Message from the
Archdiocese of New York
-
Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in the Basilica of Saint Peter - 25 March 2022
O Mary, Mother of God and our Mother, in this time of trial we turn to you. As our Mother, you love us and know us: no concern of our hearts is hidden from you. Mother of mercy, how often we have experienced your watchful care and your peaceful presence! You never cease to guide us to Jesus, the Prince of Peace.
Yet we have strayed from that path of peace. We have forgotten the lesson learned from the tragedies of the last century, the sacrifice of the millions who fell in two world wars. We have disregarded the commitments we made as a community of nations. We have betrayed peoples’ dreams of peace and the hopes of the young. We grew sick with greed, we thought only of our own nations and their interests, we grew indifferent and caught up in our selfish needs and concerns. We chose to ignore God, to be satisfied with our illusions, to grow arrogant and aggressive, to suppress innocent lives and to stockpile weapons. We stopped being our neighbour’s keepers and stewards of our common home. We have ravaged the garden of the earth with war and by our sins we have broken the heart of our heavenly Father, who desires us to be brothers and sisters. We grew indifferent to everyone and everything except ourselves. Now with shame we cry out: Forgive us, Lord!
Holy Mother, amid the misery of our sinfulness, amid our struggles and weaknesses, amid the mystery of iniquity that is evil and war, you remind us that God never abandons us, but continues to look upon us with love, ever ready to forgive us and raise us up to new life. He has given you to us and made your Immaculate Heart a refuge for the Church and for all humanity. By God’s gracious will, you are ever with us; even in the most troubled moments of our history, you are there to guide us with tender love.
We now turn to you and knock at the door of your heart. We are your beloved children. In every age you make yourself known to us, calling us to conversion. At this dark hour, help us and grant us your comfort. Say to us once more: “Am I not here, I who am your Mother?” You are able to untie the knots of our hearts and of our times. In you we place our trust. We are confident that, especially in moments of trial, you will not be deaf to our supplication and will come to our aid.
That is what you did at Cana in Galilee, when you interceded with Jesus and he worked the first of his signs. To preserve the joy of the wedding feast, you said to him: “They have no wine” (Jn 2:3). Now, O Mother, repeat those words and that prayer, for in our own day we have run out of the wine of hope, joy has fled, fraternity has faded. We have forgotten our humanity and squandered the gift of peace. We opened our hearts to violence and destructiveness. How greatly we need your maternal help!
Therefore, O Mother, hear our prayer.
Star of the Sea, do not let us be shipwrecked in the tempest of war.
Ark of the New Covenant, inspire projects and paths of reconciliation.
Queen of Heaven, restore God’s peace to the world.
Eliminate hatred and the thirst for revenge, and teach us forgiveness.
Free us from war, protect our world from the menace of nuclear weapons.
Queen of the Rosary, make us realize our need to pray and to love.
Queen of the Human Family, show people the path of fraternity.
Queen of Peace, obtain peace for our world.
O Mother, may your sorrowful plea stir our hardened hearts. May the tears you shed for us make this valley parched by our hatred blossom anew. Amid the thunder of weapons, may your prayer turn our thoughts to peace. May your maternal touch soothe those who suffer and flee from the rain of bombs. May your motherly embrace comfort those forced to leave their homes and their native land. May your Sorrowful Heart move us to compassion and inspire us to open our doors and to care for our brothers and sisters who are injured and cast aside.
Holy Mother of God, as you stood beneath the cross, Jesus, seeing the disciple at your side, said: “Behold your son” (Jn 19:26). In this way he entrusted each of us to you. To the disciple, and to each of us, he said: “Behold, your Mother” (v. 27). Mother Mary, we now desire to welcome you into our lives and our history. At this hour, a weary and distraught humanity stands with you beneath the cross, needing to entrust itself to you and, through you, to consecrate itself to Christ. The people of Ukraine and Russia, who venerate you with great love, now turn to you, even as your heart beats with compassion for them and for all those peoples decimated by war, hunger, injustice and poverty.
Therefore, Mother of God and our Mother, to your Immaculate Heart we solemnly entrust and consecrate ourselves, the Church and all humanity, especially Russia and Ukraine. Accept this act that we carry out with confidence and love. Grant that war may end and peace spread throughout the world. The “Fiat” that arose from your heart opened the doors of history to the Prince of Peace. We trust that, through your heart, peace will dawn once more. To you we consecrate the future of the whole human family, the needs and expectations of every people, the anxieties and hopes of the world.
