HUMAN CHAIN ON WILLIAMSBURG STREETS PRAYS FOR PEACE IN UKRAINE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 28, 2022

 

Monsignor Jamie Gigantiello, Pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel-Annunciation Parish, this morning led a Human chain from Annunciation Roman Catholic Church, corner of North 5th and Havemeyer Streets, to Holy Ghost Ukrainian Catholic Church, located at North 5th Street and Driggs Avenue, in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn.

Following a moment of silence, the Annunciation Church bells rang, and the march began, led by the American, Ukrainian, and Lithuanian flags. A prayer service was held outside the Church immediately following Mass celebrated by Ukrainian Catholic Church Bishop Paul Chomnycky of the Eparchy of Stamford. Frank Carone, Chief of Staff to Mayor Eric Adams, was among the guest speakers.

“We come here today to show our support, as we did when the war broke out a couple of months ago, and you came to us and we prayed together for your friends, your family, and your homeland. Even though we are very far away, we are united in prayer that this war will end and that we will stay united in peace, in love, and in faith,” said Monsignor Jamie Gigantiello standing on the steps of Holy Ghost Ukrainian Catholic Church.

The prayer service also recognized Ukrainian Independence Day, celebrated earlier this week on August 24th, and promoted continued solidarity in word, song, and prayer, among the people of Brooklyn and Ukraine. 

VIMEO Link: https://vimeo.com/743989740

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A prayer service was held outside of Holy Ghost Ukrainian Catholic Church on Sunday, August 28th.
Bishop Paul Chomnycky of the Ukrainian Catholic Church of the Eparchy of Stamford.
Bishop Paul Chomnycky of the Ukrainian Catholic Church from the Eparchy of Stamford, speaking before the crowd gathered at Holy Ghost, alongside Monsignor Jamie Gigantiello.
Two women who attended the prayer service for Ukraine.
Two of those in attendance at the prayer service stand with their hands over their heart and hold a Ukrainian Flag.
The procession in support of the Ukraine began with the flags of the United States, Lithuania and the Ukraine.
The human chain and procession began, led by the American, Ukrainian, and Lithuanian flags.

Photo/Video Update: 200th Anniversary Mass Celebrated for First Catholic Church on Long Island

200th ANNIVERSARY MASS CELEBRATED IN BROOKLYN TODAY
FOR FIRST CATHOLIC CHURCH ON LONG ISLAND

         His Eminence, Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York, celebrated Mass today in Brooklyn to mark the 200th Anniversary of the parish of St. James, the first Catholic Church to be built on all of Long Island. Bishop Robert Brennan of Brooklyn, and Bishop John Barres of Rockville Centre, concelebrated the 2 p.m. Mass. Hundreds of the faithful filled the pews at the Cathedral Basilica of St. James in Downtown Brooklyn.

“The faith of an inspired layman, Peter Turner, who approached on behalf of a rather tiny Irish village, he approached my predecessor Bishop Connolly for the first church to be built on Long Island. You know in his eloquent simple letter to Bishop Connelly, he said, we just need a place, a place for prayer and the sacraments, to teach the faith and to bury our dead,” preached Cardinal Dolan. “We praise God I would submit mostly for the faith, the faith that has been planted, nurtured, preached and practiced here, the faith extolled by Jesus in this afternoon’s holy Gospel.”

Prior to the construction of St. James, there was no established church on Long Island, which back then was comprised of Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk counties. For residents of the Village of Brooklyn to attend Mass, they had to commute by boat to Manhattan.  On July 25, 1822, on the Feast of St. James, New York Bishop John Connolly traveled from St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral to bless the cornerstone of the Church designated as St. James.

“Generations have come to this community, sharing different cultures over these 200 years. The neighborhood looks quite different than its early days of 1822, much history has passed and so many changes have taken place coming and going. But you know what is constant here is the proclamation of the Gospel, the celebration of the Eucharist, and the encounter of God’s mercy. We have a lot to be thankful for today,” said Bishop Brennan.

In 1972, Bishop Francis Mugavero officially designated St. James as the Cathedral of the Diocese of Brooklyn.  In 1979, Pope John Paul II visited St. James Cathedral, and in 1982, officially designated the Cathedral as a Basilica.

