Our own Ed Wilkinson, editor of The Tablet and news director of Currents, will be honored as Irishman of the Year by Eric Adams, Brooklyn Borough President at the annual St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast.
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NET, the cable TV network of the Diocese of Brooklyn that features news and information with a Catholic point of view, debuts its new show Active Catholics on Wednesday, March 12, at 9 PM ET.
In this new series, host and producer Jerry Sticker follows the lives of Catholics active in faith, sports and community. This show is the Catholic answer to ESPN’s documentary series 30 for 30 and the lineup is inspiring.
Like the Apostle Paul, these athletes keep their eyes on the prize of eternal life from Christ. “Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things,” wrote Saint Paul. “They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.”
(1 Corinthians 9:24-25)
March 12 Premiere of Active Catholics Lopez Lomong – Lost Boy Found: Olympian Lopez Lomong, pictured here with Jerry Sticker, began long-distance running at age 6 when Lomong and his family fled Janjaweed warriors in South Sudan. He escaped and was separated from his family, but Catholic missionaries took care of him at the Kakuma “Lost Boys” refugee camp in Kenya. After 10 years as a lost boy, he wrote an essay about what he wanted to accomplish in America and was brought here to live with a family in New York. Thus began Lomong’s journey to become a U.S. citizen, compete in the Olympics, carry the U.S. flag at the 2008 games, and help the poor in South Sudan.
March 19 Sister Mary Beth Lloyd – Running Nun: Sister Mary Beth Lloyd, M.P.F. is an ultramarathoner and the author of AIDS Orphans Rising. “Ultramarathoner” might be understatement because Sister Lloyd runs in her habit to raise money and awareness for orphanages in Albania, Brazil, Eritrea, Ethiopia and India, as well as orphans in the United States.
March 26 Giovanni Roselli – Wrestler, Actor, Trainer: Giovanni “Romeo” Roselli talks about the dual role he plays as bad guy wrestler and good guy Catholic. In 2007, Roselli won the World Wrestling Council Puerto Rican Heavyweight Championship. Afterward, he went to Europe where he won the Nu Wrestling Evolution Heavyweight Championship and defended that title in Italy, England and Spain. His film and TV credits include roles in The Wrestler, Darren Aronofsky’s Academy Award-nominated movie starring Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei; and his recurring appearances on the Food Network’s show Restaurant Stakeout.
April 2 Leo Manzano – Mexican-American Silver Medalist 2012 Olympics 1500 Meters: Leo Manzano, who stands under 5’ 5”, talks about his David vs. Goliath rise to the top of the running world. Among his many credentials, this Olympic champ, this professional track and field athlete, shares his Catholic faith in English and Spanish.
April 9 St. Francis Men’s Soccer – Richie Arkoi, Riccardo Milano, Andy Cormack, John Johansson: St. Francis College in Brooklyn Heights won the 2013 NEC Soccer championship. A few days after winning, Richie Arkoi’s house burned down. On Active Catholics, Arkoi and his fellow players discuss how their team spirit transcends sports—how it’s the personal bond of Christian friendship, especially when tragedy strikes.
Where to watch NET’s Active Catholics
Starting March 12, 2014, Active Catholics airs Wednesdays at 9 PM ET on Cablevision Channel 30 and Time Warner Cable Channel 97 in the New York City area. Viewers around the world can watch the show streaming online at NETNY.net.
Across the USA, NET shows are on Verizon FiOS On Demand. To watch NET shows on Verizon FiOS, select the “Religion” folder, then “NET Catholic.”
Learn more about NET’s Active Catholics at NETNY.net/active-catholics.
Join NET on Facebook at Facebook.com/NETTVny.
Active Catholics host and producer Jerry Sticker collaborates on this series with NET producer Terence Donnellan and NET executive producer Craig Tubiolo.
To spread the good news about Active Catholics, schedule an interview with Jerry Sticker by calling (310) 570-8320 or emailing GeraldSticker@gmail.com.
A conference on the intersection of media and faith will be held April 11-12 at Franciscan University of Steubenville (Ohio). The conference will feature Amanda Melefsky, a 2005 graduate of the university and a producer for DeSales Media Group whose credits include the films “Bella” and “The Human Experience.”
“Media and Faith: New Beginnings” was created as a response to Pope Francis, who said on World Communications Day in January that the Catholic Church “needs to be concerned for, and present in, the world of communication, in order to dialogue with people today and to help them encounter Christ.”
Dr. Wayne Lewis, associate professor of communication arts at Franciscan, said: “Our main goal is to show students that you can remain committed to your faith and still produce great media — whether that is print or online or broadcast.”
Melefsky will be the keynote speaker on Friday evening. Other featured speakers will include Doug Keck, president and chief operating officer of EWTN; Matt Weilgos, manager of media production at Franciscan Media; Terry Mattingly, director of the Washington Journalism Center with the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities and longtime “On Religion” columnist with Scripps Howard News Service; David DeWolf, chairman and CEO of 3Pillar Global, Inc.; and Ann Rodgers, communications director of the Diocese of Pittsburgh and former religion reporter for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
The conference begins at 7PM on Friday, April 11, and ends at 8PM on Saturday, April 12. Registration is $35 ($25 for faculty and $15 for students). For more information or to register for the conference, email mediaandfaith@franciscan.edu or visit franciscan.edu/mediaandfaith.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan and Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio are among the leaders who will hold a press conference today to support a bill that would strengthen public school programs and support scholarships for low-income and working families, by creating a state tax credit for charitable donations.