Through your intercession, may God’s mercy be poured out on the earth and the gentle rhythm of peace return to mark our days. Our Lady of the “Fiat”, on whom the Holy Spirit descended, restore among us the harmony that comes from God. May you, our “living fountain of hope”, water the dryness of our hearts. In your womb Jesus took flesh; help us to foster the growth of communion. You once trod the streets of our world; lead us now on the paths of peace. Amen. -
Annual Cardinal's Appeal - January 2022
Click link below for a message from Timothy Cardinal Dolan outlining this year's Annual Cardinal's Appeal and all the services the funding provides.
Where your 2022 gift goes:- Assistance for financially vulnerable parishes - 48%.
- Charitable outreach and pastoral support - 28%.
- Evangelization, communications and Catholic education - 14%.
- Formation of new parish priests - 5%.
- Care for retired parish priests - 5%.
-
October 18, 2021
October 18, 2021
Year of Saint Joseph
Dear Members of our Catholic family:
Many of you are asking about this “synod process” initiated by Pope Francis. Maybe my homily from yesterday at the Cathedral can help.
With prayerful best wishes on this beautiful Fall day, I am,
Faithfully in Christ,
Cardinal Timothy Dolan
Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan
Archbishop of New YorkAMDG JMJ
29th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Mass for the opening of the Synod Process
October 17, 2021
Timothy Cardinal Dolan
Synodality
A blessed Sunday!
Can we consider a bit today the role of authority and leadership in the Church? Jesus teaches us about all that in our Gospel passage at Mass this morning.
Yes, the Church is of divine origin, but she is composed of flawed human membership; yes, Jesus gave us a rather fluid blueprint about the structure of His Church – his apostles, the sacraments, a basic creed and moral expectations, bishop, priest, deacon, women and men with duties in marriage, family, communities of faith, using gifts – which the bible calls charisms – of teaching, worship, charity, administration, healing, and service; the mandate to teach the nations about Him.
Throughout her colorful history of two millennia, the one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic Church has expanded and developed its style of organization and authority.
We’ve had popes at the head of conquering armies and popes all by themselves in jail;
Bishops called “princes,” and bishops beheaded by princes;
We’ve had women and men living as solitary hermits, or as members of thriving, vibrant, communities;
The Church hast taught sternly with threats of punishments in this life and the next, or softly and gently under the shade of a tree outside the parish church;
She has managed property, buildings, and money to compete with a Wall Street firm, or existed solely on faith, prayer, bread, wine, the Bible, and the goodness of her people;
The Church has members trying to raise families, run businesses, make a living, while ever in allegiance to the teachings of our Lord…
This only touches on the array, the sample of how the Church we cherish has tried to lead, teach with authority, govern and serve since Jesus commissioned us to do so.
And now the successor of Saint Peter as bishop of Rome and pastor of the Church Universal, Pope Francis, has asked us all to commence an examination of conscience on how we as a Church are living up to the model of the Church given us by Jesus. Pope Francis has asked us to begin a process of preparation and prayer for a Synod of Bishops in Rome in two years, on the topic he calls all this: synodality.
Thus do I welcome this morning leaders from the archdiocese who generously participate in the consultative organs of these vast areas of the Lord’s vineyard – members of our boards, committees, religious orders, schools, charities, health care, witness in the public square, business and governance.
And just what is this synodality of which Pope Francis so often speaks? I don’t know if I completely understand it; and the Holy Father is honest in admitting that neither does he have the full comprehension, which is precisely why he has summoned us to this endeavor. He wants us to join him in praying, listening, discerning, examining ourselves personally, and the Church communally, to see if we’re truly on the path Jesus has set for His beloved bride, His mystical body, the Church.
