FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 21, 2023

***MEDIA ADVISORY***

BISHOP ROBERT BRENNAN TO CELEBRATE ASH WEDNESDAY AND KICK-OFF DIOCESAN LENTEN PILGRIMAGE 

The Most Reverend Robert J. Brennan, Bishop of Brooklyn, will celebrate the Noon Mass and distribute ashes tomorrow, Ash Wednesday, February 22, 2023, at St. James Cathedral Basilica, located at 250 Cathedral Place in Downtown Brooklyn.

The first ever 2023 Diocesan Lenten Pilgrimage will also begin on Ash Wednesday and continue for 40 days, visiting churches throughout Brooklyn and Queens. At the conclusion of the Ash Wednesday Mass, Bishop Brennan will begin the Pilgrimage with Eucharistic Adoration at St. James. At the different churches throughout the pilgrimage, the visits will include Mass, confession, praying the Rosary, and time for reflection. Pilgrims will receive a passport they can get stamped at each church they visit. (PDF attached)

Tomorrow’s Mass and Eucharistic Adoration will be broadcast live on the Brooklyn Diocesan Cable Channel, NET-TV, available on Channel 97 (Spectrum), Channel 30 (Optimum), and Channel 548 (Fios).

Other Masses Bishop Brennan will preside over tomorrow and distribute ashes:

• 7 a.m.     Our Lady of Consolation Church, 184 Metropolitan Avenue,

Williamsburg, Brooklyn (Bi-lingual English & Polish)

• 4 p.m.      St. Patrick’s Church, 39-38 29th Street, Long Island City,

Queens (Bi-lingual English & Spanish)

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 April 9, 2023.

Members of the media are welcome to attend and are asked to confirm their attendance via e-mail to arodriguez@desalesmedia.org

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In celebration of the Lunar New Year on Sunday, January 22, more than 400 members of the St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Church parish, located in the Flushing section of Queens, hosted a special afternoon of prayer, remembrance, and cultural activities. This year celebrates the Year of the Rabbit.

Auxiliary Bishop James Massa of the Diocese of Brooklyn led a bilingual Mass (English and Chinese) to begin the parish celebration of the Chinese New Year. At the conclusion of the Mass, there was an Ancestors Veneration Ritual.

The ceremony is a Chinese New Year’s tradition where people give thanks to their ancestors and pay tribute to their family’s past. The rituals include nine bows to God, the offering of fruits, flowers, and incense, and the exchange of New Year greetings among the faithful.

A Lunar New Year party and celebration followed the Mass in the parish hall. The featured cultural music and dancing, including the Fan Dance and the Umbrella Dance, as well as food and raffles.

Father Vincentius Do is the Pastor of St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Church in Flushing. Father Do also serve as the Chinese Apostolate for the Diocese of Brooklyn.

The photos attached are courtesy of St. Michael Roman Catholic Church/Diocese of Brooklyn.

 

 

The Diocese of Brooklyn Vicariate for Black Catholic Concerns hosted a community forum this morning in advance of the annual Diocesan Prayer Service, commemorating the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at St. Kevin’s Parish, located in the Flushing section of Queens.

The morning dialogue on the issue of racism and the need to keep Dr. King’s spirit alive within our communities, schools, and churches was attended by more than 150 people. The panelists included Father Ajani Gibson of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, Deacon Kevin McCormack, Superintendent of Brooklyn and Queens Catholic Schools, and Ms. Lorraine Pierre, Principal of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Academy located in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn.

A midday prayer service followed at Noon in honor of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The guest homilist was Father Ajani Gibson, a priest of the Archdiocese of New Orleans who currently serves as Administrator of St. Peter Claver Parish in New Orleans. The choir of St. Martin de Porres Parish provided the music for the service. An excerpt from “The Three Evils of Society” by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was read aloud at the service.

“As we reflect on his dedication to bringing witness to God’s love for all of us. Each of us is created in the image and likeness of God, and Dr. King wanted to live in a world respectful of the dignity of every human being. Let us ask God in His goodness to help root out the evils of racism and hatred within our society and create a community of acceptance and unity,” said the Most Reverend Robert Brennan, Bishop of Brooklyn.

“Racism is not just a sin, not just this separation of folks here on Earth. It’s a denial of what God has done and has done since the beginning. It is a denial of the very thing that God set in the heart of human beings when he created us,” said Father Ajani Gibson.

“Adversarial dualism, it’s me versus you, it’s us versus them, it’s the distinction that you’re not me and I’m not you as soon as I meet you.  When I put you in a category like that, or you put me in a category like that, we are in a situation of separation, alienation, and discrimination, and what that allows me to do is treat you differently,” said Deacon Kevin McCormack.

The photos and video are courtesy of DeSales Media.

VIMEO link: https://vimeo.com/789859749

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE DIOCESE OF BROOKLYN OFFERS MASS TODAY TO HONOR THE
LIFE OF POPE BENEDICT XVI

            The Diocese of Brooklyn celebrated a Mass in honor of the late Pope Benedict XVI, today, Thursday, January 5, 2023, at 12 p.m. at the Cathedral Basilica of St. James, located at 250 Cathedral Place in Downtown Brooklyn.

Auxiliary Bishop Neil Tiedemann was the main celebrant of the Mass, which was concelebrated by about 20 priests of the diocese. Five deacons were also on hand, along with students from nearly all of the Catholic high schools in the diocese.

