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Catholic Church

Obituaries
Beloved Former Teacher In Westchester Dies Beloved Former Teacher In Westchester Dies
Beloved Former Teacher In Westchester Dies A former teacher who worked for schools in both Northern Westchester and Fairfield County has died.  Margaret "Peggy" Beccaria died on Sunday, Jan. 15 at the age of 85, according to her obituary.  A native of New Canaan, Beccaria graduated from high school there before attending college at Western Connecticut State University. She then became a teacher in Stamford.  During this time, she married her husband, Peter, in 1959, and then moved to Westchester County, settling in Pound Ridge where the couple raised their two children, Michael and Patrick.  After tak…

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by Ben Crnic
Obituaries
Popular Westchester Teacher Dies At Age 52 Popular Westchester Teacher Dies At Age 52
Popular Westchester Teacher Dies At Age 52 A popular Northern Westchester third-grade teacher, Josephine “Josie” Calvaruso, has died at the age of 52. Calvaruso attended school in the Bronx and graduated from Fordham University with her bachelor’s in philosophy, her obituary said.  Soon after, she received her master’s from Fordham in teaching.  She was a teacher for 28 years, working first in the Bronx before later moving to work in Armonk at the Wampus Elementary School in the Byram Hills Central School District.  "Josie was a beloved teacher to all students she taught," her obituary said. "She was so loved by col…

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by Kathy Reakes
Sports
Students Barred From Playoff Game After Racial Taunts In Westchester Students Barred From Playoff Game After Racial Taunts In Westchester
Students Barred From Playoff Game After Racial Taunts In Westchester The student section for a Hudson Valley high school playoff game will be quiet for an upcoming semifinal matchup after there were reportedly racist taunts lobbied at student-athletes. During the quarterfinal matchup between Dutchess County-based Our Lady of Lourdes High School in Poughkeepsie and the Ossining High School girls basketball team, there were reports of alleged racist comments made toward players, prompting a swift response from education officials in the region. In response, Our Lady of Lourdes Athletic Director Bill Kyle issued an alert to the community advising that they wil…

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by Zak Failla
News
Report Details How NY Archdiocese Has Handled Child Sexual Abuse Claims Report Details How NY Archdiocese Has Handled Child Sexual Abuse Claims
Report Details How NY Archdiocese Has Handled Child Sexual Abuse Claims The New York Archdiocese released the results of a yearlong investigation into its clergy sex abuse scandal. Cardinal Timothy Dolan tapped retired federal judge and prosecutor, Barbara Jones, last year, allowing her access to church files and unmitigated access to members of the clergy. Jones said that there are no longer any active priests that are linked to any sexual abuse claims, and the diocese now has stricter protocols in place in case someone makes an allegation. “I have found that the Archdiocese has complied with the Charter in all material respects,” she said. “It has faithfull…

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by Zak Failla
News
Names Of 120 Priests Linked To Sex Abuse Released By NY Archdiocese Names Of 120 Priests Linked To Sex Abuse Released By NY Archdiocese
Names Of 120 Priests Linked To Sex Abuse Released By NY Archdiocese Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, recently released the names of 120 Catholic clergy members accused of child sexual abuse. "I write to ask forgiveness again for the failings of those clergy and bishops who should have provided for the safety of our young people but instead betrayed the trust placed in them by God and by the faithful," Dolan wrote in a Pastoral letter released along with the list. Dolan when on to say the comprehensive list includes of "all archdiocesan clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors or who were the subject of a claim m…

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by Kathy Reakes
Politics
Cuomo Slams Trump For 'His Assault On Abortion Rights' Cuomo Slams Trump For 'His Assault On Abortion Rights'
Cuomo Slams Trump For 'His Assault On Abortion Rights' After seeing his state’s abortion laws singled out during Tuesday’s State of the Union address, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo hit back at President Donald Trump, chastising him in a New York Times op-ed. "Lawmakers in New York cheered with delight upon passage of legislation that would allow a baby to be ripped from the mother's womb moments from birth," Trump said, referencing the Reproductive Health Act, which was signed into law last month. "These are living, feeling, beautiful babies who will never get the chance to share their love and dreams with the world.” The president also called on …

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by Zak Failla
News
Former Judge Hired By Archdiocese Of New York To Review Church Sex Abuse Policies Former Judge Hired By Archdiocese Of New York To Review Church Sex Abuse Policies
Former Judge Hired By Archdiocese Of New York To Review Church Sex Abuse Policies A former federal judge has been appointed by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York to review its procedures and protocols for handling allegations of sexual abuse following a summer of scandals. Cardinal Timothy Dolan announced on Thursday that Barbara Jones will serve as the church’s Special Counsel and Independent Reviewer. She has been tasked with undertaking “an exhaustive study of (the church’s) policies, procedures and protocols on how they deal with any accusation that comes about an alleged abuse of a young person by a priest, deacon or bishop.” “A federal judge, a former prose…

