June 29, 2016 – Excerpted from Put Out Into the Deep, Bishop DiMarzio’s column in The Tablet:

My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

Since 2012, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has declared a two-week period called “The Fortnight for Freedom.” This year, it takes place from June 21 to July 4, our national Independence Day.

During this time, the Bishops have asked the Church to pray, to educate themselves and to take action to defend religious freedom in our country and abroad. The theme for 2016, “Witnesses to Freedom,” focuses on the men and women of faith in our country and throughout the world who have borne witness to the authentic freedom of religion, especially when they are motivated by the love of Christ Himself.

This two-week period is a time when we can reflect on the true meaning of freedom. The First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America protects the right for the free exercise of religion: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…” The unfortunate interpretations of the separation of Church and State recently have been that the State must be protected from religion. The fact is, it is vice versa: religion must be protected from the intrusion of the State. Truly, this is a Constitutional right that we have in our great Nation, which is known for its attention to religious freedom.

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

June 22, 2016 – Excerpted from Put Out Into the Deep, Bishop DiMarzio’s column in The Tablet:

My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

Every survey that is taken in the parishes regarding the priorities of the parishioners always results in youth ministry being the top priority of all polled. Instinctively, we all understand that if we do not transmit the faith to our coming generation there will be no recognizable Church.

Youth ministry has many aspects and certainly is not simply entertainment for our young people so that they will somehow see their church as their social gathering place. Rather, it is an experience of evangelization and catechesis so that we can give our youth the inner strength and understanding of what their faith is truly about.

Last year, our Diocese in Brooklyn and Queens was fortunate to receive a contribution of $1 million from an anonymous donor so we could get our youth ministry program off the ground. These funds are distributed through the Catholic Foundation for Brooklyn and Queens. We have begun the training and placing of youth ministers in parishes, or shared between parishes, which will prepare us for the reception and distribution of $10 million as a result of the Generations of Faith Capital Campaign.

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

June 15, 2016 – Excerpted from Put Out Into the Deep, Bishop DiMarzio’s column in The Tablet:

My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

There is no better meditation on the theology of fatherhood than the Lord’s Prayer. They are the words that Our Lord used to instruct His Apostles when they asked Him, “Teach us to pray.”

God is called “father” 14 times in the Old Testament and yet not by the word “Abba,” which was the word used by children to call their father – usually it was their first word. In fact, it is the word which Jesus used to instruct His Apostles in the Aramaic language which was the common parlance of the day. Jesus called God His Father, which was for many Jews a kind of blasphemy because who could call God his father except one who was generated by the Father. This is precisely why we can call God our father, because He is the Creator, the creator of each and every one of us.

In a certain sense, the word father is a metaphor for generator, the creator. It is important that we see that in God there is no human personality. But in order to make God understandable, Jesus allows us to call God our Father, as He called Him.

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

June 8, 2016 – Excerpted from Put Out Into the Deep, Bishop DiMarzio’s column in The Tablet:

My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

This week’s column gives me an opportunity to reflect on the Ordination of ten priests for service to the faithful of the Diocese in Brooklyn and Queens, held on June 4 at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph. Every Ordination takes on its own particular character, perhaps because of the differences of those being Ordained. This year, it was particularly clear that those being Ordained mirrored our Diocese in its ethnic makeup; two born in Latin America, two who are Haitian-born, two born in Poland, one of Nigerian birth and three American-born – one of European-American heritage, one of Hispanic heritage and one of African-American heritage. These faces are the faces of the Diocese of Brooklyn in a microcosm reflected so well in those who are ready to serve not only those of their heritage, but also each member of our Diocese. They are priests who were Ordained for all the people of God of Brooklyn and Queens.

It has been my custom to spend the day before Ordination in prayer with those to be Ordained. By coincidence, Friday, June 3, was the Feast of the Sacred Heart and also the Day of Prayer for Priestly Sanctity which was declared some years ago by Pope Benedict XVI. Priestly sanctity is what priesthood is all about. It is about a life in which holiness is extolled and it is holiness that serves the people of God well. The day is one where we discuss various issues and also provides an opportunity to share a Holy Hour, celebrate the Eucharist and pray the Vespers of the Sacred Heart. During my own discussion with those to be Ordained, I had an opportunity to discuss their “priesthood paper” which I asked them to prepare for me prior to our day of prayer. Each is asked to write a short paper, not theological in nature, which expresses their thoughts and hopes for the priesthood which they are about to receive. I would like to share some of their thoughts with you so that you might have a better insight into the newly Ordained sent to serve our Diocese.

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

June 1, 2016 – Excerpted from Put Out Into the Deep, Bishop DiMarzio’s column in The Tablet:

My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

Since the national clergy abuse scandal erupted in 2002, the Diocese of Brooklyn has not wavered in its commitment to protect children and assist victims of past abuse. Some members of the clergy did terrible things and hurt innocent people. We want to support, pray for, and help all victims heal, while ensuring children in our community are never hurt again.

