Salus Infirmorum Father Brian Brennan, Father Harry Burke, Monsignor Patrick Carney, Father Steven Clark, Father Patrick Curley, Father Patrick Dunne, Monsignor John Farley, Father Hugh Grace, Father Jack Hunter, Father Thomas Lynch, Father Joseph McAndrew, Monsignor Edward McCorry, Father Angelo J. (“AJ”) Micciulla, Monsignor Thomas Modugno, Monsignor Edward O’Donnell, Bishop John O’Hara, Father James O’Shaughnessy, Father Philip Quealy, Monsignor Edward Weber.
Requiescat in Pace Father Aroldo Guerra.
Impersonation Advisory Be aware that Juan Bautista Guerrero Velasco may present himself as a priest and offer to assist in your parish. He does not have faculties in the archdiocese and is not permitted to function as a priest. Should you have any contact with him, notify Bishop Edmund Whalen at the office of the vicar for clergy immediately.
Bishops for Confirmation As we prepare for the 2022 confirmation season, know that each auxiliary bishop maintains his own schedule and wishes to be responsible for his particular area. In general, Bishop Ed Whalen is in Manhattan; Bishop Peter Byrne is in Bronx and Lower Westchester; Bishop-emeritus John O’Hara covers Staten Island; Bishop-emeritus Jerry Walsh has Rockland and Upper Westchester; and Bishop Jerry Colacicco is in the Hudson Valley (Dutchess, Ulster, Sullivan, Orange, Putnam). Bishop-emeritus Dominick Lagonegro and Bishop-emeritus Josu Iriondo are also available to confirm. There are more than 200 confirmations scheduled in the archdiocese between Easter and late June. Even under ideal conditions, it is not easy to cover this number. Pastors might consider several approaches for scheduling confirmation: move the date outside this season; combine with another parish, especially if you have fewer than ten in your class; schedule every other year for a joint class; invite a missionary bishop whose diocese would appreciate the stipend, etc. When scheduling more than one ceremony on a given day, the bishop may opt for a liturgy of the word instead of a Mass. If you are intending to invite a bishop from outside the archdiocese, make note that you need to request permission beforehand from the vicar general. When listing this confirmation in your parish registry, kindly include the words “cum licentia Ordinarii, c. 886 §2” together with the date of the letter of consent.
Required Announcement on the Protection of Children The Archdiocese of New York is committed to doing all that is can to protect children and young people from sexual abuse. As part of that effort, we periodically write to the Catholic community to advise them whom they may contact and what steps they can take if they have suffered abuse by someone representing the Catholic church.
Please include this announcement in both English and Spanish in your Sunday bulletin. Its wording was approved by the presbyteral council. If your parish uses another language, i.e., Chinese, French, German, Italian or others, I am asking that you have it correctly translated and send a copy of your bulletin with these translations to the office of the vicar general. Additionally, publish this announcement every May, September and January.
“To report an alleged incident of sexual abuse of a minor by a priest, deacon, religious or lay person serving in the Archdiocese of New York may contact the victims assistance coordinator, Mrs. Eileen Mulcahy at 646-794-2949 or [email protected]. Information can also be found on the archdiocesan website www.archny.org. In keeping with archdiocesan policy regarding sexual abuse of minors, this is provided to ensure that our children remain safe and secure.”
“Cualquier persona que necesite reportar algún incidente de abuso sexual de un menor por un sacerdote, diacono, religioso/a, o laico sirviendo en la Arquidiócesis de Nueva York, se le pide que por favor contacte al coordinador de asistencia a las víctimas, Seňora Eileen Mulcahy al 646-794-2949. Ella también pueden ser contactada vía correo electrónica: [email protected]. Para más información pueden visitar la página en la red de la arquidiócesis: www.archny.org. De acuerdo con las normas de la arquidiócesis sobre el respeto al abuso sexual de menores, esta información se provee para asegurar que nuestros niños permanezcan seguros.”
2022 Dates for Your Calendar (subject to change)
- Ash Wednesday, March 2
- RCIA Rite of Election, Sunday, March 6
- St. Patrick’s Day Mass and Parade, Thursday, March 17
- Lenten Day of Recollection, Thursday, March 24
- Lenten Reconciliation Monday, April 11
- Mass of the Chrism, Tuesday, April 12
- Closing Mass for the Synod, Sunday, May 15
- Confirmation for Young People with Disabilities, Sunday, May 22
- Golden Wedding Jubilee Mass, Sunday, June 5
- Jubilee Mass and Brunch for Religious, Sunday, June 12
- Ordination to the Permanent Diaconate, Saturday, June 18
- Columbus Day Mass and Parade, Monday, October 10
- Advent Reconciliation Monday, December 19
Holy Days of Obligation 2022 On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, Catholics are obliged to participate in the Mass and to refrain from unnecessary work and all spiritually-distracting activities in conformity with the code of canon law. “Obligation” means “ya gotta do it!” It’s the Church’s way of stressing the importance of the mystery, person or event being celebrated. During 2022, the following days will be observed: *Saturday, January 1 (Mary, Mother of God); Thursday, May 26 (Ascension of the Lord); *Monday, August 15 (Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary); Tuesday, November 1 (All Saints); Thursday, December 8 (Immaculate Conception); Sunday, December 25 (Nativity of the Lord). *By special indult from the Holy See in 1994, Catholics are not obligated to attend Mass when either Mary, the Mother of God, the Assumption or All Saints fall on a Saturday or a Monday. Pastors, however are encouraged to offer a convenient Mass schedule for those who wish to attend.
