of Brooklyn Launches Videos in Seven Languages to Prepare Catholics
as Churches Can Re-open for Weekday Masses on Monday

Weekday Masses in the Diocese of Brooklyn, which includes Queens, can begin this Monday, June 29, 2020. The celebration of Sunday Mass can begin with the Saturday Vigil Mass on July 4, 2020, and on Sunday, July 5, 2020. COVID-19 safety protocols will be in place, including the requirement that all who enter a church must bring and must wear their own mask during the entire Mass and maintain proper social distancing.

“Catholics in Brooklyn and Queens have been longing for the celebration of Mass and to receive the Holy Eucharist. But our sacrifice and patience have borne fruit, and we did our part to flatten the curve of the terrible coronavirus pandemic. Soon we can come together to be nourished by the spiritual food we have been desperate for,” said the Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop of Brooklyn.

In preparation for the joyous day when Mass will resume, DeSales Media Group, the communication, and technology arm of the Diocese of Brooklyn, has produced videos in seven languages to give multi-lingual Catholics in Brooklyn and Queens an understanding of the changes they will experience as a result of COVID-19 safety protocols designed to keep everyone healthy and safe.

The videos were made in English, Spanish, Italian, Polish, Chinese, Creole, and Korean.

Beyond the requirement that parishioners must bring and wear their own mask during Mass, churches can only be filled to 25% capacity to fulfill social distance requirements of six feet between congregants. Families who live in the same household will be able to sit together.

The reception of Communion will be different. It is strongly recommended the faithful receive Holy Communion in the hand and they must leave their mask on when they approach the priest at a six-foot distance. When the communicant receives the Sacred Host, they should move to the side and consume the Eucharist immediately. Communion will only be offered in one form; the Precious Blood will not be distributed to the faithful at this time.

Since each church and parish is unique, the faithful should check with their individual parishes, parish websites and social media pages for specifics about the resumption of Mass and the safety protocols in place.

The dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass remains in effect until further notice.  As such, the Diocese urges anyone who feels sick in any way to stay home. Mass will continue to be broadcast live on the Diocesan cable channel, NET-TV, and streamed online.  NET-TV is available in the New York City market on Spectrum, channel 97; Optimum, channel 30; and Fios by Verizon, channel 48.

“We have endured a period of great challenge, especially here in our Diocese in Brooklyn and Queens, but the Lord was with us all the way. Now in just over a week, we can come together and give thanks to Him, pray for the people we lost, and those still affected by the coronavirus. And rejoice in the celebration of the Liturgy. Thanks be to God,” concluded Bishop DiMarzio.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 25, 2020

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Adriana Rodriguez
718-517-3143
arodriguez@desalesmedia.org

John Quaglione 
718-517-3112
jquaglione@desalesmedia.org

BISHOP NICHOLAS DIMARZIO TO ORDAIN FOUR MEN AS PRIESTS TO SERVE THE DIOCESE OF BROOKLYN

The Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop of Brooklyn, will ordain four men as priests during a Mass of Ordination, to be held on Saturday, June 27, 2020, at 11:00 a.m., at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph, located at 856 Pacific Street in the Prospect Heights section of Brooklyn.

Those who will be ordained include: one from Colombia who sought to serve in the United States where vocations are low; another who practiced religion despite Communist opposition in Bosnia; a man who was married with two children, who later got divorced and had his marriage annulled, because in his heart he felt something was missing; and one who saw the troubles of drug-related violence in Colombia growing up which in part inspired him to want to become a priest.

The four ordinands are:

*Rev. Mr. Nestor Martinez, born in Colombia and raised on a farm outside the City of Molagavita, felt the calling to become a priest at the age of thirteen. Later on, after achieving his goal and starting in the Seminary in Antioquia, he decided he wanted to go to a place that didn’t have enough vocations, and traveled to the United States. Mr. Martinez completed his seminarian studies in Connecticut and service in the Diocese of Paterson, and will be ordained in the Diocese of Brooklyn.

*Rev. Mr. Peter Okajima, raised in a family that did not practice religion, is a late vocation who had a career in finance, was married with two children, divorced, and had his marriage annulled. Throughout his life, Mr. Okajima always felt in his heart that something was missing, which led him to the Church. Peter converted to Catholicism and soon thereafter, enrolled at the Pope St. John XXIII Seminary at the advice of Bishop DiMarzio.

Peter’s father was a Japanese translator for General Douglas McArthur’s team during the surrender aboard the USS Missouri at the end of World War II. Peter’s mother was held in a Japanese internment camp during World War II.