To this end, the Church has implemented significant changes including the enforcement of a zero tolerance policy under which any cleric with a proven allegation is barred from ministry. We have established a reporting system that ensures allegations go directly to civil authorities. We conduct quarterly background checks on all employees and volunteers.

We pay several hundred thousand dollars annually to provide independent therapy and support services for all who come forward. And every year, we hold a Mass of Hope and Healing for survivors of abuse.

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

May 25, 2016 – 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 Memorial Day, which was originally was called Decoration Day, we are reminded that this is a day of remembrance for those who have died in defense of our Nation. The actual beginnings of Memorial Day seem to be lost in history. The fact is that after the Civil War there was a great need for reconciliation between the North and South. Although the celebration originally began in the North, it was eventually adopted by the South as a day when the opposite sides of the Civil War could be reconciled.

Memorial Day was first officially proclaimed on May 5, 1868 by General John Logan who was the commander of the Army of the Republic. It was first observed on May 30 of that year when flowers were placed on the graves of both Union and Confederate soldiers buried at Arlington National Cemetery. New York was the first state to officially recognize the holiday in 1873. Since that time, unfortunately, its true meaning has been lost for many as just another long weekend.

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

May 18, 2016 – Excerpted from Put Out Into the Deep, Bishop DiMarzio’s column in The Tablet:

My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

The current politicization of the issue of undocumented workers in our country is truly unfortunate. It is a social problem that demands our attention and one that needs a solution, but not an issue that can be solved without addressing the racist and xenophobic tendencies that lay below the veneer of even just societies.

My approach will not be a religious one, although certainly Scripture gives us much to think about when it comes to treating the alien workers in our midst. The Book of Deuteronomy makes it clear to the Israelites that they should not abuse the alien workers and that they should leave a portion of the harvest for those workers, reminding them that they, themselves, in prior centuries had been aliens in the land of Egypt.

I base this defense of immigrant workers on past research and present analysis of this issue that comes from understanding the labor shortages which our Nation experiences in various sectors; for example, in agriculture, construction and the service industries. Honest workers deserve to be defended because first of all they contribute to our society and economy, and secondly, because they are human beings with dignity, rights and responsibilities.

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

May 11, 2016 – Excerpted from Put Out Into The Deep, Bishop DiMarzio’s column in The Tablet:

My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

This is the last in a series of articles summarizing the teaching of our Holy Father, Pope Francis, on The Joy of Love.

This installment summarizes Chapter Eight which is perhaps the most difficult chapter to understand.

First of all, its title, Accompanying, Discerning and Integrating Weakness, guides us in understanding the chapter. Our Holy Father says, “the Church must accompany with attention and care the weakest of her children, who show signs of a wounded and troubled love, by restoring in them hope and confidence…”

One of the greatest things the Church can do, as our Holy Father said, is to give truth and hope to people. The truth is that there is no possibility for breaking the marital bond. It is inviolate and that ideal must always be upheld and never be trivialized because marriage is a sacrament and replicates the union of Christ and His Church which never can be broken.

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

 

May 4, 2016 – Excerpted from Put Out Into the Deep, Bishop DiMarzio’s column in The Tablet:

In this third in a series of articles, I continue my review of the Apostolic Exhortation, The Joy of Love.

In two chapters, our Holy Father, Pope Francis, offers some pastoral perspectives and ideas toward the better education of children. He begins by reminding us of… “the Gospel of the family as a joy that ‘fills hearts and lives,’ because in Christ we have been ‘set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness.’”

These are words that he borrowed from himself in another Apostolic Exhortation entitled “The Joy of the Gospel.” The Holy Father sees all things through Christ, as it is Christ who is the source of our joy. It is Christ who can give joy to a family. It is the role of the parish to give pastoral care to families. In fact, the parish is a family of families who come together for the worship of the Lord. Each family, no matter what its situation, has something to offer to the Church and the parish. Our Holy Father brings out the point that many seminarians and religious come from troubled families and sometimes lack emotional stability. Yet, they still follow the path to a vocation to the priesthood or to religious life.

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

 

April 27, 2016 – Excerpted from Put Out Into the Deep, Bishop DiMarzio’s column in The Tablet:

My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

This week, I will continue my analysis of the Apostolic Exhortation, “The Joy of Love.”

The Pope opens the fourth chapter with the beautiful “Ode to Love” by St. Paul in First Corinthians. This passage is almost universally chosen by brides and grooms to be one of the readings at their weddings.

It is a primer for married life, and, if taken seriously, can sustain couples in all types of difficulties. When I preside at a marriage, I usually tell the couple that they should read this passage together at least once a week. And I give them my guarantee that the difficulties of their marriage can be resolved while they experience greater joy in their love for one another when they follow that advice.

What did St. Paul say? “Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (13 Cor 4:7)

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