Catholic New York | Free Subscriptions to the Parents of First and Second Graders Preparing for First Communion
Catholic New York, the official newspaper of the Archdiocese of New York, is once again offering free subscriptions to the parents of the 2022/2023 first and second graders in your school or religious education program as they prepare their children for First Communion. Catholic New York plays a key role in the work of informing parents of news from the Vatican, events in the Archdiocese and life in our local parishes and schools.
Development Office | Planned Giving
Easter Season greetings! I hope the welcome spring weather and hope of Ascension Thursday and Pentecost bring you joy and peace. Parishioners, pastors, and friends have generously supported the Church through a variety of planned giving vehicles. There is a way for you to support your parish and the Archdiocese of New York and feel confident that you have dependable income in your retirement years. You can do this with a charitable gift annuity.
With a charitable gift annuity you agree to make a gift to your parish and the Archdiocese of New York and we, in return, agree to pay you (and someone else, if you choose) a fixed amount each year for the rest of your life. The balance is used to support our work.
ICS | Equipment Update
ICS is your purchasing partner and we are here to serve you. In addition to copiers, we also offer phone and security camera systems through our Equipment Sourcing Solutions program. We will help you identify the best product for your needs and then get multiple bids for you to review. There is no high-pressure sales pitch or obligation.
ICS has been helping parishes and schools access quality products and services at reasonable prices for more than 80 years. When you buy from ICS, you also help us maintain the ability to bring you the best of everything at an affordable price.
Please review the product pages that follow. If you have questions or are interested in making a purchase, call our Customer Care Team or fill out the order form.
Real Estate | Parish Property Survey
Pastors, please remember to fill out the Parish Property Survey. Over the years, our pastors and administrators have assisted the archdiocese with various initiatives and policy reviews by providing details about the usage of parish buildings. With the arrival of Paula Roy Carethers as the new director of the real estate division last September, now is a good time for us to update our property usage records. I am seeking your help to gather this information. Tracking this carefully is imperative to the archdiocesan-wide planning process. There is also a constant need to have the most accurate information so we can more effectively handle issues that may arise and offer specific counsel when needed.
The questionnaire may be completed via this link: Parish Property Questionnaire. If there are questions, or if you need assistance, call Courtney McMahon at 646-794-2925. We are requesting to have the completed questionnaire returned to us by Tuesday, May 31.
Respect Life Office | Timely Updates
Important: Preparing for the Dobbs Decision
As you know, we are expecting the U.S. Supreme Court to issue its ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization any time between now and the end of June. Given the possibility that the Court could use this case to overturn or significantly roll back Roe v. Wade, the need to be prepared for this decision at the national, state, diocesan, and parish levels cannot be overstated. Regardless of what happens, there will be a firestorm in the media. We can certainly expect parishioners to be affected in various ways.
The USCCB has provided resources to help you speak to the Dobbs decision in a polarized culture. We hope to better communicate the Church’s pastoral response to women and couples who are facing unexpected or difficult pregnancies, as well as those suffering from abortion. Recent communications research tells us that, although this compassionate response has already existed here in the Archdiocese for decades, many Catholics are unaware of the Church’s help for those in need. Sadly, they often see the Church as harsh and rigid rather than compassionate and merciful. The parish is a wonderful place to give witness to what is true compassion and mercy.
We thank those of you who participated in the 5-week bulletin series, which was part of this effort of communication. In addition, please use these links to access the “Dobbs Parish Leader Kit” and “Dobbs Clergy Resources” which have been prepared for you by the USCCB.
The Dobbs Parish Leader Kit is designed to be shared with your parish leadership team and includes Intercessions/prayers, Bulletin quotes / links to educational tools and Graphics (for bulletins, websites, and newsletters). We encourage you to please put these resources to work, now, in your parish bulletin and newsletters, on your website, and through your parish social media and other communications. If you missed our 5-week bulletin series, it’s not too late to include some of these educational materials in your parish bulletin instead.
For your personal use, the “Dobbs Clergy Resources” also contain links to suggested talking points and messaging for homilies and other communications, for your reflection and consideration.
