Archives: Blog Posts

New Evangelization Television’s Emmy Award-winning series City of Churches returns on Wednesday, Jan. 15, at 8 PM with new host Anthony Mangano. Brooklyn born and raised, Anthony will be recognizable to many from his roles on mainstream TV and in feature films.

About the host
City of Churches host Anthony Mangano is Brooklyn born and raised. Many will recognize Anthony from his roles on mainstream TV and in feature films. He portrayed Detective Mike Grey on Bluebloods, Officer Ed Laughlin on NYPD Blue, and Anthony currently plays Detective Kane on the hit series Person of Interest, starring Jim Caviezel.

His motion picture credits include Inside Man, The Dictator, Point Break, Raising Helen, and The Family, a comedy by Robert DeNiro.

Anthony Mangano grew up in Park Slope, Brooklyn and attended St. John the Evangelist Catholic Parish and school, where he served as an altar boy. Anthony was bitten by the show-business bug at an early age because his father was the popular romantic singer Tony Mann. While Anthony enjoys acting, he also loves to sing and paid tribute to his dad when he portrayed him in Heart and Soul, a short film about Tony Mann’s nightclub career. The film was well received, winning several media awards and much well-deserved praise.

“The most memorable moments of my life are growing up in Brooklyn, being an altar boy and going to Catholic school,” says Anthony. “My new role as host of City of Churches is especially close to my heart because we’re sharing the beauty and joy of God’s presence in Brooklyn.”

In the first 2014 City of Churches episode, Anthony takes viewers to his historic neighborhood and childhood parish.

About the show
In 2011, City of Churches won the local New York Emmy Award in the category of Best Religion Program or Special.

City of Churches focuses on parishes in and around the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn and celebrates their place in local history. It’s a unique type of documentary program that explores the variety of church architecture in our city from a historic context. The church building is really the star of each episode. The significance of how these churches originated, why they were built, their artistic treasures and relics, plus the vital relationship with their surrounding communities sheds light on the legacy of Brooklyn’s Catholic people.

In every episode, Anthony Mangano uncovers some special church history. Visiting churches and their neighborhoods, Anthony showcases local architecture in an exciting new context. Episodes include vintage photographs, film clips and music to underscore the rich history of these parishes. Every program concludes with the revelation of a special artifact unique to that
particular church.

Where to watch City of Churches
Starting January 15, City of Churches airs Wednesdays at 8 PM ET on NET. New Yorkers can watch on Time Warner Channel 97 and Cablevision Channel 30. Viewers around the world can tune-in online at netny.net/cityofchurches.

City of Churches is national on Verizon FiOS On Demand, which includes the Top 10 markets of Baltimore, Boston, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. To watch on Verizon FiOS, select the “Religion” folder, then “NET Catholic.”

Join NET on Facebook at Facebook.com/NETTVny.

Please contact NET producer Lou Miano to interview him or Anthony Mangano.

CONTACT: Lou Miano, NET producer, City of Churches
(718) 499-9705, ext. 630 at NET studios, (917) 545-1799 mobile or lmiano@desalesmedia.org

January 7, 2014 – The diocesan Office of Government Affairs is sponsoring free transportation to the March for Life in Washington, DC.

The march begins at 12 noon. Buses depart on Wednesday morning from Queens at the Immaculate Conception Center in Douglaston, and the parish of Resurrection-Ascension in Rego Park.

In Brooklyn, buses depart from the parishes of SS. Peter and Paul, Williamsburg, and St. Anselm’s, Bay Ridge.

For more information, click here to view the event flier.

Call Liz Purnell now at 718-499-9705 to reserve your seat!

November 19 — Parents, students, and teachers rallied in White Plains today to support New York’s proposed Education Investment Tax Credit. This bill would boost contributions to public school programs and scholarships for students who seek to attend parochial and other private schools.

Dr. Tim McNiff, Superintendent, Archdiocese of New York at the rally for the Education Investment Tax Credit.

The new donations for scholarships would make private and parochial education a reality for families seeking new quality educational opportunities and assist those already enrolled who are struggling to afford tuition at the schools that best meet their needs.

