LONG ISLAND CITY — Nothing symbolizes New York City more than the subway. Bishop Robert Brennan became a commuter for the day, riding the No. 7 public transit train on a pilgrimage to Brooklyn’s Resurrection Parish to join the people he has committed to serving.
Dozens of pilgrims joined him, proudly singing and chanting during the 30-minute train ride from Long Island City’s Court Square to the Met’s Willets Stadium. They celebrated each other by filling a train car together before filling the rows of Louis Armstrong Stadium at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park on April 20.
“That’s our purpose: to meet people where they are. That’s what the Lord Himself did, right? Lives are being taken here on the subway,” Bishop Brennan said.
Santa Salomon doesn’t ride the subway very often. But in an effort to rebuild, Ministry of Education teachers had decided long before April 20 to stop riding the trains and join their Catholic colleagues in Court Square early Saturday morning. She didn’t come alone. Her sister also joined the number 7 train.
“I’m a devout Catholic. I try to get involved in anything that has to do with Jesus as much as I can,” said Salomon, a parishioner at St. Joseph Patron Church in Bushwick. “I woke up this morning and was so excited. I think it was a perfect morning.”
Bishop Brennan was the main thing that made this trip so meaningful for Salomon. For her, attending her parish’s Eucharistic Easter service meant reinforcing her core belief in the full presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.
“Amazing. I’m so glad we were on the same train. I’m speechless,” Salomon said.
The Resurrection is part of a nationwide effort to remind Catholics of the core tenets of their faith. A 2019 study revealed only o.One-third of U.S. Catholics believe in transubstantiationand across the country events were held by churches to change these numbers.
“My hope is that we will renew our union with each other as the family of God, and that there will be a real rejuvenation of faith and faith in Jesus Christ, just as there is between us in the Eucharist,” Bishop Brennan said. .
Patricio Valencia was also one of the pilgrims who joined the bishop. The Elmhurst native initially left the stadium to ride along. Valencia, a parishioner of St. Bartholomew’s Church, came to the first pilgrimage train stop to make the most of her time on her pilgrimage.
He found the Hispanic representation among the faith-filled riders particularly compelling. Diversity is a core aspect of the revival, and the bishop asked that the parish choir represent all of Brooklyn and Queens, and that there would be numerous cultural performances throughout the day.
“I’m very proud of that. I’m grateful to the bishop and the diocese, because they have united the diocese in community and culture, which is good for us and good for everyone,” Valencia said. Told.
The bishop was standing tightly against the wall in a crowded train car, surrounded by ecstatic people heading for revival. They played Spanish devotional music from their cell phones, and the bishop sang along loudly.
“[It’s]Like, to tell you the truth, it’s like going to a Mets game. ” Sean Ogle, chairman of DeSales Media Group, the parent company of Tablet and Current News, said on the train. “But this is more special than that. It’s full of fun and loyal people.
Nearly a dozen members of the New York City Police Department joined the pilgrimage to provide additional security on board the train. DeSales’ external relations team, the NYPD, and the MTA handled the logistics of thousands of people making various pilgrimages, including one by train and three on foot.
“It’s a public statement of faith. And it’s all centered around the Eucharist. It’s so beautiful. There’s no alternative agenda. It’s not politics. It’s not power. It’s not a demonstration. It’s love and It’s faith,” she said. Ogle said.
