Diocesan News

‘Preserving Our Freedom’ by Bishop DiMarzio

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

My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

On June 14, 1777, the Stars and Stripes were adopted as our Nation’s flag. This national symbol was the subject of Francis Scott Key’s hymn during the War of 1812 that would later become our national anthem.

On this Flag Day, perhaps we might consider how best to celebrate the freedoms that the flag represents. America is in some sense an exceptional Nation, for what joins us all is not a common blood, but rather a willingness to leave our homelands so that we might live free of the tyranny of political oppression or poverty.

It is the sense of adventure, as well as the unwavering commitment to freedom, that binds Africans, Asians, Europeans and Latin Americans to one another. It just takes a walk in Flushing Meadows Park or Prospect Park to notice the many faces of people, who, in some cases, are enemies in other parts of the world but live peacefully as neighbors here in New York.

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

NET TV to Premiere Documentary in Anticipation of Pope Francis’ Environmental Encyclical

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On Sunday, June 14th, New Evangelization Television (NET TV) will premiere its original production Custody + Creation, a moving environmental documentary about the care of creation and the role of the faithful.

Assessing the state of the Planet Earth and the imminent threat of climate change, Custody + Creation focuses on the Church’s reaffirmation of the biblical custody of the Earth, the dignity of creation, and human ecology. The documentary comes in anticipation of Pope Francis’ encyclical letter on the environment, to be published on June 18th.
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Help for Catholic School Families Paying Tuition is Within Reach

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In the final days of this legislative session in Albany, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and key legislators are leading the fight to enact the Education Tax Credit. The governor’s plan, called the Parental Choice in Education Act, will help keep Catholic schools affordable.

The Act provides $150 million in education tax credits annually that will provide:

· Tax credits directly to low-income families who send their children to Catholic and other schools
· Scholarships to students from low- and middle-income families to attend a school of their choice
· Donations to public schools for enhanced educational programming
· Tax credits to teachers for their out-of-pocket classroom expenses

But we need your help! Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and some Assembly Democrats are blocking this important bill. They are blocking this bill for one simple reason: the public school teachers’ union lobbyists don’t want parents to get any help with sending their children to a school of their choice. The opposition is doing all they can to defeat this proposal and to keep families from getting the help they need. Don’t let them win!

Take a few moments to demand that your legislators enact the Education Tax Credit before they conclude their work in mid-June. Go to nyscatholic.org to send an email to your lawmakers. You’ll also be prompted to call your lawmaker’s office, which we urge you to do.

Thank you for doing your part in fighting for our families, kids and schools! Please act today – for the sake of our children, families and schools!

Learn more about the Education Tax Credit: The Tablet | NET TV

“Welcome to Our Permanent Deacons” by Bishop DiMarzio

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May 27,  2015 – Excerpted from Put Out Into the Deep, Bishop DiMarzio’s column in The Tablet:

My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

As we approach the end of May, we are blessed with ordinations to both the Transitional Diaconate, as well as the Permanent Diaconate. We will ordain four Transitional Deacons now this spring and four on Nov. 7, for Ordination to the Priesthood in 2016. At the same time, I was privileged to ordain 19 permanent deacons on Saturday, May 23, at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph.

In the last several weeks, I had the opportunity to personally interview the candidates for the Permanent Diaconate and their wives. These individual meetings were both a heartwarming and engaging experience for me to ascertain the motivations of our candidates, as well as to witness their enthusiasm for service to our Church. The Permanent Deacons who are married form a team with their wives, not just in the sacrament of marriage, but also in the sacrament of Holy Orders in which they participate.

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

DeSALES MEDIA LAUNCHES “MEET ME IN CHURCH” INITIATIVE FOR BROOKLYN DIOCESE

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DeSales Media Group, the communications and technology arm of the Diocese of Brooklyn, has launched a new initiative entitled Meet Me in Church (www.meetmein.church). Initially launched to promote the Office of the School of Evangelization’s “Joy of Encountering Christ” program, Meet Me in Church is an open invitation to reconnect and re-engage with the Church, the community, and with God.

The Meet Me in Church website features information about the School of Evangelization’s one-day pilgrimage to the World Meeting of Families, which takes place on Wednesday, September 23rd, in Philadelphia. In coming months, the website will evolve to become an online hub for all diocesan and parish level events. “Meet Me in Church is another step forward in our efforts of evangelization,” said Monsignor Kieran Harrington, Chairman of DeSales Media Group. “Our hope is for everyone to use this new website to stay connected and informed as we grow in our faith.”
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“Communicating The Message of Pentecost” by Bishop DiMarzio

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May 20, 2015 – Excerpted from Put Out Into the Deep, Bishop DiMarzio’s column in The Tablet.

My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

Each year, DeSales Media Group sponsors a celebration of World Communications Day with a conference inviting members of the Diocese to explore how they can become better communicators of their faith. This year, this day coincides with the celebration of Pentecost where the initial communication of faith was made by the Holy Spirit who set the Apostles forth.

This year, World Communication Day fell on Wednesday, May 13, and its theme was based on Pope Francis’ message for the 49th World Communications Day, “Communicating the Family: A Privileged Place of Encounter with the Gift of Love.”

Our keynote speaker was Dr. Austen Ivereigh, journalist and author of “The Great Reformer: Francis and the Making of a Radical Pope,” which I thoroughly enjoyed reading. This unauthorized biography of our Holy Father traces his development from simple Jesuit to the Office of Supreme Pontiff.

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

POPE FRANCIS NAMES TWO PRIESTS AS AUXILIARY BISHOPS FOR DIOCESE OF BROOKLYN

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Pope Francis has appointed two priests of the Diocese of Brooklyn – the Very Reverend James Massa, 54, and the Reverend Canon Witold Mroziewski, 49 – as auxiliary bishops of Brooklyn. Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, made the announcement public today in Washington, D.C.

The Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop of Brooklyn, will ordain the new bishops at a Mass of Episcopal Ordination to be celebrated at the Co-Cathedral of Saint Joseph on July 20, 2015 at 2 p.m. Read more »

BISHOP DIMARZIO TO ORDAIN 19 PERMANENT DEACONS FOR THE DIOCESE OF IMMIGRANTS

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On Saturday, May 23rd, the Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop of Brooklyn, will ordain 19 men to the Order of Deacon at 11 a.m. at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph, 856 Pacific Street, Prospect Heights.

“These 19 faithful men are a clear representation of the Church in Brooklyn and Queens,” said Bishop DiMarzio. “I am profoundly grateful for their vocation to the Permanent Diaconate. Their dedication to the many hours of education and formation, and their faithfulness to this ministry is a wonderful expression of the vitality and new life present in our Diocese. This diversified group of men are ready to assist in the ministry of our multicultural communities in Brooklyn and Queens. I take this time to thank their wives and children for their support, not only of their husbands and fathers, but also of the Diocese of Brooklyn.” Read more »

Brooklyn’s Movie Review Show Reel Faith To Kick Off Sixth Summer Season

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This Friday, May 22nd, NET TV’s Gabriel Award-winning series Reel Faith will premiere its sixth summer season. The weekly show, which reviews Hollywood’s biggest films through a Catholic perspective, will be also celebrating its 100th episode this season.

This season’s reviews will include highly-anticipated comic book adaptations like Marvel’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Ant-Man,” and “Fantastic Four;” big-budget sequels like “Jurassic World,” “Terminator: Genisys,” and “Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation;” and family fare like Pixar’s “Inside Out,” and DreamWorks Animation’s “Minions.” Reel Faith will also weigh in on a variety of smaller independent films and documentaries. Read more »