FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 9, 2022

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Adriana Rodriguez
646-241-9805
arodriguez@desalesmedia.org

John Quaglione 
718-576-9180
jquaglione@desalesmedia.org

STUDENTS AT QUEENS CATHOLIC SCHOOL TO HOST FUNDRAISER FOR
FAMILIES OF FALLEN OFFICERS RIVERA AND MORA

            The students of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Academy, located in the Bayside section of Queens, will host a Police Appreciation Day later today, Wednesday, February 9, 2022, in honor of the New York City Police Department and slain NYPD Officers Jason Rivera and Wilbert Mora. A ceremony will take place outside the school, located at 34-45 202nd Street in Queens, at 1 p.m.

For a $5 donation, students will be able to dress in blue tomorrow to show their support for the NYPD. All donations will be sent to the Rivera and Mora families. An anonymous donor has agreed to match all donations up to $1,000.

City Councilwoman Vickie Paladino (District 19), members of the New York City Police Department, and school families are expected to attend the ceremony.

Members of the media are invited to attend and encouraged to confirm their attendance.

###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 8, 2022

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Adriana Rodriguez
646-241-9805
arodriguez@desalesmedia.org

John Quaglione 
718-576-9180
jquaglione@desalesmedia.org

***MEDIA ADVISORY***

A PARTNERSHIP FOR ALL GRADES: ST. FRANCIS COLLEGE AND BAY RIDGE CATHOLIC ACADEMY TO LAUNCH EDUCATIONAL ALLIANCE

            Dr. Miguel Martinez-Saenz, the President of St. Francis College, will be visiting Bay Ridge Catholic Academy, located at 365-83^rd Street in Brooklyn, to officially launch a new partnership between the college and elementary academy, on Wednesday, February 9, 2022, at 9:30 a.m. Dr. Martinez-Saenz will join Bay Ridge Catholic Academy Principal Gary Williams, and St. Francis College Assistant Vice President Robert Oliva in visiting classrooms for one hour.

 

At 10:30 a.m., the details of the partnership, which will include learning trips for Bay Ridge Catholic Academy students to the labs at St. Francis College, student teachers from the college assigned to Academy teachers, the creation of a foreign language after school program, a summer program and more, will be announced.

 

Members of the media are invited to attend and asked to respond to this e-mail to confirm their attendance. All media personnel must adhere to COVID-19 protocols, including wearing a face mask, while in the school building.

###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 7, 2022

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Adriana Rodriguez
646-241-9805
arodriguez@desalesmedia.org

John Quaglione 
718-576-9180
jquaglione@desalesmedia.org

MAYOR ADAMS MAKES SPECIAL CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK VISIT

         Mayor Eric Adams visited a Brooklyn Catholic school Friday as part of last week’s national celebration of Catholic Schools Week.

The mayor met with students at St. Brigid-St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Academy in Bushwick. Student representatives from kindergarten to 8th grade presented his honor with a plaque, cards, photos and handwritten personal letters. The students wrote about their favorite subjects in school and many said they would pray for him. Mayor Adams shared with the students the fact that he prays every day, in the morning to start the day and before bed.

Mayor Adams also spoke at a school assembly, telling the students that Catholic education has always been a great foundation for inner city young people, while acknowledging their good fortune in being able to receive a solid educational foundation in faith and academics.

Since 1974, National Catholic Schools Week is a time dedicated each year to the celebration of Catholic education in the United States. The theme for National Catholic Schools Week 2022 is “Catholic Schools: Faith. Excellence. Service.”

Schools in Brooklyn and Queens commemorated the week with Masses, open houses and other activities for students, families, parishioners and community members. These events allow schools to focus on the value of a Catholic education and its contribution to our Church, our communities and our nation.

PHOTOS: Courtesy Greg Shemitz

Mayor Adams with Pastor Rev Carlos Velasquez & Principal Marcia Soria at St. Brigid-St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Academy

 

Mayor Adams greets student

 

.
Mayor Adams greets student

 

Student photo with Mayor Adams

 

.

Assembly at St. Brigid-St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Academy for Mayor Adams

 

Mayor Adams speaks to students

 

.  

