A monthly publication of catholic news in the diocese of Sioux Falls It looks like nothing was found at this location Maybe try one of the links below or a search If you would like to advertise with The Bishop’s Bulletin or have an event for our Diocesan Events page please contact our office during business hours to discuss your options Advertising and events deadlines and info This work, Lagonegro Earns Military Excellence Award at Recruit Training Command, by Marc Lindsay, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright Home / About / Our Bishops / Bishop Dominick J. Lagonegro The Most Reverend Dominick J. Lagonegro was born on March 6, 1943. He is the only child of parents Dominick R. Lagonegro and Diamentina Morgado. Bishop Lagonegro was born and raised in White Plains, New York were he attended public school. He was baptized at St. John’s Church in White Plains and he made his first Holy Communion and Confirmation at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, White Plains. In 1957, Bishop Lagonegro entered Cathedral College High School, the Preparatory Seminary in Manhattan where he completed four years of high school, and two years of college After graduating, Bishop Lagonegro entered St. Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers. In 1968, Bishop Lagonegro was ordained a Deacon and assigned to St. Theresa of the Infant Jesus in the Bronx. After one year of service at St. Theresa of the Infant Church, Bishop Lagonegro was ordained a priest at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on May 31, 1969. Since his ordination in 1969, Bishop Lagonegro was appointed to various parishes throughout the northern counties of New York. Bishop Lagonegro was appointed to St. Vito’s in Mamaroneck; St. Joseph’s in Kingston; Holy Trinity in Poughkeepsie, and served as Pastor to the churches of St. Denis and was the founding pastor of St. Columba in Hopewell Junction, New York. Bishop Lagonegro also served on many commissions and committees throughout his ministry. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus, the Human Rights Commission in Mamaroneck, Kingston, and Hopewell Junction, and a member of the Kingston and LaGrange Rotary Clubs. As a Chaplain, Bishop Lagonegro served the Sons of Italy Lodge in Mamaroneck, the Dutchess County Boy Scout Council, and the Police Department in both the City of Poughkeepsie and the City of East Fishkill. In 1997, Bishop Lagonegro was appointed Vicar for the Vicariate of Dutchess County and on December 12, 2001 he was ordained Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of New York and Titular Bishop of Modruš. In 2002, Bishop Lagonegro was named pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Newburgh and the Vicar of Orange County. He is a member of the New York State Coalition Public Policy Committee. In 2009, he was named the Episcopal Vicar of the Northern Vicariates (Dutchess, Orange, Sullivan, Ulster), with residence in Sacred Heart Church in Newburgh. Get updates from the Archdiocese of New York This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. BALMVILLE - Angry parishioners from Newburgh's Church of St. Mary are challenging the Archdiocese of New York's decision to close their parish as two local bishops get to keep their half-million-dollar, six-bedroom colonial home in Balmville. On Saturday, a group of longtime members of the parish staged a protest at the home of Bishop Dominick John Lagonegro on Sloane Road. Lagonegro is the Episcopal Vicar of Dutchess, Orange, Sullivan and Ulster counties. Parishioners say they're upset that the archdiocese is closing St. Mary as it keeps the doors open at the bishop’s home, bought by the archdiocese in 2012 for $500,000 and then renovated. The stately two-story brick and wood-paneled home called the St. Kateri Residence is in one of Newburgh's most well-off neighborhoods. It has four-and-a-half bathrooms, two fireplaces and 3,559 square feet of living space. To the parishioners' chagrin, the archdiocese is also holding on to a 57.8-acre piece of vacant land off Rock Cut Road it bought for $875,000 at the height of the real estate bubble in 2006. The archdiocese says its plans to build a church there were scrapped, but it is keeping the land in hopes of one day building a church at the site. Michael McCartney, a parishioner for 58 years who says his ancestors helped found St. Mary 140 years ago, said the closing is a sign that the local bishop and cardinal are out of touch with Catholic doctrine. He said St. Mary is in pristine condition and runs more than 30 missions - missions that the archdiocese says will continue. "The rectory is in perfect condition and has housed two previous Bishops, but this one needs to live in an elite neighborhood away from the poor and the downtrodden," McCartney said. "Pope Francis is bringing people back to the church; these two are chasing them away." Lagonegro was away on vacation Monday and didn't return calls for comment. The Archdiocese of New York is closing St. Mary on South Street, one of seven churches in the state being shut down. It's scheduled to merge with St. Patrick's parish on Grand Street. Masses would end at St. Mary, and the building would be reserved for only special occasions. Joe Zwilling, spokesman for the New York Archdiocese, said the decision to merge the churches isn't financial. He said two bishops live at the Balmville home since it's been bought and renovated - Lagonegro and Bishop Peter Byrne, who speaks fluent Spanish. He said the merger has been carefully planned and gone through an extensive process, though the Balmville home wasn't part of that process. Zwilling said the Balmville home has meeting rooms for clergy to gather, office space that includes space for its Hispanic pastoral ministry to do outreach to those in upstate counties, and guest rooms for visiting priests. "The residence is very utilitarian, and having a combined residence and office space is hardly 'wasteful,'" Zwilling said. "Plus, anyone who knows either Bishop Lagonegro or Bishop Byrne will attest that these are two of the most humble and down-to-earth priests you will ever meet, and any suggestion that they are living in some kind of extravagant home is grossly unfair and wrong." Zwilling also said they're not considering stopping the closing of St. Mary in the wake of some aggrieved parishioners appealing to the Vatican. "Now that it will be empty and idle, where is this person going to go? Certainly he (or) she will not trek out to Balmville," McCartney said. "I thought, as a Catholic, that I should go to the poor to serve - not move to an exclusive address and hope they come." Volume 9 - 2015 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2015.00521 The design of electrodes based on conductive polymers in brain-machine interface technology offers the opportunity to exploit variably manufactured materials to reduce gliosis indeed the most common brain response to chronically implanted neural electrodes finely tailored in their physical-chemical properties might result in electrodes with improved adaptability to the brain tissue and increased charge-transfer efficiency Here we interfaced poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) doped with different amounts of ethylene glycol (EG) with rat hippocampal primary cultures grown for 3 weeks on these synthetic substrates We used immunofluorescence and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) combined to single cell electrophysiology to assess the biocompatibility of PEDOT:PSS in terms of neuronal growth and synapse formation We reported the novel observation that opposite to neurons glial cell density was progressively reduced hinting at the ability of this material to down regulate glial reaction PEDOT:PSS is an attractive candidate for the design of new implantable electrodes controlling the extent of glial reactivity without affecting neuronal viability and function Brain-machines interfaces are prosthetic devices designed to ameliorate the prognosis of neurological patients by targeting non-specific sensory/motor deficits in brain injuries, or more specific symptoms in Parkinson's disease, chronic pain and epilepsy (Donoghue, 2002; Machado et al., 2010; Goodrick, 2014) Recording/stimulation electrodes are the core component of implanted interfaces and need to show excellent and stable electrical properties together with a good biocompatibility once chronically exposed to the biological environment The most common cause of implant failure is the brain tissue reaction against the electrodes (Polikov et al., 2005). This reaction favors the glial-scar formation leading to devices with high impedance and poor electrical charge transfer (Lempka et al., 2009) Primary embryonic neurons were shown to survive once embedded in PEDOT:PSS, (Richardson-Burns et al., 2007) and the long-term adhesion of neuronal cells on PEDOT:PSS substrates was improved by pre-layering the CP surface with poly-lysine (Collazos-Castro et al., 2010) PEDOT:PSS has been polymerized to coat multi-electrode arrays (MEAs). In these experiments the stimulation delivered by PEDOT:PSS layered electrodes evoked stronger neuronal responses when compared to uncoated ones (Nyberg et al., 2007) In this technology area, one of the more advanced results is represented by the NeuroGrid: an organic material–based, ultra-conformable, biocompatible, and scalable neural interface array with neuron-sized-density electrodes, exploited for in vivo recording of superficial cortical activity (Khodagholy et al., 2015) Notwithstanding these studies, the impact of PEDOT:PSS interfaces on neuronal synaptic activity and glial-cell reactivity has not been fully investigated. This is a relevant issue, in particular when CPs electrodes are involved in the design of long-term implants (Lempka et al., 2009; Gunasekera