CATHOLIC CHURCH IN NYC LAUNCHES CHRISTMAS AD CAMPAIGN

In partnership with the Archdiocese of New York, the Diocese of Brooklyn has launched a campaign to promote the Sacrament of Reconciliation and encourage people to return to church during the Christmas season. On December 14th, parishes from the five boroughs and the upper counties will offer Reconciliation Monday. Confessions will be made available in all churches from 4 p.m. through 8 p.m.

Inspired by Pope Francis’ announcement on the Jubilee Year of Mercy, which begins on December 8th, the ad campaign calls on all Catholics to give witness to the mercy of God and focus on what it means to be faithful, targeting the diversified population of the Greater New York area and beyond.
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NET TV Announces Special Christmas Programming

Today, New Evangelization Television (NET TV), announced its special programming for the Christmas Season.

On Saturday, December 20th, A Christmas Variety Special will bring all the fun and entertainment of the season in one hour of holiday cheer. Premiering at 8 p.m, with encores throughout the week, the program will be hosted by actor Anthony Mangano, from the award winning series City of Churches, and co-hosted by comedian Joe Manno, from CBS-TV’s Emmy Award winning Afternoon Special: All In One. A Christmas Variety Special is a family oriented program that features a unique concept in holiday entertainment that is rarely seen on television anymore. Not only does it include popular holiday tunes and humorous comedy sketches, but also traditional religious themes and carols. Guest stars include Lenny Venito from ABC-TV’s hit show The Neighbors, Lou Martini Jr. from HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, Jimmy Palumbo from HBO’s The Sopranos, Joe D’Onofrio from the TBS sitcom Are We There Yet?, Mario Bosco from ABC-TV’s Jimmy Kimmel Live, plus a special appearance by Santa Claus.

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“God Enters Into Creation” by Bishop DiMarzio

December 17, 2014 – Excerpted from “Put Out Into the Deep,” Bishop DiMarzio’s column in The Tablet:

My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

Christmas in many ways is one of the most nostalgic periods of time. We have many treasured memories, especially surrounding the celebration of Christmas. Perhaps as we come closer to this Christmas, we can recall these memories.

For me, it was the annual ritual of buying the Christmas tree and decorating it, but most importantly placing the Christmas crèche, or presepio, beneath the tree. I learned from my grandmother that the presepio truly is, in the Italian tradition, a manifestation of Christ to the world. And so the images that were placed in the crèche would represent every possible human and animal form.

And so whatever figurines were in the house … animals, snowmen, Santa Claus, etc., they were all placed in the crèche because it was the point when Christ, the newborn, God-Man, manifested Himself to all of creation. This memory has remained with me all my life. In fact, in the vestibule of our Chancery building, there is a very large Neapolitan presepio that was presented to me by the Italian Trade Commission several years ago. It represents the same type of universal manifestation of Christ in a setting in an Italian village where everyone is going about their normal life … fishing, farming, blacksmithing, cooking … whatever their daily activity is. In the center is Christ, Who enters human history, not completely changing it, but becoming part of it.

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

Opera OggiNY Announce Production of Hansel and Gretel With Special Holiday Pricing

Opera Oggi New York will offer a performance of this fairy tale masterpiece with exceptional artists whose mission it is to connect with new audiences of all ages. As soon as the overture of this perennial Christmas favorite begins, it is clear Humperdinck’s music is some of the most well-known and most accessible in all of opera. Hansel and Gretel tells the story of what is most likely the most famous of all fairy tales, and carries with it messages of love, growth and children rising above adversity. This opera is surely one of the best by which to introduce new comers to this incredible art form and further it is one wherein families can both enjoy and create bonds of shared experiences that last a lifetime.

The performance of the opera take place on Thursday, December 11 at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph at 7 PM. And as a thank you to their wonderful audiences, they are offering discounted prices as a holiday gift. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children under 16. You can pay at the door or through PayPal at operaogginy.info.

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Press Release: New Christmas Campaign Aims to Extend Catholic Welcome in Brooklyn and Queens

See the entire Christmas campaign.
See the entire Christmas campaign.

On Dec. 2, the Diocese of Brooklyn launched a new advertising campaign encouraging people to return to Mass. The campaign showcases different messages inviting people of Brooklyn and Queens to join their closest church.

“By coming among us as a man, God expresses His solidarity with humanity. Christmas is that time of year when we celebrate that great generosity of God by recommitting ourselves to one another,” said the Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop of Brooklyn.

The campaign includes a series of print ads and 30-second radio messages focusing on its main theme: “Join us this Christmas.” The posters will be advertised in multiple languages to meet the needs of each neighborhood.

“New York is an exciting place to live. Yet for some it can also be lonely. We launched this campaign to remind our neighbors that they are not alone, that we are family,” said Monsignor Kieran Harrington, Vicar for Communications for the Diocese of Brooklyn.

“These creative ads are our response to Pope Francis’ call for a Church of mercy and hope, ‘where everyone is welcomed, loved and forgiven’,” added Bishop DiMarzio.

The Diocese of Brooklyn, which also encompasses the borough of Queens, serves more than 1.4 million Catholics. Due to its multicultural and diverse populations, Masses are regularly held in 33 different languages across the Diocese, throughout 187 parishes with 213 churches.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Stefanie Gutierrez
917-587-2784
sgutierrez@desalesmedia.org

Rocio Fidalgo
718-213-1955
rfidalgo@desalesmedia.org

New Christmas Campaign Aims to Extend Catholic Welcome in Brooklyn and Queens

On Dec. 2, the Diocese of Brooklyn launched a new advertising campaign encouraging people to return to Mass. The campaign showcases different messages inviting people of Brooklyn and Queens to join their closest church.

A slideshow of the ads is below, and the complete press release is here. Scroll down for downloadable, high-resolution images of the ads.

Click here to view the extensive media coverage this campaign received.

They-Found-Their-Sign_English_750px
They-Found-Their-Sign-Mandarin
They-Found-Their-Sign_Spanish_750px
Everyone's-On-The-List_750
Family-1_750px
(Spanish)Familia-1_750
Family-2_750
(Spanish)Familia-Spanish_750
The-Original-Friends-and-Family-Plan-750px
The-Original-Friends-and-Family-Plan-Spanish-750px
His-Line-is-Always-Open_750
Its-Never-Just-A-Selfie_750
NeverMissAConnection-Airports_750
Party-Like-Its-1AD_750
Pray-for-peace-this-christmas_World-Peace_750px
Save-The-Date-He-Saved-You_750px

 

Click the images below to download high-resolution posters: 

They Found Their Sign high resolution
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They Found Their Sign high resolution Mandarin
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They Found Their Sign high resolution Spanish
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Everyone's On The List
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Family 1 high resolution
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Family 2 high resolution
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Familia 1 high resolution
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Familia 2 high resolution
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Original Friends and Family Plan high resolution
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Original Friends and Family Plan high resolution Spanish
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His Line is Always Open high resolution
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Its Never Just A Selfie high resolution
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Never Miss A Connection high resolution
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Party Like Its 1AD high resolution
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Pray for peace high resolution
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Save the Date high resolution
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