DECREE

I, the undersigned Bishop of Brooklyn, decree that the Church of Epiphany, located at 96 South 9th Street, in the Borough of Brooklyn, which is within the territory of the Parish of Saints Peter and Paul is hereby RELEGATED TO THE PROFANE BUT NOT SORDID USE according to the provisions of Can. 1222 §2.

After careful consideration of the pastoral and financial needs, a determination was reached that the cost of maintaining Epiphany as an additional worship site was prohibitive to both the Parish of Saints Peter and Paul as well as to the Diocese of Brooklyn, especially in light of the significant financial hardship being experienced by both entities.

Taking into consideration the needs of the entire Diocese of Brooklyn, especially in light of the shortage of priests available for ministry as well as the significant financial burden that this structure is imposing on the Parish of Saints Peter and Paul and in view of the current demographical shifts that have resulted in a diminished number of faithful in the surrounding area, I have decided to permanently relegate this space to the profane but not sordid use.

Very Reverend Jason Espinal, the Administrator, wrote to request that the Church of Epiphany be relegated from the sacred to profane. Prior to the issuance of this decree and in keeping with the universal norms of the Roman Catholic Church, after consultation with parishioners as well as the Episcopal Vicar for Brooklyn, the Most Reverend Neil Tiedemann, C.P., and after having definitely determined that the care of souls would not suffer because of this decision due to the close proximity of the parish church, I consented to this reduction.

After having determined that no other parties can legitimately claim rights for themselves in the Church of Epiphany, I presented this matter for a consultation to the Diocesan Presbyteral Council on Tuesday, September 28th, 2021. Having considered the matter carefully, the Council overwhelmingly supported my decision to relegate this structure.

Therefore, having carefully followed the provision set forth in Can. 1222 §2 and having determined with moral certitude that the care of souls would suffer no determent, I declare that this decree will take effect thirty days (30) after its publication and that by virtue of the same the Church of Epiphany will no longer be used for divine worship. In addition, I order that any sacred furnishing and artwork, which the Parish of Saints Peter and Paul does not retain for its own use, be disposed of in a manner befitting their character and the known intentions of any donor. Furthermore, in addition to the usual requirements of the law for the valid and licit alienation by the parish of the property concerned, the sale of the church is subject to my approval as being constant with the requirements of Can. 1222 §2.

Given in Brooklyn, New York, this 28th day of September in the Year of Our Lord, Two Thousand and Twenty One.

 


 
 

 

 

DIOCESE OF BROOKLYN TO HOST POLISH HERITAGE MASS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 14, 2021

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Adriana Rodriguez
646-241-9805
arodriguez@desalesmedia.org

John Quaglione 
718-576-9180
jquaglione@desalesmedia.org

 

DIOCESE OF BROOKLYN TO HOST POLISH HERITAGE MASS

            The Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop of Brooklyn, will lead a special Mass in honor of Polish Heritage this Sunday, October 17, 2021, at 3:00 p.m. at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph, located at 856 Pacific Street, located in the Prospect Heights section of Brooklyn.

The main celebrant will be the Most Reverend Andrzej Zglejszewski, Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Rockville Centre.  The Most Reverends Witold Mroziewski and Octavio Cisneros, Auxiliary Bishops of the Diocese of Brooklyn, will concelebrate the Mass.

This year, the Polish Heritage Mass is being offered in celebration of last month’s beatification of Stefan Cardinal Wyszynski. Blessed Stefan Cardinal Wyszynski led the Catholic Church of Poland during the Communist era and fought for the free exercise of faith. Cardinal Wyszynski was imprisoned for his resistance from 1953-1956.  He served as a mentor to Pope St. John Paul II.

        The Polish Ambassador to the United Nations, Krzysztof Szczerski, and the Consul General of the Republic of Poland in New York, Adrian Kubicki, are scheduled to attend the Mass.

Polish American Heritage Month is celebrated during the month of October, to highlight the contributions that Polish Americans have made to the United States. This year, the theme of the Pulaski Day Parade was the commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the birth of St. John Paul II.

Members of the media are invited to attend and are asked to respond to this email to confirm their attendance.

###

Death Notice of a Priest-Reverend Monsignor Michael J. Curran, S.T.D.

OFFICE OF THE CHANCELLOR
DIOCESE OF BROOKLYN
310 Prospect Park West, Brooklyn, New York 11215 ● 718.399.5990 ● FAX: 718.399.5934
E-mail: curia@diobrook.org

Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop of Brooklyn, regrets to inform you of the death of Reverend Monsignor Michael J. Curran, S.T.D., a priest of the Diocese of Brooklyn ministering as a faculty member in the Archdiocese of New York at Saint Joseph’s Seminary, Yonkers, New York. Monsignor Curran was born on October 1, 1955, in New York, was ordained to the Priesthood on June 27, 1981, and died Sunday, October 10, 2021.