et al., 2015) In the present study we investigated the biocompatibility of PEDOT:PSS layers when challenged with postnatal brain cells (neurons and neuroglia) to optimize their use in future prosthetic devices The electrical and morphological properties of PEDOT:PSS doped with different concentrations of ethylene glycol (EG) were analyzed To assess the viability and performance of neurons and synaptic networks we developed short- and long-term hippocampal cultures (i.e. 1 or 3 weeks in vitro) and we performed single cell electrophysiology scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and immunofluorescence to document synaptic activity cell morphology and density when interfaced to PEDOT:PSS films We investigated glial reactivity to PEDOT:PSS substrates by immunofluorescence technique Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) type Clevios PH1000 was purchased from Heraeus Conductive Polymers Division Successively PEDOT:PSS solution was firstly doped with a 0.05 vol. of dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid (DBSA) surfactant (Sigma Aldrich) for efficient film forming, and then different concentrations v/v (0, 1, and 3%) of EG were added to enhance electrical conductivity with respect to the pristine state (Crispin et al., 2003; Ouyang et al., 2004; Romeo et al., 2015) One solution was prepared without EG addition and used as reference control Homogeneous PEDOT:PSS films at different EG concentrations were spin coated on a glass slides of 1 × 3 cm at 1500 rpm for 30 s. The final films thickness was around 80 nm, as measured with the profilometer (Tarabella et al., 2013) Slides were finally baked on a hot plate at 140 C for 60 min Electrical measurements of PEDOT:PSS layer were obtained by 2-point source/measure precision unit (Agilent B2902A) and controlled by homemade LabView software after the realization of Silver Ohmic contacts distant 1 cm spanning the applied voltage from −1 V to +1 V achieved in 0.1 V steps and recording the resulting current flowing in the PEDOT:PSS layer Different measurements were realized with different EG doping levels of PEDOT:PSS Five micro liter of water were dropped on the surfaces and the images captured using a homemade static contact angle measuring system. The equilibrium contact angle was evaluated by a statistical study of several images (Chen et al., 2005): two layers where investigated for each EG concentration and the measurement were repeated three times for each sample scanning probe microscopy data analysis free software Surface roughness was computed as the root-mean-square (RMS) value of the height irregularities of AFM images The ratio between the surface area and the projected surface area was computed from AFM images by simple triangulation and correlated to roughness values All experiments were performed in accordance with the European Community Council Directive of 24 November 1986 (86/609EEC) and Italian law (decree 26/14) and were approved by local Authority Veterinary Service The University of Trieste Animal Facility (Life Sciences Department authorized by the Italian Ministry of Health) hosted animals and breeding conditions and procedures complied with the 2010/63/UE EU guidelines and Italian law (26/14) Neonatal rats were sacrificed by rapid decapitation and the tissue of interest (hippocampus) harvested all efforts were made to minimize suffering The work was performed on explanted tissue and did not require ethical approval Hippocampal neurons were isolated from postnatal (P2-3) rat pups and seeded with a standard amount of cells (~150,000 cells/coverslips) as previously reported (Lovat et al., 2005) on different substrates Cells were plated on glass (control cultures) or PEDOT:PSS (with different concentrations of EG pretreated with plasma cleaning) coverslips both previously layered with poly-ornithine (Sigma-Aldrich) Each coverslip was incubated with 300 μl of poly-ornithine containing solution for a least 1 h then the drop was removed and cells seeded Cultured cells were used for experiments at 8–22 days in vitro (DIV) To quantify neuronal and glial cells density, cultures (control and PEDOT:PSS) were immune-labeled following the procedure previously described (Cellot et al., 2011) cultures were fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde in PBS (20 min) incubated in blocking solution and subsequently incubated with rabbit polyclonal antibody against β tubulin III (1:250 dilution; Sigma-Aldrich) and mouse monoclonal antibody against GFAP (1:200 dilution; Sigma-Aldrich) cultures were incubated with the secondary goat anti-rabbit Alexa Fluor 594 (1:500 Invitrogen) and goat anti-mouse Alexa Fluor 488 (1:500 Two culture series (4 fields for each slide) were sampled for each condition Samples were visualized with a Leica DM 6000 microscope at 20x magnification Offline analysis of the images was performed with the open source image-processing package Fiji The content of GFAP was estimated by selecting squared areas (25 μm2) close to the nucleus in randomly chosen glial cells. The mean intensity of fluorescence within this region was calculated using dedicated tool of Fiji software. Background fluorescence, measured in region of sample without cells, was subtracted from fluorescence values (Salazar et al., 2008) was automatically measured by the software in randomly selected cells PEDOT 1%EG: 2.9 ± 0.4 neurites/cell USA) was used to record visually identified (with an upright microscope equipped with differential interference contrast optics and infrared video camera) neurons using the patch-clamp technique in voltage and current modes Whole-cell recordings were obtained with pipettes (4–7 MΩ The external solution contained the following: 150 mm NaCl All experiments were performed at 18–22°C Liquid junction potential was 13 mV; membrane potential values were not corrected for it All recordings were performed at −58 mV of holding potential Cells exhibiting > 15% changes in either series resistance or holding were excluded from the analysis The series resistance was < 20 MΩ and it was not compensated Data were transferred to a computer hard disk after digitization with an A/D converter (Digidata 1322 Data acquisition (digitized at 10 kHz and filtered at 2 kHz) was performed with pClamp 9.2 software (Molecular Devices cells were stimulated with a 100 ms lasting hyperpolarizing stimulus (10 mV) area below the capacitative transients was measured and normalized for voltage transient amplitude to calculate cellular capacitance; input resistance was obtained through Ohm's law by measuring the amplitude of steady state current generated by voltage transient Spontaneous postsynaptic currents were analyzed using pClamp 9 (Molecular Devices This program uses a detection algorithm based on a sliding template The template did not induce any bias in the sampling of events because it was moved along the data trace by one point at a time and was optimally scaled to fit the data at each position All the collected events were averaged and the amplitude of current was calculated as that of the mean trace Statistical significance was tested using unpaired Student t-test (Origin A p < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant PEDOT:PSS layers doped with different amounts of EG were characterized for their physical and morphological properties before using them as growth substrates for culturing hippocampal cells The I–V characteristics of PEDOT:PSS layer doped with different concentration of EG, varying from undoped (0%) up to the 3% are shown in Figure 1A The electrical conductance shows an increase of about one order of magnitude undoped PEDOT:PSS layer shows an electrical conductance of 2.35 × 10−5 S meanwhile the electrical conductance increases up to 1.5 × 10−4 S in the case of the 3% doped films (A) Current-Voltage characteristics of the PEDOT:PSS layers doped with different concentration of EG (B) Water contact angles of the PEDOT:PSS layers doped with different concentration of EG (C) 10 × 10 μm2 AFM images (left column) and the corresponding 2.5 × 2.5 μm2 magnifications (right column) of PEDOT:PSS layers doped with increasing amounts of EG (0 Brighter color areas in the image correspond to higher portions of the sample The digital images of water equilibrium contact angle of PEDOT:PSS layers doped with different concentration of EG are reported in Figure 1B The equilibrium contact angle decreases from 21.96° to 12.10° with increasing EG from 0 to 3% The static contact angle analysis reveals that the wettability of the PEDOT:PSS layer increases with the same concentrations of EG used to improve conductance Surface analysis highlighted values of the ratio (Sr) between the effective surface area and the projected surface area of 1.0059 These values correspond to an increase of the exposed surface of about 0.6 compared to a perfectly flat surface characterized by a unitary value of Sr Upon characterization the EG doped PEDOT:PSS layers were used as growth substrates for hippocampal cultures Neuronal and glial cells were analyzed at different times of their in vitro development we investigated whether the EG dopant addition in PEDOT:PSS layers affected short-term hippocampal cultures viability (A) Immunofluorescence images of cultures grown on poly-ornithine undoped PEDOT:PSS (0% EG) and PEDOT:PSS 1% EG Cells were stained with antibodies anti-β-tubulin (red) GFAP (green) and nuclei were marked with DAPI (blue) (B) Bar plots show mean values of neuronal and glial cells density GFAP fluorescence intensity and glial cells areas in the different conditions of growth Superimposed dots to the bars are values from single fields (for cell density) or from single cells (for GFAP intensity and glial cell areas) Note that the glial cell density is significantly decreased on undoped PEDOT:PSS respect to the poly-ornithine