The traditional 9/11 memorial service that many of us have attended on the Promenade in years past will not be held this year, but members of the Brooklyn Heights Clergy Association will be present on the Promenade at Montague Street and ribbons and prayer cards will be distributed to honor those lost that day 19 years ago. More details are below:

Friday, September 11 between 8:30-10:00am and 5:30-7:00pm 

Brooklyn Heights Promenade at Montague Street

So many events this year have invited us to rethink life and community in the wake of the current global pandemic and racial uprisings — that includes gathering to remember those we lost 19 years ago to a horrific terrorist attack. While health concerns prevent us from holding a traditional service this year our 9-11 memorial will be no less meaningful. Please join the Brooklyn Heights Clergy Association any time between 8:30-10 am and 5:30-7 pm to leave a written tribute on the Promenade at Montague Street. In our sacred distant way, we will honor those we lost and we will remember.

Ribbons and prayer blank cards will be distributed at the corner of Montague Street and the Promenade during the following times: 8:30am-10:00am & 5:30pm-7:00pm

1. Leadership Meeting – The Parish Pastoral Council invites any interested parishioners to the fall parish leadership meeting. It will take place in the church immediately following the 11:15 AM Mass on September 13. You can also attend via Zoom.

We will discuss plans for next year and would love to hear your input on what areas the parish should focus on, suggestions for new things you would like to try, and/or old things you would like to resume.

As a safety measure, we ask that you try to sit towards the front of the church for Mass that day so we can hear one another during the after Mass discussion without having to move around. Thank you.

2. Book Club Meeting at 12:30 PM in Rectory Garden – The Sunday book club will have its annual preparation meeting to select the books that will be read next year. The meeting will be held in the rectory garden (31 Sidney Place) at 12:30 PM on Sunday, September 13.

New members and suggestions for new books welcome. The Sunday book club meets once a month following the 11:15 a.m. Sunday Mass.

Since many parishioners have enjoyed attending past events put on by Communion and Liberation as well as Crossroads, we wanted to highlight an upcoming online talk that will be held on Saturday, September 19:

“Christians in the US are facing the dramatic question of how to engage with major social issues like racism. Some feel that they have a duty to “do something,” while others fear the ideological and destructive mindset of some of the protest movements. Holding an original and creative Christian position is hard, and the temptation to align with one of the two major political sides is strong. Continue reading “Giussani Series on Faith and Modernity on Sep. 19” →

The US Catholic Bishops have dedicated Wednesday, September 9, the Memorial of St. Peter Claver as a day of prayer for racial justice and solidarity.

A special Mass will be celebrated on Wednesday, September 9, 2020 at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph at 7:30 PM. The faithful of the Diocese are welcomed to attend and priests are invited to concelebrate. The Mass will be televised live on NET TV. Bishop Neil Tiedemann, C.P., will serve as the Main Celebrant and Father Alonzo Cox will be the Homilist.

Join us at the Young Professionals meeting on Tuesday 9/1 at 7pm for a discussion led by Alex Lerangis and Fr. John Gribowich on Catholic art, which will focus on Caravaggio across three broad topics:

• Caravaggio as an artist: who he was, where he was raised/lived, when he lived, how he entered into painting, what part of society he operated in (e.g., who were his patrons), etc.
• Caravaggio as a Christian: what we know of his upbringing in the Church, his relationship with the Church, why he decided to paint Christian subjects, etc.
• Case Studies of a couple of his works (with Christian subjects): themes, style/technique, meaning, relevance to how we operate as Catholics today, etc.

As always this will be an interactive group discussion, so we encourage you to think about how art with Christian subject matter has played a role in your faith and/or any artists or works that are particularly meaningful to you.

We wanted to update the parish on a new ministry we will be participating in more fully.

Catholic Charities has been supporting a food pantry from their offices on Joralemon Street to provide food staples to those in need.  As you can imagine, the number of those that are in need and food insecure has only grown during the pandemic. Catholic Charities offices are being renovated beginning in September, and the pantry needs a new home. St. Charles Borromeo has volunteered to run the pantry out of our church under the management of Catholic Charities so that we can continue to serve those that are in need.