Celebrating Community
Red Hook resident Leroy Branch is a lay deacon of the Catholic Church, assigned to the Parish of St. Paul and St. Agnes in Cobble Hill. If you’ve ever attended a Mass with Deacon Leroy on the altar, either proclaiming the gospel, reading the Prayer of the Faithful or announcing “The Mass is ended, go in peace” in his booming […]
How the Diocese of Brooklyn Observes Holy Week Christians all over the world will mark the beginning of Holy Week on Palm Sunday, April 9. Palm Sunday, also known as Passion Sunday, commemorates Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. The distribution and waving of palms is symbolic of Jesus’ impending victory over death. Palms placed on graves during the Easter season further […]
The news this summer has been rampant with violence in the form of terrorist attacks, police shootings and ambush attacks on police officers. These hot topics have undoubtedly led to a great deal of nationwide tension. We asked several local clergy members to weigh in on the situation. Monsignor Joseph Nugent, pastor of both St. Agnes and St. Paul’s […]
Noted poet, playwright, author and Carroll Gardens’ native, Vito Gentile, returned to Sacred Hearts/St. Stephen Church on Sunday, December 6th to share poems, including those from his book, Fifty Poems About Christmas, and excerpts from his memoir, Little Christmas. Gentile, who grew up on 4th Place, attended school at St. Mary Star of the Sea and worshipped at both St. […]
With the city abuzz with excitement over Pope Francis’ long anticipated visit to NYC on September 24 -25, a number of locals were fortunate enough to participate in the various planned events. Upon his arrival at JFK Airport, the Pope was greeted by a group of Catholic school children. SHSS parishioner, 5 year old Maria Teresa Heyer, while lifted […]
Two local parishes ventured outside their church buildings and celebrated outdoor Masses in honor of the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Saturday, August 15. The parish of Sacred Hearts of Jesus & Mary/St. Stephen held a noontime Mass in front of the church on Summit Street which was closed to traffic. The altar was set […]
Wave of Vandalism Hits Local Churches Several local churches were hit with unrelated acts of vandalism in recent weeks. On the evening of June 8, before the start of a weeklong novena, a man attacked the statue of St. Michael the Archangel inside Sacred Hearts/St. Stephen Church on Summit and Hicks Streets. Father Cletus Forson, Parochial Vicar at SHSS, had […]