FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 14, 2020

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Adriana Rodriguez
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Pope Francis sends his condolences to Bishop DiMarzio and the Diocese of Brooklyn

 

Today the Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop of Brooklyn, learned of condolences from Pope Francis over the death of two priests serving the Diocese of Brooklyn due to coronavirus.

Timothy Cardinal Dolan, New York’s Archbishop, was speaking to Pope Francis earlier today, and during that conversation, the Holy Father asked the Cardinal to express his condolences to Bishop DiMarzio, the families of the two priests, and the people of the Diocese of Brooklyn over the loss of their two beloved priests.

Pope Francis was referring to Father Jorge Ortiz-Garay, who died on March 27, 2020, and Father Gioacchino Basile, who died on April 4, 2020.

“On behalf of the Diocese of Brooklyn, I am humbled to have received prayers and condolences from our Holy Father, Pope Francis, on the deaths of two of our priests who have been lost to coronavirus. As we continue to mourn the loss of Father Ortiz-Garay and Father Basile, it is comforting to know Pope Francis joins with us in solidarity. We are one church, and together the people of God will get through these most difficult times,” said Bishop DiMarzio.

Photo attached.

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Attached is a photo of Pope Francis greeting Bishop Nicholas A. DiMarzio of Brooklyn, N.Y., during a meeting with bishops from the state of New York in the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican Nov. 15, 2019. The bishops were making their “ad limina” visits to the Vatican to report on the status of their dioceses to the pope and Vatican officials

Courtesy: CNS photo/Vatican Media

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 13, 2020

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QUEENS PASTOR BLESSES NYPD OFFICERS ON EASTER SUNDAY MORNING

Father Josephjude Gannon, Pastor of St. Gerard Majella located in the Hollis section of Queens, joined members of the 103^rd Precinct to offer a special blessing on Easter Sunday morning.

Father Gannon was invited to speak and bless the rank and file, as well as the precinct stationhouse, at the first roll call which took place at 6:30 a.m. yesterday, Sunday, April 12, 2020.

Before blessing the officers with Holy Water, Father Josephjude Gannon spoke to the men and women of the 103^rd Precinct saying, “The community loves you and is very thankful for you. You got to be careful for yourselves and your families and for the people you encounter. Every single day is an opportunity to live the Resurrection, every single day is an opportunity to praise God, and every single day is a day be the people that God wants us to be.”

The 103^rd Precinct is located at 168-02 91^st Avenue in the Jamaica section of Queens and serves a western portion of Queens, including the neighborhoods of Hollis Park Gardens, Hollis, Lakewood, and Jamaica, as well as the Jamaica Business District.

Photo attached, courtesy of Father Gannon.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 11, 2020

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Adriana Rodriguez
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John Quaglione 
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SOCIAL DISTANCING WON’T STOP CATHOLIC SCHOOL FROM AN EASTER EGG HUNT

 

The Diocese of Brooklyn today is releasing photos from a socially distant Easter egg hunt, organized by the parents and teachers at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Academy, located in the Bayside section of Queens.

This week, Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Academy invited students and families to decorate paper Easter eggs and display them on their home front door or window. They have been encouraging students and families, who are taking walks in the neighborhood, to keep track of how many eggs they find.

The school community has been using the hashtag #OLBSPROUD to post the pictures of the Easter eggs that have been found.

Easter egg hunt photos, courtesy of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Academy, are attached.

 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 11, 2020

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Adriana Rodriguez
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John Quaglione 
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Bishop DiMarzio Says First Responders Putting their Lives on the Line

Represent the Resurrection Experience this Easter

 

The Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop of Brooklyn, released the following Easter video message for the members of the faithful of Brooklyn and Queens.

 

Bishop DiMarzio talks about the Resurrection and how today, as we are living through COVID-19, we are experiencing the Resurrection all around us. We are experiencing the hope and love which we see in the Resurrection today in the work of our first responders on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.

“What are those Resurrection experiences? Well, there are those who have gotten better from the COVID virus. Unfortunately, there are those who have died, and they too have a Resurrection experience, one that we do not see, as the ones who were getting better; we saw their Resurrection. And finally, we see the Resurrection experiences in the good work of those who are the first responders, those who are our ambulance workers, our fire department, our police, our doctors, our nurses, all of whom are putting their lives on the line to help those who are in danger of death. This is all a Resurrection experience,” said DiMarzio.

The Bishop acknowledged this virtual Easter is not what we would have liked, but that we need to make the best of it because hope is what and how we believe the Resurrection of Jesus Christ we are about to celebrate.

“I want to thank all of the first responders in a special way. You are giving us hope. We need that hope, that hope that comes from the Resurrected Lord but also that we see in the good of people around us.”

The link of the full video can be found on the Diocese of Brooklyn’s Vimeo page at

https://vimeo.com/406687361.

 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 10, 2020

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ST. SEBASTIAN CHURCH CHOIR VIRTUALLY SINGS OF JESUS’ WALK TO CRUCIFIXION

 

The Diocese of Brooklyn, on this Good Friday, is releasing a video of the choir at St. Sebastian Roman Catholic Church, located in the Woodside section of Queens, virtually singing “Via Dolorosa,” which translates from Latin to English as “Sorrowful Way.”

The Via Dolorosa is believed to be the path that Jesus walked through Jerusalem to His Crucifixion on Calvary. The choir’s virtual performance has added to this year’s celebration of Holy Week for the parishioners of St. Sebastian.