The “Invest in Education Rally” was co-sponsored by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, the Orthodox Union Advocacy Center, the NYS Coalition or Independent & Religious Schools, the Business Council of Westchester, the Children’s Scholarship Fund, The Jewish Education Project, Lutheran Schools Association, and the Archdiocese of New York Catholic Schools.

Today’s speakers included:
– Timothy Cardinal Dolan (via videotape)
– New York State Senate Co-Leader Jeff Klein (D-Westchester)
– Senate Democratic Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins (D-Westchester)
– Assemblymember Gary Pretlow (D-Westchester)
– Rabbi Mark Kalish, VP, Agudath Israel
– Patricia Gabriel, President of Federation of Catholic Teachers, OPEIU, AFL-CIO
– Timothy McNiff, Schools Superintendent, New York Archdiocese

On the one year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy, DeSales Media Group, working with the Diocese of Brooklyn, last week announced the launch of the DeSales Emergency Alert System (EAS) App powered by AlertID, to help provide critical information and alerts during emergencies.

The DeSales app will help protect more than 30,000 children in the Diocese’s 89 schools.

Hurricane Sandy significantly disrupted communication between the schools and the families of the children who attended them. In some cases, the only way to contact schools or parents was to walk door to door. That challenge inspired DeSales to seek an emergency communications solution for the schools in the Diocese of Brooklyn. With this partnership, DeSales and the Diocese are able to use AlertID technology to redefine the way in which critical public safety information is communicated and shared between schools and families.

The free app sends secure notifications from school administration to staff, teachers, students and families to provide immediate information on everything from snow days and school lockdowns to natural disasters and evacuation information. The Emergency app is available as a mobile application for iPhone, iPad and Android phones and tablets and is powered by AlertID.

“We are very pleased to partner with AlertID. Their technology enables us to deliver critical safety information to schools, families and parishioners,” said Monsignor Kieran Harrington, Vicar for Communications for the Diocese of Brooklyn. “AlertID offers an important and comprehensive solution allowing us to send out important information very quickly in any situation and protect families at home as well.”

The app also includes other important features that enhance the safety and well-being of teachers, administrators, families, and parishioners. Members can view local maps showing where registered sex offenders live or work in their neighborhoods, and will receive an alert, safety information and prevention tips when an offender moves into their neighborhood or near their child’s school. The app gives members and neighbors the ability to securely share information with each other, empowering the public and helping to reduce crime. The app also offers a secure place (My Family Wallet™) for families to store current photo and demographic information about their child, including the ability to send the information to authorities in the case of a missing child.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to work with DeSales Media Group to help protect the children and families at the schools throughout the Diocese of Brooklyn,” said Ken Wiles, CEO of AlertID. “Hurricane Sandy brought devastation to Brooklyn and Queens, and we are proud to help the Diocese achieve the vision of delivering a secure emergency communication solution to students and their families.”

Elections are coming up Tuesday! Therefore, Msgr. Kieran Harrington, host of In the Arena, invites Catholics and everyone to tune-in and get informed about the issues pertinent to life in Brooklyn and Queens.

NET is a branch of DeSales Media Group, the official media outreach of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn.

Msgr. Harrington’s guests on Sunday, November 3 are Congressman Peter King (NY-2) and District Attorney Charles “Joe” Hynes of Kings County. They discuss New York City politics, faith and issues at stake in these elections.

In the Arena airs on the following media outlets: Sundays 8 AM ET on WOR 710 AM and streaming on WOR’s station via iHeartRadio.com
Sundays 8 PM ET on NET, which airs in New York Cablevision Channel 30, Time Warner Channel 97, and streams online at NETNY.net Shortly after the episodes air on Sundays, they will be available on the WOR archives, the NET TV archives, and Verizon FiOS On Demand. To watch on Verizon FiOS, select the “Religion” folder, then “NET Catholic.”

More about In the Arena and host Msgr. Harrington
In the Arena is NET’s original, dynamic and weekly show exploring the latest news, political topics and the social impact of public policies from the Catholic perspective. In the Arena covers hot-button issues, court cases, the latest legislation and much more – all in light of Catholic social teachings.

Monsignor Kieran Harrington, host of In the Arena and vicar for communications for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, also serves as the president and chairman of DeSales Media Group, a full-service media company that includes NET and The Tablet newspaper.

