What’s News, Breaking: Thursday, November 9, 2023
DONATE BLOOD, GET A CHEESECAKE…
IF YOU’RE AMONG THE FIRST 45
DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — JUNIOR’S RESTAURANT AND BAKERY, RENOWNED for the world’s most famous and fabulous New York-style cheesecake, is co-hosting a blood drive on Friday, Nov. 10, from noon to 6 p.m. in partnership with the New York Blood Center. The first 45 donors at the drive, being held at the Downtown Brooklyn restaurant (Flatbush Avenue Extension and DeKalb Ave.) will each receive a Junior’s cheesecake as a thank-you for giving at a time of declining blood donations.
After giving blood, of course, donors may want to regain some of their energy with a corned beef and pastrami sandwich with the fixins.’
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JUDGE RAMON E. REYES CONFIRMED AS DISTRICT JUDGE
FOR BROOKLYN FEDERAL COURT, ANNOUNCES SEN. SCHUMER
DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN—US MAGISTRATE JUDGE RAMON E. REYES, A NATIVE BROOKLYNITE AND RESIDENT OF BROOKLYN, HAS BEEN CONFIRMED to serve as a District Judge on the prestigious United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, US Senator Charles E. Schumer announced on Thursday, November 9. Senator Schumer had forwarded Judge Reyes’ name for the Eastern District of New York to the Biden-Harris administration and has championed his nomination. Judge Reyes, who began his career clerking for the same court on which he now sits, is a United States Magistrate Judge in the Eastern District of New York. Known for his diligent leadership in Hurricane Sandy cases, he has also fought to protect voting rights, accessibility to the ballot box, against workplace discrimination, and has advocated for consumers victimized by healthcare fraud.
Reyes, who is Puerto Rican, is only the second Hispanic to join the bench of the US District Court-Eastern District/NY.
Photo courtesy Office of Senator Chuck Schumer
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REP. GOLDMAN TO CONGRESS: BUDGET $7B
FOR AFFORDABLE CONNECTIVITY PROGRAM
CITYWIDE — BROOKLYN CONGRESSMAN DAN GOLDMAN (D-10) AND HIS COLLEAGUES IN THE NEW YORK CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION HAVE CALLED for $7 billion to be allocated in funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program. The ACP provides financial assistance to low-income households, helping them to afford internet access as well as one-time subsidies for computers or tablets. Without continued funding, millions of Americans will be cut off from internet access, which nowadays is vital for work, school, and connecting with essential resources. More than 40% of households in New York’s 10th Congressional District are eligible for the Affordable Connectivity Program.
Within public housing, the Affordable Connectivity Program is critical to ensuring that NYCHA residents in particular can access high-speed internet; yet, only 30 to 40% of NYCHA residents actually have this access.
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GOFUNDME DONATIONS FOR SLAIN CHILD DOUBLE GOAL;
FUNERAL 7-YEAR-OLD KAMARI HUGHES HELD THURSDAY
FORT GREENE — MORE THAN 440 GOFUNDME DONATIONS TOTALLING MORE THAN DOUBLE THE $10,000 GOAL HAVE BEEN SENT TO THE FAMILY OF A 7-YEAR-OLD BOY WHO WAS STRUCK AND KILLED by an NYPD tow truck driver last month in Fort Greene. Second-grader Kamari Hughes was mowed down on Oct. 26 while on his way to school with his mother, who witnessed the fatal collision. Kamari was on his scooter, and in the crosswalk when tow truck driver Stephanie Sharp, 54, later identified as a civilian unionized driver, hit the child. Sharp has since been criminally charged with failure to yield to a pedestrian and failure to exercise due care. Kamari’s mother, Taqunda, who organized the GoFundMe, witnessed the collision and told reporters with WPIX TV and other media outlets that Kamari, who loved the superhero Spiderman, was her only child.
Mayor Eric Adams, who also has a son, reached out to the Hughes family after the collision. The viewing and funeral were scheduled to take place Thursday afternoon, Nov. 9.