He has reminded us of certain clear essentials intended by Jesus, constant, although, at times, we admit clouded and dimmed, in the Church’s amazing 2,000 year drama. Here are some those non-negotiables.- The energy and direction driving the Church comes from the Holy Spirit, not ourselves;
- While in the world, we are not of the world, and thus our guiding principles come from the Gospel, revelation, and the patrimony of the Church’s settled teaching;
- That the principles of the innate dignity of every human person and the inherent sacredness of all human life are the towering moral lighthouses on our path;
- That our journey through this life back to our true and eternal home of heaven is most effectively accomplished precisely as a journey as we walk with and accompany each other, with Jesus as our guide, His mother and the saints, and we sinners at each other’s side;
- That on this journey we pay special attention to those at the side of the road, especially those who are sick, weak, poor, or unable to keep up with us;
- That our wealth only comes from faith, trust, prayer, the sacraments, and His grace;
- That mercy, love, invitation, humility, joy, selfless, generous service, and good example are our only tools, never harshness, condemnation, or pride.
Thank you for accepting his invitation to enter this walk of synodality. Stay tuned for other invitations as the process continues. Stay tuned as our own team led by Elizabeth Guevara and Monsignor LaMorte, keep us posted.
And stay tuned to those words from the gospel this morning:
“You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.” (MK 10: 42-45) -
August 16, 2021
August 16, 2021
Year of Saint Joseph
Dear Family of the Archdiocese of New York,
I apologize for intruding during these final weeks of what I hope has been a blessed and relaxing Summer, but allow me to update you on two important items that continue to affect the Archdiocese of New York: the coronavirus pandemic, particularly as it relates to our schools, and the Child Victims Act.
As you know, the Catholic schools of the archdiocese opened on time for in-person instruction in September 2020, and successfully and safely remained open for the school year. In many ways, our schools became the model for the rest of the country, offering the option of either remote learning or in-classroom instruction. Our principals, administrators, teachers, pastors, parents, and officials from our Superintendent of Schools office, all did superlative work in developing the strategy that led to this remarkable achievement.
After intensive study and preparation for the school year starting this September, Superintendent Michael Deegan, his staff, and the Health and Safety Task Force of the Office of the Superintendent, have determined that, based on last year’s success and what is best for our students, the academic year starting in September will be totally “in-school” instruction, with no hybrid or remote learning option. Of course, all health and safety protocols developed by the CDC, New York State Department of Health, and other medical and scientific professionals will be followed.
I hope you will join me in thanking Mr. Deegan and his dedicated team for the innovation, preparation, and dedication they have consistently demonstrated during these difficult months.
This past Friday, August 13th, marked the close of the Child Victims Act “window,” legislation passed in Albany in 2019, which suspended the civil statute of limitations for two years and allowed individuals to file lawsuits seeking monetary compensation in state court for alleged sexual abuse, no matter when the alleged abuse was said to have occurred. Originally meant to last for only one year and close in 2020, the window was extended for a second year due to the courts being closed because of the pandemic. You have undoubtedly seen or heard the seemingly incessant ads from attorneys seeking clients on television and radio, on billboards, and in the newspapers.
The position of the archdiocese has always been clear: we strive to settle meritorious claims as quickly as possible, and always treat victims of abuse with compassion and respect. This was the motivating force behind our past successful Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program, and remains our guiding principle today. Caring for those who suffered abuse by clergy or other representatives of the Church is a moral imperative.
We have begun the expensive and demanding process of responding to these lawsuits. Over 1500 cases have been filed naming the Archdiocese of New York as a defendant. (This is the number of claims, not the number of alleged abusers.) The individual alleged most frequently to have been an abuser is a former parish janitor and basketball coach, who died in 1992. The archdiocese is also listed as a defendant in lawsuits claiming abuse by priests, teachers, scout leaders, foster parents, men and women in religious orders not controlled by the archdiocese, and others.
In many recent cases the suits fail to specifically identify an alleged perpetrator but merely claim that the plaintiff was abused. There are lawsuits alleging abuse as far back as eighty years ago - -suits from the 1930’s, 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. Fortunately, there are only a few lawsuits alleging abuse by clergy from the past 25 years, as the important anti-abuse child protection measures instituted by the church took hold.
We are committed to a conscientious review of these suits so we can do our best to compensate those persons with meritorious claims. We are committed to calling upon our insurers to respond to covered claims and redeem the insurance coverage we purchased over many decades, so, on our behalf, they can expeditiously resolve meritorious abuse claims with appropriate compensation.