“We are separated in our location but we are together in God’s spirit,” said Bryan Kwon, Music Director at St. Sebastian.

 

The link to the video can be found here: https://vimeo.com/406300786

 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 9, 2020

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Adriana Rodriguez
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QUEENS CATHOLIC FOOTBALL TEAM PLAYS VIRTUAL GAME OF CATCH

 

The Diocese of Brooklyn today is releasing a video of the members of the 7th-grade football team at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Academy, located in the Bayside section of Queens, “catching up” digitally.

The video, set to the Sam Brown and Jay-Z song “On to the Next One,” shows members of the team virtually throwing the football to each other.  In the video, one student is shown using hand sanitizer before virtually passing off the football to his teammate. The next player who catches the football sprays the ball with disinfectant before keeping the game of catch going.

The Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Academy football players created this unique way to play a game of virtual catch during the absence of sports due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

The link to the video can be found here: https://vimeo.com/405995456

 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 9, 2020

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Adriana Rodriguez
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Feet of First Responders Symbolically Washed at Holy Thursday Mass

NYPD, FDNY, Doctor, and Nurse Among Those Represented

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Holy Thursday Mass commemorates the institution of the Holy Eucharist and usually includes the Washing of the Feet of 12 people from among a parish community, imitating Jesus’ washing the feet of the 12 Apostles at the Last Supper.

At tonight’s Mass of the Lord’s Supper, which took place at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph in the Prospect Heights section of Brooklyn, an NYPD police captain, an FDNY paramedic, a doctor, a nurse, a social worker, a parent, and the parish’s sacristan were asked to participate at the Mass in a symbolic Washing of the Feet.

“When I think of the priesthood and the models of the priesthood tonight, I think of these people who sit before you. Because they are really the priests in our midst, they make a sacrifice and that sacrifice is themselves and they do that for you and for me and that is what the Gospel mandates,” said Reverend Monsignor Kieran E. Harrington, Vicar for Communications for the Diocese of Brooklyn and Rector of the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph.

Monsignor Harrington was the main celebrant at tonight’s Mass. Father Israel Perez and Father Pascal Louis concelebrated the Mass.

 

Video of tonight’s Mass of the Lord’s Supper can be found here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=15&v=JuMXUkLsCC0&feature=emb_logo

Courtesy: DeSales Media Group/NET-TV

17:51 – Homily by Monsignor Harrington talking about the New Yorkers present for Symbolic Washing of the Feet

20:07 Kieran Harrington, Msgr. Harrington’s father

20:36 Police Captain Dominguez, NYPD 77 pct.

21:19 Cody Gottach, FDNY EMS Batt 59

22:45 Austen, Doctor

23:30 Lilia Figueroa, Nurse

24:12 James Moses, Social worker

26:54 Miguel Perez, Parish Sacristan

 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 9, 2020

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The Diocese of Brooklyn Announces Schedule of Holy Triduum Masses/Services on NET-TV

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As we enter into the holiest days on the Christian calendar, the Diocese of Brooklyn is announcing its plans to commemorate the passion and death of Jesus Christ.

There are several opportunities to join spiritually together in prayer beginning tonight, Holy Thursday, with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper.

Live Masses from the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph will be televised on NET-TV, the cable channel of the Diocese of Brooklyn. NET-TV can be seen in the New York City area on Spectrum-Channel 97, Optimum-Channel 30, and Verizon FIOS-Channel 48. The Masses will also be streamed on our website at dioceseofbrooklyn.org/masses.

 

HOLY THURSDAY

Mass of the Lord’s Supper – 8 p.m. NET-TV – Live from the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph

English with readings in Spanish and Creole

 

GOOD FRIDAY

         Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion – Live from the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph

 

8:00 a.m.    Italian

9:30 a.m.    Creole

11:00 a.m.  English

12:30 p.m.  Spanish

2:00 p.m.    Korean

3:30 p.m.    Mandarin Chinese

5:00 p.m.    Polish

 

As we share in the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday, please remember to fast and abstain from consuming meat.

 

HOLY SATURDAY

         Easter Vigil – 8 p.m. NET-TV – Live from the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph

English with readings in six additional languages (Italian, Polish, Spanish, Korean, Chinese, Creole)

 

EASTER SUNDAY

         Easter Sunday celebrated in seven languages on NET-TV – Live from the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph

 

8:00 a.m.    Italian Mass

9:00 a.m.    Creole Mass

10:00 a.m. Polish Mass

11:00 a.m.  English Mass

12:00 p.m.  Spanish Mass

1:00 p.m.    Korean Mass

2:00 p.m.    Mandarin Chinese Mass

 

A graphic of the NET-TV schedule is attached.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 9, 2020

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Queens NYPD Officers Assist Catholic Church in Distribution of Easter Hams

 

Community Affairs Officers from the NYPD’s 103rd Precinct earlier this week assisted Father Josephjude Gannon, Pastor of St. Gerard Majella Roman Catholic Church, located in the Hollis section of Queens, with this year’s parish Easter ham delivery program.

Every year, through funds donated by parishioners, St. Gerard Majella Church is able to provide Easter hams to be delivered to the sick and most vulnerable of the parish.  Due to the Coronavirus epidemic, without the help of the Community Affairs Officers at the 103^rd Precinct, it could not have been possible this year.

The photos are attached.

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