Monthly Compensation Plan for Priests Cardinal Dolan has announced the good news that he has approved a three percent cost of living adjustment for the coming calendar year, effective January 1, 2022 with a greater enhancement for pastors, to acknowledge their wide range of responsibilities. Up till now, there had been no change since September 2019. This is understood not to be a raise, but rather an attempt to reach parity with the priests of neighboring dioceses. See the chart included with this mailing and share with your secretaries and bookkeepers.
How to Record Bonuses for Parish Employees If your parish recently participated in an internal audit, it was probably recommended that bonuses at the time of Christmas, Easter, or other occasions be issued through the payroll system with proper withholding and employer taxes rather than using cash or the Mass stipend account. Refer to the archdiocesan financial policies and procedures manual for a fuller explanation.
Office Holidays The Catholic Center will be closed all day on Friday, December 24 and on Friday, December 31. You may always leave your message in the department’s voice mailbox and it will be returned on the next business day. To reach the chancery after hours and on weekends, call Community Answering Service at 877-582-2996. Add this number as “Chancery Emergency” to the list of contacts in your mobile telephone. The 2022 Holiday Schedule is enclosed in this combined mailing.
The 49th Annual March for Life is scheduled for Friday, January 21, 2022 on the National Mall in Washington, DC between the Washington Monument and 12th Street. The pre-rally concert will begin at 11:00 followed by the rally at noon. The march begins immediately following the rally at approximately 1:00 and ends in front of the US Supreme Court. As he has done in the past, His Eminence will offer Mass at St. Patrick Church on Tenth Street at 10:30 am before the opening rally.
Monthly Combined Mailing and the Announcements Mailbox Now is a good time to revisit the purpose and use of the Monthly Combined Mailing and the Announcements Mailbox. It is important that our faithful pastors and priests receive pertinent information in a timely manner, so be sure to read a memo that was sent a few weeks ago. It is included in this month’s mailing.
Epiphany Dinner for Priests ~ January 2, 2022 Father Myles Murphy, pastor of Our Lady of Victory/St. Andrew in the financial district of Manhattan is inviting all priests for an evening of fraternity to celebrate the solemnity of the Epiphany on Sunday evening, January 2, 2022 at 4:00 pm at Rory Dolan’s Restaurant Bar, 890 McClean Avenue, Yonkers. A generous benefactor is underwriting the cost. RSVP by Thursday, December 30 to 917-882-7915 or [email protected].
Sacramental Report The Status Aminarum was to have been filed electronically in the office of the vicar general on Monday, November 22. As of December 7, here is where we stand: of the 288 parishes, there are 140 with no data loaded, 12 with data loaded but not yet finalized, and 131 completed (more than half). Do you need help with this? Contact Fred Scialabba at 646-794-3405 (office) or 347-387-2638 (mobile); or email him at [email protected].
Aggiornamento XV Once again, kudos and a ‘tip of the hat’ to our pastors who, whether in agreement or not, have helped their parishioners to comply with the New York State indoor mask mandate issued by the governor last week. As clerics, we must always be mindful of our unique role in the parish and in the larger community; and the potential impact of an expression of political opinions. While always preaching the truth of the Catholic faith, we need to be careful not to cause division or scandal within the church. To put it in more concrete terms, when using Flocknote, the bulletin, Facebook or the pulpit, always exercise restraint and civility and avoid inflammatory personal opinions. To do otherwise reflects poorly on your brethren.
Just One More Thing A pastor was in such a hurry to get to the Knights of Columbus hall to deliver a speech that when he arrived and sat down at the head table, he suddenly realized that he had forgotten his dentures. Turning to the man next to him, he whispered, “I forgot my teeth!” The man said, “No problem.” With that he reached into his briefcase and pulled out a pair of dentures. “Try these,” he said. Father tried them. “Too loose,” he said. The man dug around in his briefcase again. “Here, try these.” The priest tried them and responded. “Too tight.” The man didn’t seem taken aback at all. He dug around in his briefcase again. “Here. I have this pair. Give them a try.” The pastor smiled. “They fit perfectly.” He ate his meal and gave his speech without any further troubles. After the event concluded, he went over to thank his benefactor and return the spare parts. “I want to thank you for coming to my rescue. Where is your office? I’ve been looking for a good dentist.” “Oh, I’m not a dentist,” the man replied. “I’m the local funeral director.”