Province of New york

Pope Pius IX created the Province of New York in 1850.  The Province consists of the Archdiocese of New York and seven dioceses in the State of New York—Albany, Buffalo, Brooklyn, Rochester, Ogdensburg, Syracuse, and Rockville Centre.  The Province has 7.3 million Catholics, 37 percent of the total population.  It has the second largest population of Catholics and the fourth highest percentage of Catholics of the 32 U.S. provinces, as of 2015.  In 2000, the Province had 7.3 million Catholics or 40 percent of the total population.

I have visited the cathedrals in New York, Albany, and Syracuse.  I have seen the cathedrals in Buffalo, Rochester, and Rockville Centre.  St. Patrick’s in New York needs no introduction.  The Albany cathedral is worth visiting.  Of New York’s basilicas, I have seen Old St. Patrick’s in Manhattan.  I visited both Our Lady of Victory Basilica and National Shrine in Lackawanna and the National Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Fatima in Lewiston—the first was impressive, but second was less so, architecturally.

As of this writing, the State of New York has nine minor basilicas, more than any other state.  California, Florida, and Pennsylvania each have six.  Three of New York’s basilicas are in Kings County (Brooklyn), the only U.S. county other than Cook County (Chicago), Illinois, to have three basilicas.

Also, many holy people are buried in the State of New York.  Two saints—Frances Xavier Cabrini and Marianne Cope are buried there as are four people declared Venerable, including Father Nelson Baker, Mary Angeline Teresa McCrory, Archbishop Fulton Sheen, and Pierre Toussaint.  There are at least nine Servants of God buried in New York.

Map of the Province

Catholic History of New York

Giovanni da Verrazano sailed into New York harbor in 1524 and became the first European to come to what is now New York.  Henry Hudson and Samuel de Champlain explored the Hudson River valley in 1609, the same year that the Dutch established the territory as a colony.  The English gained control of the colony in 1664 and King Charles II gave control of the colony to his brother James, the Duke of York.  James ruled England as King James II from 1685-1688.  The Dutch and the English colonists were concentrated in the southern portion of the colony, near what is now New York City.  Upstate New York was the territory of the Iroquois tribes, known as the Confederation of the Five Nations (the Cayuga, Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, and Seneca, and later joined by the Tuscarora).

The Dutch colonists did not tolerate Catholicism but did allow French Jesuits to attempt to convert Native Americans to the Faith.  The Jesuits had limited success and some Jesuits, such as St. Isaac Jogues, were martyred.  There were some converts, most notably, Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, who was baptized in 1676.  With the exception of the time that James ruled the English colony, first as Duke of York and later as King (James was Catholic), Catholics were not welcome in New York, and by the end of the 17^th Century, there were fewer than ten in the Colony.

It was not until 1786—two years before New York became the 11^th State—that St. Peter’s Catholic Church would open in lower Manhattan, the first permanent Catholic church in New York.  Work on the Erie Canal in the 1820s brought many Irish and German Catholics to New York.  The State’s population rose from 340,000 in 1790 to almost two million by 1830.  In 1808, Pope Pius VII created the Diocese of New York, which included all of New York State and part of New Jersey.  Then as now, New York City was the nation’s largest city.

By 1830, the Catholic population had risen to about 200,000 and there were churches in at least 12 cities, including New York, Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse.  Pope Pius IX created the Dioceses of Albany and Buffalo in 1847 (Albany was then the nation’s 9^th largest city) and raised New York to an Archdiocese in 1850.  (The Provinces of Cincinnati, New Orleans, and New York, were created on the same day, making them the fourth, fifth, and sixth provinces in the United States).  Brooklyn, which was the nation’s third largest city for most of the late 19^th Century, became a diocese in 1853.  As New York’s population grew—there were over five million people in the State by 1880—dioceses were created in Rochester (1868), Ogdensburg (1872), and Syracuse (1886).  Pope Pius XII established the Diocese of Rockville Centre in 1957.

Archdiocese of New York

The Archdiocese of New York consists of the New York City boroughs of Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island, and 7 other southern New York counties. The Archdiocese has 2.6 million Catholics (45 percent of the total population) in 368 parishes, as of 2015.  The Archdiocese has more parishes than any other U.S. diocese and more than those in 33 states.

Bishops of New York

Richard L. Concanen, O.P. (1747-1810)

• Born in Ireland and ordained a Dominican priest in 1770.
• First Bishop of New York (1808-1810).

Concanen was living in Rome in 1808 when Pope Pius VII appointed him Bishop.  Concanen was interested in the United States, serving as an agent in Rome for Archbishop John Carroll of Baltimore.  He also helped establish the first Dominican house in the United States (in Kentucky).  After his consecration as Bishop, he traveled to Livorno, Italy, to take a ship to New York.  However, because England and France were at war, Concanen was unable to find such a ship.  After four months of trying, he returned to Rome.  He tried again in 1810, traveling to Naples, where he died unexpectedly.  He never set foot in his Diocese.  From 1808 to 1814, Anthony Kohlmann, a Jesuit priest from Maryland, served as administrator for the Diocese.  Kohlmann built what is now known as Old St. Patrick’s as the City’s second Catholic church and also won a court case protecting the seal of the confessional, which set a precedent in the U.S. legal system.

John Connolly, O.P. (1750-1825)

• Born in Ireland and ordained a Dominican priest in 1774.
• Bishop of New York (1814-1825).

