Queens

Statement on Fire At Our Lady Of Sorrows

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Tragedy struck the heart of the Diocese of Brooklyn this past weekend as Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Corona suffered a devastating fire. The Diocese of Brooklyn is fully committed to helping this church rebuild so that it may continue serving its faithful community as it has been doing since 1872. All of our shrines, churches, and cathedrals are sacred and special in their own individual ways. What makes Our Lady of Sorrows stand out is that it is a parish of immigrants in the Diocese of Immigrants, with 12,000-13,000 overall parishioners in attendance each weekend.

This vibrant parish has played host to several immigration-related events these past two years, including: a September 2013 Mass with Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop of Brooklyn; a March 2014 press conference for Catholic Migration Services with U.S. Senator Charles Schumer, Congresswoman Grace Meng, Assemblyman Francisco P. Moya, Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras, and Councilman Carlos Menchaca; and a November 2014 bills signing with Mayor Bill de Blasio of Intro. 486-A and Intro. 487-A, to protect undocumented immigrants.

As we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany, let us pray for our fellow parishioners in Corona during this time of rebuilding.

Statement of Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio On the Murder of Two NYPD Officers

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The Catholic Community in Brooklyn and Queens joins me in praying for the repose of souls of Police Officer Wenjian Liu and Police Officer Rafael Ramos. We offer our sincere condolences to the families of our fallen Police Officers and pray earnestly for their consolation. Each day, 35,000 of our fellow citizens put on blue uniforms and patrol the streets of our city to keep us safe. Each deserves our prayers and gratitude. These finest of men and women will undoubtedly continue to patrol and keep us safe by the strength of their service.

As we face monstrous evil, it sometimes seems as though the light has been extinguished for our world. As people of faith, we believe that it is precisely into this unexplainable situation that God comes to make His home. Emmanuel, “God is with us,” and so we are convinced that a “light shines in the darkness and the darkness shall not overcome it.” Saint Michael the Archangel, patron of our Police Officers, pray for us.

NET TV Announces Special Christmas Programming

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Today, New Evangelization Television (NET TV), announced its special programming for the Christmas Season.

On Saturday, December 20th, A Christmas Variety Special will bring all the fun and entertainment of the season in one hour of holiday cheer. Premiering at 8 p.m, with encores throughout the week, the program will be hosted by actor Anthony Mangano, from the award winning series City of Churches, and co-hosted by comedian Joe Manno, from CBS-TV’s Emmy Award winning Afternoon Special: All In One. A Christmas Variety Special is a family oriented program that features a unique concept in holiday entertainment that is rarely seen on television anymore. Not only does it include popular holiday tunes and humorous comedy sketches, but also traditional religious themes and carols. Guest stars include Lenny Venito from ABC-TV’s hit show The Neighbors, Lou Martini Jr. from HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, Jimmy Palumbo from HBO’s The Sopranos, Joe D’Onofrio from the TBS sitcom Are We There Yet?, Mario Bosco from ABC-TV’s Jimmy Kimmel Live, plus a special appearance by Santa Claus.

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“God Enters Into Creation” by Bishop DiMarzio

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December 17, 2014 – Excerpted from “Put Out Into the Deep,” Bishop DiMarzio’s column in The Tablet:

My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

Christmas in many ways is one of the most nostalgic periods of time. We have many treasured memories, especially surrounding the celebration of Christmas. Perhaps as we come closer to this Christmas, we can recall these memories.

For me, it was the annual ritual of buying the Christmas tree and decorating it, but most importantly placing the Christmas crèche, or presepio, beneath the tree. I learned from my grandmother that the presepio truly is, in the Italian tradition, a manifestation of Christ to the world. And so the images that were placed in the crèche would represent every possible human and animal form.

