BSR_p026

BSR04202017

26 APRIL 21 – APRIL 27, 2017 BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP Catholics observe Good Friday in B'hurst BY PATRICK WEINBERG EDITORIALBROOKLYNREPORTER.COM Friday, April 14 was Good Friday, and in observance of one of the holiest days for the Catholic Church, thousands of Italian-Americans fi lled the streets of Bensonhurst to celebrate their faith and heritage. Good Friday is the commemoration of Jesus Christ’s death on the cross. Participants in the procession carried their own crosses as they walked from 66th Street and 18th Avenue to St. Francis Cabrini Church on Bay 11th Street, where Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio led a closing ceremony. Along the way, participants prayed in Italian and stopped 14 times for the Stations of the Cross – telling the story of Christ’s walk to death. In addition to crosses, most parishioners carried candles that lit the way on their nighttime procession. Families with ties to Mola di Bari, Italy carried two statues, as well – Our Lady of Sorrows and The Dead Christ, something that has become a Brooklyn custom. “This is a cultural expression of faith for thousands of Americans whose families came from Italy,” said Monsignor David Cassato, pastor of St. Athanasius Church. Bensonhurst has become a neighborhood in transition with many di erent cultures moving in; however, it has historically been an Italian enclave. In the 1960s when a large infl ux of immigrants from southern Italy settled in Bensonhurst, they brought the tradition of the procession with them. Cassato said, “As an Italian American priest, it is a reminder of my youth with my immigrant grandparents.” This was the 35th year that the Good Friday procession has taken place. The event takes place as a partnership between the parishes of St. Athanasius, St. Bernadette, St. Dominic, St. Finbar, St. Francis Cabrini, St. Mary, Mother of Jesus, Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Rosalia-Regina Pacis, and Sts. Simon and Jude. Group of Brooklyn women partners with the Trevor Project to benefi t LGBTQ youth BY PATRICK WEINBERG EDITORIALBROOKLYNREPORTER.COM In the wake of last November’s election, one group of Brooklyn women decided to take action and get involved with causes and groups that they feel are potentially at risk under President Trump’s administration. The group of women knows each other through their children who attend P.S. 29 in Cobble Hill. They decided to come together because, according to member Robin Marshall, they are “passionate and politically active” and were “deeply concerned for vulnerable populations who would probably be ignored or even hurt.” First and foremost, the group decided to take on the fi ght to defend Planned Parenthood. “We immediately banded together and quickly put together a fundraiser for Planned Parenthood,” which drew 150 attendees and raised $30,000 for women’s healthcare in December, said Marshall. The group’s March fundraiser for the National Immigration Law Center was also a success in drawing support for undocumented families. Now, the group looks to take on its most ambitious fundraiser yet, with a 20-day long campaign from April 16 through May 5 called “$20K in 20 Days,” for the Trevor Project, a non-profi t that provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services for LGBTQ+ youth. Unlike the previous fundraisers, which have been one-night-only events, the group hopes the new campaign can extend its reach beyond the women's immediate social circles. The campaign will culminate with a celebratory event, but group members hope the online campaign will allow them not to be limited by the number of tickets they can sell. This cause in particular is personal for the mothers in the group. Marshall said, “We have experience in our public school with transgender students, and it has been wonderful to be part of such a caring community, but that is not the case in all schools. I would never want a child or teenager to feel like they had no one to turn to.” The campaign’s highlight event on May 6 is open to the fi rst 100 people who donate $125 or more. The event will be hosted by Tim Gunn at Atelier Roquette in Red Hook. Steven Mendelsohn, interim executive director of the Trevor Project, will also be in attendance. The event is almost sold out, but Marshall wants people to know that every dollar counts and group members want the campaign to go far beyond just the event. On April 16, the donation page went live, and as of this writing, had already raised $7,670. If you would like to donate, go to http://bit.ly/2pxi8WG. BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/Photos by Arthur de Gaeta The faithful took to the streets of Bensonhurst on Good Friday, April 14, for a candlelight procession. BROWNSTONER MAGAZINE: FIVE THINGS TO KNOW BY CATE CORCORAN Brownstoner is going to be publishing a magazine! Here’s what you need to know: WHAT IS IT? Brownstoner’s fi rst-ever print magazine. WHAT’S IT ABOUT? Interiors, people, art, architecture, food and design in Brooklyn. WHAT’S IN IT? Big, beautiful photos, writing, art, recipes and more by some of the best-known and emerging talents in the borough. WHEN? The fi rst issue will debut for Spring/Summer 2017. WHERE? It will be distributed to Brooklyn residences and points of interest. To learn more about advertising opportunities, go to blankslate. typeform.com/to/h19epa.


BSR04202017
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