Pope Pius VII was a prisoner of Napoleon from 1809 to 1815 and therefore it was not until 1814 that the Vatican was able to appoint John Connolly as the second Bishop of New York.  Connolly found a Diocese, then consisting of the State of New York and northern New Jersey, with about 15,000 Catholics, mostly Irish, served by four priests.  He was indefatigable, opening 13 parishes in Albany, Brooklyn, Buffalo, Paterson, Rochester, Syracuse, and Utica, among others; tended the sick during a yellow fever epidemic in 1822-23; opened schools; and started a Catholic newspaper.  He also opened a home for orphans and brought the Sisters of Charity to the Diocese.  Connolly contended with a lack of resources and often hostile parish trustees.  Some Catholic churches in the early 19^th Century were owned by the parishioners and run by lay trustees who often came in conflict with local bishops over appointment of pastors and clerical salaries—the larger issue was the authority of bishops versus the rights of the laity.  Connolly remained popular and 30,000 people attended his funeral in 1825.

John Dubois, S.S. (1764-1842)

·         Born in France and ordained a Sulpician priest in 1787.

·         Bishop of New York (1826-1842).

Dubois was the founder and first president of Mount St. Mary’s College and Seminary in Maryland, prior to his appointment as Bishop.  He faced four major problems as bishop.  First, his Diocese was geographically large and growing in population (150,000 Catholics) and yet he had few resources (including only 18 priests) to manage the Diocese.  Second, he faced continued problems with trustees at some of his churches.  Third, Protestant resentment at growing numbers of Catholic immigrants led to a surge in anti-Catholicism in New York and elsewhere.  Fourth, he was a Frenchman in a city where most Catholics were Irish.  (It did not help that for almost two years, the Diocese had been administered by a popular Irish priest, John Power.)  Bishop Dubois was only somewhat successful in dealing with these problems.  He tripled the number of priests (despite having built a seminary that burned to the ground a year after completion) and quadrupled the number of parishes.  Armed parishioners protected Catholic churches from attack and priests such as John Power and John Hughes often spoke out against Protestant bigots.  Ill health forced Dubois to turn over administration of the Diocese to his coadjutor bishop, John Hughes, in 1839.  Bishop Dubois died in 1842.

Archbishops of New York

John J. Hughes (1797-1864)  

• Born in Ireland and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Philadelphia in 1826.
• Also served as coadjutor bishop of New York (1837-1842).
• Bishop of New York (1842-1850) and first Archbishop of New York (1850-1864).

John Hughes was one of the most important Catholic bishops of the 19^th Century.  He was noted for his oratorical skills which he often used to successfully debate anti-Catholic Protestants.  He worked with government leaders to establish a non-sectarian public school system—most schools at that time taught Protestant theology—but went on to establish a separate Catholic school system.  He successfully destroyed the trustee system of church ownership—even of his own cathedral—by appealing directly to the laity.  At a time when Nativist American mobs burned Catholic churches in other cities, Hughes placed armed parishioners around Catholic property in New York City and warned the Mayor of what would happen if a Catholic church was attacked—none were.  Always a friend to the immigrant Catholic population—he encouraged the opening of a bank for Irish immigrants—Hughes was also seen as the most prominent Catholic of his time.  He was consulted by presidents and other national leaders and was invited in 1847 to address Congress.  He established a provincial seminary and started construction on St. Patrick’s Cathedral in 1858.  He established several colleges, including Fordham University.  At a time when many non-Catholics questioned the loyalty of immigrant Catholics, Hughes promoted the idea that loyalty to the Catholic Church and loyalty to the United States were consistent virtues.  Hughes became the first Archbishop of New York in 1850 and he died in 1864 of Bright’s disease.

John McCloskey (1810-1885)

·         Born in Brooklyn and ordained a priest for the Diocese of New York in 1834.

·         Also served as coadjutor bishop of New York (1843-1847) and the first Bishop of Albany (1847-1864).

·         Archbishop of New York (1864-1885).

McCloskey was the first native New Yorker to become a diocesan priest and he had served as the first president of what is now Fordham University.  As Archbishop, he attended the First Vatican Council (1869-1870), completed construction of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, rebuilt old St. Patrick’s after a fire, and established several churches, schools, and charitable organizations including the Mission of the Immaculate Virgin for homeless children and the New York Foundling Hospital (run by the Sisters of Charity and the first hospital of its kind in the United States).  Most of the new parishes were outside the City of New York.  He encouraged the work of religious orders and he also established the first parish for African Americans in the Archdiocese.  Pope Pius IX named him the first U.S. Cardinal in 1875.  Cardinal McCloskey died in 1885 from Parkinson’s Disease.

Michael A. Corrigan (1839-1902)  

• Born in New Jersey and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Newark in 1863.
• Also served as Bishop of Newark (1873-1880) and coadjutor archbishop of New York (1880-1885).
• Archbishop of New York (1885-1902).

As coadjutor archbishop, Corrigan became Archbishop upon the death of Cardinal McCloskey.  Corrigan built many new buildings to keep up with the large number of immigrants (especially from Germany, Eastern Europe, and Italy) coming to the Archdiocese, including 99 new parishes, St. Joseph’s Seminary in Dunwoodie, and completion of the towers and Lady Chapel at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.  Corrigan was an able administrator and improved the Catholic school system.  He gained national stature by condemning the opinions of one of his priests—Father Edward McGlynn.  McGlynn was a popular priest who had socioeconomic ideas that Corrigan and others in the Church considered contrary to the Faith.  McGlynn was excommunicated in 1887, but was reconciled five years later.  This controversy was part of a larger dispute within the American church, concerning the degree to which the Church should be American as opposed to Roman.  Corrigan opposed Americanism and the Vatican eventually sided with him.  He died in 1902 of pneumonia.

John M. Farley (1842-1918)

• Born in Ireland and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of New York in 1870.
• Also served as auxiliary bishop of New York (1895-1902). 
• Archbishop of New York (1902-1918).