The news conference will be at 10AM in the Cathedral High School Gymnasium at 350 East 56th Street, near 1st Avenue. For more information on this issue, see these editorials from the New York Post:
The diocesan Office of Government Affairs is sponsoring free roundtrip bus transportation to the NYS Catholic Conference’s 2014 Public Policy Day on Wednesday, March 19 in Albany.
At this “Catholics at the Capitol” event, attendees will attend Mass with the state’s Catholic Bishops, meet their elected officials, and join the Knights of Columbus for a Rosary Rally and Procession.
Click here to register or call 518-434-6195 to participate in this event, and demonstrate the strength and unity of the Catholic voice to state lawmakers.
Feb. 27, 2014 – On Sunday, March 2nd at 9:30 a.m. at Our Lady of Sorrows Church, 35-34 105th Street, in Corona, Queens, Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, Senator Charles Schumer and Catholic Migration Services of the Diocese of Brooklyn will announce the launch of a major media and outreach campaign entitled Cambia Tu Vida to promote naturalization of legal permanent residents in the New York City area. They will be joined by Congresswoman Grace Meng, Kelly Marie Fay Rodriguez of AFL-CIO’s Immigration and Community Action, Assemblyman Francisco Moya, and Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras, against the backdrop of hundreds of immigrant parishioners attending Mass.
The announcement is part of the New Americans Campaign (NAC), an unprecedented nonpartisan national network of more than 80 organizations who have come together to encourage and assist eligible legal permanent residents (LPRs) in becoming U.S. citizens. Beginning this month, Catholic Migration Services will bring the NAC’s message to New York City through a series of English and Spanish language public service announcements to air on local television stations, print and social media and grassroots publicity efforts. The campaign will encourage legal permanent residents to call the Cambia Tu Vida hotline at 855-622-6242 to be screened and, if eligible, registered for one of several “mega workshops” to be conducted by Catholic Migration Services in April.
There are over 8 million legal permanent residents in the United States who are eligible to become U.S. citizens. It is estimated that that more than half a million people in the New York City area are eligible to naturalize. Speakers at Sunday’s press conference will cite the myriad benefits of naturalization, including an increase in economic opportunity, access to full civic participation, ability to travel with a U.S. passport and greater pathways to family reunification. It will also be noted that these new citizens bring fresh talent pools and skills to the country’s workforce and enhance the cultural richness of U.S. society.
Through its efforts in March and April, Catholic Migration Services (CMS) will aim to assist over one thousand eligible individuals to complete and submit applications for naturalization. This assistance will be provided in a series of “mega workshops” staffed by CMS attorneys, counselors and pro bono volunteers. Adopting an innovative model of service provision developed by the NAC, CMS hopes to aid immigrants in overcoming the barriers and confusion often experienced by those who seek to apply for naturalization.
CMS is a non-profit affiliate of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn. For over forty years, it has served the needs of immigrants and refugees in Brooklyn and Queens. For more information, please contact CMS at 347-472-3500 (Queens), 718-236-3000 (Brooklyn) or www.catholicmigration.org.
Stephanie Marie Hanvey, an American Idol contestant and 16-year-old junior at Howell (N.J.) High School, performed her new single, “On a Prayer,” on a special episode of Portraits of Faith that aired Thursday at 8PM.
Watch here
Hosts David DiCerto and Steven Greydanus offer a Catholic perspective on this year’s Academy Awards with the Reel Faith Oscar Special, which will air regularly throughout February leading up to Oscar night on Sunday, March 2. Reviews of the films nominated for Best Picture are below.
To see more reviews of the latest Hollywood releases, check out the Reel Faith homepage on netny.net.
American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Dallas Buyers Club
Gravity
Her
Nebraska
Philomena
12 Years a Slave
The Wolf of Wall Street
Joumana Kidd is hosting a new talk show on NET celebrating the joys and triumphs of women in the 21st century. With expert interviews and how-to segments, WOW’s theme for women is living joyful lives of purpose.
NET is part of DeSales Media Group, the communications arm of the Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, and WOW’s 2014 season premieres Thursday, January 16 at 9 PM ET.
Executive Producer Craig Tubiolo says, “It’s no accident that WOW upside down spells MOM. After all, mothers and fathers are the foundation of society and host Joumana Kidd offers a refreshing perspective on family life.”
With in-depth interviews, Joumana thrives on helping women to organize happy homes and spiritual discipline. Her guests discuss dating, matrimony, parenting, homemaking, family life and work from the Catholic perspective. Joumana also features how-to segments on cooking, decorating, holidays, and entertaining family and friends.
CONTACT: Craig Tubiolo, executive producer
(718) 499-9705, ext. 216 at NET
(347) 262-3469 or ctubiolo@desalesmedia.org