Students clap at Assembly

 

Mayor Adams leaves St. Brigid-St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Academy

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 4, 2022

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Adriana Rodriguez
646-241-9805
arodriguez@desalesmedia.org

John Quaglione 
718-576-9180
jquaglione@desalesmedia.org

 

MAYOR ADAMS MAKES SPECIAL CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK VISIT

         Mayor Eric Adams visited a Brooklyn Catholic school today as part of this week’s national celebration of Catholic Schools Week.

The mayor met with students at St. Brigid-St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Academy in Bushwick. Student representatives from kindergarten to 8th grade presented his honor with a plaque, cards, photos and handwritten personal letters. The students wrote about their favorite subjects in school and many said they would pray for him. Mayor Adams shared with the students the fact that he prays every day, in the morning to start the day and before bed.

Mayor Adams also spoke at a school assembly, telling the students that Catholic education has always been a great foundation for inner city young people, while acknowledging their good fortune in being able to receive a solid educational foundation in faith and academics.

Since 1974, National Catholic Schools Week is a time dedicated each year to the celebration of Catholic education in the United States. The theme for National Catholic Schools Week 2022 is “Catholic Schools: Faith. Excellence. Service.”

Schools in Brooklyn and Queens commemorated the week with Masses, open houses and other activities for students, families, parishioners and community members. These events allow schools to focus on the value of a Catholic education and its contribution to our Church, our communities and our nation.

VIDEO: Courtesy DeSales Media 

https://vimeo.com/673767757

 

###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 4, 2022

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Adriana Rodriguez
646-241-9805
arodriguez@desalesmedia.org

John Quaglione 
718-576-9180
jquaglione@desalesmedia.org

 

BILINGUAL LIVE WAX MUSEUM PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS CATHOLIC SCHOOL’S WEEK CELEBRATION
AT OUR LADY OF MERCY CATHOLIC ACADEMY

Fourth-grade students at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Academy, located in the Forest Hills section of Queens, presented a Live Wax Museum today as they concluded their celebration of Catholic Schools Week. Academy students and parents had the opportunity to tour the student-created “museum.”

The display featured 22 figures from the past and present that come from Hispanic countries, including: baseball great Alex Rodriguez, the “Queen of Salsa” Celia Cruz, singer Bruno Mars, politician, and activist Evita Peron, United States Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, and famed artist Pablo Picasso.

As part of this Catholic Schools Week special project, students have studied the lives of these famed figures, created costumes, and prepared special presentation boards. The students posed and waited until visitors pushed the red button. Then they came alive and relayed important facts about their lives in both English and Spanish.

“This exhibit showcased who we are as a school community, with a group effort of parents, teachers, and students.  The students were able to utilize their research and public speaking skills to make these figures come to life. The students were so proud, and so was I, in what we accomplished today,” said Dana McCann, Principal of Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Academy.

“This is a project that helps the students understand the real-world connection, that Spanish is not just a vocabulary list in a classroom. With this experience, our students learned that anyone from any part of the world can aspire to be a leader in their field,”  said Sandra Paz, the Spanish teacher at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Academy.

Photos attached of the figures on display in the Wax Museum including Paloma Picasso, Juan Martin Del Potro, Alex Rodriguez, Celia Cruz, Sonia Sotomayor, Bruno Mars, Lionel Messi, and Alicia Alonso.

###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 31, 2022

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Adriana Rodriguez
646-241-9805
arodriguez@desalesmedia.org

John Quaglione 
718-576-9180
jquaglione@desalesmedia.org 

BISHOP BRENNAN ACCEPTS RECOMMENDATION OF DIOCESAN REVIEW BOARD;
PASTOR REMOVED FROM MINISTRY

The Most Reverend Robert J. Brennan, Bishop of Brooklyn, announced today 54-year-old Father John O’Connor, Pastor of St Gregory the Great in Bellerose, Queens, has been removed from ministry.  The decision was made based on the recommendation of the independent Diocesan Review Board (DRB).

