The four weeks before Christmas are the season of Advent, a time to prepare as we joyfully anticipate the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Whether you are looking for ways to get the most out of this Advent season or have been away from the Church for a while:
Welcome!
Share Your Prayer
Submit your prayer request via the link below and Cardinal Dolan will remember your intentions during this Advent season.
Figures of Advent
Enrich your Advent reflections with the below series of meditations by Cardinal Dolan from 2020 on the towering characters and personalities of Advent.
King David
During this Advent season, I’d like to reflect on the towering characters and personalities of Advent. Today, we’re starting with King David, thought of as the perfect king.
The Prophets
Let’s continue our reflections on the towering figures of Advent. Today I want to speak about the great prophets, who spoke for the Lord.
Elizabeth and Zechariah
Continuing our discussion of the radiant personalities of the Advent season, today I’d like to talk about Elizabeth and Zechariah, the parents of St. John the Baptist.
The Lineage of King David
There are so many characters that light up this Advent season, including Saint Joseph. The Bible always mentions Jacob, Joseph, and Jesus to remind us that Jesus was of the lineage of King David.
Saint Joseph
In December 2020, Pope Francis declared a special Year of Saint Joseph. That’s good news because we need to give him more attention. He was a man of obedience who found out God’s will and did it.
Joachim and Anne
Saints Joachim and Anne were the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Although we celebrate their feast day in July, it’s appropriate to think of them during this Advent season as the grandparents of Jesus.
Mary
Here’s a little seen image of Mary, our Glorious Mother, located “behind the scenes” at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. As I’ve said, there are really three annunciations in the Gospels: to Zechariah, to Joseph, and the greatest annunciation of all, to our Blessed Mother Mary – and her response, “Be it done unto me according to thy word.”
Family Activities
We invite you to flip through and download the free activity books below. Please enjoy this gift for you and your family during this Advent and Christmastide season.
Click the images below to download individual instructions and coloring sheets for easy printing.
Reconciliation Monday
Confession will be offered in all Parishes throughout the entire Archdiocese of New York and the Diocese of Brooklyn on Monday, December 16, 2024, from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM and 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM.
Has it been a while since your last Confession? Never done it before? Don’t worry! The Priest Council for the Archdiocese of New York prepared the below resources to help you:
Parishes are welcome to download free Reconciliation Monday materials including banners and bulletin ads on the Parish Resource page here.
Christmas
Merry Christmas!
Epiphany
Click the images below to download individual instructions and pages for easy printing.
View and download the individual 12 Days of Christmas graphics below.