control (*p < 0.05 (C) Bar plots are mean values of resting membrane potentials Superimposed dots to the bars are values from single experiments exemplificative recordings from neurons grown on poly-ornithine undoped PEDOT:PSS and PEDOT:PSS 1% EG respectively bar plots show the means values of spontaneous PSCs amplitude and frequency in the different conditions of growth Superimposed dots to the bar are values from single experiments The viability of neurons grown on PEDOT:PSS layers was assessed by single cell patch clamp recordings. Neuronal passive properties, such as the resting membrane potential, membrane capacitance and input resistance, were measured. These parameters are commonly considered as indicators of neuronal health (Carp, 1992; Djuric et al., 2015; Gao et al., 2015) These results further support the similar size of control and PEDOT:PSS neuronal networks after 1 week of in vitro growth PEDOT:PSS containing EG has higher electrical conductivity than EG free one (Wang et al., 2005; Nardes et al., 2008) in view of the potential of this material for prosthetic applications we tested neurons seeded on PEDOT:PSS 1 and 3% EG to verify the viability of long term cultures on PEDOT:PSS layers Note that the glial cell density and area are significantly decreased on both PEDOT:PSS 1% EG and 3% EG respect to the poly-ornithine control (*p < 0.05 PEDOT:PSS 1% EG and PEDOT:PSS 3% EG respectively In the very same conditions, 21 DIV, the measured sPSC frequency and amplitude were unaltered in PEDOT:PSS layers in respect to age matched controls (sPSCs amplitude: 71 ± 9, 81 ± 12, and 69 ± 10 pA; sPSCs frequency: 5.6 ± 1.3, 5.3 ± 1.4, and 4.6 ± 1.3 Hz for control n = 25, PEDOT:PSS 1% EG n = 25 and PEDOT:PSS 3% EG n = 24; Figure 3D) Figure 4A shows neuronal network visualized by low magnification SEM microscopy. Darker areas correspond to glial cells. Higher magnification of micrographs (Figure 4B) shows the healthy appearance of single neurons when developed on PEDOT:PSS layers 3–4 neurites (see methods) emerged from the soma and extend centrifugally on the substrates Scanning electron microscopy micrographs showing hippocampal cultures grown on PEDOT:PSS layers (A) Lower magnification micrographs display that qualitatively the size of neuronal network is comparable between undoped PEDOT:PSS and PEDOT:PSS 3% EG (B) Higher magnification micrographs show the healthy morphology of single neurons grown on the different substrates We describe here for the first time that EG not only affects the conductivity of the layers but also improves wettability and roughness and selectively reduces glial cell reaction synapse formation and function are unaltered by these substrates We confirmed the linear relationship between the conductive properties of PEDOT:PSS and the amount of EG dopant the analysis of the static contact angle on the PEDOT:PSS layers indicated the ability of EG in controlling the hydrophilicity of the surface The electrical conductivity and the wettability of the PEDOT:PSS layers are two fundamental properties for developing long-term implants in fact high electrical conductivity allows an improved transport of the neural electrical signals and the higher wettability makes the PEDOT:PSS surfaces more hydrophilic and therefore suitable for the adhesion of living cells The roughness analysis of PEDOT:PSS layers showed an increase in surface RMS values as the amount of EG was increased PEDOT:PSS 1% EG shows an increase in roughness of about 37% while PEDOT:PSS 3% EG presents a nearly three times higher roughness (287%) Sr ratio between the effective surface area and the projected area presents a small decrease in PEDOT:PSS 1% EG samples than 0% EG controls but PEDOT:PSS 3% shows a valuable increase of the exposed area (about 3% larger than controls This may potentially lead to improved charge exchange efficacy in the PEDOT:PSS 3% EG we observed that neurons grown on PEDOT:PSS layers show a healthy morphology with many neurites extending from the soma and forming arborizations Also the size of the network was comparable where the density of neurons that attached and developed on PEDOT:PSS substrates was similar to that of control We further characterized neurons developed on PEDOT:PSS from a functional point of view via electrophysiological recordings (Lovat et al., 2005; Cellot et al., 2011). Although electrical activity from neuronal populations grown on conductive polymers has been partially characterized previously by MEAs (Nyberg et al., 2007) we measured the single neuron membrane properties as well as those of single synaptic events Our experiments revealed that single cell membrane passive properties, known indicators of neuronal health (Carp, 1992; Djuric et al., 2015; Gao et al., 2015) and the spontaneous activity of the network measured in terms of amplitude and frequency of sPSCs were fully comparable between cultures grown on PEDOT:PSS and controls This was observed for neurons after a week in culture (undoped and 1% EG) but also in long-term cultures (3 weeks in vitro) with even higher concentrations of dopant (up to 3% EG) on PEDOT:PSS interfaces we develop healthy neurons and functionally active synaptic networks comparable to those grown on traditional peptide-layered substrates (controls) with a partial reduction detected also after 1 week of culturing The GFAP-positive glia shows clear reduction in cell density and glial cells have smaller GFAP-positive area after being interfaced for 3 weeks on PEDOT:PSS the intensity of GFAP fluorescence signal appeared similar among all tested groups An increased number of glial cells and an enhanced glial cellular size are usually associated with pathological states (Yang and Wang, 2015), thus PEDOT:PSS apparently reduces glial response, a relevant feature for exploiting electrode-material able to induce low glial reactions (Lempka et al., 2009) Other conductive polymers, such as PEDOP and P3MT, but not PEDOT, were reported to reduce astrocyte responses (Forcelli et al., 2012). However, in the PEDOT layers reported by Forcelli et al. (2012) PSS was not used as counter ion dopant and the deposition process was also different probably accounting for the different results obtained It is interesting to note that the reduced glial response observed on PEDOT:PSS layers in our long-term cultures seems not to influence the functional properties of neuronal networks as our experiments detected similar neuronal density and comparable electrical activity between PEDOT:PSS and controls It is possible that the neuronal network developed on PEDOT substrates in the presence of a reduced number of glial cells could keep intact its functional properties thanks to the hydrophilic nature of the material. This would allow the accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins (Van Kooten et al., 1992), creating a favorable environment for neuronal growth (Masuda-Nakagawa and Wiedemann, 1992) our findings suggest that PEDOT:PSS materials can be exploited for the development of new implantable devices We speculate that such materials in vivo can control the glial reactivity with limited effects on neuronal viability Certainly this hypothesis requires being validated trough further experiments electrophysiology and immunofluorescence experiments and analysis; PL production and characterization; DS performed SEM and AFM experiments; LB and GS conceived the study; LB conceived the biological experimental design; GS and LB provided funding; GC and LB wrote the manuscript All authors have given approval to the final version of the manuscript We acknowledge financial support from the NEUROSCAFFOLDS-FP7-NMP-604263 and PRIN-MIUR n The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of 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application CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Glial fibrillary acidic protein: from intermediate filament assembly and gliosis to neurobiomarker Salviati G and Ballerini L (2016) PEDOT:PSS Interfaces Support the Development of Neuronal Synaptic Networks with Reduced Neuroglia Response In vitro Received: 01 October 2015; Accepted: 24 December 2015; Published: 14 January 2016 Copyright © 2016 Cellot, Lagonegro, Tarabella, Scaini, Fabbri, Iannotta, Prato, Salviati and Ballerini. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited in accordance with accepted academic practice distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms *Correspondence: Giada Cellot, Y2VsbG90QHNpc3NhLml0; Laura Ballerini, bGF1cmEuYmFsbGVyaW5pQHNpc3NhLml0 orcid.org/0000-0001-8420-0787 †These authors have contributed equally to this work Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher 94% of researchers rate our articles as excellent or goodLearn more about the work of our research integrity team to safeguard the quality of each article we publish Nora Neus: “We need to think more critically about objectivity in journalism”  With over 10 years of professional experience at the United Nations (UN) Pedro Lagonegro has worked to make a positive impact on communities from developing countries After completing his MA in Intelligence and International Security at King's Pedro volunteered in Ukraine amid the war and has also been developing a project to diversify the economy in Angola Having worked at the UN in Geneva since 2014 could you tell us more about the roles you have undertaken Pedro: In 2013 I started working with the Competition and Consumer Policies Branch and by 2016 I assumed a position in Knowledge Management and Logistics Support I became an operator of a development project in Angola which primary goal is diversifying the country's economy My role includes designing and creating workshops and seminars tailored for implementation in Angola including government organisations and diplomats as well as handling all aspects of reporting