FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 7, 2020

MEDIA CONTACTS:

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

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

The Diocese of Brooklyn Press Office is sharing this media advisory on behalf of our colleagues at Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens regarding an Emergency Pop-Up Food Pantry event taking place at St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Church in the Sunset Park section of Brooklyn. 

Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens to Distribute Bags of Food at an Emergency Pop-Up Food Pantry in Sunset Park, Brooklyn for Neighborhood Severely Impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic 

WHAT: Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens will distribute bags of food at an Emergency Pop-Up Food Pantry in Sunset Park at St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Church located at 345 43rd Street in Brooklyn on Friday, May 8, 2020, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., with Bishop-elect Kevin Sweeney, for a neighborhood severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

According to the New York City Department of Health, as of May 3, Brooklyn has seen 45,341 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 4,080 reported deaths, the second largest number of cases in New York City. Brooklyn and Queens account for nearly 60 percent of all COVID-19 cases in the New York metropolitan area.

 

Since March 24 Catholic Charities has:

• Provided over 53,800 meals at emergency Pop-Up Food Distributions in Brooklyn and Queens.
• Provided over 100,000 meals at our food pantries.
• Witnessed a massive 200 percent increase in demand for food at our existing food pantries.

 

On Friday, May 8, Catholic Charities will hand out:

• 1,500 bags of food
• Each bag consists of 3 meals for a family of three
• A total of nearly 13,500 meals
• Individuals will receive access to supportive services via our call center and behavioral health services via telehealth.
• Additional assistance, information and resources, including outreach material encouraging participants to self-respond to the 2020 Census

 

Photography and interviews will be available with Bishop-elect Kevin Sweeney. Please contact Lucy Garrido-Mota at Lucy.garrido-mota@ccbq.org or call 718-722-6211.

 

The Emergency Pop-Up Food Distribution is organized and funded by Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens as a direct response to our neighbors in need in both boroughs. To help, donate to Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens at www.ccbq.org.

 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 7, 2020

MEDIA CONTACTS:

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

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

CATHOLIC CEMETERIES OF BROOKLYN MAINTAIN VISITING HOURS THROUGHOUT COVID-19 PANDEMIC; WILL BE OPEN ON MOTHER’S DAY

 

Catholic Cemeteries of the Diocese of Brooklyn are continuing their policy of remaining open for visitation throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and will maintain visiting hours on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 10, 2020.

 

Since the onset of the Coronavirus, the Catholic Cemeteries of Brooklyn have maintained the following visiting hours; indoor community mausoleums from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and cemetery gates are open daily for outdoor grave visits from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

 

Catholic Cemeteries of the Diocese of Brooklyn own and operate the following: St. John Cemetery (Middle Village, Queens), St. Charles/Resurrection Cemeteries (Farmingdale), Mt. Saint Mary Cemetery (Flushing, Queens), and Holy Cross Cemetery (East Flatbush, Brooklyn). The hours of operation also apply to the parish cemeteries managed by Catholic Cemeteries of the Diocese of Brooklyn including St. Mary Star of the Sea (Lawrence), Most Holy Trinity (Brooklyn), and Trinity (Amityville) cemeteries.

 

All Masses, communion, and prayer services have been suspended. Cemetery offices are closed to the general public and visitor access but can be contacted on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and on Saturdays between 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. For more information, visit www.ccbklyn.org.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 6, 2020

MEDIA CONTACTS:

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

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

BISHOP DIMARZIO ON NATIONAL NURSES DAY: “NURSES ARE CARING PEOPLE”

 

The Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop of Brooklyn, is releasing a video message in recognition of today’s celebration of “National Nurses Day,” and in a special way, is acknowledging those on the front lines caring for Coronavirus patients. In his message, Bishop DiMarzio calls nurses “caring people” who through their service show “love just for the sake of loving other people.”

 

“What a time to appreciate nurses, of all the difficult times nurses may have found in the last century, this has been one of the most difficult ones, to be on the front lines, to be a first responder at this time,” says Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio.

 

In the video message, Bishop DiMarzio mentions his sister’s service as a nurse for over 40 years which has given him an understanding of the psychology of nurses.

 

“Nurses are caring people. They give of themselves to others very, very readily because this is their psychology, their nature, the vocation that they have followed out. They have taken risks, but they have done it certainly with the same attitude that the Lord himself, when he took risk for our part. That kind of love that has no exception but also has no equal, when we do love just for the sake of loving other people. Nurses are capable of that and they have done it,” concludes Bishop DiMarzio.

 

Bishop DiMarzio’s video message can be found here: https://vimeo.com/415494856

 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 5, 2020

MEDIA CONTACTS:

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

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

BISHOP DIMARZIO AND THE DIOCESE OF BROOKLYN HONOR EDUCATORS ON TEACHER APPRECIATION DAY

The Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop of Brooklyn, today is releasing a video message in celebration of “Teacher Appreciation Day.”  In his message, Bishop DiMarzio calls teachers “special people” who “give of themselves to their students,” while acknowledging the many challenges that teachers have had to face in the wake of the Coronavirus.

“We want to thank our teachers for what they do, for the sacrifices they make and for all the special sacrifices they have made during this time of the pandemic. We tip our hats to them because we know that their work will have an effect and our students will not fall behind. This learning experience perhaps teaches us that even when it’s difficult to learn, we perhaps sometimes learn better,” states Bishop DiMarzio.