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FIGHTING BO’DED:
BELOVED TALK SHOW HOST NAMED AMBASSADOR TO LONELINESS
PLEDGES TO HELP ALLEVIATE SOCIAL ISOLATION
STATEWIDE — ICONIC TALK SHOW HOST AND WISE WOMAN DR. RUTH WESTHEIMER HAS BEEN NAMED AS NEW YORK STATE’S honorary Ambassador to Lonliness. Governor Kathy Hochul on Thursday, Nov. 9, bestowed the honorary title on the 95-year-old sex therapist, who pledged to help New Yorkers of all ages address the growing issue of social isolation, which is associated with multiple physical and mental health issues, including cognitive decline, anxiety, depression, cardiovascular disorders, weakened immunity, Alzheimer’s disease and premature death. An orphaned Holocaust survivor, Westheimer rose to prominence as a sex therapist and syndicated talk show host on both radio and television during the 1980s and 1990s.
Bo’ded, from the Hebrew root B.D.D. (בּוׄדֵד), is a term for loneliness and desolation. Last year, the 95-year-old Weistheimer, who adopted the Bronx as home, suggested the idea of becoming an ‘ambassador’ for the state to provide fellow New Yorkers with advice on how to address loneliness and isolation — especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
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DINAPOLI: CITY’S PUBLIC HOSPITALS
LED IN COVID AND MIGRANT CRISES
BUT NEED CONSISTENT FUNDING
CITYWIDE — NEW YORK CITY HEALTH +HOSPITALS, the nation’s largest public health system, was confronted with an influx of patients during the COVID-19 crisis, and assumed a significant role in planning for and responding to the related public health emergency. While H+H has largely returned to pre-pandemic level services, consistent revenue and funding remain an issue, according to State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli’s latest report on city agency challenges. Moreover, H+H is also a leader in the city’s multi-agency response to the recent influx of asylum seekers and migrants. H+H is also facing nurse staffing shortages. Although the New York State Nurses Association approved a contract agreement in August that would award pay parity, it is not yet known if the city will continue to pick up the higher costs.
DiNapoli reported also that the timing of funds from government sourcing has been inconsistent. H+H’s COVID-19 costs reached $3.2 billion through FY2023 but H+H has yet to receive $1.2 billion from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
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DINAPOLI: PUBLIC HOUSING RENT REVENUES FELL
AS REPAIR COSTS AND BACKLOGS ROSE
CITYWIDE — NYCHA, THE NATION’S LARGEST PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITY AND LANDLORD is facing several concurrent challenges, according to a newly released report from State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. Declining rent collections, particularly during the pandemic when residents lacked sufficient income, has caused budget gaps. Rent revenue used to comprise a third of NYCHA’s operating budget, but continues to drop even after the Public Health Emergency ended. Juxtaposed with this shortfall is an increased capital need for NYCHA’s facilities, requiring $78.3 billion in physical repairs and upgrades. A backlog of maintenance issues and open repair requests is also worsening.
NYCHA indicates that maintenance and upgrade costs have risen, due to rising construction prices and the ongoing physical deterioration of the properties.
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REPORTS UNDERSCORE TACTICAL, FINANCIAL
HURDLES THAT CITY AGENCIES FACE
CITYWIDE — A NEW SET OF REPORTS FROM STATE COMPTROLLER THOMAS P. DINAPOLI UNDERSCORES SOME OF THE FINANCIAL AND TACTICAL burdens that NYC agencies face. While numerous entities and agencies are legally separate, NYC is still financially accountable for them in ways that impact the city’s budget. The set of reports focused on the New York City Department of Education, the New York City Housing Authority and New York City Health + Hospitals. At present, these are the most pressing DOE issues: asylum seeker and migrant student enrollment; the downward trend of traditional public school enrollment; the rising tuition costs of charter schools that are also pulling students away from traditional schools; and compliance with the class size mandate to keep funding and special education services.
DiNapoli also launched a new data tracker to monitor trends for New York City agencies’ performance data, staffing, and spending.
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NY MEDICAID PLANS FINED $2.6M FOR DENYING MENTAL HEALTH CLAIMS
STATEWIDE — FIVE MAJOR HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANIES IN NEW YORK were fined more than $2.6 million after their Medicaid managed care plans “repeatedly and inappropriately denied claims” or failed to pay for behavioral health services at the rates required by law, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Thursday. Affinity Health Plan, Inc. was fined $349,500; Amida Care, Inc., was fined $232,000; EmblemHealth was fined $422,000; MetroPlus HealthPlan, Inc., was fined $584,000; MVP HealthPlan, Inc. was fined $1 million.