“Today, we believe that the promise that Jesus makes to us, the souls of the just, are in his hands. Benedict is with Him. We are told that we are children of God, but what we shall be we don’t know. But we will see God as He is, and we will become like Him. You and I will become like Him, but we pray this morning our brother Benedict, our shepherd, sees God as He is,” preached Bishop Tiedemann. (SOT in the video below)

The video and photos below are courtesy of DeSales Media.

Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/786708357

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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BISHOP ROBERT BRENNAN LIGHTS CHRISTMAS TREE AND BLESSES
NATIVITY SCENE IN GRAND ARMY PLAZA

 

The Most Reverend Robert J. Brennan, Bishop of Brooklyn, joined DeSales Media at the official Diocesan Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony and blessing of the Nativity Scene, in front of the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch located at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn this evening.

“We are going to push back the darkness in the light of this glorious Christmas tree so that all of Brooklyn can see what we are celebrating, that Brooklyn can see our joy, Brooklyn can see our love, Brooklyn can see our unity. And there, in the center of it all – God came to live among us, to bring us peace, to draw us together, to help us along the way,” said Bishop Brennan.

The 28-foot Norway Spruce tree is decorated with 16,000 multi-colored LED lights to represent the diversity of the Diocese of Brooklyn, often referred to as the “Diocese of Immigrants.” The event featured a Christmas musical presentation as well.

Christine Persichette, the anchor of Currents News on NET-TV, served as the Mistress of Ceremonies.

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VIDEO: Courtesy DeSales Media
https://vimeo.com/781307486

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 12, 2022

THOUSANDS OF CATHOLICS MAKE ANNUAL PILGRIMAGE TO HONOR OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE

The Diocese of Brooklyn celebrated the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe today with two Spanish masses at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph, located at 856 Pacific Street in the Prospect Heights section of Brooklyn. About 3,000 pilgrims filled the pews to pray to Our Lady as they were serenaded by Mexican mariachis singing cultural and liturgical songs. The Mass for Queens Catholics took place at 9:30 a.m. and at 1:30 p.m. for Brooklyn Catholics.

During his homily in Spanish, the Most Reverend Robert Brennan, the Bishop of Brooklyn, told the faithful that Mary tells us, like she told Juan Diego in an apparition, not to fear, not to be afraid, for God is always with us, but especially during the difficult times. He also preached to a huge audience of young people, asking them to listen for God’s call as He may ask them to serve the Church as priests or religious.

The annual lighting of the torches followed the Mass on the steps of the Co-Cathedral. Bishop Brennan lit the torches carried by representatives from 44 parishes. After the torch lighting, the pilgrims marched the streets of Queens and Brooklyn to their respective parishes.

The group of pilgrims represents, in its vast majority, the Mexican Catholic population of Brooklyn and Queens. An estimated 175,000 Mexicans live in Brooklyn and Queens.

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VIMEO: vimeo.com/780526070

The Most Reverend Robert Brennan, Bishop of Brooklyn, celebrated Mass this morning at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph, where one year ago today, he was installed as the eighth Bishop of Brooklyn. The Co-Cathedral is located at 856 Pacific Street in the Prospect Heights section of Brooklyn.

“Today marks a complete year of our time being together as the Church of Brooklyn here in Brooklyn and Queens. It was a year ago today the co-cathedral was filled with people from all over the diocese as we celebrated our unity in faith. Your beautiful welcome to me lifted me up,” preached Bishop Brennan.

“Having met so many of you through the course of this year, I am constantly inspired and lifted up. I thank you for helping me to know Jesus Christ better and to be more convinced of His love on fire and to share that with one another. I thank God for the gift of being here in Brooklyn and Queens and I thank God for the rich vibrant church he has brought together,” continued Bishop Brennan.

In the first year of his ministry, Bishop Robert Brennan visited 127 parishes throughout Brooklyn and Queens, celebrated 25 Confirmations, and visited 25 schools.  In June, Bishop Brennan ordained three priests to serve in the Diocese of Brooklyn, and earlier this month, ordained six transitional deacons on the path to the priesthood; three for the Diocese of Brooklyn, two for the Archdiocese of New York, and one for the Diocese of Rockville Centre. 

Earlier this year, Bishop Brennan also launched a weekly podcast, “Big City Catholics,” to communicate with the faithful.  Big City Catholics is available on popular podcast platforms, including Apple, Spotify, and YouTube, or on the Diocese of Brooklyn website, podcast.dioceseofbrooklyn.org. 

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ABOUT BISHOP BRENNAN:

On November 30, 2021, Bishop Robert Brennan was installed as the Eighth Bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn, serving the people of Brooklyn and Queens. Born in the Bronx and raised in Lindenhurst, Long Island, Bishop Brennan attended St. John’s University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics and computer science. He then studied for the priesthood at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington, New York.

Bishop Brennan was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Rockville Centre on May 27, 1989.  He was later ordained as an Auxiliary Bishop of Rockville Centre on July 25, 2012. On January 31, 2019, Pope Francis announced his selection of Bishop Brennan as the 12th Bishop of the Diocese of Columbus, Ohio. He was installed as the Bishop of Columbus on March 29, 2019.

On a national level, Bishop Brennan serves on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Pro-Life Activities. He serves as a member of the Board of Trustees for The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

VIMEO LINK OF TODAY’S MASS:

vimeo.com/776718651

:00 Quotes above from homily

1:05 b-roll from Mass

PHOTOS:

#1-4 are from the Bishop’s installation on November 30, 2021.

#5 and #6 are from the Mass today celebrating the Bishop’s one-year anniversary

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