Category: Archdiocese of New York

Cardinal Dolan explains his invites to Al Smith Dinner

There’s been a lot of posturing –let alone misinformation– about the recent revelation that the Cardinal of New York, Timothy M. Dolan, invited the US President to the famed Al Smith Dinner. He wants to be inclusive, open to dialogue, and helpful in trying to inform politicos about Catholic teaching on life and public service. Civility is Dolan’s hope. 

Indeed, it is noteworthy that civility ought to be a Catholic approach. In a time when civility is lacking in and outside the Church, perhaps this event may be a good example. Who could deny the value of such a method. Perhaps, one may ask, is it time to change the focus of the Al Smith Dinner or do away with it altogether?

Read the Cardinal’s comments on his blog here. (Why it took so long for the Cardinal to make his reasoning public is negligent.)
Nevertheless, I wonder if the Al Smith crowd and the Cardinal with his managers are working overtime to defend a prudential (reasonable?) judgment that’s really too difficult to defend by inviting a pro-choice US President.

The dinner invite that shouldn’t

The white-tie Al Smith Dinner on 18 October may have one of the worst public officials whose record for life issues at a key table: The US President. Mr Obama is known as one of the worst offenders on matters of life. And his dinner partner is Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan of New York. In extending an olive branch to the Democratic and Republican Presidential candidates His Eminence is fueling a fire that may not merely do away with troublesome undergrowth but kill off the roots, too. Exactly, how is inviting Mr Obama and Mr Romney helpful to the pro-life movement?

Continue reading The dinner invite that shouldn’t

Gerald Ryan, no ordinary parish priest in the Bronx

The NY Times published a story, “In Graying Priesthood, New York’s Grayest Keeps Faith in Bronx,” on Monsignor Gerald Ryan, 92, pastor of Saint Luke’s Church (in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx, NYC). Monsignor’s the oldest serving Catholic priest serving the Church in New York. A terrific story on man who’s given his all for Christ and the Church.

Read the story and be sure to view the pictures.
Saint John Vianney, pray for us.

Felix Varela’s cause for canonization moves ahead

Felix Varela.jpegThe Congregation for Saints has told Bishop Octavio Cisneros, an auxiliary bishop of Brooklyn that the Servant of God Felix Varela’s cause has been accepted by the Pope as a man of heroic and cardinal virtue. He will be given the title “Venerable Servant of God.” Cisneros is the vice-postulator of Varela’s cause.

Father Varela (1788-1853) was ordained a priest in Havana and came to the USA to serve as a priest. In 1837 he was appointed the Vicar General of New York diocese, the number two in responsibility for a diocese. He founded the first Spanish language newspaper in the USA, the founder of the New York Churches of the Transfiguration and Saint James and was a delegate to Council of Balltimore with Bishop DuBois.
The Cuban American priest worked for the needs of the immigrants, especially the Irish immigrants at time when the Irish were maltreated. Father Varela was an ardent fighter for freedom here in the USA and abroad;  he spoke for the freedom for the Colonies, from slavery and for the religious freedom of the Church.
Let’s pray that God will soon glorify Father Felix to the Altars.

Cardinal Edward Egan preaches Palm Sunday Vespers at St Catherine of Siena Church, NYC


EM Egan et al 1 April 2012.jpgThis afternoon, Palm Sunday 2012, His Eminence, Edward
Cardinal Egan, JCD, preached Solemn Vespers and Benediction. He was the final preacher for our Sunday Vespers highlighting Great Preachers.


His Eminence’s presence among
us, along with his priest secretary Father Brendan Fitzgerald, was a very delightful
experience; it was a joy to hear about things historical and present. Time spent with the Cardinal and Father Brendan a perfect ending to the day and perfect beginning to Holy Week.


EM Egan and Paul Zalonski 1 April 2012.jpg

Cardinal Egan celebrates his 80th birthday. Canonically, he loses his right, responsibility and duty to enter a conclave to elect a pope. He will likely be attending to fewer things in Rome as travel is getting more and more difficult.


The Cardinal’s preaching was a fine opening to Holy Week. Domine, quo vadis? He focussed our
attention on 1 Peter 1:18-21:    

Realizing that you were ransomed from your futile
conduct, handed on by your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or
gold but with the precious blood of Christ as of a spotless
unblemished lamb. He was known before the foundation of the world but revealed
in the final time for you, who through him believe in God who raised him from
the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Cardinal Dolan’s church in Rome

OL Guadalupe Rome.jpgThe other day I mentioned that cardinals receive a church in Rome for them to have pastoral solicitude for and to be a parish priest in the Diocese of Rome. The latter is really a fiction because the cardinal rarely has much to do his parish but this a vestige of a time when all cardinals were resident priests of Rome. Cardinal Mahoney never paid too much attention to his Roman church but Cardinal O’Malley shows up to his when he’s in Rome. 

In time long ago the priests of Rome elected their bishop: this remains true, however, in the sense that a cardinal is inscribed as a priest of Rome and the cardinal enters a papal conclave to elect a bishop of Rome. Cardinal Timothy Michael Dolan is the Cardinal-Archbishop of New York, a Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church and a priest of the Diocese of Rome.

Regarding the Roman church aspect of being a cardinal is written about by Sharon Otterman of the NY Times in an article published today, “Cardinal Dolan Is Assigned a Roman Parish Founded by Mexican Refugees” and photo’s by James Hill.
Cardinal Dolan will now, it is hoped, provide some financial assistance to Our Lady of Guadalupe in Rome as he’s able.

Nuncio takes up work in Ireland

Crd Brady & Abp Martin welcome Abp Brown in Dublin.jpg
The Pope’s man in Ireland, Archbishop Charles J. Brown, arrives to take up his duties. He’s greeted by Seán Cardinal  Brady (Archbishop of Armagh) and Archbishop Diarmuid Martin (Archbishop of Dublin). The newly ordained archbishop is a New York native and until recently has been working in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Saint Patrick, pray for Ireland.