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Photos courtesy: The Tablet/Jeffrey Bruno

Video courtesy: DeSales Media – https://vimeo.com/739506357

:00 Entrance of priests/bishops

:33 Cardinal Dolan

1:14 Cardinal Dolan

1:35 Bishop Brennan

2:11 Faithful

2:45 Consecration

3:37 Communion

3:57 Choir

Cardinal Dolan entering St. James
Cardinal Dolan entering St. James
Bishop Brennan Welcomes the Faithful to St. James
Bishop Robert Brennan Welcomes the Faithful to the 200th Anniversary Mass at the Cathedral-Basilica of St. James
Faithful at the Cathedral-Basilica of St. James 200th Anniversary Mass
Faithful at the Cathedral-Basilica of St. James 200th Anniversary Mass
Bishop Brennan Welcomes the Faithful to 200th Anniversary Mass of the Cathedral-Basilica of St. James
Bishop Robert Brennan Welcomes the Faithful to 200th Anniversary Mass of the Cathedral-Basilica of St. James
Faithful at the Cathedral-Basilica of St. James 200th Anniversary Mass
Faithful at the Cathedral-Basilica of St. James 200th Anniversary Mass
Cardinal Timothy Dolan at the Consecration
Cardinal Timothy Dolan at the Consecration
Altar at the 200th Anniversary Mass of the Cathedral-Basilica of St. James
Altar at the 200th Anniversary Mass of the Cathedral-Basilica of St. James

 

 

 

 

 

NEW YORK CATHOLIC CHURCH MILESTONE: LONG ISLAND’S FIRST CATHOLIC CHURCH, BUILT IN BROOKLYN, CELEBRATES 200 YEARS OF WORSHIP

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 8, 2022

MEDIA CONTACTS:

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

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

LONG ISLAND’S FIRST CATHOLIC CHURCH, BUILT IN BROOKLYN, TO CELEBRATE 200th ANNIVERSARY

His Eminence, Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York, will be the main celebrant and homilist at a special Mass to commemorate the 200th Anniversary of the parish of St. James, the first Catholic Church to be built on all of Long Island, on Sunday, August 14, 2022, at 2 p.m.  Bishop Robert Brennan of Brooklyn, and Bishop John Barres of Rockville Centre, will concelebrate the Mass.

“The same Holy Spirit 200 years ago inspired a generation of people to want to build up the Church.  The same Holy Spirit works in the hearts of men and women today,” said Bishop Robert Brennan.

Prior to the construction of St. James, there was no established church on Long Island, which back then was comprised of Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau and Suffolk counties. For residents of the Village of Brooklyn to attend Mass, they had to commute by boat to Manhattan.  On July 25, 1822, on the Feast of St. James, New York Bishop John Connolly traveled from St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral to bless the cornerstone of the Church designated as St. James.

The Diocese continued to build churches and schools throughout Long Island from Brooklyn to Montauk. In 1957, the Diocese of Rockville Centre was established, which altered the boundaries of the Diocese of Brooklyn to include the counties of Kings and Queens.

In 1972, Bishop Francis Mugavero officially designated St. James as the Cathedral of the Diocese of Brooklyn.  It was the Pro-Cathedral until that time as it was the first Church of the Diocese and there were plans to build a bigger cathedral. Those plans were suspended by Bishop John Loughlin, the first Bishop of Brooklyn, due to financial concerns.

In 1979, Pope John Paul II visited St. James Cathedral and in 1982, officially designated the Cathedral as a Basilica.

St. James is a Neo-Georgian Church that features a spire, a large gallery, and a nave.  From above, the church building reflects construction in the shape of a cross, referred to as cruciform. The stained-glass windows of this brick church were made in Germany. The Cathedral Basilica of St. James is located on Jay Street between Cathedral Place and Chapel Street in downtown Brooklyn.

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*DeSales Studios has produced a documentary on the 200th Anniversary of St. James which will premiere on NET-TV on August 14th at 5 p.m.  To view the trailer, click here:

https://vimeo.com/735611541/fdb168a0d0