Diocesan News

‘The Potential of a Good Education’ by Bishop DiMarzio

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May 13, 2015 – Excerpted from Put Out Into the Deep, Bishop DiMarzio’s column in The Tablet:

My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

Mid-May begins the graduation season, first for colleges and universities, and then high schools and eventually for elementary schools. It is always heartwarming to see proud graduates be recognized for the hard work which they put in for being good students. And justly proud they should be for the commitment they have had to using all God’s talents given to them and improve them through the educational process.

It is truly a loss to our society and Church if our young people do not pursue an education to the highest level available to them. The problems today that impede young people from seeking a college education, or even higher education, usually comes in the form of daunting tuitions and interminable loans that need to be taken in order to continue the education process.

Some have even questioned if a college education or professional education is truly worthwhile. From the monetary point of view, research shows that college graduates earn more through a lifetime than those who have not graduated college. It is so much more difficult to calculate, however, the contribution that those educated make to our society.

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

Catholic Priests And Seminarians Will Bike 1400 Miles to Promote Vocations To Priesthood

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As a way of raising awareness for vocations to the priesthood and religious life, two Catholic priests and three seminarians will embark this Monday for a 29-day, 1400-mile journey from the Cathedral of Saint Augustine in Florida. They will pass through 15 dioceses/archdioceses, including a stop at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, before ending at the Cathedral of St. Agnes in Rockville Centre. Read more »

June Workshops: Forming Evangelization Teams

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Father Frank DeSiano, CSP, President of the Paulist Evangelization Ministries will provide multiple two-hour workshops to assist parish leaders form new Parish Evangelization Teams and learn about Basic Evangelization Steps (including forming small parish groups).

Pastors/Administrators are asked to attend one of the two-hour workshops along with parish staff and volunteers. These workshops will assist us as we prepare to implement the parish elements of our Diocesan Evangelization and Renewal Springboard Plan. Registration is required for planning purposes. Presentations will be in English with Spanish PowerPoint slides and discussion.

Read more »

‘The Unique Role of the Mother’ by Bishop DiMarzio

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May 6, 2015 – Excerpted from Put Out Into the Deep, Bishop DiMarzio’s column in The Tablet:

My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

“Love is Our Mission, the Family fully alive” is the title of the preparatory document for Catechesis for the World Meeting of Families, to be held this September in Philadelphia.

The section on the “Family Creating the Future” might be important for us to consider as we prepare to celebrate Mother’s Day.

“Marriage is meant to be fertile and to welcome new life. Children shape the future, just as they themselves are shaped in their families. Without children, there can be no future. Children reared with love and guidance are the foundation for a loving future. Wounded children portend a wounded future. Families are the bedrock of all larger communities. Families are domestic churches, places where parents help children discover that God loves them and has a plan for each child’s life.”

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

Brooklyn Diocese to Announce Launch of Capital Campaign

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GOF_LogoOn Sunday, May 3rd, the Diocese of Brooklyn, together with the Catholic Foundation for Brooklyn and Queens, will officially announce the launch of Generations of Faith, a comprehensive fundraising initiative to meet the spiritual and material needs of the diocese.

Continuing the unprecedented generosity of the 1996 Alive in Hope campaign, this 2015-2016 effort aims to raise a minimum of $80 million. The campaign will be conducted in the 186 parishes of Brooklyn and Queens, inviting the more than 1.5 million Catholics in the diocese to participate.

Generations of Faith, named after the numerous generations of Catholics raised and living in the many tightknit neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens, will focus on three main goals: to strengthen the parishes of Brooklyn and Queens (50%), serve and care for senior priests (37.5%), and foster the formation of the Catholic faith for future generations (12.5%). Read more »

‘Strengthening the Future of the Diocese’ by Bishop DiMarzio

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April 29, 2015 – Excerpted from “Put Out Into the Deep,” Bishop DiMarzio’s column in The Tablet:

My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

Today, we find ourselves at a transitional point in the history of the Church of Brooklyn and Queens. As we celebrate the great work of the many generations that preceded us, our parishes and Diocese must also look to the future with plans to strengthen our faith.