and mission reports ensuring accountability to the European Union Being fluent in Portuguese and having prior experience at the UN were instrumental in my hiring given that the entire project is conducted in Portuguese My role is crucial in translating documents What is the primary objective when engaging with communities in Angola Pedro: The 2016 oil price crisis had a substantial impact on Angola a nation still recovering from a brutal civil war Given Angola’s heavy reliance on oil exports our main goal is to achieve economic diversification for exports My team focuses on the National Green Exports Review collaborating closely with the government to support small and medium-sized entrepreneurs in the green products sector We delve into practical aspects such as basic business concepts we provide insights into diplomatic strategies and encourage collaboration with relevant associations What do you find most interesting and challenging about working at the UN Pedro: Working at the Geneva headquarters in Palais D'enacio offers remarkable experiences including events and networking opportunities The most enjoyable aspect for me is the international vibe representing approximately 10-11 nationalities I also highly value the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on people's lives particularly in projects like the one in Angola navigating internal bureaucracy requires patience The UN lacks a performance-based promotion system Obtaining different positions involves a complex application process with various restrictions You volunteered in Ukraine amid the war in May 2022; can you tell us more about this experience Pedro: I joined a volunteer mission near the onset of the conflict Our base was situated at the border of Ukraine and Poland in a small town where a refugee centre was stablished in a massive supermarket warehouse to accommodate around 2,000 people; predominantly women it was intense as I worked on the food line and facilitating the transport of supplies for the military In addition to our work at the refugee centre we undertook a mission into Ukraine with a former British military individual conducting humanitarian efforts where we made multiple drop-offs of supplies we also ventured into the woods in the middle of the night to reach the border crossing point into Ukraine We dropped off supplies at various locations and assisted a church receiving displaced people particularly those fleeing Mariupol due to incessant bombing The coordination between the church organisers Could you tell us more about your experience studying for the MA in Intelligence and International Security at King’s Pedro: It was a fantastic experience. The lectures featured esteemed academics and great practitioners like Sir David Omand, the former director of the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ). despite having graduated in the United States with a previous master's degree But I soon realised that there was so much to learn and I actively collaborated with my supervisors As students in the Department of War Studies we were granted free membership to institutions such as RUSI But my academic experience also extended beyond the classroom with a lot of networking opportunities for example we had a lecture by a former MI6 officer and met former CIA agents Do you have any advice for people who aspire to pursue a career similar to yours Pedro: For those interested in working at the UN one common entry point is through unpaid internships therefore networking is crucial and important to actively engage with Don't overlook any opportunities that come your way even if it means sacrifices at the beginning Regarding work with international organisations and communities it’s important to understand that it’s challenging to witness the impact of the work we do The nature of the work makes it difficult to observe immediate results as the impact becomes evident only after a considerable period Patience is key in witnessing substantial and lasting changes within communities King’s College London recently launched an AI in Education free to access course Muscle cells contain their own circadian clocks and disrupting them with shift work can have a… The School of Life Course & Population Sciences and King’s Population Health Institute welcomed… Halting the building of new homes could help to address the dramatic decrease in the number and… +44 (0)20 7836 5454 but Pope Benedict XVI's announcement of his resignation still caught Catholic clergy and other faithful by surprise Monday morning "I was very surprised when I heard the news," Bishop Dominick Lagonegro said who serves as vicar to the Archdiocese of New York's northern counties (Orange Ulster and Dutchess) with residence at Sacred Heart Church in Newburgh saw it as the decision of "a man who has tremendous faith and a great deal of courage," who was able to recognize he's getting to the point he can't do the job "That's not an easy thing to do," Lagonegro said who attended the pope's Easter vigil Mass at the Vatican last year said she saw a change between then and the Christmas Mass offered by the pope "He was very weak; he had to be helped up," she recalled Whalen said Benedict XVI was "able to connect with the common man," in person and through his writings "He makes me understand our religion better," she said said the pope has been able to reach the faithful on many levels he showed his "grasp of modern scripture scholarship" through a three-volume work on the life and work of Jesus of Nazareth Straub noted he also connected with children Joseph Seminary in Yonkers during the pope's 2008 visit to the United States "They really responded to him," Straub said Asked what Benedict's principal achievements as pope have been "I think it's a little early to say what his legacy will be." Equally unclear right now are the qualities the College of Cardinals will look for when they gather to choose a successor will enlighten their minds and hearts to choose wisely "I wonder what God has in mind?" Straub said Margaret of Antioch Church will notice something missing at Mass Sunday morning: their pastor Rockland County authorities are prepared to probe Msgr who has been accused of sexually abusing a child more than 30 years ago "At this time there are no allegations of misconduct in Rockland County," District Attorney Thomas Zugibe said His office has been in touch with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, which earlier this week told St. Margaret parishioners that O'Keefe was suspended from the parish where he has served since 2003 O'Keefe was not in the pulpit Saturday afternoon where more than 150 parishioners gathered for a 4:30 p.m Celebrating the Mass was Bishop Dominick J an episcopal vicar and personal representative for Cardinal Timothy Dolan Standing on a dais at the end of the Mass, Lagonegro read to parishioners the letter sent out by Dolan earlier in the week about the abuse allegations against O’Keefe there was no audible reaction from parishioners “This news is sad for all of us,” he told the congregation He added that it was a “difficult time for the parishioners of this church.” to show the concern and support of the archdiocese for this parish.” Lagonegro was also expected to participate in several Masses at St The church’s weekly bulletin for the fourth week of the month still listed O’Keefe as pastor of the church Tim Heisler of Orangeburg was one of the many parishioners at the Mass Saturday who was walking to his car with his family after the Mass said he received Dolan’s letter on Friday in the mai He said the community was standing behind O’Keefe whom he described as “very beloved in the church.” “It was an accusation from 30 years ago,” Heisler said “You don’t know how people’s memories  — how accurate somebody’s going to be from 30 years ago Zugibe urged anyone with information to contact Orangetown police Police said Saturday that they were aware of the allegations but had not received any calls Zwilling said the church was contacted by a lawyer representing the alleged victim That person was living in the Bronx in the early 1980s when the two acts of abuse allegedly happened The victim said the abuse took place in New York and Virginia O'Keefe celebrated the 40th anniversary of his ordination in 2012 He has also served in Westchester County, where he was named the first president of Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains in 1992.  