“No New Yorker should face unnecessary barriers to mental health care, especially if their insurance carrier fails to meet their legal obligation to cover these essential services,” Hochul said.
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ADAMS RETAINS ATTORNEY AS FBI INVESTIGATES ILLEGAL DONATIONS
CITYWIDE — DURING AN INTERVIEW ON WABC NEWS on Wednesday, Mayor Eric Adams said that he had retained an attorney in light of an investigation that his campaign had conspired with the government of Turkey to receive illegal foreign donations. A phone call tipping Adams off about the Nov. 2 FBI raid on the home of his chief fundraiser Brianna Suggs led Adams to bail on top-level meetings with federal officials in Washington, D.C. regarding the migrant situation.
When WABC’s Sade Baderinwa pressed Adams on why he skipped out on the important meetings in D.C., he replied he was showing “emotional support” to Suggs. “I’m just surprised that people don’t see the human element of a 25-year-old young lady who was traumatized.”
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PACT ACT OF 2022 AIMS TO HELP VETERANS EXPOSED TO TOXINS DURING COMBAT
NEW YORK AND NATIONWIDE — VETERANS SHOULD AVAIL THEMSELVES OF MEDICAL BENEFITS AVAILABLE THROUGH THE SERGEANT FIRST CLASS HEATH ROBINSON HONORING OUR PACT ACT OF 2022 that U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand sponsored, she emphasized in a video press conference on Wednesday morning, Nov. 8. The conference, held ahead of Veterans Day, discussed the application process for the PACT ACT, which provides expanded health care and benefits to veterans suffering from illness caused by exposure to Agent Orange, burn pits and other toxic substances while serving abroad. Sen. Gillibrand emphasized that affected veterans are urged to apply for PACT Act even if they were previously denied coverage for the same cases. Veterans can apply for PACT Act benefits at www.va.gov/ .
Senator Gillibrand was a leading champion of the PACT Act. Her bill, the Presumptive Benefits for War Fighters Exposed to Burn Pits and Other Toxins Act, forms the centerpiece of the legislation. Although she did not mention this in her announcement, President Biden’s support of the PACT Act has also helped veterans in all 50 states.
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BAY RIDGE HISTORIAN RESEARCHED 19TH CENTURY VETERANS HONORED ON NEW MEMORIAL STONE
EAST FLATBUSH — BROOKLYN DIOCESAN BISHOP ROBERT BRENNAN LAST WEEK BLESSED A NEW MEMORIAL HONORING VETERANS BURIED AT HOLY CROSS CEMETERY in East Flatbush. The history-rich memorial, placed near the entrance of the cemetery, honors all Medal of Honor recipients buried on the sacred grounds, and lists 18 veterans who served in the U.S. military from the Civil War through the Spanish-American War. Bay Ridge resident and historian Michael Cusack did the research on Medal of Honor recipients.
The memorial stone dedication took place immediately after Bishop Brennan’s traditional All Souls Day Mass on Nov. 2, which took place this year in The Chapel of the Resurrection at Holy Cross Cemetery, on Tilden Avenue.
Photo: DeSales Media
Photo: DeSales Media
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POLICE SEARCH FOR MAN WHO IS ATTACKING WOMEN ON SUBWAYS ACROSS BROOKLYN
BOROUGHWIDE: POLICE ARE LOOKING FOR A MAN ACCUSED OF VIOLENTLY ATTACKING WOMEN ON SUBWAY LINES across Brooklyn, from Bay Ridge to Boerum Hill. In four reported incidents, the suspect approached random women on subway trains or platforms and punched them in the head and face, injuring all of them and putting one woman in the hospital. One victim was on the southbound R train at the 95th Street station; another was getting on a northbound 3 train at the Hoyt Street station; the third was waiting on the northbound 2, 4 platform at Atlantic Avenue; and the fourth was on a northbound 2 train at the Flatbush Avenue station. The women ranged in age from 24 to 53. The attacker is described as a male with medium complexion, black hair, and a beard and mustache.
Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782), or visit Crime Stoppers.