*Rev. Mr. Gabriel Agudelo-Perdomo, who was raised in Bogota, Colombia, felt the calling to the priesthood at the end of high school.  However, the unrest in his hometown delayed his calling, but the drug-related violence in Colombia made his vocation certain. Deacon Agudelo-Perdomo’s brother, a priest in the Archdiocese of Miami, shared his brother’s wish to become a priest on a trip to New York City, and it was Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio who sent a priest in Colombia to interview him. Gabriel Agudelo-Perdomo was then accepted as a Seminarian of the Diocese of Brooklyn.

*Rev. Mr. Dragan Pusic, who was born in Bosnia, grew up under Communist rule. Despite the government’s dislike of religion, the Pusic family attended Church every Sunday, and Dragan served as an altar server from the age of 9 until he was 14. Mr. Pusic maintained a professional career, working in an industrial plant for over twenty years, until the company went bankrupt.  It was at this time that Dragan recognized that faith was playing less of a role in his life, and found his way back to God.  It was shortly thereafter that he arrived in the United States and began his studies at the Redemptoris Mater Seminary in Douglaston.

The Diocese of Brooklyn Ordination Mass will air live on the Diocesan’s cable channel, NET-TV, which can be seen on Spectrum, channel 97; Optimum, channel 30; and Fios by Verizon, channel 48.

Members of the media are encouraged to attend the Mass. To RSVP, please email John Quaglione at jquaglione@desalesmedia.org.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 19, 2020

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Adriana Rodriguez
718-517-3143
arodriguez@desalesmedia.org

John Quaglione 
718-517-3112
jquaglione@desalesmedia.org

Diocese of Brooklyn Churches Can Re-open for Weekday Masses on June 29
Celebrations of Sunday Mass Can Begin on the Weekend of July 4 & 5

 The Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop of Brooklyn, is pleased to announce that churches in the Diocese of Brooklyn can re-open for Weekday Mass on Monday, June 29, 2020. The celebration of Sunday Mass can begin with the Saturday Vigil Mass on July 4, 2020, and on Sunday, July 5, 2020. COVID-19 safety protocols will be in place, including the requirement that all who enter a church must bring and must wear their own mask during the entire Mass and maintain proper social distancing.

“Catholics in Brooklyn and Queens have been longing for the celebration of Mass and to receive the Holy Eucharist. But our sacrifice and patience have borne fruit, and we did our part to flatten the curve of the terrible coronavirus pandemic. Soon we can come together to be nourished by the spiritual food we have been desperate for,” said Bishop DiMarzio.

In preparation for the joyous day when Mass will resume, the Diocese of Brooklyn is launching a video today in English and Spanish to give Catholics in Brooklyn and Queens an understanding of the changes they will experience as a result of COVID-19 safety protocols designed to keep everyone healthy and safe.

Beyond the requirement that parishioners must bring and must wear their own mask for Mass, churches can only be filled to 25% capacity to fulfill social distance requirements of six feet between congregants. Families who live in the same household though will be able to sit together.

The reception of Communion will be different. It is strongly recommended the faithful receive Holy Communion in the hand and they must leave their mask on when they approach the priest at a six-foot distance. When the communicant receives the Sacred Host, they should move to the side and consume the Eucharist immediately. Communion will only be offered in one form; the Precious Blood will not be distributed to the faithful at this time.

Since each church and parish is unique, the faithful should check with their individual parishes, parish websites and social media pages for specifics about the resumption of Mass and the safety protocols in place.

The dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass remains in effect until further notice.  As such, the Diocese urges anyone who feels sick in any way to stay home. Mass will continue to be broadcast live on the Diocesan cable channel, NET-TV, and streamed online.  NET-TV is available in the New York City market on Spectrum, channel 97; Optimum, channel 30; and Fios by Verizon, channel 48.

“We have endured a period of great challenge, especially here in our Diocese in Brooklyn and Queens, but the Lord was with us all the way. Now in just over a week, we can come together and give thanks to Him, pray for the people we lost, and those still affected by the coronavirus. And rejoice in the celebration of the Liturgy. Thanks be to God,” concluded Bishop DiMarzio.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 18, 2020

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Adriana Rodriguez
718-517-3143
arodriguez@desalesmedia.org

John Quaglione 
718-517-3112
jquaglione@desalesmedia.org

Statement by Brooklyn Bishop DiMarzio on Today’s Supreme Court Ruling on DACA

The Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop of Brooklyn, has issued the following statement in response to today’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling preventing the discontinuation of the D.A.C.A. program:

“Today the United States Supreme Court did the right and moral thing with its decision to halt the Trump administration’s attempt to end DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, based on humanitarian grounds. The high court recognized the intent of the law and also the human impossibility of affecting a change which would lead to the deportation of many young people brought to the U.S. as children.

