Salus Infirmorum Father Richard Adams, Father John Boehning, Father Harry Burke, Father Edwin Cipot, Monsignor Charles Coen, Father Patrick Dunne, Father John Fanning, Monsignor John Farley, Father Francis Gorman, Monsignor Robert McCabe, Monsignor John Meehan, Monsignor Walter Niebrzydowski, Father Edward O’Neill, Father Philip Quealy, Father Andrew Walsh, Monsignor Edward Weber
Retreats for Priests San Alfonso Retreat House, Long Branch, NJ is offering retreats for priests and deacons on June 12-16, September 11-14 and October 2-5. Information can be found on their website www.sanalfonsoretreats.org or at 732-222-2731 or email [email protected]
Third World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly In 2021, Pope Francis established this day throughout the Church on the Fourth Sunday of July, near the liturgical memorial of Ss. Joachim and Ann, the grandparents of Jesus (July 26). However, in the United States, this observance has been transferred to the first Sunday after Labor Day in September to coincide with National Grandparents Day. [Updates: Grandparents Day]
Looking Ahead to Christmas In 2023, Christmas day occurs on a Monday. This will have a bearing on the Christmas Mass schedule. Any Masses scheduled at 4:00 pm or later on Sunday, December 24 are Christmas vigil Masses, not Masses of the Fourth Sunday of Advent. Some may raise the question if attending Mass on Christmas eve can fulfill both the Sunday and Christmas obligations simultaneously. Of course, this is not possible. January 1, 2024 will not be held as a day of obligation because it occurs on a Monday. You may wish to take this into account when planning your Mass schedule and your holy day collection.
Memorial Day Masses at Our Allied Cemeteries The traditional Memorial Day Masses will be celebrated at 11:00 am on May 29 at Ascension Cemetery, Airmont, Calvary Cemetery, Woodside, Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Hawthorne, and Resurrection Cemetery, Staten Island. Parish cemetery Masses are arranged by their pastors. Please join us to remember our fallen heroes who died in service to our country.
Upcoming National Collections The combined collection for Latin America and the Home Missions will be on June 11 to strengthen the Church there and in our own backyard.
Trinity Automotive Services Many may be unaware of this service which is offered through Institutional Commodity Services (ICS). Sal Ervolino (516-658-6009) and Michael Chapman (917-748-4902) are available to the priests of the archdiocese who may need service or repair of their vehicles. Trinity provides a hassle-free experience when acquiring both new and previously owned cars. For purchase, lease, service, trade-in, sale, vehicles for fund raising and fleet purchases, call 516-759-7043 or email [email protected]. For more information, you may also visit their comprehensive web site at https://www.trinityautomotive.com/
The Importance of a Will All archdiocesan priests are asked to complete a form for funeral arrangements. This information is used for planning purposes. On this form, a priest can indicate who should be contacted at the time of death and who should be the liaison for his funeral arrangements, if other than the former. Copies of this form are to be kept among the priest’s private papers and with the person indicated on the funeral arrangement form. To update a funeral form with more current information, contact the office of priest personnel. All pastors must submit a copy of their last will and testament, which will be kept on file in the chancery. All priests are encouraged to do the same.
Eucharistic Revival This Fall The dioceses of the New York province will observe the Eucharistic Revival with a Congress at the Shrine of the North American Martyrs in Auriesville on the weekend of October 20 – 22. It will take the form of forty hours devotion; however, the “main” day will be Saturday, October 21. Cardinal Dolan will be the principal celebrant and homilist at the Mass at 11:00. The day will feature speakers, devotions, confessions, adoration and a Eucharistic procession. Priests, deacons and religious are encouraged to participate with their parishioners. Visit the website for more information and to register: nyseucharisticcongress.org. Priests will be needed for confessions, so indicate your availability when you register. Confessors and concelebrants will need to present a letter of good standing, so if you are planning to attend, make your request early. All must register, so do so as soon as possible. There is no charge for attending any of the events at the shrine, however, there will be food available for purchase. Buses from deaneries or parishes are encouraged.