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SIX INDICTED IN BROOKLYN FOR $500M PHARMACY FRAUD
DOWNTOWN — SIX MEN WERE INDICTED IN BROOKLYN COURT on Tuesday and charged with fraudulently billing more than $500 million in prescriptions from more than 50 pharmacies in Brooklyn, Staten Island, Long Island and elsewhere. Brian Michael Sutton, Brycen Kay Millett, Anthony Santamaria, Joshua Manuel Alegria, Hershel Tsikman and Hafizullah Ebady were charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, health care fraud and money laundering conspiracy, according to Breon Peace, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York; and James Smith, assistant director-in-charge of FBI’s NYC field office. Five of the suspects have been arrested. Sutton is believed to reside in Moscow.
The defendants allegedly acquired pharmacies across the country and used them in conjunction with call centers and a network of recruited physicians to induce individuals to accept $500 million worth of unnecessary medications.
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ADAMS LAUNCHES TASK FORCE TO COMBAT RAMPANT RETAIL THEFT
CITYWIDE — FOLLOWING AN INCREASE IN RETAIL THEFT OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday launched a task force to advise the administration on legislative and technological proposals to combat the crime wave, which is often linked to organized criminal networks. The task force was a key commitment outlined in Adams’ “Retail Theft Report.” Members of the task force include New York Attorney General Letitia James and all five district attorneys, along with law enforcement, local business groups, national retailers and organized labor.
Brooklyn store owners told the Brooklyn Eagle that shoplifting was out of control during its peak in 2022, and easily resold items like Tide Pods, toothpaste and batteries were targeted by professional thieves. Adams said that the incidence of theft has dipped since then.
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CONGENITAL SYPHILIS IN U.S. INCREASED 755% OVER TEN YEARS
NATIONWIDE — A REPORT RELEASED TUESDAY BY THE CDC reveals that congenital syphilis cases in the United States increased 755% during the period from 2012–2021. Congenital syphilis was nearly eliminated at the turn of the century, but CDC data shows that 3,761 U.S. babies were born with syphilis in 2022. In the majority of cases, patients were not tested during pregnancy, and many who were did not receive penicillin, which is the only treatment for mothers with syphilis. Pfizer is the nation’s sole supplier of the penicillin shot, and there have been shortages over the last year, according to NY1.
If left untreated in pregnant women, syphilis can cause stillbirth, miscarriage and infant death, and infants who survive can develop blindness, deafness, developmental delays or skeletal abnormalities.
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NYPD REPORT: SHOOTINGS DOWN IN OCTOBER, BUT ALL ARRESTS RISE
CITYWIDE — MAJOR CRIMES DECLINED OVERALL ACROSS New York City in October — led by an ongoing reduction in shootings and murders — and an increasing number of arrests were made across all seven major index crime categories, NYPD reported Wednesday. The city saw an 8.1% drop in shooting incidents compared to October 2022, and 384 fewer people have been shot year to date in 2023 compared to 2022, with 45 fewer murders. However, grand larceny auto increased by 11.3%, felony assault increased 6.9%, and robbery increased 3.5% compared to October 2022. Crime in the transit system was up 5.7% month over month but is down year-to-date. Additionally, NYCHA housing crime was up almost 11% in October 2023 compared to October 2022.
While index crimes are down, City Journal notes that many minor crimes, such as the 90,000 package thefts that occur daily in NYC, are not reflected in city crime stats.
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GOLDMAN, 21 DEMS, GOP CENSURE TLAIB OVER ISRAEL COMMENTS
WASHINGTON — BROOKLYN U.S. REP. DAN GOLDMAN ON TUESDAY JOINED 21 fellow Democrats in the House of Representatives, as well as all but four House Republicans, in passing — 234-188 — a rare resolution to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan over recent anti-Israel comments, reports The Hill, following a failed censure attempt last week from GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. At issue was an X (Twitter) video posted by Tlaib on Friday that featured footage of pro-Palestine protesters chanting “From the river to the sea,” part of a slogan that Jewish groups have interpreted as a call for the dissolution of the state of Israel or for ethnic cleansing, but which Tlaib defended as a “call for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence.” The resolution also cited a Tlaib X post from last month accusing Israel of killing hundreds in an airstrike on a Gaza hospital — an incident that U.S. intelligence later determined was most likely the result of a rocket misfire on the part of Hamas ally group Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Rep. Goldman, who is Jewish, was in Israel visiting relatives at the time of Hamas’ deadly incursion on Oct. 7 and stated that he and his family were forced to shelter from rocket fire in a stairwell. Rep. Tlaib, whose parents are Palestinian immigrants, spoke on the House floor during the censure proceedings of her concern for relatives in the West Bank and the people of Gaza, and further condemned the Israeli government.
