The Diocese of Brooklyn livestreamed a press conference this morning to announce the appointment of two new auxiliary bishops. The broadcast is over, but you can read the complete press release below.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 19, 2015

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

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.

“These two men represent the very best of the Diocese. One is a parish priest who at heart is a missionary pouring himself out for others. The other is a teacher but in fact very much a father to the young men of our diocese and beyond who are studying to be priests,” said Bishop DiMarzio. “I am deeply appreciative to these men for their tireless efforts. Bishop-elect Massa and Bishop-elect Mroziewski are men of faith who daily communicate the great joy of the Gospel. Each has taken on incredibly challenging tasks and not simply excelled but did so in a way that has demonstrated outstanding leadership and personal holiness.”

The Very Reverend James Massa was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, to the late Andrew and Irene Gilbert Massa. He attended Boston College and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Theology and History in 1982. In 1985, he earned a Master’s of Divinity Degree from Yale University, and in 1997, a Ph.D. in Systematic Theology from Fordham University, where he wrote his dissertation under the late Cardinal Avery Dulles.

The late Bishop Francis J. Mugavero ordained Father Massa a priest of the Diocese of Brooklyn on October 25, 1986. His first assignment was as a Parochial Vicar at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs in the Forest Hills section of Queens (1986-1990). He went on to serve as Campus Minister at Queens College (1990-1993) and in a number of positions at seminaries and universities as an Associate Professor of Theology. In 2005, he was appointed the Executive Director of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishop’s Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Dialogue. In 2008, he was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI a Consultor to the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and a Member of the Joint Working Group between the Holy See and the World Council of Churches.

Father Massa returned to the Diocese of Brooklyn in 2011 and coordinated the merger of the Theologates for the Archdiocese of New York, the Diocese of Rockville Centre and the Diocese of Brooklyn. In 2012, he was appointed Associate Professor of Dogmatic Theology and Director of Assessment and Accreditation at Saint Joseph’s Seminary, Dunwoodie.

“I receive this news of my appointment with gratitude to the Holy Father, who exemplifies in all he does ‘the joy of the Gospel,’” said Bishop-elect Massa. “Aware of my own inadequacies and fears, I place all my confidence in Jesus, whose love never fails us on the journey of faith.”

The Reverend Canon Witold Mroziewski was born on March 25, 1966, to Waclawa Jablonska and the late Jan Edmund Mroziewski in Augustow, Poland. He earned a Masters in Theology from the Catholic University in Lublin, Poland, in 1991. He returned to K.U.L., Poland, and earned a Masters in Canon Law (2001) and Juris Canon Lawyer (Doctoral 2003).

Bishop Juliusz Paetz ordained Father Mroziewski a priest at the Cathedral of Lomza on June 29, 1991. He served as a Parochial Vicar in the parish of Kadzidlo. In 1992, he was sent for pastoral service in Brooklyn to minister to Polish ex-patriots. He served as Parochial Vicar of Our Lady of Czestochowa-Saint Casmir (1993-2000) and served as Pastor of this parish from (2000-2013). He now serves as Pastor of Holy Cross Parish (2013-present). He is also Associate Promoter of Justice for Criminal Cases and the Defender of the Bond on the Diocesan Tribunal.

Reacting to the news of his appointment, Bishop-elect Mroziewski said, “I was told by the Apostolic Nuncio that I was appointed by His Holiness Pope Francis an auxiliary bishop to the Diocese of Brooklyn. At that time, I was shocked to the point of not saying anything. Soon, it came to my senses and my conscience what grace and honor I had received. First of all, I give my humble thanks to His Holiness Pope Francis for selecting me and including me in the College of Bishops. My gratitude goes out to our diocesan bishop, Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio, for his trust in me, and his great example of dedication to apostolic service. Thank you to all the bishops of our diocese, to our wonderful priests, religious and laity for their warm welcome given to me over twenty years ago when I came to continue my pastoral duties as a priest. Because of their constant openness, sincere collaboration, spiritual support and great gift of fraternity, this place became my home. I would like to offer everything I received from God with my service to Bishop DiMarzio and to all my brothers and sisters in Brooklyn and Queens as well as the Universal Church,” said Bishop-elect Mroziewski.

As auxiliary bishops, they will join the Most Reverend Raymond Chappetto, Vicar General, the Most Reverend Octavio Cisneros and the Most Reverend Paul Sanchez in assisting Bishop DiMarzio to serve the sacramental, spiritual and pastoral needs of the 1.5 million multi-cultural Catholics who reside in Brooklyn and Queens.

Description:

The Department of Education for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn is currently seeking two part-time Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) Operations Associates. The Operations Associates will have independent areas of responsibilities, with one serving the Borough of Queens and the other serving the Borough of Brooklyn and a part of Queens. In this part time role, the Operations Associates will work no more than 19 hours per week.

Principal Responsibilites:

The UPK Operations Associates will provide support and guidance to schools by:

• Uploading documentation thru the Accelerator Process
• Assisting with the Request for Proposal Process
• Assisting with new Parent Registration Process
• Liaising with external regulatory bodies as needed, including Administration for Children’s Services (ACS), Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), and NYC Department of Education (DOE) for Universal Pre-kindergarten (UPK).
• Maintaining relationship with the Mayor’s Office
• Attending all Directors Meetings as well as attending professional development sessions at Teacher meetings
• Reviewing all Mid-year and End of Year UPK Budgets
• Maintaining contact with accountants working on UPK budgets
• Maintaining copies of each UPK budget and insuring that the Office of Fiscal Management has copies of each UPK’s current budget
• Meeting with UPK Directors twice during school year to ensure compliance and provide assistance where needed
• Sending yearly UPK surveys in order to gather data
• Keeping accurate and updated records

Requirements:

• Degree in Early Childhood Education or related field of study
• Previous experience as education program director
• Maintain strict confidentiality of student, staff, and program information
• At least two years’ experience as a group teacher in a program for children under age six
• NYS teacher certificate in early childhood education or equivalent
• Must have experience with Universal Pre-Kindergarten and ability to remain current with program changes
• Prior management experience in a pre-school environment preferred
• Capacity to understand and manage program finances and budget
• Ability to formulate and carry out effective work plans
• Ability to facilitate the coordination of multiple tasks and manage a variety of projects simultaneously
• Excellent interpersonal, organizational, verbal and written communication skills
• Cleared background check and fingerprints indicating ability to work with children
• Computer literate

Interested applicants should send a resume with their salary requirements, along with a letter of interest specifying the position for which they are applying to hremploy@diobrook.org

This position will remain posted until filled.

Click here to enlarge brochure, to view full-size and to print.

 

View the player below on Friday, May 17th @ 10AM EST for a live streaming of the events of the Diocese of Brooklyn’s World Communications Day.
 

The Act of Contrition is a prayer said during Confession. The prayer expresses the penitent’s sorrow for their sins and for offending God. The prayer concludes by the penitent making an affirmation to perform an act of penance and amend his life. There are several variations of the Act of Contrition. Below is a good version of this prayer:
O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven, and the pains of hell; but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life.
Amen.