Pope Pius X simultaneously named Farley and Archbishop William O’Connell of Boston as the third and fourth U.S. cardinals in 1911.  Cardinal Farley emphasized Catholic education.  He opened 50 parochial schools, a preparatory seminary, and encouraged the establishment of three women’s colleges.  He attended to the needs of Italian immigrants by opening 26 Italian parishes.  He also tried to bring cohesion to his clergy that had been divided by the dispute between Archbishop Corrigan and Father Edward McGlynn by bringing the clergy together in synods, theological conferences and monthly recollections.  He also encouraged the establishment of The Catholic Encyclopedia and a Catholic scientific theological journal.  He paid off the debt for St. Patrick’s Cathedral allowing it to be consecrated in 1910 and completed the Cathedral’s Lady Chapel.  He was fluent in Italian and French.  Cardinal Farley died in 1918 of pneumonia.

Patrick J. Hayes (1867-1938)  

• Born in New York City and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of New York in 1892.
• Also served as auxiliary bishop of New York (1914-1919). 
• Archbishop of New York (1919-1938).

During World War I, the number of Catholic Army chaplains increased from 25 to almost 900 and the Church needed someone to oversee their work.  Hayes, then auxiliary bishop of New York, was appointed the first U.S. Military Ordinary.  As Archbishop, Hayes organized all of the Archdiocesan charitable organizations into one organization—Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York—a model that many other dioceses followed.  He established dozens of new parishes even though immigration had slowed.  He also brought the Catholic Youth Organization to serve the youth of the Archdiocese.  Pope Pius XI named Hayes a Cardinal in 1924.  Cardinal Hayes died in 1938 from a heart attack.

Francis J. Spellman (1889-1967)  

• Born in Massachusetts and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Boston in 1916.
• Also served as auxiliary bishop of Boston (1932-1939).
• Archbishop of New York (1939-1967).

Spellman was one of the most influential U.S. bishops of his time, due in large part to his friendship with President Franklin Roosevelt and with Pope Pius XII, who named him a Cardinal in 1946.  As Archbishop, Spellman built or renovated about 375 schools and paid down the large debts incurred by earlier building programs.  He was an active administrator at the expense of the autonomy of parish pastors.  He served as Military Vicar for the Armed Services during World War II and visited U.S. troops every Christmas from 1942 to 1966.  He was a strong proponent of both Church and Country—his strong anti-Communist views led him to support the Vietnam War.  He also was outspoken in favor of racial justice and civil rights.  He established a Spanish Apostolate to minister to the 600,000 Puerto Ricans who came to New York in the 1950s and 1960s.  At the Second Vatican Council, he was a leader in passing the Declaration of Religious Liberty, which supported separation of Church and State, supported improved relations with the Jewish people, and defended modern biblical scholarship.  Cardinal Spellman died in 1967.

Terence J. Cooke (1921-1983)

·         Born in New York City and ordained a priest in 1945 for the Archdiocese of New York.

·         Also served as auxiliary bishop of New York (1965-1968).  

·         Archbishop of New York (1968-1983).

Cooke was named a Cardinal in 1969 by Pope Paul VI.  Cardinal Cooke was noted for his management and financial abilities as well as his pastoral abilities, which was helpful during a time when many Catholics were moving to the suburbs, others were leaving the Church altogether, and resources were more limited than in the past.  He appointed the first African American and Hispanic auxiliary bishops for the Archdiocese and he continued Cardinal Spellman’s visits to American troops overseas.  His pleasant personality diffused many difficult issues.  He established and supported programs aimed at helping all those in need, including the aged, homeless and at-risk children, pregnant mothers, and the terminally ill.  He was able to keep many churches and schools open through a pooling of resources (and a “tax” on wealthier parishes).  He was beloved by New Yorkers, thousands of whom stood in line for hours to pay their respects as his body lay in St. Patrick’s Cathedral following his death from cancer in 1983.  Pope John Paul II declared Cooke a Servant of God in 1992, the first step toward canonization.

John J. O’Connor (1920-2000)

·         Born in Philadelphia ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in 1945.

·        Also served as auxiliary bishop to the Military Vicar (1979-1983) and Bishop of Scranton, Pennsylvania (1983-1984).  

·         Archbishop of New York (1984-2000).

O’Connor served as a Navy chaplain from 1952 to 1979, serving in both the Korean and Vietnam Wars.  He eventually became a rear admiral and Chief of Navy Chaplains.  O’Connor was named a Cardinal in 1985 by Pope John Paul II.  As Archbishop, O’Connor used his considerable communication skills to promote Church teaching on birth control, abortion, and homosexuality.  He was very active in the pro-life movement and annually attended the Right to Life March in Washington, DC.  As an opponent of abortion, he made sure that pregnant women were provided with the assistance needed to help them raise their children—including the provision for healthcare and housing if needed.  The Archdiocese provided social services that Mayor Ed Koch acknowledged as the best available.  O’Connor often visited AIDS patients in Catholic hospitals, serving as friend and nurse.  Cardinal O’Connor died in 2000 from a brain tumor.

Edward M. Egan (1932-2015)

·         Born in Illinois and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Chicago in 1957.

·         Also served as auxiliary bishop of New York (1985-1988) and Bishop of Bridgeport, Connecticut (1988-2000).

·         Archbishop of New York (2000-2009).  

