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New York priest says Pentecost is a reminder the Holy Spirit is 'alive and at work'

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New York priest says Pentecost is a reminder the Holy Spirit is 'alive and at work'

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Pentecost, said Fr. Louis Cona of New York, is the “preeminent celebration of the Holy Spirit” — and is celebrated on Sunday, May 19, seven weeks after Easter. 

Cona is a priest of the Diocese of Rockville Centre and currently serves as associate pastor of St. Patrick’s Church in Smithtown, New York.

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Verses in the Acts of the Apostles (2:1-4) tell the story of Pentecost, Cona said. 

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“When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim” (Acts 2:1-4).

The Acts of the Apostles is traditionally attributed to St. Luke the Evangelist, according to the website BibleGateway.

Fr. Louis Cona of the Diocese of Rockville Center in New York, shown at left, reflected on Pentecost Sunday and what this “preeminent celebration of the Holy Spirit” means for Christians today.  (Courtesy Fr. Cona/Getty Images)

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“In telling this story, Luke describes the emergence of Christianity from its origins in Judaism to its position as a religion of worldwide status and appeal,” the site added. 

Pentecost, said Cona, which is celebrated 50 days after the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday, is the “fulfillment of Jesus’ earthly mission,” as told in Luke 12:49, to “set the earth on fire.” 

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“We see his desire fulfilled as tongues of fire descend upon his disciples,” said Cona. “The tongues of fire as recounted by St. Luke in the Acts of the Apostles remind us that God is alive, his Spirit is not stagnant, but dynamic, constantly reinvigorating and igniting the Church and her faithful.”

“Pentecost is not the feast of the Holy Spirit, but rather, the feast of the sending of the Holy Spirit.”

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When he was in seminary studying ahead of his ordination to the priesthood, Cona said one of his professors “would often remind us that Pentecost is not the feast of the Holy Spirit, but rather, the feast of the sending of the Holy Spirit.”

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This, he said, “is an important distinction because it reminds us that the descent of the Holy Spirit is Christ’s greatest gift to his Church, a gift brought about through his Incarnation, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension into Heaven.”

The Holy Spirit, said Cona, “gives the Church life, constantly renews her from within, and animates all of her members.” 

The Bible describes how “tongues of fire” came to rest on the apostles, who were then “filled with the Holy Spirit.”  (iStock)

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As a parish priest, Cona told Fox News Digital that he sees the “fire” of the Holy Spirit “alive and at work in the Church’s sacraments.” 

He noted, “Quite often I am astonished by the movement of the Holy Spirit in the healing of the sick through prayer and anointing.”

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Cona continued, “I also see the fire of the Spirit alive in young people whose thirst for truth, goodness and authentic friendship can only be quenched when grounded in the truth of the Gospel.”

He added, “Where did their desire for deeper meaning and purpose to life arise but from the Spirit at work within their hearts leading them to all truth” — referring to John 16:13.

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The Holy Spirit is often depicted as a dove or flame. Pentecost Sunday, observed 50 days after Easter Sunday, is a celebration of the Holy Spirit’s descent upon the apostles. (iStock)

On Pentecost, Catholic Mass has a special sequence called “Veni Sancte Spiritus,” or “Come Holy Spirit,” said Cona. 

A sequence is a chant or hymn sung during a certain part of the Mass. 

“This marvelous hymn teaches us about the remarkable actions of the Holy Spirit within our hearts,” said Cona.

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In it, “we learn that the Holy Spirit ‘melts’ our hardened hearts and ‘warms the chill’ of ego, sin and loneliness. In this way, by overcoming pride, fear and isolation, the Holy Spirit unites us, makes us one of heart and mind,” he said. 

“On this Pentecost Sunday, we pray for a renewed outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon our world to ‘melt’ the hardened hearts of sin and violence, so that we too can experience peace, unity, and ‘joys that never end,’ said Cona. 

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New York

Video: Hochul and Mamdani Announce Plan for Universal Child Care

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Video: Hochul and Mamdani Announce Plan for Universal Child Care

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Hochul and Mamdani Announce Plan for Universal Child Care

Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a plan on Thursday to vastly expand free and low-cost child care for families across the state in the coming years and add programs for 2-year-olds.

“Today, we’re working together with the mayor at this incredible place to announce the first major steps to make child care universal — truly universal — here in New York City, transforming the lives of children and parents all across the state.” “We will build on the city’s existing three-K program, and say, no longer will a family in Flatbush be offered a seat, but have to find out that seat is in Astoria. We will add seats in the neighborhoods where demand has not been met. This will be felt by expanded subsidies for tens of thousands of additional families. It will be felt when parents look at their bank accounts at the end of the year, and see that they have saved more than $20,000 per child.” “And today, I’m proud to announce that New York State is paying the full cost to launch 2-care. For the first time — universal daycare for 2-year-olds, as proposed by Mayor Mamdani. We’re not just paying for one year of the program. We don’t usually go one year out in our budget, but just to let you know how serious we are, we’re taking the unprecedented step to not just commit for the 2027 budget, which I’m working on right now, but also the following year as well to show you we’re in this for the long haul.”

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Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a plan on Thursday to vastly expand free and low-cost child care for families across the state in the coming years and add programs for 2-year-olds.

By Meg Felling

January 8, 2026

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Boston, MA

Boston nightclub where woman suffered medical emergency and died has license reinstated

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Boston nightclub where woman suffered medical emergency and died has license reinstated


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After hearing testimony from club representatives and the loved ones of a woman who died there Dec. 21, regulators found no violations.

