2007: The Year in Quotes
Some of The Tablet staff who marched in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Bay Ridge.
“With all the many trials and tribulations, both large and small, which are presented to all people, the greatest and most powerful tool to rejoice in humanity as well as aid humanity, is a very simple one — prayer.” Francesco Loccisano, a senior at Xaverian H.S., Bay Ridge, wrote in his winning essay for the 2007 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Essay Contest. He died Sept. 14 after a long battle with cancer.
“I never did anything for this church for years and years and I said it’s about time.” Dan Foley, parishioner at Our Lady of Lourdes, Queens Village, at a parish-wide volunteer effort to beautify the church in July.
“When we have respect for the human dignity of every person…we see in the face of every person the face of Christ – the poor, the hungry, the thirsty and the imprisoned.” Bishop Joseph Sullivan at Mass celebrated for peace in January.
“Their faith kept them more alive than their medication.” Matt Sanchez from Grassroots Films, who visited AIDS patients in Africa.
“When I stay over, I am not tired the next day. It doesn’t make me tired. Instead, I am energized. It comes from helping.” Rocio Rojas, a volunteer at the Blessed Sacrament, Jackson Heights, homeless shelter, where she spends the night once a week.
“There is no such thing as a healing priest,” Father Jeffry Dillon emphasized in June. “God works through me and hopefully, I get out of the way.”
“I would like to open a real house of prayer where people can come and stay overnight. Not just for ex-offenders,” Sister Elaine Roulet, C.S.J. explained in November, “There are other prisons people are in.
“If we’re not out there, we’re part of the problem. We have to show we are outraged by abortion. We can’t do that from the pews alone,” said Chris Slattery, founder and director of Expectant Mother Care-EMC FrontLine Pregnancy Centers, who launched Operation FrontLine, mobile crisis counseling units, and participated in the national 40 Days for Life campaign, this year.
This line of work can be burdensome... But there is tremendous reward in saving people and keeping families together.” Father Bob Vitaglione on his three decades of work in immigration law.
“It is the charism of the Diocese of Brooklyn to be an immigrant diocese.” Msgr. Ronald Marino to international priests in April.
“To preach God’s word, we have to do it with goodness, humility and patience. The minute that we think this ministry begins and ends with us, it will be lost. We have to know that God has done this within us and do it with humility.” Auxiliary Bishop Ignatius Catanello, to permanent deacons and their families.
“The Church position has always been in favor of (workers) organizing. …We can never forget about social justice. The Church has to be on the forefront of this issue. … Social justice issues are part of our tradition as Church.” Msgr. James Kelly, pastor of St. Brigid’s, Bushwick, following a July rally in defense of immigrant workers who claim to have been underpaid by local supermarket.
“It was the ’60s and it was wonderful. And then there was something. I looked at the lives of the Sisters and it was a life of service, a life of direction. I tried to ignore it (the call)… and it kept getting bigger and I couldn’t ignore it anymore.” Sister Kathleen McKinney, CSJ, about her call to religious life at Mission Possible, a Josephite vocation awareness retreat in March.
“I am amazed at how people are thinking about others who they do not know,” Father Christopher Okorie about response to Water for Life project for village in Nigeria.
“I look forward to the day when people can’t think of us as being any other way than united,” Father Paul Jervis, newly installed pastor, St. Martin de Porres parish, created by merger of Our Lady of Victory, Holy Rosary and St. Peter Claver, all Bedford-Stuyvesant.
“We have so much and depend on so much,” Alex Pelliccione said. “But a lot of the people in the town are happier and they have so little.” St. Boniface teens’ visit to an orphanage in Nicaragua this summer.
“I’m grateful that I’m able to live in a country where I have my basic human rights guaranteed. In some countries people have to fight for their rights, I am glad that this has already been done for me.” Audra Bagdziunas, senior at St. Agnes Academic H.S., College Point, in response to a Thanksgiving Youth Views question.
Please send news items and photos of parish events to lbusetti@thetablet.org or call 718-965-7333 ext. 2021.
Migration Day showed the diversity of the diocese.
Putting Out Into the Deep With Bishop DiMarzio
“The Church does not propose to have a solution to the longstanding problem of migration; it proposes to bring a moral perspective and reason to the legislative and political process that is responsible for finding a solution that defends the common good.” (Jan. 6)
“I want to take this opportunity to express publicly my deep and heartfelt thanks to all those who are involved in the ministry of Catholic education. These past few years have been difficult, but I want you to know that I am doing everything possible to ensure that a Catholic education will be available to children and young people in Queens and Brooklyn well into the future.” (Jan. 27)
“We must continually see ourselves as a missionary Church, reaching out to all pastorally with a sense of mission and conversion.” (Feb. 24)
“We have as much right to be heard in the public forum as other value systems. In democratic societies there is a legislative process which unfortunately at times determines morality. To exclude oneself or one’s value system from the public debate, however, is not an option for Catholics and persons of good will.” (June 9)
“The written word, as has been said so many times, is more powerful than the sword. There is a great potential for changing the world and making it a better place when we pay attention to the written world.” (June 23)
“There are many other human rights that flow from the basic right to life, but without a defense and a respect of the basic right to life, all other rights have no meaning.” (Oct. 6)