Egan was named a Cardinal in 2001 by Pope John Paul II.  During Egan’s nine years as Archbishop, the number of registered parishioners increased by 204,000, the budget of Catholic Charities more than doubled, and enrollment in Catholic schools grew by 15,400.  Egan also reduced the Archdiocesan debt by streamlining administrative functions, though this did result in layoffs of staff.  He established a home for retired priests and started a Catholic channel on Sirius/XM radio.  Cardinal Egan spent September 11, 2001, anointing the insured and the dead—more than 90 percent of the almost 400 police officers and firemen killed on 9-11 were Catholic.  Cardinal Egan hosted Pope Benedict XVI in 2008 for the 200^th Anniversary of the Diocese.  Cardinal Egan retired in 2009.

Current Archbishop

Timothy M. Dolan was appointed Archbishop of New York by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009.  He was born in St. Louis in 1950 and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of St. Louis in 1976.  He previously served as rector of the North American College in Rome (1994-2001), auxiliary bishop of St. Louis (2001-2002), Archbishop of Milwaukee (2002-2009), and serves as Archbishop of New York (since 2009).  He was named a Cardinal in 2012 by Pope Benedict.

The Cathedral

St. Patrick’s Cathedral
460 Madison Avenue
New York, New York 10022

St. Patrick (5^th Century) was from a privileged family in Britain—his grandfather was a priest and his father a deacon.  As a teenager, he was captured by pirates and forced into slavery in Ireland.  He escaped, made his way home, and became a priest.  He was appointed to be the second Bishop of Ireland and went there in about 432.  He had great success in bringing the Irish people to the Catholic faith.  He is one of the patron saints of Ireland.  His feast day is, of course, March 17.

May the Strength of God guide us. May the Power of God preserve us. May the Wisdom of God instruct us. May the Hand of God protect us. May the Way of God direct us. May the Shield of God defend us. May the Angels of God guard us. - Against the snares of the evil one. May Christ be with us! May Christ be before us! May Christ be in us, Christ be over all! May Thy Grace, Lord, always be ours, this day, O Lord, and forevermore. Amen. [Attributed to St. Patrick]

When Bishop John Connolly arrived in New York in 1815 as the Diocese’s first resident bishop, he selected what is now known as Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Mulberry Street as his cathedral.  Old St. Patrick’s was completed in 1815 and was located at the time on the northern edge of the City—practically in the countryside.  Old St. Patrick’s burned in 1866 and was rebuilt in 1868.  The current St. Patrick’s Cathedral is certainly the most famous Catholic church in the United States.  Located on Fifth Avenue in midtown Manhattan, construction began on St. Patrick’s in 1858 and it opened for worship in 1879.  At the time, the location was considered far removed from the main part of New York City and many considered Archbishop Hughes a fool for building so far from the center of town.

First is from the Cathedral website, second is from NJC, and the last two are from Wikipedia.

St. Patrick’s was designed by James Renwick, Jr., in the Gothic style and is modeled after the Cathedral of Cologne, Germany.  The Cathedral is one of the largest churches in the United States—405 feet long and 274 feet wide.  Its exterior is made from granite and white marble and the two spires, which were completed in 1888, rise 330 feet above Fifth Avenue.  The Cathedral seats over 2,000 and features 70 stained-glass windows, including the great Rose Window, designed by Charles Connick.  The other windows were designed by artists in France, England, and the United States.  The main altar is topped with a 57-foot gold-filigreed bronze baldachin designed by Charles Maginnis.  The St. Michael and St. Louis altar was designed by Tiffany and Company and the St. Elizabeth altar was designed by Paola Medici of Rome.  The Stations of the Cross won first prize in an art competition at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.  The beautiful Lady Chapel, designed by Charles Mathews in a French Gothic style, was completed in 1906, although the stained-glass windows were not completely installed until the 1930s.

The Chancel and Gallery pipe organs were made by George Kilgen & Son of St. Louis and were originally installed in 1930.  The combined organs have over 9,000 pipes, with 12 divisions, 150 ranks, and 177 stops.  Among those buried in St. Patrick’s in addition to several of New York’s archbishops, are the Venerable Fulton Sheen and the Venerable Pierre Toussaint.  The Cathedral is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  The Cathedral website, saintpatrickscathedral.org, has a virtual and video tour.  Also see the Archdiocesan website at ny-archdiocese.org.

The Cathedral is located in mid-town Manhattan and has nine weekend masses, including one in Spanish.  St. Patrick’s is the largest Cathedral parish in the United States, with over 25,000 parish families.  The Cathedral seats about 2,200 people and over 3 million people visit St. Patrick's Cathedral every year.

First four from the Cathedral website and the last is from Wikipedia.

Also located in the Archdiocese

The Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral—the first U.S. church to be dedicated to St. Patrick—is located in lower Manhattan.  Construction of the original St. Patrick’s Cathedral began in 1809 and continued until 1815.  The Gothic Revival church was designed by Joseph Mangin and served as the Cathedral for New York’s bishops and archbishops until 1879, when the “new” St. Patrick’s Cathedral in mid-town opened.  Irish parishioners defended the Cathedral against an anti-Catholic mob in 1836 and John McCloskey was invested as the first U.S. cardinal here in 1875.  The original building burned in 1866 and was rebuilt using the original walls.  It reopened in 1868.  The beautiful church has a pipe organ built by Henry Erben in 1852.  It is the only one of its kind still in existence and it has played for over 150,000 liturgies.  Many historic Catholic figures have worshiped here including, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. Frances Cabrini, the Venerable Pierre Toussaint, Father Isaac Heckler, and Dorothy Day. St. John Neumann was ordained here.  Pope Benedict XVI designated the church as a minor basilica in 2010. The Basilica is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  Basilica is an honorary title bestowed on a church by the Pope because of the church’s antiquity, dignity, historical importance, or significance as a center of worship.  Additional information can be found on the Basilica’s website at oldcathedral.org.

