March 8, 2017 – Excerpted from Put Out Into the Deep, Bishop DiMarzio’s column in The Tablet:

My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

On behalf of the people who are served throughout our Diocese in Brooklyn and Queens, we begin the 2017 Annual Catholic Appeal, “Live in Faith – Give in Love,” by thanking those who generously responded to the 2016 Annual Catholic Appeal and the Generations of Faith capital campaign.

While the Generations of Faith capital campaign is helping to strengthen our parishes, provide for our senior priests and secure the future of the Church through our diocesan youth ministry initiative, the Annual Catholic Appeal continues to support the vital diocesan ministries that serve the people of Brooklyn and Queens on a day-to-day basis. If it were not for the commitment of parishioners throughout the Diocese to the Annual Catholic Appeal each year, the responsibility to provide the basic services and ministries of the Diocese of Brooklyn would be impossible.

The 2017 Annual Catholic Appeal, “Live in Faith – Give in Love,” reminds us that the work of the Church is shared by all believers in response to the gifts of faith and love. By supporting the works of the Diocese and the mission of the Church through a commitment to the Annual Catholic Appeal, you will inspire others in your parish and our diocese to join us as we answer God’s call to love and to serve our neighbors. Those who are without shelter, malnourished, those without access to Catholic education, men discerning the priesthood and those who are ill and dying – all depend upon our generosity.

Read the full text of the Bishop’s column on The Tablet website.

March 1, 2017 – Excerpted from Put Out Into the Deep, Bishop DiMarzio’s column in The Tablet:

My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, since Lent has now begun, I call attention to the Message of His Holiness Pope Francis for Lent 2017 entitled “The Word is a gift. Other persons are a gift.”

The Word of God is a gift to us. In the Sacred Scripture, Jesus the Word Incarnate gives us the direction for Lent in works of fasting, prayer and almsgiving. To illustrate his point that “other persons” are also a gift, the Holy Father chooses to reflect on the parable of Lazarus. From the very beginning, we understand that Lazarus is a person whose name literally means, “God helps.” In fact, it is not a name; it just means a special person. The person in need was Lazarus who stood at the door of the house of a rich man begging for scraps, which came from his table. The rich man, totally unaware of the presence of Lazarus, ignored him for he was not a person to the rich man.

Our Holy Father tells us the essence of the parable, which shows that the rich man’s greed made him vain, when he says, “The lowest rung of this moral degradation is pride. The rich man dresses like a king and acts like a god, forgetting that he is merely mortal.”

Read the full text of the Bishop’s column on The Tablet website.

January 18, 2017 – Excerpted from Put Out Into the Deep, Bishop DiMarzio’s column in The Tablet:

My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

Each year on January 22, the Catholic Church in the United States, along with many others, recognizes the anniversary of the flawed Supreme Court decision entitled Roe v Wade. The decision was flawed because it was made on the basis of false information. Two women brought the lawsuit, and later recanted their claims. One said that she was never pregnant, and the other said her pregnancy was not a result of rape as we were previously told. On the basis of false facts, we have seen the massive abortion of over 50 million unborn children since 1973. There was one other flawed Supreme Court decision that fortunately was overturned which was the support of slavery in the United States in the Dred Scott decision.

But why do we commemorate tragic events? Well, it becomes a reminder to us that these events, especially the legalization of abortion in the United States, are injustices that must be overturned. This may not happen all at once. However, any attempt to limit the number of abortions is a step in the right direction. Notwithstanding the present political climate, which might lend some hope to future curtailment of abortion, it is our responsibility as Catholic Christians to work for the elimination of this stain on our national conscience.

Read the full text of the Bishop’s column on The Tablet website.

January 11, 2017 – Excerpted from Put Out Into the Deep, Bishop DiMarzio’s column in The Tablet.

My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

For over 35 years, the first week after the Epiphany, has been designated as National Migration Week. This year it occurred from Jan. 8 to 14. The Church in the United States, recognizing that it has become again an immigrant Church, must understand a new culture that has grown in the Church. This year’s theme, “Creating a Culture of Encounter,” comes from the first Pentecost homily of our Holy Father, Pope Francis, where he emphasizes the importance of encounter in the Christian faith. He says, “For me, this word is very important. Encounter with others. Why? Because faith is an encounter with Jesus and we must do what Jesus does: encounter others.”

The Lord, Jesus, had one pastoral method: encounter and making friends with people. He seemed to have that ability to encounter others and engage them almost immediately in life-changing situations. Jesus called the Apostles from their work and they followed Him; Peter and Andrew and Matthew. He met the Samaritan Woman at the well and engaged in deep conversation with her. He encountered the two disciples on the way to Emmaus and they too had life-changing experiences. Our call to a greater culture of encounter with immigrants follows the mandate of Jesus in the scene of the Last Judgment when He tells us, “Whoever welcomes a stranger, welcomes me.”

Read the full text of the Bishop’s column on The Tablet website.