Cathedral College/Cathedral Prep Annual Alumni Association Memorial Mass on Thursday, June 1 at 6:00 will be held at the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, 59 East Main Street, Elmsford. Dinner will follow at Casaletto Ristorante, 15 South Central Avenue at 7:00. Donation for the Mass and dinner is $70 (plus $20 annual dues). Visit these Internet resources at https://www.facebook.com/groups/1031291000372044/; http://stlukes-parish.org/cathedral; and http://www.cpcc555.org. [Events: Cathedral College Mass]
Religious Freedom Week 2023: Pray-Reflect-Act The days from June 22 (the feasts of St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More) to June 29 (the feast of Ss. Peter and Paul), Catholic people across America are asked to participate in this great hymn of prayer for our country. Our liturgical calendar celebrates a series of great martyrs who remained faithful in the face of persecution by political power: St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More, St. John the Baptist, Ss. Peter and Paul. This special period of prayer and public action would emphasize both our Christian and American heritage of liberty. People of faith are committed to serving others in God’s love in healthcare, child welfare, migration and refugee resettlement, education and more. To all our fellow Catholics, we urge an intensification of your prayers and fasting for a new birth of freedom in our beloved country. Learn more at https://www.usccb.org/committees/religious-liberty/religious-freedom-week.
Committee on Divine Worship Newsletter for March is included in this month’s combined mailing. [Updates: CDW Newsletter]
Monthly Combined Mailing The marketing office recommends that, when the combined mailing arrives in your inbox each month, download it rather than preview it.
- Below “Read this Issue” you will see “To view the entire newsletter on the Archdiocese of New York website, click here.”
- In the shaded box, look for the down arrow ↓
- Click on it and open the document.
Cathedraticum True Up The automated cathedraticum true-up process occurs around this time each year. In it, all parish income is used and reflected in the May consolidated invoices. In accounting terms, true-up means reconciling or matching two or more account balances by adjusting financial statements. Your FY2023 cathedraticum true-up might be amended and reflected in the June consolidated invoice. If you have questions, Marcus Ryan will be happy to answer them. He may be reached at 646-357-0164 or [email protected].
Catholic Telephone Guide For more than 80 years, the Catholic Telephone Guide has served the New York, New Jersey, Connecticut tristate area as the only complete and up to date directory of churches, schools, hospitals, and thousands of other Catholic organizations. Most of the listings change from year to year. Be sure to keep the information current and accurate by submitting your revisions by the June 15 deadline using the form and the self-addressed envelope that churches and schools received earlier this month.
Archived Library There is a new feature in the monthly combined mailing which may be of help to many. Recurring publications and forms will be retained in one place each edition for you to access as you need them. Visit this folder from time to time.
FY 2024 Parish Budgets As we near the end of fiscal year 2023, the process of finalizing the parish’s fiscal year 2024 budget will begin. Work with your accountant, bookkeeper, and associate director of parish finance, as needed, to finalize and submit all required budget documentation by May 31 for each of your respective parishes. Budget submissions should also include parish schools and cemeteries where applicable. The website link is now active and will direct you to the budget tools located on SharePoint: http://cna.archny.org; username: archny.org\cna; password: 1011Ny1011. With questions or for assistance in completing this task, contact Mr. Marcus Ryan, director of parish finance, at 646-357-0164/[email protected], or the associate director of parish finance assigned to your parish.
Office Holidays On May 18 (Ascension Thursday), Monday, May 29 (Memorial Day), and Monday, June 19 (Juneteenth Day) the Catholic Center will be closed. 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.
Advocates for Life are a faithful group of volunteer laypeople promoting educational material throughout Westchester and the Bronx to help others to understand the rights and dignity of every human life, especially the unborn, the elderly, and the disabled, using various media resources. They are available to visit your parish. For more information, contact Anthony Felicissimo at 914-965-1555.
Ordination to the Priesthood The class of 2023 will be ordained to the sacred order of priesthood at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Saturday, May 27 at 9:00 am. On behalf of His Eminence and Bishop James Massa, rector of the seminary, you are warmly invited to concelebrate at this liturgy and receive first priestly blessings from the newly ordained.