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WOMAN ARRESTED OVER ISRAEL KIDNAP POSTER CONFRONTATION
MIDWOOD — A YOUNG WOMAN WAS ARRESTED IN MIDWOOD ON Saturday for allegedly pepper-spraying and threatening to cut a Jewish Shmira neighborhood watch volunteer, reports the New York Post, after the volunteer spotted the woman, 20-year-old Melissa Ugur, tearing down posters of Hamas hostages and confronted her. A video of the arrest shared by the Post shows Ugur being led away by police and appearing to yell, “I defended myself, he came at me, he came at me and I pepper-sprayed him,” to an onlooking crowd; police photos show a short knife and container of Sabre-brand pepper spray found at the scene.
The Post transcribed Ugur’s shout as “They’re kidnapping and I pepper-sprayed him;” she was charged with assault, menacing and criminal possession of a weapon, and following arraignment was released without bail until her court date, on Jan. 16.
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FREE BIKE LIGHT GIVEAWAY
CITYWIDE — BICYCLE ENTHUSIAST GROUP BIKE NEW YORK IS set to host their annual giveaway of USB-rechargeable bike safety lights this week and next at locations around the city, sponsored by bike lock manufacturer Kryptonite. BNY says its goal is to promote safety and visibility as winter brings shorter days and earlier nights. Bike safety has been a growing concern for Brooklynites, as rising interest in cycling has led to deadly accidents and injuries throughout the borough, leading many to push the city for more and better-protected bike lanes and commuter corridors — although not always without resistance from neighbors, as with the street redesign projects on Crown Heights’ Ashland Place and Greenpoint’s McGuinness Boulevard.
Snag the front and back LED lights on Thursday, Nov. 16, at the 141 Flushing Avenue entrance to the Brooklyn Navy Yard from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.; as well as Thursday, Nov. 9, on the Queensboro Bridge; Monday, Nov. 13, on the Willis Avenue Bridge in the Bronx; and Tuesday, Nov. 14, on the Hudson River Greenway detour in Manhattan; more details can be found on Bike New York’s Facebook page.
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DINAPOLI: NUMBER OF NY HOMELESS VETERANS DROPPED BY 83%
STATEWIDE — THE NUMBER OF HOMELESS VETERANS IN NEW YORK HAS DECLINED SHARPLY since 2010, according to a new analysis by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli released on Wednesday, Nov. 8. New York state made substantial progress between 2010 and 2022 in reducing homelessness for veterans, with the number of homeless veterans declining by 83% (from 5,857 to 990). The most significant reduction in New York occurred between 2011 and 2016 when the number of homeless veterans declined by 78% (from 5,765 to 1,248). Policy and federal funding in force since 2010 are credited with these reductions, particularly that year’s first Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness by the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness.
Federal funding for programs addressing veterans’ homelessness through the Veterans Administration had by 2022 increased by 635% to $2.7 billion.
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MOUNT SINAI’S OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH CENTERS RECEIVE MORE THAN $12 MILLION IN CONTRACTS
CITYWIDE — THE MOUNT SINAI SELIKOFF CENTERS FOR OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH HAVE RECEIVED MORE THAN $12 MILLION in two new five-year contracts from the New York State Department of Health’s Occupational Health Clinic Network. The Selikoff Centers’ locations in Manhattan and Staten Island serve New York City residents from all five boroughs; the new funds will support injured and ill workers in New York City and the Mid-Hudson Valley regions — $1,341,000 per year for the city, specifically. The Mount Sinai Selikoff Centers for Occupational Health, with offices at 1468 Madison Ave. (adjacent to Central Park’s North Meadow) and at 2052 Richmond Road (Medical Pavilion house), include a dedicated interdisciplinary team of occupational medicine physicians, ergonomists, industrial hygienists, and education and outreach specialists, all committed to promoting the health and safety of workers within the state.
The Selikoff Centers also focus on advocacy and education, which contribute to reducing the substantial economic burden that workplace injuries and illnesses place on workers and their families.
