Diocesan News

Bishop DiMarzio’s Homily At The Diocesan Pilgrimage

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Below is the transcript of the homily delivered on Oct. 25, 2014 at the Diocesan Pilgrimage at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington D.C.:

Screen Shot 2014-11-21 at 11.29.11 AMWe come as a diocese once again to the beautiful Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.  This year we dedicate our prayer and sacrifice for the persecuted Christians of the Middle East and all victims of terrorism.  Today, we have chosen the Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Help of Christians because, indeed, the Christians of the Middle East are in need of her motherly intercession and care.  In our First Reading today, the Word of God goes directly to the entrance of evil into the world.  God created the world to be good.  Because of the disobedience of man and woman, however, evil entered the world.  The scene in the Book of Genesis portrays for us the cunning work of the serpent devil and the contradictory nature of evil itself.  The great theologian St. Thomas Aquinas taught that even when man or women choose evil, somehow each believe that they are choosing something that is good for him or her.  Yes, Adam and Eve wanted to know more.  They wanted to be like God.  And, so, when the serpent tempted Eve to eat of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge which had been forbidden by God, she succumbs to that temptation and, in fact, took it to her husband and he too ate of the forbidden fruit.  The trick of Satan is still in our world today to present evil under the appearance of good.  Radical Islam, that today persecutes our brothers and sisters in Christ, appears to these people to be something good.  They must rid the world of those who will not accept their truth of Islam.  And so they pervert their own religion and ruthlessly take the lives of others, or force them to convert or displace them from their own lands.  Evil is not easily conquered, however, it is our Blessed Mother, Mary, who is our hope and intercessor.

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XLT Night with Ike Ndolo Band

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3_XLT_Front_DigitalXLT comes from the word eXaLT and is an amazing night of worship unlike any other! It mixes praise and worship music with a powerful, inspiring, yet challenging witness talk. The main focus is a time of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and the opportunity for the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Franciscan University and Life Teen are teaming up to present, for the first time over, the Steubenville NYC youth conference in Summer 2015. But they are getting the party started now with the XLT Fall tour. Everyone is invited.

The first XLT takes place at Most Precious Blood Church in Brooklyn at 8 PM. For more information, you can email Paul Morisi at pmorisi@diobrook.org

“Long Live Christ The King!” by Bishop DiMarzio

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November 19, 2104 – Excerpted from Put Out Into the Deep, Bishop DiMarzio’s column in The Tablet:

My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

In 1925, Pope Pius XI established a new feast to end the liturgical year, the Feast of Christ the King. That time in history had seen the rise of the totalitarian systems, such as communism and socialism, which infringed on the free practice of the faith. Because the dominion of Christ the King was not a political but rather a spiritual reign, it could really co-exist with any type of government, as long as religious freedom was allowed. Normally, democracy would seem to be the best system of government compatible with the Christian faith, but a monarchy or other forms of government can also allow the Christian faith to thrive, if real freedom of conscience and worship are supported.

This feast allows us to recognize the tension that exists today between faith and politics in our own land. When Jesus was asked the famous question by Pontius Pilate, “Are you a King?,” Jesus simply said, “You say so.”

But what do we say about Christ? Is He our King? Is our conscience guided by our allegiance to Christ or a political party or to some other loyalty?

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

Evangelization Congress 2015

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Fr. Allen Figueroa Deck S.J.

To Pastors, Administrators, Priests, Deacons, Catechetical Leaders including School/Academy Principals, Evangelization Coordinators and Teams, and Catechists:

On Saturday, January 31, The School of Evangelization will host an Evangelization Congress at the Immaculate Conception Center in Douglaston. The theme of the the day is “The Joy of Encountering Christ: Love is Our Mission” which lays the foundation of a three year intensive evangelization and catechetical renewal.

The day begins at 8 A.M. with registration followed by an opening prayer and keynote address, delivered by Father Allen Figueroa Deck, S.J., at 9:30.

Click here for a flyer with full details and registration information.

Bishop DiMarzio’s Christmas Luncheon

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Christmas_LuncheonOn Tuesday, December 9, Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, Msgr. Jamie Gigantiello, and Catholic Foundation for Brooklyn and Queens will host the 2014 Christmas Luncheon at Russo’s on the Bay in Howard Beach. The event, which begins at 11:30 a.m., is being held in honor of our Award Winners, Anthony and Gina Argento, John C. and Jeanette Walton, and Msgr. David Cassato.

If you would like to attend this luncheon, kindly RSVP by November 21, 2014 by calling (718) 965-7375 or email lmccormack@cfbq.org.

There are also a variety of sponsorship opportunities available.