He is also listed on the school's Alumni Hall of Fame on the school website A spokesman for Stepinac declined to comment Saturday Judy Jones, an associate director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests said victims of sexual abuse often wait until they are well into adulthood to share their experiences "Often it's not until victims have children who are the same age as them when they were abused that they come forward." Geophysical Institute Ultraviolet light stops many pathogens in their tracks Jeff Rothman has an old light box with a bank of long-wave UV bulbs he formerly used for making printed circuit boards He recently thought of a new use for it during the COVID-19 pandemic “I use N95 respirators (N95 masks) in my work so I had a small supply to experiment with,” said Rothman manager of the Electronics Shop at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute I wondered if I could use that light box to disinfect and reuse the respirators.” I could see there was going to be a problem,” Rothman said It did not have the necessary safety features so masks wouldn’t be evenly exposed on all surfaces Rothman set out to design a better light box one specifically for disinfecting face masks so they could safely be reused UV light is a part of the electromagnetic spectrum that falls in the region between visible light and X-rays UV light damages living cells — that’s the element of sunlight that causes sunburn so it should only be used on objects or surfaces UV light falls into several categories; UVC is the bandwidth used for disinfection UVC radiation warps the structure of genetic material in virus particles and prevents them from replicating themselves Rothman’s design is an aluminum box with 16 germicidal UVC light tubes inside The tubes surround a clear fused quartz tube in the middle of the chamber He used quartz for the tube because it is transparent to UVC radiation; ordinary glass would block it The unit has door openings on opposing sides of the box which is about the size of a big fish smoker The GI Machine Shop worked closely with him to fabricate the units and refine details close the doors and turn on the UV lights for a specific length of time someone else on the “clean” side takes the mask out and places it in a clean plastic bag to be returned to the person who had been using it Rothman delivered a disinfection unit to the Fairbanks Correctional Center This was the second unit they’ve produced; the first went to the Fairbanks Pioneer Home the week before He is working with the Fairbanks Area Citizens Corps part of the Fairbanks COVID-19 Unified Command to distribute the rest to first responders in Fairbanks The ONR redirected funding from other projects to solicit novel solutions to COVID-19 problems received grants totaling more than $64,000 to develop innovative concepts for fighting the COVID-19 pandemic LJ Evans, 907-474-2737, ljevans@alaska.edu Since it was established by an Act of Congress in 1946 scientists at the Geophysical Institute have studied geophysical processes from the center of the Earth to the surface of the sun and beyond turning data and observations into information useful for state The GI is located on the West Ridge of the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus We acknowledge the Alaska Native nations upon whose ancestral lands our campuses reside our Troth Yeddha' Campus is located on the ancestral lands of the Dena people of the lower Tanana River The University of Alaska is an equal opportunity/equal access employer and educational institution. The university is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination against individuals on the basis of any legally protected status UA is committed to providing accessible websites. Learn more about UA’s notice of web accessibility Please report any problems or feedback concerning this website to uaf-gi-public-info@alaska.edu Ron Herman has been involved in the Arctic League almost his entire life — as was his father Arctic League involvement often spans generations Except the Arctic League is a Christmas appeal actually one of eight people of Jewish faith who served as Arctic League board presidents over the years When it comes to Chemung County's oldest charity people from all different backgrounds have made the Arctic League a success for more than 100 years and you are never going to replicate it anywhere," Herman said It’s people trying to make a difference and my kids come in from out of town and help out My daughter comes from Rochester and helps out The Arctic League has been bringing Christmas magic to needy Chemung County children and families since 1912 and while other charities struggle for donations and volunteers the Arctic League never lacks for either.  the organization hits its annual fund drive goal early and then closes its "Big Book" and urges people to donate to other charities that still need support "To stroll through names of people and organizations who wrote in the Big Book is incredible," said Edward "Toby" Lagonegro owned the cigar store where the Arctic League story began Related: Arctic League opens Big Book, kicks off Christmas appeal for donations "You recognize names from all walks of life — different unions It really is a testimony to people of this area," Lagonegro said the spirit of the holidays is exemplified in the Arctic League." The people who were helped by the Arctic League as children never forget it "One time I was doing a wine tasting at the Buffalo Sabres' ice arena A guy came up to me, probably in his 70s and asked if I was involved in the Arctic League," he said "And he grabbed my hand and said 'God bless you.' The reputation of the Arctic League is pretty extensive." Many of the people who benefited from the Arctic League as youths not only cherish the memories One of the longest-tenured board members is John Corsi whose mother was left to care for 11 children when his father died of a massive heart attack Corsi and his siblings enjoyed Christmas anyway thanks to the Arctic League he is still repaying the favor by serving as packing director "What makes the Arctic League so great is everyone on the league is all volunteer "We all donate money to take care of the building but all the money we receive goes right back to the children," he said the Corsi family would have never had a Christmas That's why I think so much of the Arctic League." Related: Arctic League telecast tops $65,000, sets record whose grandmother Katherine "Nelson" Mooers van den Blink was Arctic League president more than 20 years ago recently joined the board in part to continue a family tradition But Jones also believes so many people from different backgrounds become involved in the Arctic League because they want to be a part of something bigger than themselves "I think people like being part of the story "Everyone wants children to have a nice Christmas morning Sometimes the (Christmas morning volunteer) line is so long they have to give people only one bag (to deliver)." The Arctic League doesn't just attract a lot of individuals from different backgrounds — it garners a lot of corporate involvement as well Many local companies have been eager to be a part of the story and will donate thousands of dollars each year to the Arctic League.  Jeff Streeter remembers volunteering as a kid Streeter is still excited to be a part of the Arctic League experience You feel good like you are making a difference," said Streeter CEO of local construction firm Streeter Associates "It's an incredible organization — no paid staff all volunteers. When you add up the number of volunteers "We get so many contributions from so many people People remember us in their wills," he said "We do get a very diverse group of people who pitch in and help." The best part is when it all comes together Dec 25 — when hundreds of people eagerly show up in the cold and the dark to stand in line waiting for an opportunity to help out their less fortunate neighbors "We have people Christmas morning who have been doing this for years and years," he said "The first people in line will get there at 7 p.m Different service organizations come and serve hot cocoa It's really neat to see it all come to fruition on Christmas morning." Follow Jeff Murray on Twitter @SGJeffMurray. Support our journalism and become a digital subscriber today. Click here for our special offers.  Donations can be mailed to Arctic League Inc. Contributions also can be dropped off at the following area businesses: Related: Arctic League ends Christmas appeal in record time From the bottom of the foundation to the top of the penthouse vent From the ground floor to the top of the penthouse vent (all that will be seen above the ground) is 104.2” (Star Gazette June 4 It was a logical question resulting from the building of what then Elmira Mayor Edward T Lagonegro would eventually call “the new glamour girl in town.” According to the newspaper a week earlier “People staring into the sun at Water and Baldwin Streets saw a 1.5 ton yellow beam waving a flag and a tree swing high over the nearby buildings early Thursday afternoon Crane operator Norman Snodgrass deftly lowered the beam to the street where Mayor Edward T "Snodgrass then maneuvered his giant “toy” around and hoisted the beam to the top of the six-story skeleton which will be Chemung Canal’s new bank office The whole thing was the topping off ceremony marking completion of the steel work on the project which for the past seven weeks has been Elmira’s greatest downtown spectator sport in many years.” (Star Gazette May 29 Nothing said a bank had to be square so the construction of the six-story oval office building captivated Elmira When the bank eventually held its open house it was reported that more than 8,500 people toured the facility with more than 11,000 in the first week It was estimated that 625 gallons of soft drink were consumed and 4,000 roses given to the ladies inspecting the Bank which the city had designated “One Chemung Canal Plaza.” (Star Gazette Aug Former County Historian Tom Bryne wrote in his "History of Chemung County New York" that “the Chemung Canal Bank was chartered by the Legislature in 1833 the same year the Chemung Canal opened to navigation The capital was fixed at $200,000 divided into 4,000 shares with a par value of $50 each The maximum subscription was for 50 shares A total of 704 persons subscribed for stock representing $1,434,450." The first president of the bank was John G His great great grandson Boyd McDowell would follow in his footsteps becoming President of the Bank in 1976 McDowell was a State Assemblyman 1830-31 and a State Senator for four years ending in 1836 He secured the passage of the act creating the Chemung Canal Bank in 1833 He also brought about the act creating Chemung County in 1836 He would serve as chairman of the Board of Supervisors for several terms The Bank operated out of temporary headquarters until it moved to its new home at 415 East Water Street the current location of the Chemung County Historical Society It opened at this location in 1834 and operated there until 1920 when it relocated to the northeast corner of East Water and State Streets The new building featured a ceiling painting of Elmira