Please click on link to find the statement by the Most Reverend Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, Ph.D., D.D. Bishop of Brooklyn on Christ the King.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 5, 2013

After two years of futile negotiations, the Diocese of Brooklyn was reluctantly left with no other recourse but to sue Christ the King High School for refusing to re-affirm a longstanding covenant to return the school property to the Diocese under certain limited circumstances and for conducting, without the prior consent of the Diocese, various enterprises unrelated to a Catholic high school.

The suit seeks to compel Christ the King to abide by the terms of the agreement signed in 1976 to re-convey the property to the Diocese in the event there is no longer a Catholic high school on the premise. It remains the Diocese’s fervent and prayerful hope that each of the Catholic high schools, including Christ the King, will continue to prosper and serve the children of Brooklyn and Queens.

The suit also asks that the school provide copies of all leases and pertinent agreements for the various secular business enterprises that have leased portions of the property over the years.  These include Continuing Education, a day care center run by the daughter of the school’s president and most recently a new Charter school.

Due to financial constraints encountered in the mid-70s, the Diocese restructured the Diocesan high schools in Brooklyn and Queens.  At that time, the Diocese owned and operated six Catholic High Schools within the two boroughs, consisting of Bishop Ford, Bishop Kearney and Nazareth in Brooklyn and St. Francis Prep, St. John’s Prep and Christ the King in Queens.

The Diocese agreed to transfer title to the school property at no cost to non-profit corporations operated by religious and lay people committed to continuing to operate a Catholic high school at each of the properties. These agreements provided that the entire property could only be used for a Catholic high school and if the school closed, the property would revert back to the Diocese.

Although the other five Catholic schools have reaffirmed the right of the Diocese to regain the property should their school close, Christ the King has refused.  Moreover, Christ the King has recently rented 50,000 square feet to a secular Charter school and again has refused to comply with the Diocese’s rules with regards to renting to a Charter school.

Since Charter schools directly compete with Catholic elementary schools which charge tuition, the Diocese requires that any high school or parish that rents unused space to a Charter school remit 40% of the rental revenues into the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Trust, which grants scholarships to disadvantaged students attending Catholic elementary schools negatively impacted by the Charter school.  None of the money held by the Trust is turned over to the Diocese.

Although the various parishes and the other Catholic High Schools in the Diocese, who have leased unused space to a Charter school, have all agreed to remit 40% of its rental income to the Trust, Christ the King again has refused.

“It is sad that we have to go to these lengths to have the rights of the people who comprise this Diocese reaffirmed by the court,” said Msgr. Steven Aguggia, judicial vicar of the Diocese. “But it’s time for the Diocese to get a full accounting from the Christ the King’s board of what has transpired over the years.”

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

Marty McLaughlin
212-437-7373
917-282-4231
mjm@candm1.com

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 25, 2013

On Tuesday, October 29th at 7:30 p.m., on the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy, family and friends of one of the hardest hit parishes in the Diocese of Brooklyn will gather for a commemoration and healing Mass at St. Mary Star of the Sea, located at 1920 New Haven Avenue, Far Rockaway.

After the super storm, thousands of those in this Far Rockaway community flocked to the parish for relief. Within days, a community-based disaster relief center was set up at the parish’s St. Gertrude’s location in nearby Edgemere, which helped many residents, both Catholic and non-Catholic.

Of the 1,200 parishioners of St. Mary of the Sea, over 60-percent are Spanish-speaking, including many undocumented immigrants who still feel the aftermath of the hurricane twelve months later.

Over 400 families participated in the D-SNAP program, where they received awards ranging between $700 and $900. This was the only program assisting storm victims that allowed the undocumented to participate. Many are left unable to qualify for any FEMA assistance due to their immigrant status. St. Mary Star of the Sea served as one of the pickup locations for Diocese-sponsored shuttle buses transporting the D-SNAP applicants to the New York City Human Resources Administration registration center in Downtown Brooklyn in mid-December 2012.

Father Fulgencio Gutierrez, pastor, said the church has assisted people in many ways, including helping them pay rent and providing clothing for children.

Tuesday’s Mass marking the one-year anniversary will be celebrated in hopes of “healing the psychological trauma of the past year, and to give thanks for the generosity of so many who responded to not only our physical needs but also to our spiritual anguish. During the first two weeks after the storm, we were isolated. There was no electricity and no transportation, but people came anyway to help clean, and distribute food and clothing to our brothers and sisters,” he said.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

Stefanie Gutierrez
917-587-2784
sgutierrez@desalesmedia.org

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 2, 2013

FUTURES IN EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIP FUND TO ASSIST IMPOVERISHED STUDENTS

Futures in Education will host the 2013 Annual Scholarship Fund Dinner on October 9th, in the Grand Ballroom of The Waldorf Astoria, New York City.

“Many families want their children to have a solid education, grounded in the Catholic faith, but do not have the financial means to make that happen,” said the Most Rev. Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop of Brooklyn. “We have over 30,000 students in our Catholic elementary schools and academies and over one-third of them fall below the poverty level of $27,000 a year. These are financial-based scholarships; children that would never get a good quality Catholic education if it was not for Futures in Education.”