And so whatever figurines were in the house … animals, snowmen, Santa Claus, etc., they were all placed in the crèche because it was the point when Christ, the newborn, God-Man, manifested Himself to all of creation. This memory has remained with me all my life. In fact, in the vestibule of our Chancery building, there is a very large Neapolitan presepio that was presented to me by the Italian Trade Commission several years ago. It represents the same type of universal manifestation of Christ in a setting in an Italian village where everyone is going about their normal life … fishing, farming, blacksmithing, cooking … whatever their daily activity is. In the center is Christ, Who enters human history, not completely changing it, but becoming part of it.

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

ENDOW Facilitator Training

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To All Pastors, Administrators, and Catechetical Leaders:

We are blessed to begin ENDOW Study Groups for Women in the Diocese of Brooklyn. ENDOW (Educating on the Nature and Dignity of Women) is an international Catholic study group that engages the intellect and hearts of women and girls to help them understand their God-given dignity and respond to our culture’s desperate need for an authentic feminine presence in every aspect of life and society. These groups will serve as excellent opportunities for evangelization and renewal and will be highlighted in our upcoming Diocesan Springboard Plan 2015-2018 for Evangelization and Renewal entitled The Joy of Encountering Christ–The Family’s Hope.

Please send at least one person from your parish who will lead your parish/deanery group to the facilitator training session that will be held on Saturday, February 21, 2015 from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm at the Immaculate Conception Center in Douglaston.

Please see the attached flyer for important registration information. Space is limited, so please register early. The registration fee is $25.00 per person attending the training and includes all training materials.

For more information, contact Ted Musco at (718) 965-7300 ext. 2417

 

Apostolado Mexicano Honrará a la Virgen De Guadalupe Con Tradicional Peregrinación

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El Apostolado Mexicano de la Diócesis de Brooklyn llevará a cabo el tradicional peregrinaje Antorcha Guadalupana este viernes 12 de diciembre para conmemorar el Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe.

Monseñor Nicholas DiMarzio, Obispo de Brooklyn, dará inicio a las celebraciones con la Santa Misa, a las 12 p.m. en la Co-Catedral de San José – 856 Pacific Street, Prospect Heights. La homilía será ofrecida en español por Monseñor Octavio Cisneros, Obispo Auxiliar de Brooklyn. Inmediatamente después de la Misa, los clérigos bendecirán las antorchas que serán encendidas a los pies de la Co-Catedral de San José, para proseguir con la peregrinación a las parroquias participantes de Brooklyn y Queens. Los peregrinos llevarán las antorchas a sus parroquias correspondientes, al son de cánticos y oraciones de amor y paz.

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Mexican Apostolate to Honor Our Lady of Guadalupe With Traditional Torch Pilgrimage

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On Friday, December 12, the Mexican Apostolate of the Diocese of Brooklyn will hold a traditional torch pilgrimage commemorating the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

The Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop of Brooklyn, will start the celebration with Holy Mass at 12 p.m. at the Co-Cathedral of Saint Joseph, 856 Pacific Street, Prospect Heights. He will be joined by Auxiliary Bishop Octavio Cisneros, who will deliver the Spanish homily. Following Mass, the torches will be blessed and lit up on the front steps of the Co-Cathedral before the pilgrimage proceeds to the different participating parishes throughout Brooklyn and Queens. The pilgrims will carry the torches as they sing, pray and spread messages of hope and love on their way back to their parishes.

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“Building a More Just City” by Bishop DiMarzio

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December 10, 2014 – Excerpted from Put Out Into the Deep, Bishop DiMarzio’s column in The Tablet.

My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

Democracies offer citizens the right of assembly, regress, and the ability to protest issues that are not favorable to its citizens. Recently, we have seen examples of both peaceful and not so peaceful protests. In Hong Kong, far from us, we have seen in the last month, protests, especially among students, trying to get the attention of the communist leaders in Beijing to allow open and democratic elections in Hong Kong. Even the retired Cardinal in Hong Kong, Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, is involved in these peaceful demonstrations. Recently, he and other adult leaders of this protest movement have turned themselves into the government in order to avoid any repression or bloodshed, mindful of the terrible memory of Tiananmen Square when the communist forces killed many demonstrators over two decades ago.

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