Top picture is from the basilica website and the bottom is from Wikipedia.

Diocese of Albany

The diocese consists of 13 counties and parts of two other counties in northeastern New York.  The Diocese has 330,000 Catholics (24 percent of the total population) in 126 parishes, as of 2015.

Bishops of Albany

John McCloskey (1810-1885)

·         Born in Brooklyn and ordained a priest for the Diocese of New York in 1834.

·         Also served as coadjutor bishop of New York (1843-1847).

·         First Bishop of Albany (1847-1864).

·         Later served as Archbishop of New York (1864-1885).

During McCloskey’s time as Bishop, Catholic immigrants from many European countries settled in the Diocese—increasing the number of Catholics from 60,000 to 290,000.  McCloskey responded by building many new churches—including the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception—and ordaining many new priests.  He brought religious orders, including the Jesuits, the Franciscans, the Daughters of Charity, and the Sisters of Mercy, to the Diocese to administer parishes and to establish schools, hospitals, and orphanages.  McCloskey also helped establish a provincial seminary and lobbied against anti-Catholic bills in the State Legislature.  He traveled throughout his Diocese—which then covered much of the State of New York and held the first Diocesan synod.  He was appointed Archbishop of New York in 1864 and was named the United States’ first Cardinal in 1875. 

John J. Conroy (1819-1895)

• Born in Ireland and ordained a priest for the Diocese of New York in 1842.
• Bishop of Albany (1865-1877).

Bishop Conroy invited religious orders, including the Little Sisters of the Poor, to establish a wide range of Catholic social services within the Diocese, including homes for the aged, orphanages, industrial schools, and St. Peter’s Hospital.  Conroy also created 59 parishes and built schools to educated Catholic children.  He also convened Albany’s second Diocesan Synod to better govern the Diocese and attended the First Vatican Council in Rome.  Bishop Conroy resigned in 1877 due to poor health.

Francis McNeirny (1828-1894)

• Born in New York City and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of New York in 1854.
• Also served as coadjutor bishop of Albany (1872-1877).
• Bishop of Albany (1877-1894).

As coadjutor bishop, McNeirny became Bishop of Albany upon the resignation of Bishop Conroy in 1877, although McNeirny had administered the Diocese since 1872.  Bishop McNeirny established proper administrative and organizational processes for the Diocese—including annual reports from each parish.  He also set up a schedule to visit every parish once in three years and he met regularly with his priests.  He completed building the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (and gave it a world-class choir) and increased the number of churches, schools, and priests.  Bishop McNeirny died from pneumonia in 1894.

Thomas M. Burke (1840-1915)

• Born in Ireland and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Albany in 1864.
• Bishop of Albany (1894-1915).

Bishop Burke was the long-time pastor of St. Joseph’s Church in Albany.  Burke dedicated the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and provided, sometime with his own money, many of the decorative items in the Cathedral including several stained glass windows, the Stations of the Cross, and the pulpit.  Burke also paid off the construction debt for the Cathedral and enlarged an orphanage.  Bishop Burke died in 1915.

Thomas F. Cusack (1862-1918)

• Born in New York City and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of New York in 1885.
• Also served as auxiliary bishop of New York (1904-1915).
• Bishop of Albany (1915-1918).

Bishop Cusack tasked his priests to do more to increase the Faith among Catholics and to seek converts to the Faith.  He also organized missions for the rural areas of the Diocese.  He established Catholic Charities within the Diocese and worked to meet the spiritual needs of soldiers during World War I.  He was also a noted preacher.  Bishop Cusack died in 1918 from cancer.  

Edmund F. Gibbons (1868-1964)

• Born in White Plains and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Buffalo in 1893.
• Bishop of Albany (1919-1954).  

Gibbons led the Diocese through the Great Depression, the Second World War, and the economic post-war building boom.  His leadership inspired many religious vocations.  Gibbons built 22 high schools, 82 elementary schools, two colleges (St. Rose and Siena), a seminary, and hospitals and nursing homes.  He also started a Diocesan newspaper.  Gibbons became friends with Al Smith while he was Governor of New York and a Cathedral parishioner.  Bishop Gibbons retired in 1954.

William A. Scully (1894-1969)  

• Born in New York City and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of New York in 1919.
• Also served as coadjutor bishop of Albany (1945-1954).
• Bishop of Albany (1954-1969).

As coadjutor bishop, Scully became Bishop upon the retirement of Bishop Gibbons.  Bishop Scully established a dozen new parishes and built two dozen new schools, mostly in the suburbs.  He also started an annual fundraising appeal to pay for the educational and charitable needs of the Diocese.  Scully worked to improve racial relations and advocated for better housing and working conditions for minorities.  He developed Alzheimer’s Disease and gave up administration of the Diocese in 1966.  Bishop Scully died of bronchial pneumonia in 1969.

Edwin B. Broderick (1917-2006)

• Born in New York City and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of New York in 1942.
• Also served as auxiliary bishop of New York (1967-1969)
• Bishop of Albany (1969-1976).
• Later served as executive director of Catholic Relief Services (1976-1982).

Bishop Broderick, along with his two predecessors, led the Diocese into the second half of the 20th century, building new parishes as suburbs were populated, attending the Second Vatican Council and then implementing the Council’s changes throughout the Diocese.  He also increased roles for the laity and sought better relations with non-Catholic churches.  Broderick joined Governor Nelson Rockefeller in 1970 in speaking out in favor of state aid to parochial schools.  He also served on the court-appointed Citizens' Committee that investigated the 1971 Attica Prison riot.  Bishop Broderick was named executive director of Catholic Relief Services in 1976.