Monsignor Curran served the Diocese of Brooklyn as Pastor of the Parishes of Blessed Trinity (Rockaway Point), Saint Thomas More-Saint Edmund (Rockaway Point) and Saint Catharine of Alexandria (Brooklyn) and as Parochial Vicar of the Parish of Holy Cross (Brooklyn). He was also a member of the faculty of the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception, and he served as the Director of Studies and Admissions of the Pontifical North American College in Rome. He received the honor of Prelate of His Holiness in 2003.

The arrangements are as follows:

WAKE: Saint Joseph’s Seminary
201 Seminary Avenue
Yonkers, New York 10704
914-968-6200

Wednesday, October 13, 2021
4:00 PM-7:30 PM

Saint Thomas More Church
204-25 Rockaway Point Boulevard
Breezy Point, New York
718-634-6357

Thursday, October 14, 2021
2:30 PM-9:00 PM

VIGIL: Saint Joseph’s Seminary
201 Seminary Avenue
Yonkers, New York 10704
914-968-6200

Wednesday, October 13, 2021
7:30 PM

VIEWING: Saint Thomas More Church
204-25 Rockaway Point Boulevard
Breezy Point, New York
718-634-6357

Friday, October 15, 2021
8:00 AM- 10:15 AM

FUNERAL: Saint Thomas More Church
204-25 Rockaway Point Boulevard
Breezy Point, New York
718-634-6357

Friday, October 15, 2021
10:30 AM

BURIAL: Saint John Cemetery
Middle Village, New York

Priests who wish to concelebrate are asked to wear their diocesan vestments.

Clergy seeking to concelebrate the 7:30 PM Vigil Mass at Saint Joseph’s Seminary tomorrow, please RSVP to SJS.Events@dunwoodie.edu.

Priests who are not incardinated in the Diocese of Brooklyn and wish to concelebrate at the Funeral Mass, are asked to please provide the Chancery Office of the Diocese of Brooklyn with a letter of good standing via email to curia@diobrook.org.

Please pray for the repose of his soul and for the consolation of his family and friends. May he rest in the peace of Christ, the Risen Lord.

Reverend Monsignor Steven J. Aguggia, J.C.L.
Chancellor

DECREE

Changes in the spiritual practices among the faithful, a decrease in available clergy and men and women in consecrated life, changes in the general population within our Diocese, as well as concerns regarding temporal matters have affected the means by
which the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been proclaimed within the Diocese of Brooklyn. In an effort to respond in the best possible way to the gifts of the Holy Spirit generously given to us in our current situation, I have overseen a comprehensive pastoral plan, which included the whole of the Diocese of Brooklyn.

In an effort to evangelize more effectively the community in Queens, as well to administrate the temporal goods of the faithful more efficiently, Most Reverend Octavio Cisneros, Pastor of Holy Child Jesus, located at 111-11 86th Avenue, Richmond Hill,
New York 11418, and Reverend John Tino, Temporary Administrator of Saint Benedict Joseph Labre, located at 9440 118th Street, South Richmond Hill, New York 11419, petitioned that they be canonically merged.

In keeping with the requirements of the Universal Law of the Church, the Presbyteral Council was consulted on February 4, 2020 (Canon 515 § 2), and after having heard the reasons for the proposed merger its members expressed their support for this action. In addition, after having consulted the territorial Episcopal Vicars, clergy, pastoral ministers and other members of the faithful of the parishes involved, I, the undersigned Bishop of Brooklyn, hereby declare and decree that the Parishes of Holy Child Jesus and Saint Benedict Joseph Labre, both within the Diocese of Brooklyn, shall be merged to form one Parish.

• This one Parish shall be named the Parish of Holy Child Jesus – Saint Benedict Joseph Labre, with the main Parish office to be located 111-11 86th Avenue, Richmond Hill, New York 11418.

• Most Reverend Octavio Cisneros shall be the Pastor of the Parish.

• The territorial boundaries of the new parish shall encompass all of the territory which, up until now, has constituted the territories of Holy Child Jesus and Saint Benedict Joseph Labre.

• All assets and obligations currently belonging to aforementioned parishes are by this canonical merger, transferred to the Parish of Holy Child Jesus – Saint Benedict Joseph Labre.

• The parochial registers and the seals of the aforementioned parishes shall be kept at 111-11 86th Avenue, Richmond Hill, New York 11418.

• The Parish shall have two churches for worship: The Church of Holy Child Jesus and the Church of Saint Benedict Joseph Labre.

This merger shall take effect on September 1, 2020, at which time the public juridic persons of Holy Child Jesus – Saint Benedict Joseph Labre shall be merged. Recourse action may be sought according to the norms of Canons 1732 to 1739 of the 1983 Code
of Canon Law.