He graduated cum laude from St. John’s University with a degree in Philosophy. He also holds a Masters of Divinity degree from the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception and a Masters of Business Administration from the NYU Stern School of Business.

Monsignor Harrington was ordained a priest at Saint James Cathedral Basilica in June 2001. Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio appointed him to vicar for communications in December 2006. His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI elevated him to the rank of papal chaplain with the title of Reverend Monsignor in September 2009. This year on September 15, Monsignor Harrington became the first rector of the Co-
Cathedral of Saint Joseph, located in the Prospect Heights section of Brooklyn.

CONTACT: Craig Tubiolo, producer
(718) 499-9705 at NET studios
(347) 262-3469 mobile or ctubiolo@desalesmedia.org

New Evangelization Television (NET) presents Tu Fe Al Día (Your Daily Faith), a Spanish language program hosted by Natasha Bisbal. Starting October 18th, Natasha will show the world what the Catholic faith means in the everyday lives of the Hispanic community.

NET is a branch of DeSales Media Group, the official media outreach of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, New York. Tu Fe Al Día is our latest outreach to Brooklyn’s growing Hispanic community and the life of the universal Church.

Tu Fe Al Día is especially timely after the election of His Holiness Francisco, the first papa hailing from Latin America. Therefore, Tu Fe Al Día will show the beauty of Hispanic culture by highlighting the impact of Hispanics on their neighborhoods from family life to religious vocations to education, health, business, the arts – and much more.

Tu Fe Al Día will touch upon some of the most common obstacles Hispanics face in Brooklyn – the Diocese of Immigrants. We’ll showcase agencies that assist new families and bring to light the accomplishments, joys and success stories of Hispanics in our diocese. Natasha also will interview Hispanic leaders and artists who visit us from around the world.

Starting October 18th, 2013, Tu Fe Al Día airs Fridays at 4 PM ET on NET.

New Yorkers can watch Tu Fe Al Día on Time Warner Channel 97 and Cablevision Channel 30. It’s national on Verizon FiOS On Demand, which includes the Top 10 markets of Baltimore, Boston, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. To watch on Verizon FiOS, select the “Religion” folder, then “NET Catholic.” Viewers around the world can tune-in online at NETNY.net.

In addition to being the host of Tu Fe Al Día, Natasha Bisbal is the manager of Hispanic Relations for DeSales Media Group and a columnist for the Brooklyn Diocese’s Spanish newspaper, Nuestra-Voz.org. She’s a catechist and a coordinator of the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults at her local parish in Brooklyn.

CONTACT: Natasha Bisbal, host of Tu Fe Al Día
(718) 517-3152 direct or nbisbal@desalesmedia.org

As Americans are bombarded with bad news, New Evangelization Television (NET) comes to the rescue with the uplifting series Refreshing Faith. On this new show hosted by Johanna Botta (pictured left), she showcases people and organizations who improve the lives of many by incorporating faith and humanity.

Starting October 16, the six-part series airs on Wednesdays at 9 PM and 9:30 PM ET, plus Sundays at 9 AM ET. Refreshing Faith airs on Cablevision Channel 30 and Time Warner Cable Channel 97 in the New York metro area. Across the USA, NET programs are on Verizon FiOS On Demand. To watch Refreshing Faith on Verizon FiOS, select the “Religion” folder, then “NET Catholic.”

October 16: Johanna interviews the inspiring Sisters of Life, who take their faith to the streets of New York, support pregnant women in crisis, and provide post-abortion healing retreats.

October 23: In the United States, October is National Depression Awareness Month and Johanna examines what the Church, priests, therapists and laypeople can do to treat psychological depression. Her guests are Dr. Philip Mango, licensed psychotherapist and president of the St. Michael’s Institute, a clinic which integrates psychology, psychiatry and theology, as well as Monsignor John Cihak, co-author of the newly released book The Catholic Guide to Depression.

October 30: Johanna interviews Father Juan José Ungidos about Santa Rosa de Lima, patroness of Latin America and the Philippines, the first Latin American canonized and what her life means to the entire human family. Father Ungidos is in charge of the Sanctuary of Santa Rosa de Lima in Lima, Peru.