as it looked in 1833 The Village of Elmira had a population of 3,750 at that time Arnot lived in the Bank building which was customary for the cashier The Arnot name would become synonymous with the bank and indeed development in Elmira Arnot would serve only a year as President but would return to the office in 1857 serving until his death in 1873 According the 150th Anniversary pamphlet published by the bank “a major event in the history of the Chemung Canal Bank took place in 1857 when John Arnot Sr indicated a desire to acquire the ownership of the Bank Cashier and Mathias Arnot Assistant Cashier which began Arnot family control which would last for the next 46 years.” Arnot was closely connected with every public enterprise in the valley for more than half a century and often with the large means at his command in times of general financial distress held up the credit of the city and county with a firm and unyielding hand He became a rock against when the waves of financial trouble and those who sought refuge with him found themselves safe.” The Elmira Daily Gazette and Free Press reported on March 5 1895 that the Chemung Canal Bank had become a state bank and no longer a private concern “The change is due to the fact that the trend of legislation is now largely against private banks and it will not be very long … before they will be legislated out of existence.” Within eight years the Chemung Canal Bank would be “No more.” The newspaper reported that the “formal merger of the Elmira Trust Company and the Chemung Canal Bank was accomplished Thanksgiving week last year and was the most important financial deal that had been accomplished in Elmira in over half a century The merger did not go into effect until this morning ...” The Chemung Canal Trust Company was created More history 'The Forgotten 1935 Flood': How Elmira area was impacted by storm that killed 37 people The newspaper noted that the passing of the bank was a “memorable event.” “It has withstood all storms and trials.” The bank's published history recorded that during the Arnot years the family was “often called upon to make sizeable loans to New York City banks Newspaper articles of the day claimed that loans ranging in size from $100,000 to $1,000,000 were made to those banks to ‘tide them over’ and the Chemung Canal Bank became well known as a sound The Bank remains such today as it enters its 191st year A number of years ago I approached Bank President Jan Updegraff seeking a contribution to the Friends of Woodlawn Cemetery for historic restoration Jan mentioned that he had a family connection to the Arnots He then noted that the John Arnot tombstone in the Arnot plot which is located next to the Langdon plot where Mark Twain is buried at Woodlawn He indicated that if that could be corrected The tombstone was stood up and the Bank was generous in their donation to the Friends of Woodlawn -- Jim Hare writes a monthly history column New York's Roman Catholic archbishop is going to have more responsibility thrust on him Because cardinals serve as the pope's closest advisers he'll have to spend a little more time in Rome But local clergy and lay folks alike say no amount of added duties will hinder Dolan in performing what will still be his principal job – shepherd of the 10-county Archdiocese of New York it will only help the archdiocese to have such a high-profile and influential representative on the world stage “The Lord gave him to us as a gift,” said Estelle Whalen of Newburgh we're simply being asked to share that gift with the world “Perhaps we're losing a little bit of him to the world,” said the Rev But Vondras notes that Dolan already is involved in church efforts to address troubles in Ireland and Haiti And Dolan still has two more years to go as president of the U.S a position to which he was elected last year “They're all pretty much overworked,” Vondras said of the church's cardinals “I don't see it as a major change,” said Bishop Dominick Lagonegro vicar for the archdiocese's northern counties Lagonegro traveled to Rome to witness the elevation ceremony – the first one he's seen in person Lagonegro adds that in his nearly three years as archbishop Dolan already has shown he's up to handling a heavy workload: “He has tremendous stamina Another thing local Catholics don't expect to see change is Dolan's accessibility he's celebrated Mass and attended other functions not only at churches schools and other sites in the archdiocese's three New York City boroughs (Manhattan the Bronx and Staten Island) but also in its upper regions Joseph's Church in Kingston and Sacred Heart Church in Newburgh within weeks of his 2009 installation Lagonegro said that among Dolan's scheduled local stops later this year are return visits to Mount Saint Mary College and to Sacred Heart for a Mass marking the culmination of the Newburgh parish's yearlong centennial celebration whose son David helped carry the Orange County banner at a vespers service for Dolan's installation “It's easy to relate to him and like him,” Recine said “He didn't leave until he said hello to everybody who wanted to.” Global Sisters Report a project of National Catholic Reporter Sign up now Women who are making the vestments for the papal Mass in Nairobi have been working around the clock to meet the deadline Ida Lagonegro shows the vestments that Pope Francis will wear during his visit to Kenya created by the women at Dolly Craft Residents of Nairobi’s Kangemi informal settlement where Pope Francis will meet 1,500 slum dwellers from across Kenya at the St Women at Dolly Craft sewing project usually work on making African dolls They used special beads to make a rosary gift for Pope Francis View Author Profile When the Vatican confirmed that Pope Francis would visit Kenya later this month women from the Dolly Craft center in Nairobi asked to celebrate the pope with three handmade vestments superior of the Dimesse Sisters in Nairobi and the leader of Dolly Craft "We also made him a rosary with beautiful beads." which gets its name from its initial project of making African dolls is an income-generating facility in Kangemi The majority of the people in Kangemi moved to the city from rural villages to look for work to support their families Joseph the Worker Catholic Church operates Dolly Craft which currently provides full-time employment to 30 women "The women here are now able to put food on the table and pay school fees for their children Their families' basic medical needs are covered The facility was started in 1989 with the Dolly Craft women group project which produces local handmade items including dolls The Dolly Craft sewing women project came later It mainly makes vestments for Catholic and Anglican church leaders but also makes men's suits the women took design samples they made to the bishops in charge of the preparations for Pope Francis' visit The bishops approved the designs and gave the women a logo to include on the three vestments "There are many other people who make church vestments But the bishops liked our work most," says Mary Njue the supervisor of the papal vestments project at Dolly Craft and it was not hard to convince them that we would make the best for Pope Francis." The women designed three garments for the pope's main functions while he's in Kenya: a simple white ankle-length alb and a white chasuble embroidered with a Maasai tribe design in colored beads Njue said the women's reaction to the news that they would make vestments for Pope Francis was mainly excitement Some said they didn't know that the pope's clothes were made by human beings." a single mother of two boys who has worked for the sewing project for 13 years "It is my first time and probably my last to make a garment for a pope and very few people get a chance like this The pope is a big person to wear what has been made with my hands are also making other vestments to be used in the Nov which will include 300 priests and 60 bishops "The chasubles for the bishops and priests are done and delivered to them already and 2,000 stoles are ready," Lagonegro said She says the tailors have worked around the clock to make sure the vestments are ready early enough "We can now go back to our normal schedule because everything is almost done," said Lagonegro who was born in Italy but has lived in Kenya since 1967 "These tailors have been working from 6 a.m one of the liturgical vestments of the Roman Catholic The white regalia is decorated with IHS signs as a symbol of Pope Francis' origin as a Jesuit The classic chasuble made of a gold-laced material imported from Greece will be worn during the Nov which is expected to draw more than 1 million people at the University of Nairobi this is the most expensive of all the vestments Pope Francis will wear the chasuble with the Maasai designs on Nov But the decision on what to wear at which function may be changed to suit the pope's preferences "The golden chasuble is what we have chosen for him to wear during the main Mass but we leave it to him to select when he comes," Lagonegro said "He might like the one with the African touch more for the Mass on [the] 26th then the golden chasuble will be worn on his last day in Kenya Kangemi's approximately 650,000 residents are preparing to accommodate 1,500 people from other poor neighborhoods across Kenya who will come to meet the pope "We can't wait for the day he jets in," says Millicent Nyambura "We are very excited that he has chosen to meet slum dwellers in Kenya and especially those living here in Kangemi mostly on the main road leading to the parish where the pope will meet Kangemi residents "We know that the pope wants to see the reality on the ground He wants to find us the way we live on a daily basis," says Catherine Wanjiru He needs a passable road to access the slum." describes Pope Francis' visit to