Howard J. Hubbard (born 1938) 

• Born in Troy and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Albany in 1963.
• Bishop of Albany (1977-2014).

Bishop Hubbard’s tenure was marked by the goals outlined in his two pastoral letters: collaboration, collegiality and shared responsibility. Under his guidance, lay men and women assumed positions of leadership in parishes and in diocesan departments. He also continued a long-standing tradition in the Diocese: reaching out to those of other denominations and faiths. He established strong relations with the Albany Episcopal Diocese, hosted a reconciliation service with the Jewish community, cooperated with other Christians on important social issues and spoken from the pulpits of other churches.  Bishop Hubbard placed three retired priests on administrative leave in 2011 and removed another from the ministry after receiving allegations of child sexual abuse.  Hubbard was also a leader in pro-life efforts, suing to prevent an abortion clinic from opening in Albany and serving as president of New Yorkers Against the Death Penalty.  Bishop Hubbard retired in 2014.

Current Bishop

Edward B. Scharfenberger was appointed Bishop of Albany by Pope Francis in 2014.  He was born in Brooklyn in 1948 and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Brooklyn in 1973.  He most recently served as vicar for the Borough of Queens in the Brooklyn Diocese.

The Cathedral

Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
125 Eagle Street
Albany, New York 12202

Many Christians believe that humans are born into sin—known as original sin.  This sin is erased through baptism and the saving grace of Jesus Christ.  Catholics believe that Mary, through the grace of God, was conceived without the stain of original sin—the Immaculate Conception.  She was given the honor because of her role as the Mother of God.  The Feast of the Immaculate Conception is celebrated on December 8.

Father, you prepared the Virgin Mary to be the worthy mother of your Son. You let her share beforehand in the salvation Christ would bring by his death, and kept her sinless from the first moment of her conception.  Help us by her prayers to live in your presence without sin.  We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.

When John McCloskey became the first Bishop of Albany in 1847, he selected St. Mary’s Church on Lodge Street as his cathedral.  St. Mary’s was established in 1796 and is the oldest parish in Albany and the second oldest in New York.  (The current building was built in 1867.)  McCloskey soon began planning a new and more imposing Cathedral that would make his mostly Irish Catholic flock proud to be American Catholics.  He chose a young architect—Patrick Charles Keely—to design the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.  Keely would build hundreds of U.S. Catholic churches in his career, as well as more than a dozen cathedrals—this was his first cathedral.  The new Cathedral was completed in 1852 at a cost of $250,000.

The Neo-Gothic Revival cathedral, with its twin 210-foot St. Bees Red Sandstone spires, is modeled on the Cathedral in Cologne, Germany.  The north tower clock was made in England in 1801 and was obtained from a Protestant church in Albany in the 1850s.

The top picture is from Wikipedia and the bottom is by me.

The Cathedral has many outstanding features.

The twelve Beaux Arts Stations of the Cross were installed in 1900.  They won the Gold Medal of the Paris Exposition of 1888.  The High Pulpit was hand-carved from quartered oak in Holland in 1902. The neo-Gothic choir stalls located in the sanctuary are also made of quarter oak and were carved in Belgium and acquired in 1894.  The Choir stalls feature gargoyles carved into the front of each stall. The baptismal font is made of Caen marble and was installed in the 19^th century.

The Last Judgment Window in the south transept was made at the John Hardmann & Sons Stained Glass Studio in England. The window was placed in the south transept in 1897.  Hardmann Studio also designed and produced several other stained-glass windows for the Cathedral.  The neo-Gothic Lady Window overlooking the high altar was installed in 1852 and was designed in the 13th century style by H.W. Akeroyd from the studio of William Wailes of New-Castle-on-Tyne, England. It was restored by Cummings Glass Studio of Massachusetts in 1996.  The neo-Gothic East Window allows the morning sunlight to brighten the Cathedral with a multitude of color.

The Cathedral underwent a major restoration between 1999 and 2004. The Cathedral is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  The Cathedral website is cathedralic.com, which has many photographs of the Cathedral.  The Diocesan website is rcda.org.  The Cathedral is located in downtown Albany and has four weekend masses to serve 600 parish families.

The first two pictures are from the Cathedral website and the last three were taken by me.

Diocese of Buffalo

The diocese consists of 8 counties in northwestern New York.  The Diocese has 604,000 Catholics (39 percent of the total population) in 163 parishes, as of 2015. 

Bishops of Buffalo

John Timon, C.M. (1797-1867)

• Born in Pennsylvania and ordained a Vincentian priest in 1826.
• First Bishop of Buffalo (1847-1867).

Prior to becoming the first Bishop of Buffalo in 1847, John Timon served as the first U.S. provincial superior of the Vincentians, worked as a priest in Missouri and Illinois, and served as the first prefect apostolic in the Republic of Texas.  While serving in St. Louis, he helped establish the St. Vincent de Paul Society in the United States.  After six times refusing efforts to make him a bishop, he accepted the appointment to Buffalo.  As Bishop, Timon helped win the right of bishops to inherit ecclesiastical property by standing up to the trustees of St. Louis Church in Buffalo, and established many schools and churches, including St. Joseph’s Cathedral.  He invited at least 15 religious orders to the Diocese, attended to the needs of the poor and disadvantaged, and advocated greater care for the slaves freed after the Civil War.  He helped establish St. Bonaventure University.  Bishop Timon died in 1867.

Stephen V. Ryan, C.M. (1826-1896)

·         Born in Canada and ordained a Vincentian priest in 1849.

·         Bishop of Buffalo (1868-1896).