For the Archdiocese of New York
- Reverend Mr. Zachery Alspaugh [St. John XXIII]
- Reverend Mr. Collins Ashu [Dunwoodie]
- Reverend Mr. Carlos A. Germosen [Dunwoodie]
For the Pontifical Congregation Oratory of St. Philip Neri [Oratorians]
- Reverend Mr. Steven P. Neier, CO
For the Order of the Pious Schools [Piarists]
- Reverend Father Abner González Bonilla, SchP was ordained at the Church of the Annunciation, Manhattan on Saturday, May 13, 2023
- Reverend Father Christian Javier Santiago Torres, SchP was ordained at the Church of St. Helena, Bronx on Saturday, March 25, 2023
Recent Policy Change Impacting Foreign-Born Religious Workers See this memo from the USCCB Committee on Migration about the recent change made by the US Department of State which impacts all religious workers sponsored by Catholic dioceses. [Updates: Foreign Born Religious Workers]
Courage and Encourage International is an apostolate which offers support for those who experience same-sex attractions, and for their loved ones. To participate in the Manhattan chapter, contact Father Giles, CFR at [email protected] or visit www.couragerc.org.
What About Chalices Would you make sure to provide for their proper disposition in your will? And would you check your parish safes for unused ones? The rector of our seminary, Bishop James Massa will properly care for them, and offer them to our deacons preparing for ordinations.
Curia Report The revised, streamlined and renamed curia report, with information about the activities of the archdiocesan pastoral and administrative offices that serve you is included in this mailing. Refer any questions to the office of the vicar general. [Updates: Curia Report]
Flagging Parishioner Updates Each summer, your campaign manager works with you to update your parish CAT list which is used for all Cardinal’s Annual Stewardship Appeal [CASA] mailings. However, as you know, parishioner changes happen more frequently than on a yearly basis. Occasionally, the development office or the vicar general receives correspondence regarding our outreach to deceased parishioners. The office utilizes the USP national database to ensure we remove the deceased from our bulk mail, but their system is often delayed in updating individual records. To help provide a secondary level of review, we are requesting that parishes provide their most recent funeral list to the campaign manager on a monthly or quarterly basis. This will limit outdated addressee inquiries and concerns received by your staff in response to mailings we send on behalf of parishes.
Archdiocesan Vestments In preparation for the 1995 pilgrimage of Pope St. John Paul II, 1,000 vestments with the archdiocesan coat of arms were manufactured by Slabbinck under the name “Stadelmaier Collection” and were worn by concelebrants at the Mass at the 50-acre Great Lawn in the middle of Central Park. They were initially purchased by the priests; and later given to each ordination class as a gift. They are usually worn at archdiocesan functions, like concelebrated Masses and funerals. We recently learned that there are some classes who never received vestments. If you would like to order one [sizes small, medium, large, or extra-large], contact Dorothy in the office of the vicar general. [646-794-2908 or [email protected].]
Annual Meeting and Minutes of the Board of Trustees To ensure that your parish is following the New York State Religious Corporation Law, make certain that the names of your two lay trustees are on file with the chancery and that the minutes of the annual meeting of the board of trustees are kept on file at your parish office. For a quorum, it is permissible for the archbishop and vicar general to be excused. New trustee nomination forms for 2023-2024 will be coming your way at the beginning of the summer.
Share the Word Give access to all your priests and staff members to the material which is pertinent to them, enclosed in the monthly mailing from the office of the vicar general. For it to succeed, we recommend that this Some Things to Know be posted in the public area of the parish office.
Just One More Thing At an ecumenical round table discussion, various religious leaders tried to answer the question, “When does life begin?” “At conception,” said the Catholic priest. “No, no,” said the Presbyterian minister. “It begins at birth.” “It’s in between,” said the Baptist. “Life begins at 12 weeks when the fetus develops a functional heartbeat.” “I disagree with all of you,” said the rabbi. “Life begins when your last child leaves home and takes the dog with him.”