Walking with Moms in Need/ Into Life Video Series Walking with Moms in Need is a national initiative to better integrate the Church’s ministry to pregnant and parenting mothers in difficult circumstances with our parish communities. If you are interested in bringing Walking with Moms in Need to your parish, please contact Sr. Virginia Joy S.V. (sr.virginia.[email protected]) at the Respect Life Office or visit the website bit.ly/walkingwithmoms. A presentation on how to incorporate the initiative into your parish can be arranged for leaders in the parish.
For those parishes who have been inspired to get more involved, an excellent resource is the brand new video series/12-week study program produced by the Sisters of Life and the McGrath Institute for Church Life called INTO LIFE.
INTO LIFE: Love Changes Everything
Journey with the Sisters of Life as they explain what it means to walk with a woman who is pregnant and vulnerable. Learn how to listen and understand the heart of another, how to rejoice in the beauty of the individual person in an encounter of hope, and how to truly accompany someone into God’s life and freedom.
The INTO LIFE program consists of 12 videos, personal reflection questions, and group discussion questions, along with both facilitator and participant guides. Although the program is designed to be completed in small in-person groups over the course of 12 weeks, it can be adapted to a wide variety of formats, including personal use at your own pace. Access these FREE resources at https://intolifeseries.com/
Update on Physician-Assisted Suicide in NY State
According to the New York Alliance Against Assisted Suicide (NYAAAS), it appears that the proposed physician-assisted suicide legislation (Bill S.6471-Savino/A.4321-Paulin) in NY State lacks the votes to advance in the Assembly or the Senate. Based on current predictions, it is not expected to move forward during the 2022 Legislative session. However, euthanasia and assisted-suicide proponents continue to advocate on behalf of this dangerous legislation and it is important to continue to speak out against it. Please encourage your parishioners to contact their legislators here or here.
Seminary | June Graduate Theology Course Offerings
Join us this summer! June 1 – July 15
- Open to qualified lay men and women, clergy and consecrated religious
- Zoom in from any location to join a class
- Tuition: $1,500 for three credits, $500 to audit
- 50% off for new students and alumni auditors
Schools | Updates
- The Office of Communications and Public Relations released their annual report on the previous academic year. This year’s video report—filmed for the first time as a compelling news segment featuring remarks by Superintendent of Schools, Mr. Michael J. Deegan; His Eminence, Timothy Cardinal Dolan; and department heads of the offices of Catholic Identity, Teaching and Learning, and Enrollment Management—provides a retrospective of the 2020-21 school year, remembering how our Catholic schools moved “onward, safely, together.”
- On Monday, March 28, more than 60,000 students, faculty, and staff of all Catholic schools across the Archdiocese of New York joined in spirit for a Day of Prayer for Ukraine. Please see this CFN report of the day as well as this video recap of our schools’ observance of the Day of Prayer on social media. Additional media coverage can be found here.
- Following the publication of the annual Winter Newsletter, work on a forthcoming special edition newsletter—which will cover social-emotional learning (SEL) and mental health services in NY Catholic schools throughout and beyond the COVID-19 health crisis—continues.
- For the third year in a row, the Office of Communications and Public Relations will host the Arch Media Awards as a virtual awards show presented in collaboration with CFN. This year’s Archies will air this month, featuring creative video submissions from participating Catholic schools in response to the theme, “Where do we see Jesus in our school?”
Youth Faith Formation Office | Youth Day Recap & New Hire Announcement
Welcome Christina Davis as the Director of Youth Ministry. The Department of Youth Faith Formation is excited to welcome Christina Davis as the new director of youth ministry. Christina brings years of experience in parish and diocesan ministry with middle and high school youth. She will begin on June 1, 2022
NY Catholic Youth Day
Thank you all for participating and supporting NYCatholic Youth Day on April 23 at St. Joseph’s Seminary. It was a wonderful day. Attached is NYCYD by the numbers. Mark your calendar for 2023 NYCYD—April 22, 2023!