The Futures in Education dinner brings over 1,000 people together to raise money for scholarships for the children in Catholic schools in Brooklyn and Queens. This year, the non-profit organization will honor Honorable Raymond Kelly, Police Commissioner for the City of New York, and an alumnus of Bishop Molloy High School, Queens, and Anthony Bonomo, CEO of Administrators for the Professions, Inc., and an alumnus of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Brooklyn.

“It is a struggle for our families to pay tuition, yet our parents choose Catholic education for their children because of our caring and nurturing environment, solid test scores, high graduation rates and acceptance into four-year universities,” said Msgr. Jamie Gigantiello, Vicar for Development of the Diocese of Brooklyn. “The leadership and support of our dinner attendees and sponsors help us in assisting underprivileged, inner-city children through the gift of education.”

More information can be found at futuresineducation.org.

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 10, 2013

MSGR. KIERAN HARRINGTON APPOINTED FIRST RECTOR
OF ST. JOSEPH’S CO-CATHEDRAL

The Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop of Brooklyn, will preside over the installation of the Reverend Monsignor Kieran E. Harrington as the first Rector of the newly named Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph, 856 Pacific Street, on Sunday, September 15th, at 12 p.m. St. Joseph’s was elevated to a cathedral on February 14th, one of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s last acts before his resignation on February 28th.

“I appointed Monsignor Harrington five years ago as administrator of St. Joseph’s,” said Bishop DiMarzio. “During that time, he worked with many different people to make sure the infrastructure of the church was upgraded, but as we all know, a church is not just brick and mortar. A church is about its people. And over the past five years, the parish has become vibrant and grown in no small part to Monsignor Harrington and his collaborators. I am confident under his leadership, the co-cathedral will be at the heart of the development of the new Brooklyn.”

Before St. Joseph’s elevation, St. James Cathedral Basilica, Downtown Brooklyn, was the only cathedral in the 160-year history of the Diocese, which was founded in 1853. St. James Cathedral was previously a pro-cathedral from the moment the Diocese was founded; it was conceived that a new cathedral would be built. St. Joseph’s, which can accommodate 1,500 people, is one of the largest churches in the Diocese. It is for this reason the Bishop sought permission for it to be named a co-cathedral.

The Reverend Monsignor Kieran E. Harrington, V.E., is Vicar for Communications for the Diocese of Brooklyn. He also serves as the President and Chairman of DeSales Media Group, a full-service media company that includes NET NY, a cable television station that can be seen in New York City on Cablevision Ch. 30 and Time Warner Ch. 97, and On Demand on Verizon Fios; The Tablet, the Diocese of Brooklyn’s weekly newspaper with a circulation of 80,000 and 30,000 unique online visitors per month; a technology division overseeing 21 websites; as well as a public relations office serving ecclesiastical needs.

Since 2008, Monsignor Harrington has served as the Administrator of the Church of Saint Joseph in the Prospect Heights section of Brooklyn, before his appointment to Rector after Pope Benedict XVI elevated the church to cathedral status. He graduated cum laude from St. John’s University with a degree in Philosophy. He holds a Masters of Divinity degree from the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception and a Masters of Business Administration from the N.Y.U. Stern School of Business.

The Most Reverend Thomas V. Daily ordained him a priest at Saint James Cathedral Basilica on June 2, 2001. His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI elevated him to the rank of Papal Chaplain with the title of Reverend Monsignor on September 3, 2009.

***

The Diocese of Brooklyn, which also encompasses the borough of Queens, was formed in 1853 and is the fifth largest diocese in the United States. It is the only entirely urban diocese in the country. The diocese serves 1.4 million Catholics in its 186 parishes. Last year, over 17,000 baptisms, 8,000 confirmations, 10,000 First Communions, and 2,000 marriages took place in the diocese. There are over 30,000 students in 97 Catholic schools and academies.

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

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 31, 2013

STATEMENT OF BISHOP NICHOLAS DIMARZIO ON THE APPOINTMENT OF
BISHOP FRANK CAGGIANO AS FIFTH BISHOP OF BRIDGEPORT, CONN.

This morning, the Holy Father appointed the Most Reverend Frank Caggiano as the Fifth Bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Bishop Caggiano, who was ordained a priest in 1987 for the Diocese of Brooklyn, has served in a number of pastoral and administrative positions. He has been both a pastor and also responsible for the formation of men for the permanent diaconate. Since 2006, Bishop Caggiano has served as Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia.

First and foremost, Bishop Caggiano is an outstanding teacher, as is evidenced by the Holy See selecting him twice to offer catechesis to the young people at World Youth Days both in Madrid 2011 and just recently in Rio de Janeiro.