November 6: Few Americans know that sexual slavery takes place in the United States or that teenagers are kidnapped and prostituted by traffickers – and it’s a major criminal ring in New York City. In this episode, Johanna interviews Chong Kim, who was kidnapped in Dallas at the age of 19, but escaped her captors. The new stunning movie Eden is based on her ordeal and Johanna explores what we can do to stop this shocking crime.

November 13: In Brooklyn, the Oratory Church of Saint Boniface is a thriving Catholic community that has attracted parishioners from all the New York boroughs. What’s their secret? Johanna gets answers from Father Dennis Corrado, cofounder and provost, and David Gibson, writer, filmmaker, Catholic convert and author of The Coming of the Catholic Church: How the Faithful Are Shaping a New American Catholicism. Other guests include Father Joel Warden, the pastor, and Father Anthony Andreassi, parochial vicar.

November 20: Johanna profiles the March for Life, its humble origins, how it has grown to the enormous annual march on Washington, why it’s popular with young people, and progress in pro-life legislation. Her guests include Jeanne Monahan, successor to the late Nellie Gray as president of March for Life Education and Defense Fund; Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America; Bryan Kemper, director of Youth Outreach for Priests for Life; and Caitlin Borgmann, professor at the City University of New York Law School and editor of its Reproductive Rights Prof Blog.

CONTACT: Johanna Botta, host of the NET series Refreshing Faith
(718) 499-9705 or JBotta@desalesmedia.org

September 25, 2013 — Tune in today at 5:30 PM to watch a livestream of “The Manhattan Declaration Returns Home,” an interfaith prayer service and religious liberty forum.

His Eminence, Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop for the Archdiocese of New York, will preside at the service.

Sponsored by DeSales Media Group, the Archdiocese of New York, Alliance Defending Freedom, and the Knights of Columbus – New York State Council, the event is being held at Cowin Center at Columbia University.

Quinton Aaron, who starred in “The Blind Side” with Sandra Bullock, was a guest in the show’s first season.

On Thursday, August 1, New Evangelization Television (NET) debuts its highly-anticipated new show Portraits of Faith, hosted and produced by Terence Donnellan. Portraits of Faith is the brainchild of NET executive producer Craig Tubiolo and Donnellan.

“Portraits of Faith looks at what role religious faith plays in shaping an individual’s personal and professional life. It’s like MTV’s Behind the Music, but this time with God,” says Terence.

Beginning Aug. 1 at 9 PM ET, Portraits of Faith airs biweekly Thursdays 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. And 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.”

NET’s exclusive Portraits of Faith include:
Aug. 1: Joe Estevez – Actor in more than more than 240 films, writer, director, producer for film, theater and TV. He stars with John Schneider, Jenn Gotzon and Robert Davi in the feature film Doonby, to be released in movie theaters on November 1.

Aug. 15: Seamus McDonagh – Heavyweight boxer and Golden Gloves champion, who fought Evander Holyfield for the World Boxing Council Heavyweight title in 1990. Seamus is a theater and film actor, and writer/director of the short film Tomato Can.

Aug. 29: TJ English – Journalist and bestselling author of The Westies, Born to Kill, Paddy Wacked, Havana Nocturne, The Savage City and, most recently, Whitey’s Payback.

Sept. 12: Jenn Gotzon has 46 acting roles to her credit, including her mainstream breakthrough in Ron Howard’s Frost/Nixon; God’s Country on DVD, directed by her husband Chris Armstrong; Dragon Day directed by Jeffrey Travis;; Ray Bengston’s Alone Yet Not Alone, in movie theaters September 27;; and Peter Mackenzie’s Doonby, in theaters on November 1. In 2012, she joined NET as spokeswoman to promote its inspiring Catholic and family-friendly programming.

Airdate TBD: Quinton Aaron – Star of the Oscar winner The Blindside with Sandra Bullock. Quinton’s other movies include Be Kind Rewind; Paranormal Movie; and upcoming films The Appearing; 1982; and Broken Doll.

Airdate TBD: Joe Manno – Comedian, Emmy winner for All in 1, and bestselling author of A Fighting Chance. At schools across America, and most recently South Africa, Joe has encouraged hundreds of thousands of kids to respect themselves, respect their peers, and avoid drug abuse, violence and joining gangs.

CONTACT: Terence Donnellan
Producer & Host: Portraits of Faith
(718) 499-9705, ext. 209 or tdonnellan@desalesmedia.org