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Bishop Robert Brennan will celebrate the annual Chrism Mass tonight, Tuesday, April 4, 2023, at 7:30 p.m., at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph, 856 Pacific Street, in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. During the Mass, the bishop will bless the oils used by priests all year. He will also lead more than 280 priests and bishops in renewing their promises of service to the Church.
The Chrism Mass is one of the most solemn and significant liturgies of the Catholic Church. It is marked by the ceremonial blessing of the oil of catechumens, the oil of the sick, and the consecration of the oil of chrism, which will be used in all churches of the Diocese of Brooklyn throughout the liturgical year. The oils are used to anoint the sick, baptize catechumens and infants, ordain priests, and anoint altars. This Mass is celebrated in dioceses around the world.
Members of the media are invited to attend.
Live coverage of the Chrism Mass begins at 7:30 p.m. on NET TV. The Brooklyn Diocesan Cable Channel is available on Channel 97 (Spectrum), Channel 30 (Optimum), and Channel 548 (Fios).
Viewers can also watch the programming live on NET TV’s website at www.netny.tv/watchnow.
BISHOP BRENNAN LEADS PALM SUNDAY PROCESSIONS IN BROOKLYN
Bishop Robert Brennan began Holy Week with a special Palm Sunday Procession in Spanish at 12:30 p.m. today at Grand Army Plaza in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. After an opening prayer and the blessing of the palms, Bishop Brennan led the pilgrims in procession down Vanderbilt Avenue to the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph, located at 856 Pacific Street. (Video below)
Palm Sunday commemorates the triumphant entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem, where those who greeted Jesus waved palms and set them on the ground along His path. Palms are recognized as a symbol of victory and peace.
“We have begun Holy Week here on the streets of Brooklyn imitating the crowd that cried out to the Lord in the holy city of Jerusalem: processing through the streets, welcoming him with songs of praise, ‘Hosanna! Long live the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in heaven! Now we contemplate the deepest mysteries of our faith: the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus, and his gift of life, given for us in the Eucharist,’” said Bishop Robert Brennan.
At 4 p.m. today, Bishop Brennan will lead a Nazarene procession with the Venezuelan community, with the carrying of the Cross. After catechesis and prayers at St. Michael-St. Malachy, located at 237 Jerome Street in East New York, Brooklyn, the procession begins and makes its way toward St. Gabriel’s at 749 Linwood St, also in East New York.
PALM SUNDAY PROCESSION VIDEO – PROSPECT HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN COURTESY: DeSales Media/Diocese of Brooklyn
:00 Bishop Brennan blesses the palms at Grand Army Plaza
:08 Procession leaves Grand Army Plaza
:50 Procession along Vanderbilt Avenue
2:09 Procession arrives at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph for Mass
Bishop Robert Brennan will begin Holy Week with a special Palm Sunday Procession in Spanish beginning at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 2, 2023, at Grand Army Plaza in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. After an opening prayer and blessing, Bishop Brennan will lead the pilgrims in procession at approximately 12:45 p.m. with their blessed palms down Vanderbilt Avenue to the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph, located at 856 Pacific Street.
Palm Sunday commemorates the triumphant entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem, where those who greeted Jesus waved palms and set them on the ground along His path. Palms are recognized as a symbol of victory and peace.
Bishop Brennan will be joined by Father Christopher Heanue, the Rector of the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph. Following the procession, Bishop Brennan will celebrate the 1:30 p.m. Spanish Mass at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph.
Members of the media are invited to attend and are encouraged to confirm their attendance.
The Palm Sunday Procession will be aired live on the Brooklyn Diocesan Cable Channel, NET-TV, available on Channel 97 (Spectrum), Channel 30 (Optimum), and Channel 548 (Fios).
A clean pool feed of the procession can be found on NY POOL 1 at The Switch from noon to 4 PM EDT on Sunday 4/2.
Bishop Robert Brennan of the Diocese of Brooklyn, in partnership with Timothy Cardinal Dolan of the Archdiocese of New York and Bishop John Barres of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, invites Catholics to confession on ReconciliationMonday, which will be held this year on Monday, April 3. Churches in the two dioceses and the archdiocese will be open for Catholics to receive the sacrament of Reconciliation in advance of Easter.