“For twenty-six years, Bishop Caggiano has faithfully served the faithful of Brooklyn and Queens, and I can attest that he is an outstanding priest. He has been one of my closest collaborators,” said the Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop of Brooklyn. “I had the privilege of ordaining Bishop Caggiano to the Episcopacy, and I can unequivocally state that he will be an outstanding pastor to the faithful of Bridgeport.”

Bishop DiMarzio continued, “Bishop Caggiano was at the forefront of reorganizing Catholic schools and academies to make them sustainable for many years into the future. Also under his guidance, all of our parishes were placed on firm financial footing to ensure their vibrancy for many years to come. Bishop Caggiano embodies the best of the vision that Pope Francis has for those who are called to be shepherds in the Church. I offer my prayers for Bishop Caggiano as he undertakes this new ministry in his Episcopacy.”

The announcement will be live streamed beginning at 10am this morning.  The link may be found at www.dioceseofbrooklyn.org

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON
THE STATEMENT OF BISHOP DIMARZIO:
Stefanie Gutierrez
917-587-2784
sgutierrez@desalesmedia.org

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON
THE DIOCESE OF BRIDGEPORT, CONN.:
Office of Communications
203-416-1461

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Diocese of Brooklyn sends nearly 300 youth to Rio de Janeiro with Prayer Coins

BROOKLYN, NY — July 23, 2013 — DeSales Media today launches Pray with the
Pope, a website and corresponding mobile app that allows individuals and
communities to dedicate prayer time in alignment with the Holy Father’s monthly
intentions.

Pray with the Pope is the first phase of a large-scale technology project designed
to welcome new members to the Church and create a unified, modern Catholic
experience.

The Diocese of Brooklyn has minted 20,000 Medallions, or prayer coins, all
which contain a unique alphanumeric code. Recipients of the coins enter the
code into the website or use the augmented reality reader embedded in the
mobile app on their smartphone to “log” the coin. They can then schedule their
prayer time to map it on the Prayer Wall among thousands of others, with the
goal of achieving universal unbroken prayer across cultures and nations.

The next feature to be released is an interactive prayer globe, where users can
view those prayers taking place in real-time as well as see where their coin has
travelled. This data visualization feature uses the recently released API from
Google Earth and is one of the first applications of this technology.

To help spread awareness of this new tool, the Diocese of Brooklyn is enabling
300 young members of the Church to travel to Rio de Janeiro for World Youth
Day. Today they will begin passing out thousands of coins to fellow attendees
and encourage them to log their coins and schedule prayer time.

Longtime Church supporter and celebrity Martin Sheen was the first person to
receive a Medallion and has expressed admiration for the project. The interview
in which he receives the coin will air as part of “Currents” on NET TV in New York
this week.

CONTACT:
Stefanie Gutierrez
Press Secretary
Diocese of Brooklyn
sgutierrez@desalesmedia.org
917-587-2784

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 27, 2013

Largest Ordination Class for the Diocese of Brooklyn Since 2007

Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio will ordain eight men to the priesthood for the Diocese of Brooklyn at a Mass at St. James Cathedral Basilica, 250 Cathedral Place, Downtown Brooklyn, on Saturday June 29th at 11 a.m.
Three of the men hail from Haiti, two have Korean origins, one an African-American, one an Italian- American and one a Filipino-American. They are Dwayne Davis, Raymond Flores, Stephen Giulietti, Paul Young Kim, Jun Hee Lee, Michel Pierre Louis, Killick Pierrilus and Lucon Riguad.
“The Ordination of priests has been one of the great joys of my Episcopal ministry and I have had the privilege of Ordaining 45 men to the priesthood, including our eight newly Ordained, since I came to the Diocese in 2003,” said Bishop DiMarzio. “Their language abilities certainly cover the needs of our multi-ethnic Diocese, and I admire each of these young men. Despite the many distractions of the world, they have given up everything to come and follow Christ.”
The Ordination Mass can be watched on NET TV on Cablevision Ch. 30 and TimeWarner Ch. 97, and will be live-streamed at www.netny.net.

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

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Please click on link for the USCCB press release on the Supreme Court decision on marriage

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 8, 2013

The following funeral services for Bishop Joseph Sullivan have been established. All services
listed below are open to the public.

Monday, June 10th
Wake
2 – 5 p.m., 7 – 9 p.m.
McLaughlin & Sons Funeral Home
9620 Third Avenue (on the corner of 97th Street)
Brooklyn, New York 11209

Tuesday, June 11th
Wake
12 p.m. – 5 p.m.
McLaughlin & Sons Funeral Home
7:30 p.m. Vigil Mass
Our Lady of Hope R.C. Church
61-21 71st Street (Eliot Avenue and 72nd Street)
Middle Village, New York 11379

Wednesday, June 12th
11 a.m. Funeral Mass
Church of St. Ephrem
929 Bay Ridge Parkway
(75th Street between Fort Hamilton Parkway & 10th Avenue)
Brooklyn, New York 11228

Burial to follow
St. John’s Cemetery
8001 Metropolitan Avenue
Middle Village, New York 11379

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Stefanie Gutierrez
718-517-3112
sgutierrez@desalesmedia.org

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