See catholicfoundationbq.org for further details.

“A Chance For Immigration Reform” by Bishop DiMarzio

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November 12, 2014 – Excerpted from Put Out Into the Deep, Bishop DiMarzio’s column in The Tablet:

My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

Nov. 13 was the celebration of the Feast of St. Frances Cabrini, the patroness of immigrants, a saint to whom I have a special devotion. I have kept a small statue of Mother Cabrini on my desk for the last 40 years. Every day, I look upon the face of that brave and noble woman who courageously defended not only her native Italian immigrants but others as well. She had the courage to challenge the bishops and pastors of her day when they ignored the pastoral needs of immigrants. She is truly known as the “Mother of Immigrants,” since her life and the order which she founded, The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, have done so much to assist immigrants.

My own pastoral work as a priest began in the Newark Archdiocese assisting Italian immigrants. But soon the needs of others became quite clear, and, as someone once told me, you cannot love one person without loving everyone. Love knows no boundaries or distinction; the love of one immigrant must be extended to all.

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

You Can Understand the Bible!

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2014-11-06_16-31-29On Saturday, November 22, The School of Evangelization will sponsor “The Bible Timeline” Seminar. During thie seminar, you will learn how the key people, places, and events in the Bible fit together to reveal God’s plan, how Old Testament events are fulfilled in the New Testament, and to gain a great appreciation for the scriptures you hear at Mass. The seminar will take place at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph in Brooklyn. Registration begins at 8 AM and the seminar begins at 9 AM and concludes at 3 PM.

Also, don’t miss the Friday Night Talk that leads into the seminar. On Friday, November 21, Jeff Cavins, the creator of The Great Adventure Catholic Bible Study Program and director of the Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute, will deliver a talk titled “I’m Not Being Fed: Discovering the Food That Satisfies My Soul.” The talk takes place at the Immaculate Conception Center in Douglaston at 7 PM.

Click here for full information and a Group Registration Form. You can also contact Sister Alice Michael, S.U.S.C., at (718) 281-9583 or amichael@diobrook.com for further information.

 

 

 

Smart Schools Bond Act Passes Referendum; Will It Help Catholic Schools?

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Yesterday, voters across New York State passed the Smart Schools Bond Act, also known as Proposal 3, with 62% of the vote in favor. The Act would allow the state to borrow (from bond investors) up to $2 billion for school capital projects, including:

  • computers, servers, interactive whiteboards, tablets, high speed Internet, wireless Internet
  • high-tech security systems
  • new pre-K classrooms
  • the replacement of classroom trailers.
Of this $2 billion, New York City would receive approximately $783 million, with roughly $310 million expected to go to Pre-K programs and the remainder to other capital projects. The Act was structured so that both public and nonpublic schools, including parochial schools and academies, would be eligible to receive these funds.

“Honoring Service to the Nation” by Bishop DiMarzio

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November 5, 2014 – Excerpted from Put Out Into the Deep, Bishop DiMarzio’s column in The Tablet:

My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

This coming week we celebrate Veterans’ Day, which originally was named Armistice Day. The armistice, or ceasefire, between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, France, marked the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I and took place at the “eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month” of 1918. This civil holiday reminds us to honor all those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, whereas Memorial Day is a day in which we remember those who have died while serving our Nation.

Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, celebrated Mass on Sept. 13, commemorating the 100th anniversary of World War I, at Italy’s largest war memorial in Redipuglia, a town in northeast Italy near the border with Slovenia. Pope Francis said, “Above the entrance to this cemetery hangs in the air those iconic words of war. ‘What does it matter to me.’ Each one of the dead buried here had their own plans, their own dreams … but their lives were cut short. Why? Why did humanity say, ‘What does it matter to me?’ Even today, after the second failure of another world war, perhaps one can speak of a third war, one fought piecemeal, with crimes, massacres, destruction…”

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

Catholic Migration Services Receives Major Citizenship Grant

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Catholic Migration Services (CMS) announced today that it was one of only 40 organizations nationwide chosen to receive a citizenship grant from U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The federal grant is awarded on a highly competitive basis and comes with an award of $250,000 dispersed over a two-year period to fund legal and educational services for lawful permanent residents interested in applying for U.S. citizenship.

Since it began its Citizenship and Integration Grant Program in 2009, USCIS has awarded a total of $43 million to immigrant-serving organizations in 35 states and the District of Columbia, helping more than 93,000 permanent residents prepare for citizenship. Thanks to this grant funding, CMS will expand its existing naturalization legal services, while at the same time its partner and sub-grantee, Brooklyn Public Library, will offer free citizenship instructional courses at several local library branches located throughout the borough.

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