Bishop Ryan served as Bishop for 28 years, longer than any other Buffalo bishop to date.  Ryan started the Diocesan newspaper and organized Catholic schools into a system supervised by a Diocesan commission.  He invited more religious orders to work in the Diocese.  Bishop Ryan was noted for his piety, zeal, and learning.  He died in 1896.

James E. Quigley (1855-1915)

·         Born in Canada, raised in Buffalo, and ordained a priest in 1879 for the Diocese of Buffalo.

·         Bishop of Buffalo (1897-1903).

·         Later served as Archbishop of Chicago (1903-1915).

Quigley turned down admission to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point to become a priest.  He became the first priest from the Diocese of Buffalo to become its bishop.  Bishop Quigley favored greater rights for workers and successfully mediated a resolution to a dock workers strike in Buffalo in 1899.  At the same time, he preached and wrote about his concerns of a socialistic element in the workers’ movement that threatened the Faith of Catholic members.  As a result, labor unions rejected socialism.  Quigley was named Archbishop of Chicago in 1903.

Charles H. Colton (1848-1915)   

·         Born in New York City and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of New York in 1876.

·         Bishop of Buffalo (1903-1915).

Bishop Colton built a new St. Joseph’s Cathedral in 1912 at Delaware and Utica Streets, but it was poorly built and was demolished in 1976.  He died in 1915.

Dennis Dougherty (1865-1951)

·        Born in Ashland, Pennsylvania, and ordained a priest in 1890 for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

·        Also served as Bishop of Nueva Segovia, Philippines (1903-1908), and Bishop of Jaro, Philippines (1908-1915).

·         Bishop of Buffalo (1915-1918).

·         Later served as Archbishop of Philadelphia (1918-1951).  

Bishop Dougherty established 15 parishes and reorganized the Catholic school system and the Diocese’s charitable programs.  He also paid off the large debt for the construction of the Cathedral.  Dougherty was appointed Archbishop of Philadelphia in 1918 and was named a Cardinal in 1921.

William Turner (1871-1936)

·         Born in Ireland and ordained a priest for the Diocese of St. Augustine, Florida, in 1893.

·         Bishop of Buffalo (1919-1936).

Bishop Turner created 30 new parishes and expanded social services, eventually consolidating them under the Diocesan Catholic Charities organization.  He also started a St. Vincent de Paul chapter in each parish in the Diocese and built health facilities for poor children.  Bishop Turner died in 1936.

John A. Duffy (1884-1944)

·         Born in New Jersey and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Newark in 1908.

·         Also served as the Bishop of Syracuse (1933-1937).

·         Bishop of Buffalo (1937-1944).

Bishop Duffy started the Diocesan Fund for the Faith to help those most impacted by the Great Depression and established parishes in the less populated counties in the Diocese.  He also established within the Diocese the Catholic Youth Organization, the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, and Newman Clubs at local colleges.  Bishop Duffy died in 1944.  

John O’Hara, C.S.C. (1888-1960)  

·         Born in Michigan, raised in Indiana, and ordained a Holy Cross priest in 1916.

·         Also served as president of Notre Dame University (1934-1940) and auxiliary bishop of the Military Ordinariate (1940-1945).

·         Bishop of Buffalo (1945-1951).

·         Later served as Archbishop of Philadelphia (1951-1960).  

Bishop O’Hara built 11 high schools and many new elementary schools in the Diocese, but also was concerned about protecting Catholics from banned books and movies.  He also sought to eradicate any influences of socialism and communism and integrated all Diocesan churches and schools.  O’Hara built new parishes and renovated the Cathedral.  He hosted a National Eucharistic Congress in 1947.  O’Hara was appointed Archbishop of Philadelphia in 1951 and was named a Cardinal in 1958.

Joseph A. Burke (1886-1962)

·         Born in Buffalo and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Buffalo in 1912.

·         Also served as auxiliary bishop of Buffalo (1943-1952).

·         Bishop of Buffalo (1952-1962).  

Burke was the first native of Buffalo to serve as Bishop of Buffalo.  Burke advocated for the missions, marriage preparation, Puerto Rican immigrants, and displaced persons.  He also built and expanded schools, including the Diocesan seminary. Bishop Burke died in Rome during the first week of the Second Vatican Council in 1962.

James A. McNulty (1900-1972)

·         Born in New York and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Newark in 1925.

·         Also served as auxiliary bishop of Newark, New Jersey (1947-1953) and Bishop of Paterson, New Jersey (1953-1963).

·         Bishop of Buffalo (1963-1972).

Bishop McNulty reduced the $30 million Diocesan debt through a three year development fund and created a lay financial advisory group.  He implemented the changes from the Second Vatican Council, including the establishment of a priests’ advisory committee and a Diocesan pastoral council. He established parishes and built new churches.  McNulty also expanded the Diocese’s inner city ministry and began a television program, “The Bishop Visits Your Home.”  Bishop McNulty died in 1972.

Edward D. Head (1919-2005)

·         Born in White Plains and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of New York in 1945.

·         Also served as auxiliary bishop of New York (1970-1973).

·         Bishop of Buffalo (1973-1995).

Bishop Head established many new offices and programs in the Diocese, including a
priests' retirement board, a permanent diaconate program, the Catholic Charities Parish Outreach Program, a Diocesan radio studio, a lay ministry advisory board, the Renew Program, the Hispanic Apostolate, the Office of Black Ministry, the Department of Pro-Life Activities, and the Commission on Women in the Church and Society.  Bishop Head greatly increased funding for the Diocesan Catholic Charities program and ordained 124 men to the priesthood during his time as Bishop.  In 1995, Head became the first Bishop of Buffalo to retire as Bishop of Buffalo.  

Henry J. Mansell (born 1937) 

·         Born in New York City and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of New York in 1962.

