FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 28, 2024

BISHOP ROBERT BRENNAN CELEBRATES MASS IN HONOR OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH

            Bishop Robert Brennan, Bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn which includes Queens, led a Black History Month Mass of Thanksgiving on Sunday, February 25, 2024, at Immaculate Conception Parish in the Jamaica section of Queens.

The theme of the Mass was “Spiritual Unity Through Cultural Diversity,” but Father Robert Seay, OFM, Pastor Emeritus of Our Lady of Charity in Brooklyn and homilist for the Mass, talked about the difficulties faced by Black Catholics today.

“The frustration that has happened, to especially black people when you listen, is that we are not at the table, that we, the decisions are made, and we are being eaten up by maintenance rather than mission. That’s what I hear. And I hear so many people saying I can’t take it any longer. So, the faith is shattered by a lot right now, but we also can come and celebrate the good times and look towards the future that we will be included in the church,” preached Father Seay.

“That’s exactly what Pope Francis is asking with the Synod – that we listen deeply to one another. And so, it is important for me, as we do some of our planning, to hear the voices of all people, of all races and perspectives in everything we do in the Diocese. One of the lessons I have learned is that we may or may not be able to identify with others, but we need to listen and hear people’s troubles and concerns. And that’s what the Black History Month Mass was about. It’s not just that we listen to one another when there’s something wrong, but that we’re listening to one another in the course of our day to day lives,” said Bishop Brennan.

During his tenure at the Weeksville, Brooklyn Church, Father Seay became known for his work to promote peace, and his leadership led to his membership on the Mayor’s Pastoral Council. He has dedicated his life’s work to educating the youth and improving race relations. Bishop Brennan says Father Seay’s words are important to hear now more than ever.

“The celebration on Sunday was of Black History Month. We remember the history, but we also are writing the history of now. That was a big theme at the National Black Catholic Congress, that we’re writing the history that people will look back on in the future. Coming here to Brooklyn, and Queens, I see great participation and I value the perspectives, the experiences, the hopes and the dreams of all of our people,” continued Bishop Brennan.

This year, the Vicariate Office of Black Catholic Concerns added some new features to the annual Mass. Each black ethnic apostolate was asked to participate, and the national flag of each represented country was flown during the opening procession.

Bishop Brennan is the chairman-elect of the Committee on Cultural Diversity for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Sunday’s Mass was organized by the Vicariate Office of Black Catholic Concerns for the Diocese of Brooklyn. The rousing music at the Mass was led by the Sr. Thea Bowman Choir under the direction of Darcel Whitten-Wilamowski.

Diocese of Brooklyn Black History Month Mass

Courtesy: NET TV/DeSales Media https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgB6Tcfg9ts

Photos 1-3 / Courtesy: DeSales Media

Photos 4-9 / Courtesy: Michael Davis & Jonathan Sims

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 25, 2024

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BISHOP BRENNAN CELEBRATES THE 100^TH ANNIVERSARY OF ST. GABRIEL CHURCH

Bishop Robert Brennan, Bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn which includes Queens, celebrated the Spanish Mass earlier today to mark the 100^th Anniversary of St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother Roman Catholic Church located in the East Elmhurst section of Queens.

“St. Gabriel’s has a history of bringing people together to encounter Jesus. In this Church, over the years, many things have changed on the inside and outside. But one thing doesn’t change – we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. We inherited a lot over these 100 years, and now it is our turn to make this faith community even stronger,” said Bishop Robert Brennan.

The first Mass of St. Gabriel’s was celebrated on July 7, 1923, in Stotzky’s Belvedere Park and the cornerstone of the church was laid on June 29, 1924. St. Gabriel Church opened in the location where it stands today on January 1, 1925. The first Spanish Mass was held in the Lower Church in 1971.

The Mass was followed by a reception in the parish hall.

The Feast Day of St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows is celebrated by the Church annually on February 27. Father Nicholas Apollonio is the Pastor.

Video footage: https://vimeo.com/916528516

The video and photos attached are courtesy of John Quaglione/DeSales Media.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 16, 2024

The Diocese of Brooklyn is announcing a blatant act of vandalism which occurred last Friday night, February 9, 2024, at St. Rita’s Church in Long Island City, Queens.

At about 8:45 p.m. the pastor, Father Jose Carlos da Silva, who was in the rectory, heard something smash in the church. Father da Silva saw a man in front of the chapel, who ran away after he called out to him from a window. There was a prayer group meeting inside the church at the time. No one was injured.

A stained-glass window was broken. A construction cone was thrown at a statue of the Blessed Mother which stands in front of the window. There was no damage to that statue. 

“It was very disturbing and unsettling to hear breaking glass as a prayer group was gathered in the church.  Luckily, no one was injured, and the suspect did not try to come in. I believe the orange construction cone that was thrown was intended to hit the Blessed Mother statue, but the vandal missed. Instead, it hit one of our original stained-glass windows behind it. This is a hate crime against the Catholic Church, and the perpetrator must understand that he has caused pain for the entire parish community of St. Rita’s,” said Father Jose Carlos da Silva, the parish pastor.

The cost of the damage to the 60-year-old-stained glass window is estimated at $10,000. The window was broken on the 11th street side of the church near the rectory entrance. Anyone with information on this incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).

VIMEO Link: https://vimeo.com/913699351

For Immediate Release: February 15, 2024

Bishop Robert Brennan, Bishop of Brooklyn, led a bi-lingual Mass (English and Chinese) Sunday, February 11, 2024, in honor of the Lunar New Year at St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Church, in Flushing, Queens. This is the Year of the Dragon and symbolizes strength, power, good fortune, and success.

At the conclusion of the Mass, an Ancestors Veneration Ritual ceremony took place. It is a New Year’s tradition in which Chinese people give thanks to God and their ancestors. The rituals include nine bows to God, the offering of fruits, flowers and incense, and the exchange of New Year greetings among the faithful.

The celebration of the Lunar New Year featured cultural singing, dancing, and a special martial arts performance.

“We would be lost if we didn’t have you and we didn’t have all the gifts and the richness of the Chinese culture that you bring,” preached Bishop Brennan.

Father Vincentius Do is the Pastor of St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Church and serves as head of the Chinese Apostolate for the Diocese of Brooklyn.

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For Immediate Release: February 14, 2024

Bishop Robert J. Brennan, Bishop of Brooklyn, celebrated Mass and distributed ashes today at the Noon Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. James in Downtown Brooklyn. 

“During the season of Lent, we focus in on spending this extra time with God, whether it be through your own Lenten practices or with this pilgrimage of faith, to allow God to speak to us. ‘Repent and Believe in the Good News,’ are words we hear as we receive our ashes. Believe that you are loved by God, believe that God wants your heart, and believe that the Lord is reaching out to you,” said Bishop Robert Brennan during his homily.

Today also marked the start of the 2024 Diocesan Lenten Pilgrimage in Brooklyn and Queens, where the faithful will have the opportunity to visit different churches over the next 40 days. Individual parishes will offer opportunities for Mass, prayer, and reflection during these visits. The complete schedule can be found online at lent.diobrook.org.

Ash Wednesday begins the Christian observance of the season of Lent. As is customary, the ashes used on Ash Wednesday are made by burning the blessed palms distributed the prior year on Palm Sunday. Lent ends with the celebration of the Sacred Triduum, the three holiest days of the year: Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil. Easter Sunday will be celebrated this year on March 31.

Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/913087064

Vimeo and photos are courtesy of John Quaglione/DeSales Media.

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