__________________________________________
Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio, Ph.D., D.D.
Bishop of Brooklyn

Given in Brooklyn,
This 13th day of July 2020

BISHOP DIMARZIO TO JOIN STUDENTS IN PRAYER BEFORE RELIC OF FIRST POSSIBLE MILLENNIAL SAINT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 6, 2021

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Adriana Rodriguez
646-241-9805
arodriguez@desalesmedia.org

John Quaglione 
718-576-9180
jquaglione@desalesmedia.org

***MEDIA ADVISORY***

BISHOP DIMARZIO TO JOIN STUDENTS IN PRAYER BEFORE RELIC OF FIRST POSSIBLE MILLENNIAL SAINT

The Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop of Brooklyn, will preside over a Rosary Rally with the relic of Blessed Carlo Acutis, displayed for veneration, tomorrow, October 7, 2021 at 11 a.m., at Sacred Heart of Jesus Roman Catholic Church, located at 215-35 38th Avenue in the Bayside section of Queens.

The students of grades 5-8 of Sacred Heart Catholic Academy will participate in the service. This is the first Catholic elementary academy to have the opportunity to pray before the first-class relic, strands of the hair of the Blessed Carlo Acutis, in the Diocese of Brooklyn. 

Bishop DiMarzio requested the relic for the Diocese of Brooklyn from Bishop Domenico Sorrentino, of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Assisi-Nocera Umbra-Gualdo Tadino, in central Italy. The relic was received in July, and at that time, the Diocese announced plans to bring the relic to schools and parishes, in an effort to inspire the youth to deepen their faith.

Monsignor Thomas Machalski, the Pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, and Monsignor David Cassato, the Vicar of Schools for the Diocese of Brooklyn, will be in attendance.

Members of the media are invited to attend and are asked to respond to this email to confirm their attendance.

###

ABOUT BLESSED CARLO ACUTIS

Carlo Acutis passed away at the age of 15 in 2006 after his battle with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Acutis, who attended Mass daily from the age of seven, designed a website listing “The Miracles of the Eucharist,” documenting every miracle throughout the world, associated with the bread and wine consecrated at Mass and transformed into the body and blood of Christ.  The website can be found at http://www.miracolieucaristici.org/.

Since his death, Pope Francis has attributed a miracle to Carlo Acutis, which healed a boy with a malformed pancreas after the child came in contact with one of his shirts. Carlo could become a saint if a second verified miracle is attributed to him and is recognized by the Pope.

Death Notice of Priest-Rev. Msgr John J. Powis

OFFICE OF THE CHANCELLOR
DIOCESE OF BROOKLYN
310 Prospect Park West, Brooklyn, New York 11215 ● 718.399.5990 ● FAX: 718.399.5934
E-mail: curia@diobrook.org

Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop of Brooklyn, regrets to inform you of the death of Reverend Monsignor John J. Powis, a retired priest of the Diocese of Brooklyn. Monsignor Powis was born on November 10, 1933 in New York, was ordained to the Priesthood on May 30, 1959, and died Wednesday September 29, 2021.

Monsignor Powis served the Diocese of Brooklyn as Pastor of the parishes of Saint Barbara (Brooklyn), Saint Sylvester (Brooklyn), and Our Lady of the Presentation (Brooklyn). He also served as Parochial Vicar of the parishes of Our Lady of the Presentation (Brooklyn), Saint Benedict (Brooklyn), Transfiguration (Brooklyn), Epiphany (Brooklyn), and Saint James Cathedral (Brooklyn). He received the honor of Prelate of His Holiness in 1986.

The arrangements are as follows:
WAKE: Saint Barbara Roman Catholic Church
                 138 Bleecker Street
Brooklyn, New York 11221
Tel: (718) 452-3660
Monday, October 4, 2021
2:00 PM – 5:00 PM

VIGIL: Saint Barbara Roman Catholic Church
                138 Bleecker Street
Brooklyn, New York 11221
Tel: (718) 452-3660

Monday, October 4, 2021
7:00 PM

FUNERAL: Saint Barbara Roman Catholic Church
138 Bleecker Street
Brooklyn, New York 11221
Tel: (718) 452-3660

Tuesday, October 5, 2021
10:30 AM

BURIAL: Saint John Cemetery
Middle Village, New York

Concelebrants are asked to call the parish at 718-452-3660 to inform that they are coming.

Please pray for the repose of his soul and for the consolation of his family and friends. May he rest in the peace of Christ, the Risen Lord.

If you wish to send condolences, please mail to his sister Katherine Powis, 453 East 14 Street Apt.#7G, New York New York 10009.

Reverend Monsignor Steven J. Aguggia, J.C.L.
Chancellor