ICON, a nightclub in Boston’s Theater District, had its entertainment license reinstated at a hearing Thursday. Lane Turner/The Boston Globe

A Boston nightclub where a woman collapsed on the dance floor and died last month will have its entertainment license reinstated after the Boston Licensing Board found no violations Thursday.

Anastaiya Colon, 27, was at ICON, a nightclub in Boston’s Theater District, in the early hours of Dec. 21 when she suffered a fatal medical episode. Following the incident, her loved ones insisted that the club’s staff did not respond professionally and failed to control crowds.

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City regulators suspended ICON’s entertainment license pending an assessment of any potential violations. During a hearing Tuesday, they heard from attorneys representing the club and people who were with Colon the night she died.

Anastaiya Colon, 27, suffered a fatal medical episode Dec. 21 while at ICON.
Anastaiya Colon, 27, suffered a fatal medical episode Dec. 21 while at ICON. – GoFundMe

As EMTs attempted to respond, crowds inside the club failed to comply with demands to give them space, prompting police to shut down the club, according to a police report of the incident. However, the club and its representatives were adamant that staff handled their response and crowd control efforts properly.

Kevin Montgomery, the club’s head of security, testified that the crowd did not impede police or EMTs and that he waited to evacuate the club because doing so would have created a bottleneck at the entrance. Additionally, a bouncer and a bartender both testified that they interacted with Colon, who ordered one drink before collapsing, and did not see any signs of intoxication.

Angelica Morales, Colon’s sister, submitted a video taken on her phone to the board for them to review. Morales testified Tuesday that the video disproves some of the board’s claims and shows that ICON did not immediately respond to the emergency.

“I ran to the DJ booth, literally bombarded everybody that was in my way to get to the DJ booth, told them to cut the music off,” Morales said. “On my way back, the music was cut off for a minute or two, maybe less, and they cut the music back on.”

Shanice Monteiro, a friend who was with Colon and Morales, said she went outside to flag down police officers. She testified that their response, along with the crowd’s, was inadequate.

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“I struggled to get outside,” Monteiro said. “Once I got outside, everybody was still partying, there was no type of urgency. Nobody stopped.”

These factors, along with video evidence provided by ICON, did not substantiate any violations on the club’s part, prompting the licensing board to reinstate their entertainment license at a subsequent hearing Thursday.

“Based on the evidence presented at the hearing from the licensed premise and the spoken testimony and video evidence shared with us from Ms. Colon’s family, I’m not able to find a violation in this case,” Kathleen Joyce, the board’s chairwoman, said at the hearing.

However, Joyce further stated that she “was not able to resolve certain questions” about exactly when or why the club turned off the music or turned on the lights. As a result, the board will require ICON to submit an emergency management plan to prevent future incidents and put organized safety measures in place.

“This plan should outline detailed operational procedures in the event of a medical or any other emergency, including protocols for police and ambulance notification, crowd control and dispersal, and procedures regarding lighting and music during an emergency response,” Joyce said.

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Though the club will reopen without facing any violations, Joyce noted that there were “lessons left to be learned” from the incident.

“This tragedy has shaken the public confidence in nightlife in this area, and restoring that confidence is a shared obligation,” she said. “People should feel safe going out at night. They should feel safe going to a club in this area, and they should feel safe getting home.”

Keeana Saxon, one of three commissioners on the licensing board, further emphasized the distinction Joyce made between entertainment-related matters and those that pertained to licensing. Essentially, the deciding factor in the board’s decision was the separation of the club’s response from any accountability they may have had by serving Colon liquor.

“I hope that the family does understand that there are separate procedures for both the entertainment and the licensing, just to make sure that on the licensing side, that we understand that she was only served one drink and that it was absolutely unforeseeable for that one drink to then lead to some kind of emergency such as this one,” Saxon said.





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Pittsburg, PA

Jack McGregor, original founder of Pittsburgh Penguins, dies at 91

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Jack McGregor, original founder of Pittsburgh Penguins, dies at 91



Jack McGregor, a former state senator and the original founder of the Pittsburgh Penguins, died at the age of 91 on Tuesday. The organization announced the news in a post on social media on Thursday.

“The team extends our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and teammates during this difficult time,” a post on X said. 

No other information was provided in the post, which was shared before the team’s game at PPG Paints Arena against the New Jersey Devils.  

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Pittsburgh Penguins original owner Jack McGregor drops a ceremonial puck between Evgeni Malkin #71 of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Ryan Getzlaf #15 of the Anaheim Ducks at PPG Paints Arena on October 15, 2016 in Pittsburgh.

(Photo Credit: Gregory Shamus/NHLI via Getty Images)


According to his biography on the United States Senate Library, McGregor served in the state Senate from 1963-1970. He represented District 44 in Allegheny County and was a Republican. 

He was born in Kittanning, Armstrong County, and attended the University of Pittsburgh and Quinnipiac University before getting into politics, according to his biography. He also served in the United States Marine Corps.

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In 1966, the NHL granted a franchise to Pittsburgh after McGregor formed a group of investors that included H. J. Heinz II and Art Rooney. McGregor was named president and chief executive officer by the investors and represented Pittsburgh on the NHL’s Board of Governors, according to his biography. 

The team played its first game in 1967 at the Civic Arena. McGregor owned the team for four years before selling it. 

There is also a scholarship in his name at Pitt. It aims to provide “financial assistance to a law student who excels academically and has committed to working in the public sector,” the university says. 



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