Kangemi as a prophetic one He says the pope is living up to his reputation of simplicity and love for the less-privileged in society he has stood in solidarity with the poor," Marandu says "He has helped them change their perception of life They are looking forward to receiving him here He dismissed the notion that the pope chose to visit this particular parish because he is a Jesuit "The pope is coming here as a leader of the Catholic church and not for the Jesuits," Marandu says but we would have been equally happy if he had visited elsewhere." Joseph the Worker parish hosts 20,000 Catholics in 30 small Christian communities The Jesuits of the Eastern Africa Province have run charity projects for almost 30 years in Kangemi and the pope's visit is seen as recognition of this pastoral and charity work The pope is scheduled to meet 1,500 Kangemi residents for one hour inside the parish But Marandu says given Pope Francis' flexibility in his foreign trips he might decide to take a tour of the neighborhood After he lands in Nairobi on the evening of Nov he will meet with President Uhuru Kenyatta at the state house Pope Francis will hold an interdenominational meeting with religious leaders at the home of the apostolic nuncio before heading to the University of Nairobi for the papal Mass Joseph the Worker in Kangemi then meet with over 200,000 young people at Nairobi's Kasarani Stadium where he is expected to visit the Anglican and Catholic martyrs' shrines in Namugongo he will fly to the Central African Republic where he is scheduled to visit a refugee camp The three countries have recently suffered serious security breakdowns which have led to concerns about the pope's safety Kenya has suffered several attacks by Somalia's al-Shabab terror group The April 2 massacre at Garissa University College The Somali militants also carried out a major terror strike in Uganda in 2010 The country is currently in an election cycle with reports of police crackdowns against opposition figures a civil war pitting Christian anti-Balaka militias against mostly Muslim Seleka rebels erupted in 2012 Sporadic violence is regularly reported as the country prepares to hold elections in December The polls had been scheduled for October but had to be pushed back because of escalating tensions "We will not go by threats from terror groups," he said and I don't think there will be any security loopholes There is no chance for any danger to the pope." [Lilian Muendo is a freelance journalist based in Nairobi She was a producer with the BBC from 2012 to 2014 and worked for Kenya Broadcasting Corporation from 2006 to 2012 She has a master's degree in media management from the University of Westminster in London.] Global Sisters Report David Paterson’s proposal to allow the sale of wine in retail outlets such as grocery stores will have a negative impact on local wineries distributors and independent liquor stores winery owners and liquor store owners who voiced their opposition Wednesday during a meeting on the issue at the Hilton Garden Inn They also discussed ways to fight the measure we had a spectrum of different people from all sides,” said Gene Losey wine manager at GCP Discount Liquors and Wines in Horseheads Those in attendance fear having to compete against huge companies such as Wegmans If this happens we could lose 50 percent of our revenue,” said Rick Maxa Many felt that if wine was sold in grocery stores retailers would dedicate more shelf space to inexpensive it will get pulled from the shelf and replaced with something else “We would have to focus on making lower quality and everyone’s gonna lose out,” said Oskar Brynke Aside from liquor stores and distributors hurting the Finger Lakes wine industry – which brings in tourists and bolsters the local economy – could also suffer “This is an issue that’s best fought through unity,” said Toby Lagonegro president of Elmira Distributing in Elmira Heights equity and fairness and I hope reason will prevail,” Lagonegro added “The next step is to write letters to our assemblymen and to possibly take a trip to Albany,” Losey said Paterson’s proposal is expected to generate more than $100 million for the state in licensing fees Taxes on wine sales would also rise under the proposal Allowing wine to be sold in grocery stores and other retail outlets would also be more convenient for consumers A longtime Dutchess County priest has officially been removed from the clergy following an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse from decades ago Allegations of sexual abuse made against Peter Kihm in 2015 have been found to be "credible" by both law enforcement and the Archdiocesan Review Board said Bishop Dominick John Lagonegro in a letter to parishioners of the Good Shepherd Church in Rhinebeck the accusations against Kihm fall out of the statute of limitations for criminal and civil complaints and the determination by the archdiocese is not a finding of guilt Kihm requested "a return to the lay state...will never again be able to serve as a priest here in this archdiocese or anywhere else in the world," Lagonegro said in his letter A "return to the lay state" means that Kihm is no longer a priest When Kihm was suspended and removed as priest of the Good Shepherd Church in January 2015 the allegation involved a minor — one person — and "more than one occurrence" that happened about 30 years ago more than one person has come forward with allegations of sexual abuse against Kihm the archdiocese director of communications Zwilling wouldn't comment on the number of people who came forward but said all the alleged incidents took place about 30 years ago READ:Suspended Dutchess priest denies decades-old sexual abuse claims The Dutchess County District Attorney's Office which investigated the claims with state police "became aware of two possible victims" during the course of the investigation said Assistant District Attorney Kristine Whelan the statute of limitations (five years) had long passed." Kihm would not be criminally charged since the incidents allegedly occurred beyond the five-year statute of limitations But it's "important that we investigate this particular type of offense.. although an offender may not be able to be criminally prosecuted," victims of sexual abuse should be able to access services and support available." The same statute of limitations applies to civil claims as well according to the National Conference of State Legislatures "The statute provides that actions for civil damages for defined sexual crimes may be brought within (five) years of the acts constituting the sexual offense." Zwilling said he did not want to "make too many comments on the actual investigation and the process." But after the archdiocese shared news of Kihm's suspension with his former parishes and Our Lady of Lourdes High School in Poughkeepsie where he was a faculty member from 1987 to 1992 and they were found to be credible...by reviewing all the material we were presented with hearing from the individuals...and investigating the situation." Kihm was given the option to resign voluntarily or "we would have begun steps to have him removed," Zwilling added "Faced with the reality that the review board and law enforcement found them (allegations) to be credible he did choose to seek laicization," or a return to the lay state "The fact that he requested laicization meant that the process moved much more quickly in Rome so it expedited his return to the lay state," Zwilling said and the diocese had to do it against his will it could have significantly extended the time required to accomplish this." Zwilling said Kihm is no longer living in New York "We just want people to know this is not a case of somebody being free to go to another diocese.. he does not have the ability to function as a priest any longer." Before he was assigned to Good Shepherd in 2013 Kihm spent more than a decade as pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Roman Catholic Church in Poughkeepsie Douglas Crawford of Good Shepherd Church called the situation "regrettable," but said he is not at liberty to comment further Inside of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, an altarpiece painting — a life-sized mural of the Crucifixion — depicts Kihm as "a penitent monk kneeling below Christ," according to a 2010 blog post from the artist Keith Gunderson John Antony of Our Lady of Mount Carmel would not let a Journal reporter photograph the altarpiece without permission from the archdiocese citing the controversial nature of the situation said she wants Kihm's likeness to be removed from the mural why should that still be there?" said VanEtten will also be in those special photos forever Before his years at Our Lady of Lourdes High School Kihm spent three years — 1984-87 — as the parochial vicar at Saint Mary Mother of the Church in Fishkill Kihm has also served at churches in other counties and as administrator at the Church of St "there have been many changes made in the policy and practice of how the Catholic Church handles this not only in this archdiocese but across the country and around the world," Zwilling said "The Catholic Church in the United States is now a model for how to handle accusations The Archdiocese of New York has agreements with all "10 District Attorney’s in the 10 counties of the Archdiocese," Zwilling said "We first encourage anyone with an allegation concerning a priest to go immediately to law enforcement to report it and law enforcement needs to be able to investigate." In the months leading up to Kihm's 2015 suspension the Archdiocese had "concerns" about possible past incidents of sexual abuse and alerted the Dutchess County District Attorney's Office which began investigating with state police If an allegation is first made to the church directly "we encourage that person to