Teachers of Diocese of Brooklyn academies and schools have risen to the challenge of teaching full-time in a virtual environment. By the first week of remote learning, 85% of our 3^rd to 8^th grade students were successfully transitioned to distance learning. By the end of March, close to 100% of them were learning online and digitally, thanks in part to the partnership with DeSales Media Group, which has provided diocesan academies with 11,000 Chromebooks and iPads.

“When the COVID-19 outbreak hit New York, we knew that our teachers would be challenged in ways they never were before, both professionally and spiritually. Although it wasn’t easy for them, I am extremely proud to say, our Catholic school teachers have risen to the occasion with great distinction,” said Dr. Thomas Chadzutko, Superintendent of Schools for the Diocese of Brooklyn, which includes all elementary Catholic academies and schools in Brooklyn and Queens.

 The Diocese of Brooklyn is grateful for the dedication of all its Catholic School teachers every day, but especially on National Teacher Appreciation Day. Being a Catholic school teacher is a vocation and not just a profession. In everyday life, our teachers have an essential role in a child’s Catholic education as they are our children’s trusted role models.

Bishop DiMarzio’s video message can be found on vimeo.com/414837749.

A tribute to teachers can be found on twitter.com/catholicschlsbq.

Teachers and students would be available for interviews.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 4, 2020

MEDIA CONTACTS:

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

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

UPDATE: The body of Fr Jorge Ortiz-Garay is now expected to arrive in Mexico on Wednesday due to issues with international travel as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Father Jorge Ortiz-Garay Begins Journey Home To His Final Resting Place in Mexico

 

The casket carrying the body of Father Jorge Ortiz-Garay, believed to be the first Catholic priest to have died from complications of the coronavirus in the U.S., is on a Delta Airlines flight bound for Mexico. Earlier today, the hearse carrying Fr. Jorge’s body left the Scotto Funeral Home in Brooklyn for the trip to John F. Kennedy International Airport. His body will arrive in Mexico City Monday afternoon after a layover in Atlanta. (UPDATED)

Fr. Jorge, 49, was the pastor of St. Brigid’s Roman Catholic Church in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn, when he died on Friday, March 27, 2020. He had been serving in the Diocese since 2009, first at St. Joseph’s in Prospect Heights, then at St. Brigid’s. Fr. Jorge was ordained to the Priesthood at the Archdiocese of Newark as a member of the Neocatechumenal Way on May 29, 2004.

“Today is Good Shepherd Sunday, and we sent home a good shepherd to Mexico, a son of Our Lady of Guadalupe,” said Monsignor Kieran Harrington, Vicar for Communications of the Brooklyn Diocese. Msgr. Harrington gave Fr. Jorge a final blessing before the hearse was closed.

The Diocese of Brooklyn is grateful to United States Senator Charles Schumer and his staff, Governor Andrew Cuomo and his staff as well as members of Mayor Bill DeBlasio’s administration, the New York City Police Department, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and their Police Department, for their assistance in making it possible to get Father Jorge’s body back to his native Mexico. The arrangements were handled by Funeral Director John Heyer of Scotto Funeral Home and transportation logistics were arranged by Vincent LeVien, Director of External Affairs for DeSales Media Group and the Diocese of Brooklyn Emergency Task Force.

“We pray for the repose of his soul and for the consolation of his family, friends, and all those to whom he ministered to in the Diocese of Brooklyn. May he rest in the peace of Christ, the Risen Lord,” concluded Monsignor Harrington.

A Memorial Mass will be celebrated in honor of Father Jorge Ortiz-Garay in the Diocese of Brooklyn at a later date.

Photos attached; Courtesy: Rob Rich

 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 1, 2020

MEDIA CONTACTS:

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

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

Statement by Superintendent of Brooklyn and Queens Catholic Schools Regarding Remainder of 2019-2020 School Year

 

Dr. Thomas Chadzutko, Superintendent of Schools for the Diocese of Brooklyn, which includes all elementary Catholic academies and schools in Brooklyn and Queens, has issued the following statement following Governor Cuomo’s school closure announcement:

“We just learned of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s decision that all elementary and secondary schools shall remain closed for the duration of the current 2019-2020 school year, as New York continues efforts to prevent the spread of Coronavirus. As such, the Catholic academies and parish schools within the Diocese of Brooklyn, which includes Queens, will remain closed through the end of June. The distance and digital learning platforms in place will serve as the instructional program for our schools for the remainder of this academic year.

I am very proud of our schools and academies, who were successfully able to transition to a distance and digital learning platform almost immediately upon our school buildings being shut down. This would not have been possible without the hard work of our teachers and the leadership of our dedicated principals, who rose to this enormous challenge. Our Catholic schools and academies have continued to provide each of our students with a faith-based academic program, ensuring that they are being challenged to learn every day. Our parents have also contributed immeasurably to the success of this new digital learning environment.

We will be working with our principals and teachers to ensure that our milestone celebrations (graduations, step-up ceremonies, and other achievements) will be honored and recognized. As we have done so far during this pandemic, we will continue to assemble and share resources for our families as we confront this challenging end to the school year.

The Coronavirus statistics indicate that both Brooklyn and Queens have been the hardest-hit areas in New York City and State. As a Catholic school community in the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, we continue to pray for everyone’s health and safety. Our faith, love, and hope remain central to all we do now and in the future.”

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 1, 2020

MEDIA CONTACTS:

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

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 30, 2020

MEDIA CONTACTS:

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

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