As you would probably expect, there are also cases where we believe the evidence will show that the accused person did not commit the abuse that is alleged, many cases where the archdiocese was not at fault under the law since it had no knowledge of the alleged abuser’s conduct, and other cases where we believe that the archdiocese had no connection to the alleged abuser. We will, of course, seek to have these lawsuits dismissed.
We also thank the New York State court system, including Deputy Chief Administrative Judge George J. Silver and Justice Steven M. Jaeger and their court staffs, for their steadfast efforts during the middle of a pandemic to coordinate the suits for the benefit of all parties. We are open to their efforts to mediate claims and to any other avenues the parties can agree upon to foster just resolution.
While it is impossible to predict precise numbers at this point, there is likely to be a very significant financial impact on the archdiocese. Four of the eight dioceses in New York State have already declared Chapter 11 as a way for them to equitably handle their cases. That is not now our plan. However, the coming years promise to be fiscally challenging ones for the Church in New York as it seeks to carry out its mission. The archdiocese has already implemented budget cutbacks and savings in our central offices, as we deal with shortfalls caused by the pandemic, and in preparation for the coming impact of these CVA cases.
One area in which we will never cut corners is our commitment to the safety and protection of our young people. We remain in regular contact with Judge Barbara Jones, to ensure that the archdiocese is living up to its promises, policies, and protocols for protecting youth. Our Safe Environment office has now completed 138,220 background checks and provided age-appropriate safe environment training to 122,801 adults and children. And, in 2020, the archdiocese was once again found compliant with the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, for the 16th year in a row.
This has been a very somber two years for victim-survivors and their families, for you, God’s people, and for our priests, the vast majority of whom have led faithful and virtuous lives.
Be assured that I will do my best to keep you updated as these cases begin to either be settled, dismissed, or tried in court. As always, I ask that you keep in your prayers all those whose lives have been touched by the sin and crime of sexual abuse, no matter who the abuser was, as well as all of the good and faithful priests who have humbly served God’s people throughout this trying time.
With prayerful best wishes, I am,
Faithfully in Christ,
Cardinal Timothy Dolan
Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan
Archbishop of New York -
June 30, 2021
June 30, 2021
Year of Saint Joseph
Dear Family of the Archdiocese of New York,
May I raise two points with you today?
First, as we approach the Independence Day weekend, allow me to wish all of you an enjoyable Summer. It is my hope that, after the trials and difficulties of these past 16 months, you will have an opportunity for some much-needed rest and relaxation. I am very much looking forward to spending some time with family and friends that I have not seen for more than a year!
Second, let me remind you that there is still a sacred obligation to attend Sunday Mass, even if you are on vacation. Unfortunately, there has been some confusion recently over whether or not a “dispensation” from Sunday Mass has been in effect. Here in the Archdiocese of New York, there has never been a dispensation from Sunday Mass, because no man can “dispense” or set aside a Divine (as opposed to man-made) law. The Third Commandment says, “Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day,” and I can no more say that this no longer applies than I can say that we can forget about “Thou shalt not steal” or “Honor thy father and thy mother.” To deliberately miss Mass is a sin.
Of course, the Church has always held that there may be some justifiable reasons why a person can miss Mass, including old age, illness, and infirmity; this is still the case. During this pandemic, public Mass was not being celebrated for several months, and when Mass resumed, there was still a possibility of catching or spreading the coronavirus, and individuals could, after carefully consulting their conscience, decide not to return to Mass right away. However, now that vaccination rates are up, Covid-19 restrictions have been lifted, and people are returning to a more normal way of living, this excuse cannot be said to exist any longer. If you’re going to the mall, having dinner out in restaurants, heading to the ballgame, visiting the hairdresser, and the like, then you should also be at Mass!
Please be assured of a remembrance in my Mass and prayers during these Summer months. Might I ask for a remembrance in yours?
A blessed Summer.
Faithfully in Christ,Cardinal Timothy Dolan
Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan
Archbishop of New York -
March 27, 2021 - Holy Week and Passover
March 27, 2021
Year of Saint Joseph
Dear Catholic Family of the Archdiocese of New York,
As we prepare to enter Holy Week, and our Jewish neighbors begin their observance of Passover, I wanted to assure you of my love and prayers during this sacred season.