For more than 150 years, the Diocese of Brooklyn has embraced and celebrated our communities, and our families. Under the guidance of remarkable priests, generations of Catholics have been raised and lived in the many tight-knit neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens, and come together as one family of faith at our vibrant parishes.

We are now more than 1.5 million Catholics, young and old, celebrating Mass in 33 different languages. Families of immigrants have transformed our Diocese, and while some have arrived more recently than others, we represent dozens of nationalities from all over the world. Our Diocese is a microcosm of the worldwide Church. We have been richly blessed.

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

Brooklyn Diocese Hosts Media Conference; Prepares For Pope Francis Arrival To U.S.

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Our 2017 World Communications Day Catholic Media Conference is May 17 at the BRIC Arts Media House in Brooklyn. Learn More and Sign Up

On Wednesday, May 13th, the Diocese of Brooklyn will host its 24th Annual World Communications Day Catholic Media Conference at the New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge, 333 Adams Street, Downtown Brooklyn. In preparation for Pope Francis’ first pastoral visit to the United States in September, the conference will focus on how to cover the Holy Father and provide insights on what to expect from his visit.

During the event, the diocese will honor Austen Ivereigh with the St. Francis DeSales Distinguished Communicator Award. He will also be the principal speaker for the occasion.

Austen Ivereigh, Ph.D., is a British writer, journalist, and commentator, and author of the internationally acclaimed biography The Great Reformer: Francis and the Making of a Radical Pope, published in the English-speaking world last Fall. He is also the co-founder and director of the international media project Catholic Voices, a project to train ordinary people to make the case for the Church on contentious issues in the media. His work also includes the books Faithful Citizens: a Practical Guide to Catholic Social Teaching and Community Organising, Catholic Voices: Putting the Case for the Church in the Era of 24-Hour News, and How to Defend the Faith Without Raising Your Voice. Read more »

Brooklyn Eagle Covers Mass of Hope and Healing

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brooklyn-eagle-logoThe Brooklyn Daily Eagle covered the Mass of Hope and Healing on Wednesday, April 15th at the Cathedral Basilica of St. James:

“ (…) Members of the survivors group shared a different perspective on justice and healing than did the protesters stationed outside the cathedral. The survivors group said that both can happen concurrently.

Moreover, Bishop DiMarzio and members of the group told the Eagle on April 15 that they have been meeting for more than a year as a support group and to organize the healing mass and that they developed the idea together. Read more »

Grilling With God 2015

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Please join us for our 5th Annual Grilling With God series, beginning June 4th. Each Grilling With God includes a night of prayer, food, discussion, and fellowship for Young Adults (ages 21-39). Click here for a flyer with all our speaker information.

We will begin on June 4 with a Holy Hour at 6pm at the Holy Child Jesus Chapel (86-13 112th Street Richmond Hill, New York) followed by an out door BBQ and talk. There is a suggested donation of $5. There is a parking lot and it is located near the J train.

Please feel free to contact Paul Morisi at (718) 965-7300 if you have any questions or concerns. Read more »

Pilgrimages to Italy and the Philippines

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The Diocese of Brooklyn has organized two pilgrimages to two very exciting locales! The first one will take you to Sordevolo, Italy to witness the world-famous Passion Play, as well as visits to the cities of Rome, Assisi, Venice, Padua, and the Piedmont region of Italy. Bishop Raymond Chappetto and Msgr. Steven Aguggia will chaplain the trip. For more information on this amazing opportunity, click here.

The second pilgrimage will be to the 51st International Eucharistic Conference in Cebu, Philippines from January 22 to February 1, 2016. Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio and Cardinal Timothy Dolan and will both be making the trip! For more information or to register for this once-in-a-lifetime trip, click here.

We hope to see you on one (or both!) of these pilgrimages!