Catholic New York

Pope Francis greets Mariamie Besala Welo, an immigrant from Congo, during an ecumenical prayer with migrants in the Church of the Holy Cross in Nicosia, Cyprus, Dec. 3. During his trip, Pope Francis continued to hone his teaching on migration, appealing for action but also acknowledging that not every country can accept all newcomers.

Family First: Pope Says Migration Policy Changes When Newcomers Seen as Kin

With passion in Cyprus and reason in Greece, Pope Francis continued to articulate and adjust his teaching on migration. more

By CINDY WOODEN | 12/7/21

St. Joseph parish in Lake Orion, Mich. is filled Dec. 5 for a Christmas concert and memorial vigil led by students of the parish, many of whom were personally impacted by the Nov. 30 tragedy at Oxford High School.

Oxford, Mich. Is Rebuilding ‘Crumbled Edifice of Our Hearts,’ Priest Says

There were four white candles, each tied with blue-and-gold ribbons, alight in the darkness on the baptismal font at St. Joseph parish in Lake Orion, Mich. Dec. 5. more

By MICHAEL STECHSCHULTE | 12/7/21

Pope Francis watches as dancers in traditional attire perform during a meeting with young people at the Ursuline Sisters’ St. Dionysius School in Maroussi, Greece, Dec. 6.

Pope Tells Greek Young People to Dream Big, Trust God’s Love

Spending a bit of time with young people before leaving Greece, Pope Francis encouraged them to have the courage to hope, to dream and even to question their faith. more

12/7/21

Pope Francis is greeted by young people as he arrives at the international airport in Larnaca, Cyprus, Dec. 2. The pope was beginning a five-day visit to Cyprus and Greece.

Meeting Cypriot Leaders, Pope Urges Dialogue for Peace, Care for Migrants

Sympathizing with the Cypriot government and citizens feeling overwhelmed by an influx of migrants and refugees, Pope Francis urged them to remember their history as a crossroads and meeting place of people of different cultures and traditions. more

By CINDY WOODEN | 12/2/21

Father Aroldo Guerra, Sch.P.

Father Aroldo Guerra, Sch.P., who served at parishes in Manhattan and Mount Vernon, died Nov. 26. He was 90.A Funeral Mass was to be offered Wednesday, Dec. 1, at Incarnation Church in Manhattan. … more

12/2/21

Beverly A. Carroll

A Funeral Mass was offered Nov. 23 at St. Peter Claver Church in West Baltimore for Beverly A. Carroll, the founding director of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat for Black … more

12/2/21

Father Dennis W. Cleary, M.M.

Father Dennis W. Cleary, M.M., who served in Venezuela for 16 years, died Sept. 24 at Beechwood Continuing Care Facility in Getzville. He was 73. Father Cleary was a missioner in Venezuela, … more

12/2/21

Sister Patricia Fahey, R.S.H.M.

Sister Patricia Fahey, R.S.H.M., who served at Marymount School of New York in Manhattan, died Nov. 12 at Marymount Convent in Tarrytown. She was 90. Sister Patricia taught at Marymount School of … more

12/2/21

Sister Mary Alice Howley, O.S.F.

Sister Mary Alice Howley, O.S.F., who served as an educator and pastoral minister, died Oct. 1 at the Skilled Care Facility at Wartburg, Mount Vernon. She was 86. At St. Francis Hospital, … more

12/2/21

Archbishop: Arbery Decision Won’t Bring Him Back, But Advances Justice

Atlanta Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer said the conviction of three white men for the 2020 murder of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery “does not bring him back. It does not bridge the racial divide in … more

12/1/21

Focus Is on Supreme Court’s Biggest Abortion Case in Decades

When the Supreme Court hears oral arguments Dec. 1 for the biggest abortion case in decades, all eyes—and ears—will be on the court. more

By CAROL ZIMMERMANN | 12/1/21

The First-Graders’ Noel

Nearly 3,000 innocent people were massacred on September 11, 2001. Here in Manhattan I witnessed the murder of 2,753 people inside the Twin Towers along with injuries to thousands of others in the … more

By FATHER BOB PAGLIARI, C.Ss.R., Ph.D. | 12/1/21

Pope Francis celebrates his general audience in Paul VI hall at the Vatican Dec. 1.

God Can Act in Unexpected Ways, Calling for Brave Acceptance, Pope Says

St. Joseph teaches people to learn to take life as it comes and to accept what God has in mind, Pope Francis said. more

By CAROL GLATZ | 12/1/21

‘A Special Place’

I want to thank you for your wonderful coverage of Most Precious Blood’s 125th Anniversary Mass. Though I live now in Port Jervis, for many years I lived in Walden. I made my First Communion and … more

12/1/21

‘Gravest of Sins’

The Church cannot stay out of politics when politics grants power over people that has moral consequences. The well being and destiny of every person is very much the concern and special competence … more

12/1/21

Questions on Statement

Three questions on the USCCB statement on the Eucharist: Does Jesus really want us to limit who celebrates the Eucharist? After all, the Last Supper was celebrated with sinners, since all the … more

12/1/21

New Yorkers Should Support This Cause

There’s lots to say about Dorothy Day, whose cause for sainthood continues to advance, but one of the most pertinent for Catholics in New York is that she lived in our world. While she’s not … more

12/1/21

An Advent Invitation

Last Sunday was the start of the holy season of Advent, the annual period of preparation leading to Christmas and the celebration of the birth of Our Lord, Jesus Christ. It should be a fruitful time, … more

By JOHN WOODS | 12/1/21

An Unlikely Advent Journey

For the longest time, I considered myself more of a Lent person than an Advent person. The journey through the desert felt familiar, the three-prong practice of fasting, prayer and charity was … more

By MARY DeTURRIS POUST | 12/1/21

Bread, Wine and a Norway Spruce: the Sacramental Life

Before there were any buildings in Rockefeller Center, there was a Christmas tree. At the peak of the Great Depression, construction workers hungering for holiday cheer pooled their money to buy a … more

By CHRISTINA CAPECCHI | 12/1/21