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by Zak Failla
News
Attorney General Issues Subpoenas, Offers Clergy Abuse Hotline Investigating Alleged Sex Crimes Attorney General Issues Subpoenas, Offers Clergy Abuse Hotline Investigating Alleged Sex Crimes
Attorney General Issues Subpoenas, Offers Clergy Abuse Hotline Investigating Alleged Sex Crimes This story has been updated. A "clergy abuse" telephone hotline has been set up by the state Attorney General's Office, as well as an online complaint form as subpoenas are being issued to all eight Roman Catholic Dioceses in New York. On Thursday, Sept. 6, Attorney General Barbara D. Underwood announced the new methods in which victims and anyone with information can provide tips. It's part of the Attorney General’s ongoing investigation into sexual abuse of children within the New York dioceses of the Catholic Church. The Attorney General's Charities Bureau, which oversees nonp…

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by Jon Craig
News
Priest In Fairfield County Removed For Contact With Minors Policy Violation, Report Says Priest In Fairfield County Removed For Contact With Minors Policy Violation, Report Says
Priest In Fairfield County Removed For Contact With Minors Policy Violation, Report Says The Rev. Frank Gomez, the head of one of Fairfield County's largest Catholic parishes, has been removed from duty and sent for health treatment for violating the diocese’s policies involving contact with minors, according to the Connecticut Post. The Head of Saint Charles Borromeo Parish in Bridgeport since 2015, Gomez also serves as the Episcopal Master of Ceremonies/Secretary to the Bishop of Bridgeport.  When notifying parishioners earlier this week at St. Charles, Bishop Frank J. Caggiano said Gomez had not been accused of any immoral actions, but that he made poor choices, the Post rep…

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by Kathy Reakes
Politics
Westchester Lawmaker Wants Civil, Criminal Statutes Increased For Sex Abuse Victims Westchester Lawmaker Wants Civil, Criminal Statutes Increased For Sex Abuse Victims
Westchester Lawmaker Wants Civil, Criminal Statutes Increased For Sex Abuse Victims A state lawmaker from Westchester has proposed legislation to extend the time victims can file charges against sexual predators. Assemblywoman Sandy Galef, a Democrat from Ossining, said once new details about alleged sex criminals emerge, victims up to the age of 50 should be allowed to file civil charges that include monetary damage awards. Current state law sets a five-year statute of limitations for criminal charges starting at the age of 18. The proposed bill would increase the statute of limitations for victims up to age 23. Galef said, "The revelation of the long enduring, syst…

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by Jon Craig
News
College In Westchester Revokes Degree To Ex-Cardinal Embroiled In Sex Abuse Scandal College In Westchester Revokes Degree To Ex-Cardinal Embroiled In Sex Abuse Scandal
College In Westchester Revokes Degree To Ex-Cardinal Embroiled In Sex Abuse Scandal Related story: Catholic Priests With Hudson Valley Ties Named In Massive Child Sex Abuse Report An honorary degree given to a cardinal connected to the sex abuse scandal in the Catholic Church has been revoked by a college in Westchester. After a discussion regarding the complaints of sexual abuse made against Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, and in light of the related directive by Pope Francis that Cardinal McCarrick no longer publicly exercise his priestly ministry, the College of New Rochelle Board of Trustees approved the revocation of the 2012 honorary degree, effective immediately. Re…

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by Jon Craig
Obituaries
Mary Elizabeth Keyser, 98, Maryknoll Sister For 80 Years Mary Elizabeth Keyser, 98, Maryknoll Sister For 80 Years
Mary Elizabeth Keyser, 98, Maryknoll Sister For 80 Years Sister Mary Elizabeth Keyser, 98, died on Tuesday, July 24 at the Maryknoll Sisters Center in Ossining.  She had been a Maryknoll Sister for 80 years. A Mass of Christian Burial will take place at 11 a.m. on Friday, July 27 in the Main Chapel at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, 10 Pinesbridge Road, Ossining. Interment will follow in the Maryknoll Sisters Cemetery on the Center grounds. Mary Elizabeth was born in Philadelphia, PA, on May 3, 1920, to Della (Haney) Keyser and Henry Nelson Keyser. She has two surviving relatives: her brother, Nelson Keyser, and her niece, Mary Jane Robinson. In …

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by Jon Craig
News
Former Archbishop Leaves Ministry Amid Sexual Conduct Allegations Former Archbishop Leaves Ministry Amid Sexual Conduct Allegations
Former Archbishop Leaves Ministry Amid Sexual Conduct Allegations Retired Archbishop of Washington, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, formerly the Archbishop of Newark, is stepping out of the ministry after allegations of sexual abuse were found "credible and substantiated." The incident apparently involved sexual abuse of a teenager when McCarrick was a priest of the Archdiocese of New York nearly five decades ago, according to a statement from Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, who was appointed by the Vatican to oversee the investigation. "Carefully following the process detailed by the Charter of the American bishops, this alleg…

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by Cecilia Levine