I’ve been thinking a lot recently of a cherished friend, someone I’ve known for over half-a-century, since we waited on tables together in the same fried chicken place back home in St. Louis. She’s been a steady source of wisdom and encouragement to me since I met her in 1968.
Lately I’ve often been on the phone with her, concerned about the health of her dear mom, herself the great-granddaughter of a slave. The call I’ve dreaded came the other day, “Tim, mom passed.”
That’s a loaded word: passed. In this case, it meant a noble woman had passed from this life to the next. Sometimes we use the phrase “passed away.”
It’s actually a poetic, meaningful word. My dear friend was telling me in that one word -- passed -- that her mom had just made a natural, much anticipated, long prepared for, journey, from this life to everlasting life, from tears to smiles, from sickness and frailty to freedom forever.
That word is sacred to us believers. This evening, our Jewish neighbors begin the solemn feast of Passover, keeping an exquisite tradition of millennia, observing and remembering, with family and friends, prayer and a Seder meal, how God saved His chosen people, guiding them in passing over from death to life, slavery in Egypt to freedom in the Promised Land.
Not by coincidence, but because Jesus was a faithful Jew, we Christians commence Holy Week this same evening as well. Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter are all about passing as well, as Jesus passes from the darkness, evil, and death of a Friday weirdly termed “good” to the light, goodness, and life of Easter Sunday.
And, no surprise, Passover and Holy Week occur just as nature passes over, from the dreariness, bleakness, and chill of Winter, to the growth, brightness, and warmth of budding new life of Spring.
The people of Israel once wondered, is this bondage in Egypt all there is? Are the Lord’s promises null? Passover tells them, not at all!
The disciples of Jesus asked, is this earthquake, eclipse, torture, and death on a Friday afternoon the end? Have all the hope and dreams this unique man called “Lord” inspired, come to this bloody conclusion? Easter replies, think again!
We too are called to participate in our Lord’s passion, death, and resurrection, through our prayers, self-sacrifice, and participation in the sacraments, especially Sunday Mass. This Monday, March 29, is Reconciliation Monday, and every parish in the archdiocese, as well as parishes in the Diocese of Brooklyn, and the Diocese of Rockville Centre, will offer the sacrament of Penance from 3:00 -- 9:00 p.m. It’s a wonderful way to prepare ourselves to experience more fully the reality of Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection, passing over from sin to grace!
We might all be tempted to wonder, after a year of Covid, is this long lockdown, and isolation, death, and fear of Winter all we got? Spring answers, not on your life!
It’s all about passing over.
Holy Week graces!
Faithfully in Christ,Cardinal Timothy Dolan
Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan
Archbishop of New York
-
02.24.21 - Message from Cardinal Dolan: A Financial Update
Dear Family of the Archdiocese of New York,
A blessed first week of Lent! I pray that this season of increased prayer, penance, self-sacrifice, and acts of charity is off to a strong start. It is easy to feel downbeat or discouraged these days with last week’s bad weather compounding the continued hardships brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. Might I suggest that, in this year when we have all sacrificed so much already, that one way we can observe the season of Lent is to try and let go of some of the negativity we might be inclined to feel about the hardships we’ve all had to endure, and unite whatever suffering we face with the suffering of Jesus on the Cross! What a powerful Lent we will have if we – and I certainly include myself – can accomplish this.
My thanks to all those who reached out with appreciation for my Flocknote of February 11. Many were anxious to tell me of their gratitude for being able to have their children in their local Catholic school, or for the way their pastor has done remarkable work reaching out to parishioners who are homebound, or for the help they have received through Catholic Charities and ArchCare, our health care ministry. A few asked, understandably, for an update on how the archdiocese was doing financially, like I did last Spring. While I realize that this is never anyone’s favorite subject, since we are about half-way through our fiscal year, it might be good to give you some highlights of where things stand. Our annual audited financial reports covering the past fiscal year, which ended August 31, 2020, are currently under review by our independent, outside accounting firm, and will be reported as it is each year in July in Catholic New York.
Long story short: Thanks to the generosity of you, our people, the dedication and commitment of our pastors and priests, and the hard work behind-the-scenes of people in the field and in the chancery, we have managed to hold our own in some ways, but continue to face some uphill battles in others. Allow me to give you some details.