The DRB had been investigating the claims made in a Child Victims Act (CVA) lawsuit filed against Father John O’Connor on August 13, 2020. This investigation turned up new evidence concerning a March 2000 accusation detailing inappropriate internet communications with teenagers while assigned at St. Athanasius. As a result of this information, the Diocesan Review Board found sufficient information to substantiate allegations of sexual misconduct with minors via the internet and recommended Fr. John O’Connor’s removal from ministry.  

After that accusation in 2000, the Diocese of Brooklyn placed John O’Connor on leave to enable him to receive treatment from May 2000 to August 2001.  He returned to ministry in the Diocese of Brooklyn in August of 2001 and continued treatment through 2005.

The removal from ministry means that he is no longer permitted to celebrate Mass publicly, cannot exercise any public ministerial duties, and cannot live in an ecclesiastical residence. His name will also be added to the List of Credibly Accused Priests on the Diocese of Brooklyn website.

Father John O’Connor was ordained on June 23, 1993, and completed post-graduate studies in Rome. He then served at the following parishes: Our Lady of Mount Carmel (BK), St. Athanasius, and St. Clare’s. He also served as Pastor at Incarnation and most recently at St. Gregory the Great, Queens. In 2014, Father John O’Connor was named the Director of the Liturgy Office for the Diocese of Brooklyn.

The Diocese of Brooklyn takes all allegations of sexual misconduct with minors seriously and has instituted significant programs to prevent sexual abuse and protect children. In 2002, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops passed the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, which includes a Zero Tolerance policy that states any clergy member who is determined to be credibly accused of sexual misconduct with a minor is permanently removed from ministry. The Diocese also conducts initial and ongoing background checks of all employees and volunteers and provides age-appropriate sexual abuse awareness training for children and adults.

The Diocese of Brooklyn places great emphasis on providing pastoral care to victims. The Office of Victim Assistance Ministry provides supportive initial counseling, therapy referrals, and pastoral resources for the victims of sexual abuse.  The Diocese hosts a yearly Mass of Hope and Healing where the faithful come together and pray for victims of clergy sexual abuse.

Anyone who has been the victim of clergy sexual abuse is encouraged to report it to law enforcement or to the Toll-Free Reporting Line established by the Diocese at 1-888-634-4499. All calls are forwarded to law enforcement officials.

###

 

St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church and Catholic Academy Hosts Special Celebration

Brooklyn – St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church and St. Patrick’s Catholic Academy, hosted a special celebration of Christmas on Tuesday, December 14, 2021, to usher in the joy of the season.

The event began with an outdoor Christmas Concert featuring the students of St. Patrick’s Catholic Academy on the steps of the Academy. Following the musical performance, a fireworks display took place in the skies above the parish, and then Santa Claus arrived on a horse-drawn carriage.

Father Gerard Sauer is the Pastor of St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church. Ms. Kathleen Curatolo is the Principal of the Academy.

A Vimeo link can be found here: https://vimeo.com/656838857.

Restored Opera House Hosts “Spirit of Christmas” Concert

The “Spirit of Christmas Concert,” hosted by Futures in Education to raise money to support scholarships for Catholic education in the Diocese of Brooklyn, took the stage last night at the newly renovated Emmaus Center in Williamsburg.

The concert featured a selection of Christmas and spiritual songs performed by contemporary Christian music artist and songwriter Matt Maher, and American operatic tenor Danny Rodriguez.  The show also featured entertainment from one of the three New York Tenors, Christopher Macchio, as well as movie star Daniel Roebuck.  Anthony Mangano, star of film and song, served as the Master of Ceremonies.

The newly refurbished and named 600-seat Emmaus Center is housed in the historic Williamsburg Opera House which was built in 1897. Many of the historical details of the theater were maintained in the renovation.

“This is a place that has strong history and tradition. I love the name Emmaus, because this is to be a place of encounter. People are going to encounter Jesus Christ through the arts and through encounters with one another.  I am so proud to be part of this grand opening, and for all of those who support Futures in Education, as students will have the chance to encounter Jesus and His love through the gift of a Catholic education,” said The Most Reverend Robert J. Brennan, Bishop of Brooklyn.

To learn more about the history, mission, and upcoming events at The Emmaus Center, visit emmausbrooklyn.org.