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PACT ACT OF 2022 AIMS TO HELP VETERANS EXPOSED TO TOXINS DURING COMBAT
NEW YORK AND NATIONWIDE — VETERANS SHOULD AVAIL THEMSELVES OF MEDICAL BENEFITS AVAILABLE THROUGH THE SERGEANT FIRST CLASS HEATH ROBINSON HONORING OUR PACT ACT OF 2022 that US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand sponsored, she emphasized in a video press conference on Wednesday morning, November 8. The conference, held ahead of Veterans Day, discussed the application process for the PACT ACT, which provides expanded health care and benefits to veterans suffering from illness caused by exposure to Agent Orange, burn pits and other toxic substances while serving abroad. Sen. Gillibrand emphasized that affected veterans are urged to apply for PACT Act even if they were previously denied coverage for the same cases. Veterans can apply for PACT Act benefits at www.va.gov/ .
Senator Gillibrand was a leading champion of the PACT Act. Her bill, the Presumptive Benefits for War Fighters Exposed to Burn Pits and Other Toxins Act, forms the centerpiece of the legislation. Although she did not mention this in her announcement, President Biden’s support of the PACT Act has also helped veterans in all 50 states.
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BAY RIDGE HISTORIAN RESEARCHED 19TH CENTURY VETERANS HONORED ON NEW MEMORIAL STONE
EAST FLATBUSH — BROOKLYN DIOCESAN BISHOP ROBERT BRENNAN LAST WEEK BLESSED A NEW MEMORIAL HONORING VETERANS BURIED AT HOLY CROSS CEMETERY in East Flatbush. The history-rich memorial, placed near the entrance of the cemetery, honors all Medal of Honor recipients buried on the sacred grounds, and lists 18 Veterans who served in the U.S. military from the Civil War through the Spanish-American War. Bay Ridge resident and historian Michael Cusack did the research on Medal of Honor recipients.
The memorial stone dedication took place immediately after Bishop Brennan’s traditional All Souls Day Mass on Nov. 2, which took place this year in The Chapel of the Resurrection at Holy Cross Cemetery, on Tilden Avenue.
Photo: John Quaglione/DeSales Media
Photo: John Quaglione/DeSales Media
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DIOCESE’S FUNDRAISING VICAR REMOVED FROM POST IN MUSIC VIDEO DEBACLE
WILLIAMSBURG — A POPULAR PRIEST IN THE DIOCESE OF BROOKLYN has been removed from his post as vicar for development over a controversy involving the filming of a music video at Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Williamsburg. An article in The Tablet diocesan newspaper reported that pop musician Sabrina Carpenter had on Oct. 31 released a music video to her song “Feather,” with scenes of her dancing and performing provocatively in the sanctuary and altar area. Condemning the video, the diocese issued a statement on Nov. 3, reading in part: “A review of the documents presented to the parish prior to the filming, while failing to depict the entirety of the scenes, clearly portray inappropriate behavior unsuitable for a church sanctuary.” According to the diocesan statement, Monsignor Jamie Gigantiello was removed from his tenure as Vicar of Development. While Msgr. Gigantiello remains pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Annunciation parish during an administrative review, Bishop Brennan has delegated the parish’s administrative oversight to Auxiliary Bishop Witold Mroziewski.
Msgr. Gigantiello, a priest of the diocese since 1995, became vicar for development in 2011 and has led successful fundraising drives over the years for the diocese’s Futures in Education program.
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BISHOP LEADS MASS OF REPARATION TO HEAL CHURCH FROM SACRELIGIOUS MUSIC VIDEO
WILLIAMSBURG — BROOKLYN DIOCESAN BISHOP ROBERT BRENNAN PRESIDED OVER A MASS OF REPARATION on Nov. 4 at Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Church in Williamsburg, after the desecration of the church during the filming of a provocative music video. The church is part of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel/Annunciation parish. Liturgically, through this Mass, Bishop Brennan restored the sanctity of this church and repaired the harm from the incident; the altar had been stripped and was now being re-sanctified. The Diocese also issued a statement that “Bishop Robert Brennan strongly condemns the filming of the music video inside Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church.”
The video shows the sanctuary decorated with props, including different colored coffins scrawled with profane language, as well as candles, crosses, and a glass jug filled with a blood-colored liquid that bore the letters “RIP” on the front. Msgr. Gigantiello apologized in a letter read to his parishioners during the regular Saturday evening Mass.
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