Offertory (aka “The Sunday Collection”)
The offertory shared by the faithful each week is critical to sustaining the operations of our parishes and reaffirms support for the work our pastors and parish staff undertake. Many people went out of their way to continue supporting their parishes during a very difficult time. This stewardship helped to make up the shortfall that resulted from limited parish activity during the lockdown, which has seen the overall offertory income in our parishes decrease by more than 10% since the pandemic began. Fortunately, most of our needy parishes properly made use of the Paycheck Protection Program funds, which went to pay the salaries of parish and school staff, and partially offset this overall decline in offertory throughout the archdiocese. In so many cases, a parish is not just a place of worship but a second home for people. It is important that we continue our effort to support these communities of worship.
WeShare
One key to the continued parish support was much greater use of online giving, primarily through the WeShare program. I will admit that I am often lost when it comes to technology. Fortunately, our people and pastors are rapidly becoming much more comfortable in utilizing these modern tools. Our parishes, which had already been promoting our online giving platforms, saw a marked increase in parishioners utilizing this tool, and since March 2020, our parishes have seen online giving activity more than double, from 10% to 25% of all offertory. If you have not signed up yet, please consider doing so – it will be a great help to your pastor and parish. You can find a link on your parish’s website to enroll.
Cardinal’s Annual Stewardship Appeal
As you know, the Cardinal’s Annual Stewardship Appeal helps fund important ministries and initiatives throughout the archdiocese each year. During the 2020 year, appeal activity was lower than previous years, given the uncertainty stemming from the pandemic, yet the demands were towering! This did not deter our pastors, who continued to seek support from parishioners and allowed us to meet our goal of $20 million for 2020. Thank you!
Renew + Rebuild
The Renew + Rebuild Capital Campaign is centrally managed to utilize the resources available to our parishes at the archdiocese. Parishes were not mandated to participate in the program but involvement was encouraged. At the beginning of the campaign, each participating pastor was asked to complete an assessment of its buildings and identify projects needed in his parish, such as replacing boilers or roofs, painting, or fixing cracked windows and walls. Through contributions from parishioners, parishes have been able to make substantive improvements to their buildings, rather than a “band-aid” approach. Pastors are now relying on donors to honor the pledges made at the beginning of the campaign, in order to bring projects to completion. Everywhere I go, priests and people are eager to show me the repair and expansion done in our parishes due to Renew + Rebuild.
Central Services
Central Services is the administrative body of the archdiocese. It receives funding from a number of sources and redistributes these resources to assist needy parishes and schools. One source of that funding comes from the parishes in the form of the cathedraticum, a small percentage of regular parish income – mainly the Sunday collection. The cost for shared services, which are centrally negotiated to achieve purchasing power, like medical insurance, pension for parish employees, as well as property insurance is billed through what is known as the “consolidated bill.” Because Central Services also acts as the purchasing arm of the archdiocese, with our expansive geographical area and hundreds of operating entities, it provides economies of scale that benefit all. We thank the majority of our parishes that pay this “consolidated bill” in a timely manner. You should know that the annual operating budget for Central Services for the 2021 fiscal year, which began last September 1st, has been reduced by just over 10%. Although “finance people” can get a bum rap for being only interested in money, I can attest that their interest is solely on helping the archdiocese to be able to carry out its pastoral, educational, and charitable work. We’re all indebted to them.
Child Victims Act
Finally, another word about the Child Victims Act. We are still assessing what the economic impact will be on the archdiocese, although it is likely to be extremely significant. Cases continue to be filed, and we are anxious to reach just settlements with those who have meritorious claims, just as we already did through the Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program. We are prayerful and hopeful that our primary insurance carrier recognizes the moral imperative to resolve meritorious suits as soon as possible though unfortunately we have met resistance in our effort. We will continue to press and will report back soon.
Just like you must do with your family’s budget, the archdiocese and its parishes and institutions must pay careful attention to its income and how it spends its money. It is our sacred responsibility to be good stewards of the funds you entrust to us, and to make certain that they are used for the purposes for which they are given. I thank you for sticking with me through lengthier than intended letter.
Be assured of a continued remembrance in my Mass and prayers each day, that Lent 2021 will be an especially fruitful one for you and your loved ones.
Faithfully in Christ,Cardinal Timothy Dolan
Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan
Archbishop of New York