Every church within the Diocese of Brooklyn will have a priest available for walk-in confessions from 2 PM to 4 PM, and from 6 PM to 9 PM. The scheduled times are the same in the Archdiocese of New York and the Diocese of Rockville Centre. ReconciliationMonday allows the faithful an opportunity to confess their sins in anonymity, as they can go to a parish different from their own.
“ReconciliationMonday is an opportunity to experience the healing power of our Lord. The call to reconciliation before Easter is a powerful one, as we come before the Lord to ask for His mercy and His peace. I encourage many to take the time to confess their sins, so they can prepare for our Lord’s Resurrection free of burdens,” said Bishop Robert Brennan.
BISHOP BRENNAN GIVES DISPENSATION FOR ST. PATRICK’S DAY
Bishop Robert Brennan of the Diocese of Brooklyn has issued a dispensation from the Lenten obligation to abstain from eating meat for this Friday, March 17, 2023, which is St. Patrick’s Day. In granting the dispensation, Bishop Brennan acknowledges the day honors St. Patrick, who brought Catholicism to Ireland and celebrates the many Irish immigrants who brought the faith to the Diocese in Brooklyn and Queens.
“I am pleased to grant this dispensation for this Friday of Lent only, so that celebrations of St. Patrick can be fully enjoyed by the faithful of the Diocese, or those who find themselves in Brooklyn and Queens commemorating the day. During this Holy season of Lent, I ask those who do utilize this dispensation to perform a work of charity as an alternative,” said Bishop Robert Brennan.
Lent is the 40-day season of prayer, fasting and almsgiving that begins on Ash Wednesday and concludes at sundown on Holy Thursday. Catholics abstain from eating meat on all Fridays during the Lenten Season, as well as on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
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
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.
A Mass was held on January 22, 2023, at St. Michael’s in Flushing to mark the start of the Lunar New Year.At the conclusion of the Mass, there was an Ancestors Veneration Ritual.Bishop James Massa and Father Patrick Keating join Father Vincentius Do at the celebration of the Lunar New Year held at St. Michael’s.Children performing as part of the celebration held in the parish hall of St. Michael’s.A group photo of the performers at the celebration of Lunar New Year at St. Michael’s.
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.
The Diocese of Brooklyn’s Vicariate of Black Catholic Concerns sponsored a community forum to discuss racism, as well as a prayer service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Bishop Robert Brennan with some of the members of the clergy who attended the prayer service honoring Dr. King.
The choir of St. Martin de Porres Parish provided inspiring music for the service.Bishop Robert Brennan takes a photo with the students in attendance at the Dr. King prayer service at St. Kevin’s.
The Most Reverend Robert Brennan, Bishop of Brooklyn, ordained Mr. Samuel M. Mwiwawi to the transitional diaconate this past Saturday, January 7, 2023, at St. Bernard of Clairvaux Roman Catholic Church serving the Bergen Beach/Mill Basin area of Brooklyn.
Deacon Samuel M. Mwiwawi studied in Kenya and Uganda, attending St. Mary’s Junior Seminary and Kawanda Secondary. He studied Philosophy and Theology at Christ the King Major Seminary in Kenya and later joined the Dominican Missionary Formation. Samuel then attended the Pope John XXIII National Seminary in Weston, Massachusetts, for one year, and began his service to the Diocese of Brooklyn in October 2018.
“Deacon Samuel’s love for sign language and the deaf community helps to foster a spirit of worship, that access to God who loves us so much. You proclaim the Good News, you lift the burdens, and you set people free. In the parish ministries, the school and religious education, in service to the elderly and to the deaf, it is Christ who you bring, not just social action,” said Bishop Brennan in his remarks addressing Samuel.
Monsignor Joseph Grimaldi vested Deacon Samuel for the first time during the Mass of Ordination, attended by hundreds of people. A reception followed in the school gym.
Upon ordination, permanent deacons may preach and administer the sacraments of baptism and marriage. Transitional deacons are granted these same faculties but continue their studies in anticipation of ordination to the priesthood. Deacon Samuel will be ordained a priest of the Diocese of Brooklyn in June.
The photos attached are courtesy of DeSales Media.
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Bishop Brennan presented the Holy Bible to Samuel M. Mwiwawi upon his ordination to the transitional diaconate.Monsignor Joseph Grimaldi, Bishop Robert Brennan and Deacon Samuel with members of the faculty of Pope John Paul XXIII outside the St. Bernard of Clairvaux Roman Catholic Church.Bishop Robert Brennan and Deacon Samuel Mwiwawi following the ordination.
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.
