Catholic New York

Florida Governor Asked to Spare Life of Man Set to Be Executed

The executive director of the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops asked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, himself a Catholic, to stay the Aug. 22 execution of Gary Ray Bowles, who pleaded guilty to a 1994 murder and was sentenced to death. more

8/20/19

Father Fabian Marquez blesses the casket of Andre Pablo Anchondo during his vigil service at Perches Funeral Home in El Paso, Texas, Aug. 15. Anchondo died along with his wife Aug. 3 as they protected their 2-month-old baby from the mass gunman at Walmart. Anchondo was buried the next day following his Funeral Mass celebrated by Father Marquez.

‘So Many Funerals,’ Says El Paso Priest Who Comforted Grieving Kin

Father Fabian Marquez was the right priest at a very wrong time. more

By MARK PATTISON | 8/20/19

Planned Parenthood Decides to Withdraw From Title X Program

The Planned Parenthood Federation of America announced Aug. 19 it is withdrawing from the federal Title X program over the Trump administration’s “Protect Life Rule” barring these funds from being used for promoting or providing abortion as family planning. more

8/20/19

FEAST DAY—Pope Francis speaks as he leads the Angelus from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican Aug. 15, the feast of the Assumption.

Assumption Feast Invites People to Look to Heaven With Hope, Pope Says

Mary’s assumption into heaven calls people to put aside all those insignificant, mundane and petty concerns competing for their attention and instead be drawn to God and His greatness, Pope Francis said. more

By CAROL GLATZ | 8/19/19

Nine Priests of the Archdiocese Retire

Nine priests of the archdiocese have retired, effective July 1, the Cardinal’s Office announced.The nine priests are Father Dedigamuwage Dias, pastor of Our Lady Help of Christians parish, … more

8/15/19

Pew Survey Shows Majority of Catholics Don’t Believe in ‘Real Presence’

A new study about the level of Catholic belief in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist showed that a majority of Catholics do not believe that the bread and wine used at Mass become the Body and Blood of Christ. more

By MARK PATTISON | 8/14/19

GRIEF—Horizon High School band members embrace after a vigil on Aug. 5 in honor of classmate Javier Rodriguez, who was killed while shopping at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas.

Bishops Spur Elected Leaders, Decry Hateful Rhetoric After Mass Shootings

Three U.S. bishops’ committee chairmen have called on the nation’s elected officials “to exert leadership in seeking to heal the wounds” of the country caused by the Aug. 3 and 4 mass shootings and urged an end to hateful rhetoric many see as a factor in the violence, particularly in Texas. more

8/14/19

Those on Path to Legal Immigration Face Roadblock on Public Funds

The Trump administration announced Aug. 12 a plan to deny permanent legal immigration status for those who use public funds such as food stamps or public housing. more

By RHINA GUIDOS | 8/14/19

RAID—U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers look on after executing search warrants and making arrests Aug. 7 at an agricultural processing facility in Canton, Miss.

Bishops of Four Mississippi Churches Condemn ICE Raid, Roundup

Mississippi’s Catholic bishops joined with the state’s Episcopal, Methodist and Lutheran bishops in condemning the Trump administration’s Aug. 7 raid on seven food processing plants in the state to round up workers in the country illegally. more

8/14/19

VALIANT—Kendrick Castillo, right, poses with his father, John, in an undated photo.

Teen Who Died Saving Classmates in School Shooting Made a Knight

As residents of El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, mourned the loss of 31 people in mass shootings Aug. 3 and Aug. 4, the Knights of Columbus honored a teen who died in May trying to save the lives of his classmates during a shooting at his suburban Denver high school. more

8/14/19

Members of the congregation pray prior to the start of the Young Adult Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral Aug. 7.

Midweek Young Adult Masses Build Community in Bustling City

Sitting in a pew at St. Patrick’s Cathedral Aug. 7, William Manning was absorbing all that happens at a Young Adult Mass each month. “I love to belong to a community of believers than to just … more

By DAN PIETRAFESA | 8/14/19

Father Joseph Ruen, parochial vicar, leads a prayer; he is between Father Peter Lo, pastor of Transfiguration, left, and Father P.J. Wang, a visiting priest from China. Behind them a few steps up is Father Alexis Bastidas, pastor of St. Teresa’s.

Blessed Mother March in Manhattan

The faithful of Transfiguration and St. James-St. Joseph parish in lower Manhattan participated in the 25th annual Assumption Procession Aug. 11 in honor of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. … more

8/14/19

Parishioners sit in the St. Francis Prayer Garden, one of two new outdoor shrines blessed and dedicated at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton parish in Shrub Oak Aug. 11. The garden is a project of the parish’s Portiuncula Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order.

New Shrines in Shrub Oak

St. Francis Prayer Garden, one of two new outdoor shrines, was blessed and dedicated at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton parish in Shrub Oak Aug. 11. The garden is a project of the parish’s Portiuncula … more

8/14/19

Linda Ballew, a kindergarten teacher at Blessed Sacrament School on Staten Island, unpacks boxes of school supplies as she sets up her classroom for the new school year.

Teachers Offer Tips to Equip Students Heading Back to School

Catholic school teachers told CNY it’s important for students to be prepared for the new school year because the first few weeks will set the tone for the entire year. Students should be … more

By DAN PIETRAFESA | 8/14/19

Interim Superintendent of Schools Michael Deegan visits students at St. Anthony School in Nanuet in April.

‘Work, Play, Prayer’ Requisites for a Successful School Year, Says Interim Superintendent

Interim Superintendent of Schools Michael J. Deegan and his colleagues are eager and excited to welcome teachers, parents and students for the 2019-2020 school year, and Deegan recently summed up … more

By CHRISTIE L. CHICOINE | 8/14/19

Rochester Bishop Salvatore Matano, Sister Mary Margaret Hope, S.V., Sister Josephine Rose, S.V., Cardinal Dolan, Mother Agnes Mary Donovan, S.V., superior general, and Sister Faith Marie, S.V., enjoy a moment on the basilica’s grounds after the liturgy.

Three Sisters of Life Profess Final Vows

Three Sisters of Life made final vows on Aug. 6, the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. Cardinal Dolan served as principal celebrant and homilist of the Mass of Perpetual Profession at the … more

8/14/19

Former Cardinal Hayes, Rice Coach Recalled as ‘Caring Person’

Floyd “Skip” Branch is being remembered as a caring basketball coach in the CHSAA and Harlem communities. Branch, a retired bus driver for the New York City Transit Authority, died in a … more

By DAN PIETRAFESA | 8/14/19

Respect Life Office Shares How To Pray Outside Abortion Sites

The archdiocesan Respect Life Office is conducting conferences in Manhattan, the Bronx and on Staten Island to educate pro-life advocates on how and why to pray publicly outside abortion … more

8/14/19

Fusion Program Helps Students Increase Academic Proficiency

The academic skills of students in the archdiocese have been increasing thanks largely to a program called Fusion NWEA (Northwest Evaluation Association), using a method known as MAP (Measures of … more

By ARMANDO MACHADO | 8/14/19

New High School Administrators

MANHATTANCristo Rey High SchoolDr. Frances Clemente, PrincipalLa Salle AcademyBrother Thomas Casey, F.S.C., PresidentKerry Conroy, PrincipalLoyola SchoolJim Lyness, PrincipalSt. Jean BaptisteDr. … more

8/14/19