go to law enforcement and we let them know that we will be reporting the allegation ourselves," Zwilling added we cooperate and work with the DA’s so that they are able to do a thorough investigation Our policy also requires that a priest who has been charged with an allegation of abuse to be removed from ministry while the allegation is reviewed the case goes to our archdiocesan review board made up of lay professionals from the legal before making a recommendation to the Cardinal on whether an act of abuse occurred," Zwilling said "If even a single act of abuse is found to have occurred that individual is never again permitted to function as a priest is in addition to the background screening we do of all priests religious and laity who work for the archdiocese or our parishes The archdiocese also requires Safe Environment Training "plus age-appropriate instruction for children in our catholic schools and religious education program so they will know the 'do’s and dont's' as well as know the warning signs of potential abuse," Zwilling added Nina Schutzman: nschutzman@poughkeepsiejournal.com It's the kind of decision even wise old King Solomon might have tried to avoid Imagine you're the pastor of a local Catholic church and your parish has been allotted 20 tickets for Pope Benedict XVI's upcoming Mass at Yankee Stadium Joseph's in Kingston simply announced the tickets were available and handed them out on a first-come Others picked the winners' names out of a hat or other handy container They used the latter method at Sacred Heart Church in Newburgh They had 43 tickets and more than 120 people asking for them "It's the only fair way you can do that," says Lagonegro who's also the Archdiocese of New York's vicar for Orange County Lagonegro says fairness was the guideline for the overall ticket distribution Each parish's allotment for the stadium Mass was based on 3.5 percent of its average Sunday attendance in 2006 Ticket allotment for the other public event — a youth rally and prayer service at St Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers — were based on the population of a parish school for those that have them as well as participation in parish youth groups or religious education programs "I'm still getting requests," says Monsignor Edward Straub Peter in Liberty and vicar for Sullivan County Sullivan churches got 125 tickets for the stadium and 110 for the youth rally Crowds of 60,000 are expected at the stadium and 20,000 in Yonkers but even that many tickets go fast when you're dividing them among the 395 parishes in the archdiocese and visitors from other dioceses were able to accommodate all those who wanted tickets figured not everybody wants to go through the heavy security precautions that will be part of this event Parishes had to give church officials the names of those receiving tickets well ahead of time for background checks Those with a ticket will have to show it and a photo ID to get in So if you can't make it at the last minute you can't pass the ticket off to your grandma or Aunt Harriet or cousin Phil so if someone tries to sell you one on eBay By Agnes Aineah Pope Francis donned a white chasuble that was embroidered with coloured beads when he visited Kenya in 2015 While celebrating Holy Mass during his visit the Holy Father also wore an ankle-length Alb and a sleeveless chasuble These vestments were made by an Italian-born Catholic Nun with her team at Dolly Crafts center, a women’s group at St. Joseph the Worker Kangemi Catholic Parish of Kenya’s Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi (ADN) The group worked around the clock to also make vestments that hundreds of Priests and dozens of Bishops used at the 26 November 2015 Papal Mass in Nairobi Pope Francis’ visit was one of the happiest moments for Sr. Ida Lagonegro, a member of the of Dimesse Sisters of the Daughters of Mary Immaculate (FMI) who immersed herself in ensuring that the vestments were made to perfection who also worked on the vestments recalls Sr “Sister Ida was very excited and active as we made the vestments,” Bernadette said in her tribute to the Nun who died on Sunday “On the day that the Holy Father celebrated Mass at St Paul’s chapel of the University of Nairobi Sister Ida came back narrating excitedly how he had been close to the Pope That was a very special experience for her she became known here as the Sister who greeted the Pope,” she told ACI Africa on Thursday Ida suffered a heart attack and died at the age of 82 in her bed at the FMI Kangemi community situated in a slum neighbourhood about 16km from Kenya’s capital Bernadette said she received news about the death of the FMI Sister with shock I saw her just last Friday (June 14) and she was walking around the compound since we were to stay at home on Monday for the holiday I was so shocked to learn that she had died on Sunday,” Bernadette told ACI Africa Ida will be remembered for her love for Christian families her hard work and the numerous projects she initiated in her Congregation She will also be remembered for her deep love for Africans and always expressing her desire to “live and die” in Kenya To show her love for the African way of life “Sister Ida spoke better Kikuyu than myself even though I am a native speaker of the language she would use deep Kikuyu proverbs to teach us to do things in the right way,” Bernadette said during the June 20 interview Ida had a soft spot for the poorest of the poor “She never failed to ask us how our families were doing She always expressed deep concern for needy children and paid school fees for many of them,” she recalled “One thing I remember most about Sister Ida is her love for family life She found great joy in interacting with married couples and reminding them to raise their children with love.” Ida’s efforts to make Dolly Crafts center known Initially a small project that only made African dolls Dolly Crafts now provides employment to 41 women and four men who make liturgical vestments that are sold in and outside the East African nation who was displaced by the 2007/8 Post Election Violence (PEV) from her home in Kenya’s Narok County said that she had found a new family at Dolly Crafts Ida was the most important member of the family Dimesse Sisters in Kenya have also paid their tributes to Sr who did everything with admirable flawlessness which in Kikuyu means a very hardworking person,” Sr A month before she died, Sr. Ida travelled to the Catholic Diocese of Nyahururu where she had worked for the longest period of her Religious Life she camped at Marmanet Catholic Parish for a week helping with the construction of the FMI upcoming home for the elderly Ida stayed in Kenya for 57 years and worked in different places in Nyahururu Diocese and in the Archdiocese of Nairobi She worked at Manunga Catholic Church in Nyahururu before she moved to North Kinangop Catholic Parish She also had a work stint at the Nunciature in Nairobi before proceeding to St where she started the community of Dimesse Sisters she went back to Nyahururu Diocese and worked at Tabor Spirituality centre before moving back to Kangemi and later to Rumuruti Catholic Parish in Nyahururu She met her death after coming back to Kangemi “Sister Ida always said that she wanted to die in Kangemi “She chose to speak one of the local languages here because she wanted to identify with the people She would always say that she wanted to live here and die here The Kenyan-born Dimesse Sister recounted being “practically raised” by Sr who took her in after she completed high school Ida was involved in pastoral work at North Kinangop Catholic Parish “I stayed with Sister Ida for three months after I completed high school she gave me all the orientation I needed to become one of the Dimesse Sisters And when I eventually joined the Congregation she never stopped being a mother to me,” she said “Sister Ida was outstanding in so many ways She did everything to perfection and never tolerated shortcuts she was the brains behind our numerous projects,” Sr Alice Omondi recounted the five years she spent with Sr And Sister Ida struck me as a very loving person She was always the first to say ‘sorry’ whenever she had a disagreement with any member of the community and she taught me to be kind and welcoming especially to the poor,” Sr Since we have a culture of celebrating our patron saints Alice told ACI Africa before she broke down her room so tidy with her simple possessions neatly arranged in their places broke me Alice encouraged members of her congregation to emulate Sr “Let’s continue with the love that Sister Ida fostered in our communities following the example of our beloved Sister,” Sr She never wanted us to have short and tight habits Let us stick with this culture of dressing modestly,” she said June 24 at Hope Centre in the Diocese of Nyahururu Her requiem Masses have been organized at St Joseph the Worker Parish in Kangemi on Friday at the Dimesse Sisters in Karen on Saturday Agnes Aineah is a Kenyan journalist with a background in digital and newspaper reporting She holds a Master of Arts in Digital Journalism from the Aga Khan University Graduate School of Media and Communications and a Bachelor's Degree in Linguistics Media and Communications from Kenya's Moi University Agnes currently serves as a journalist for ACI Africa Your monthly donation will help our team continue reporting the truth and fidelity to Jesus Christ and his Church Pope Francis also praised the “important priestly presence” of military chaplains pointing to the moral and spiritual support they provide The ecumenical prayer vigil Oct. 11 was held in Roman Protomartyrs Square inside Vatican City “We must look for him without ceasing,” the pope’s prepared text emphasized “Because if he has risen from the dead,.. 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