The Dreamers came to this country with their parents, with no intent to break the law. For most of them, America is the only country they have ever known. Many dreamers have come and fulfilled their own American Dream, getting an education, and making a life their parents could only dream of. Today’s news reports highlight their success and their contributions to our country. In one it said ‘frontline health care workers involved in responding to the coronavirus epidemic rely on about 27,000 DACA recipients, “including dentists, pharmacists, physician assistants, home health aides, technicians” and nearly 200 medical students.’

This decision is right and just for these undocumented youth, who have been victims in a fierce political debate and have been living under the constant fear of deportation. Deporting the Dreamers to unfamiliar lands would disregard their sacrifices, contributions, and immense potential. It would also be a great loss for our country.

Immigration is one of the most complex and controversial issues of our time. These past 50 years of my priesthood have been dedicated to assisting immigrants and refugees. Today, I am hopeful for our country, that this decision by the highest court in the land will lead to the comprehensive immigration reform we have been talking about for years.”

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Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio has long been a national and international leader in the defense of migrants and newcomers. He is Chairman of the Board of the Center for Migration Studies. Bishop DiMarzio was a Member of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People. In addition, he has served as Chairman of the Migration Committee of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Chairman of the Board of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC), and the representative from the United States to the Global Commission on International Migration, a United Nations-sponsored Commission.

Bishop DiMarzio also served on the Boards of the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC) and the National Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Forum. He has chaired the Board of Trustees and is a member of the Migration Policy Institute (MPI). In addition to the many leadership positions he has held, Bishop DiMarzio has published numerous papers and speeches and testified before Congress on migration issues on many occasions.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 17, 2020

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Adriana Rodriguez
718-517-3143
arodriguez@desalesmedia.org

John Quaglione 
718-517-3112
jquaglione@desalesmedia.org

“Faith and America’s Original Sin:” A Currents News Special Broadcast on Racism in the Diocese of Brooklyn Takes an Introspective Look by Listening to African American Catholics

Currents News, the nightly program that covers news from the Catholic perspective on NET-TV, is airing a special broadcast that addresses the issue of racism and the progress being made in the Diocese of Brooklyn.

“Faith and America’s Original Sin,” hosted by Currents News Anchor Christine Persichette, will air tonight at 7:30 pm on NET-TV, the cable channel of the Diocese of Brooklyn. The special program addresses the work of the Diocesan Commission on Racism and Social Justice, which was instituted by Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio in 2017, after the white supremacist rallies in Charlottesville, Virginia.  The special features testimonials from listening session members and Commission members.

The Commission has been hosting listening sessions with African-American Catholics in the Diocese to hear their perspective. “I think it was very important that we listen to the people of our diocese to understand their experience of racism both in society and within the church,” said Auxiliary Bishop Neil Tiedemann, Chair of the Commission.

Father Alonzo Cox, Secretary of the Commission, said hearing stories of racism experienced by Catholics is necessary, painful as it is. “We went on to ask our participants how they have experienced racism. Many of them gave horror stories unfortunately of how people in the pews treated them, how they were treated by priests or religious and a lot of it is perception. They perceived that they felt treated differently because of the color of their skin,” said Father Cox.

“We are moving forward so that each and every one of us can come together to preach the word of God,”  said Father Cox. He also speaks of two late priests on the path to Sainthood, Monsignor Bernard J. Quinn, and Father Augustus Tolton.

Monsignor Quinn opened a church for African American Catholics, St. Peter Claver in Bedford-Stuyvesant, at a time when the color of one’s skin was a barrier to attending Mass. Father Augustus Tolton, who was born a slave, was the first African-American priest ordained in the United States. Father Tolton had to attend a seminary in Rome for no American seminaries at the time would accept him.

“It is incumbent upon all of us to broaden ourselves to get to know persons beyond our so-called circle of comfort,” said Judge Bert Anthony Bunyan, a Commission Member.

Currents News airs on NET-TV in the New York City market seven days a week. It’s available on Spectrum, channel 97; Optimum, channel 30; Fios by Verizon, channel 48.

“Faith and America’s Original Sin,” can also be seen on the Currents News YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/MEoqs_LdTJE.

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