·         Bishop of Buffalo (1995-2003).

·         Later served as the Archbishop of Hartford (2003-2013).

Bishop Mansell established a development foundation for the Diocese and a successful fundraising campaign to meet the charitable and educational needs of the Diocese.  He renovated St. Joseph’s Cathedral, opened a center for spiritual formation and educational programs, and expanded the retirement home for priests.  He established parishes and ministries for African-American, Hispanic, Korean, and Vietnamese Catholics and a program for those wishing to return to the Church.  Mansell called on all Catholics to recognize their identity as Catholics and the call to service that Catholicism entails.  Mansell also established the Catholic Health Care System of Western New York, which united the resources of Catholic hospitals, nursing homes, and other health care facilities. He also established a service program and a program to aid the victims of clergy sexual abuse.  Mansell was appointed Archbishop of Hartford, Connecticut, in 2003.

Edward U. Kmiec (born 1936)

·         Born in New Jersey and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Trenton, New Jersey, in 1961.

·         Also served as auxiliary bishop of Trenton, New Jersey (1982-1992) and Bishop of Nashville, Tennessee (1992-2004).

·         Bishop of Buffalo (2004-2012).

Bishop Kmiec took over a Diocese that was $3 million in debt and he was able to cut the debt and balance the budget by cutting diocesan spending.  Demographic changes led Kmiec to close about 100 parishes and missions, as well as 25 parish elementary schools.  Bishop Kmiec ordained 18 priests during his time as Bishop and he retired in 2012.

Current Bishop

Richard J. Malone was appointed Bishop of Buffalo by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012.  He was born in Massachusetts in 1946 and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Boston in 1972.  He previously served as auxiliary bishop of Boston (2000-2004) and Bishop of Portland, Maine (2004-2012).

The Cathedral

St. Joseph Cathedral
50 Franklin Street
Buffalo, New York 14202

St. Joseph was the husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the foster father of Jesus.  He was a carpenter and taught this trade to Jesus.  Devotion to St. Joseph dates to the early days of Christianity in the Eastern churches, but only in the last 500 years has Joseph gained his deserved respect in Western Christendom.  He is the patron saint of many countries, as well as being the patron saint of workers and fathers.  He is also known as the patron of a happy death, since he presumably died in the presence of Jesus, the Son of God, and Mary, the Mother of God.  His feast day is March 19.

Glorious St. Joseph, faithful follower of Jesus Christ, to you do we raise our hearts and hands to implore your powerful intercession in obtaining from the Sacred Heart of Jesus all the helps and graces necessary for our spiritual and temporal welfare, particularly the grace of a happy death and the special favor we now implore:_.  Guardian of the Word Incarnate, we feel animated with confidence that your prayers in our behalf will be graciously heard before the throne of God. Glorious St. Joseph, through the love you bear to Jesus Christ and for the glory of His name, hear our prayers and obtain our petitions.

Bishop John Timon became the first Bishop of Buffalo in 1847 and he found three Catholic churches in the city:  St. Louis on Main Street, St. Mary's on Batavia Road, and St. Patrick's on Broadway.  He celebrated his first Mass in Buffalo at St. Louis and intended to use that as his Cathedral, but St. Louis was a German parish, and he was Irish, and the trustees evicted him.  He then moved to St. Patrick’s, which served as his pro-Cathedral.  Nevertheless, none of the three churches was suitable for a cathedral and he soon began to raise money for St. Joseph’s Cathedral.  He traveled to Europe and Mexico to raise funds and construction began in 1851 on a building designed by Patrick Charles Keely.  After a few setbacks, the Gothic St. Joseph’s Cathedral was dedicated in 1855, although not completed until 1862—at a cost of $150,000.  Bishop Charles Colton built a new St. Joseph’s Cathedral in 1912 at Delaware and Utica, but it was poorly built and was demolished in 1976—Timon Towers now occupies the site.  Once again, the old St. Joseph’s became the Diocesan cathedral.

The Cathedral is constructed primarily of Lockport dolomite stone and has two towers, but only one has a spire.  The façade has a rose window, triple portals, a statue of St. Joseph, and a tympanum.

From Wikipedia

Bishop Timon commissioned a 43-bell carillon in 1866 from a French company.  The carillon was awarded a gold medal at a French exhibition in 1867.  Unfortunately, when brought to Buffalo in 1870, the carillon proved too large for the bell tower and was not used.  The bells were installed in the 1912 cathedral, but the reverberations caused officials to silence them again.  Today, two bells are in St. Joseph’s bell tower.

The nave measures 120 by 73 feet, and is defined by the clustered piers supporting the clerstory. The windows of the nave and clerestory were crafted in Innsbruck, Austria. The sanctuary windows were donated by King Ludwig I of Bavaria and represent the Nativity, the Crucifixion, and the Resurrection of Christ.  These windows were designed by Josef Scherer and won first prize in the 1850 Munich Exposition.  The Cathedral’s other windows were installed in various times and created by various artists, including

Buffalo artist Otto Andrle, the Tyrol Art Glass Company of Austria, and John Hardman and Company of England.  The Cathedral also features an icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, made in Crete during the 14th or 15th Century.

Bishop Ryan constructed the Lady Chapel in 1873, which has stained glass windows depicting the instruments of the Passion. The windows were made in Germany.  The Chapel also has a six-foot statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary made in Italy.

The Cathedral’s pipe organ is known as the Centennial Organ, named because it was built by the L. & G. G. Hook and Hastings Company in 1876 for the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia, where it won first prize as the finest example of American organ-building. Bishop Ryan purchased the organ for $10,000 and it was installed in the Cathedral in 1877.  The Andover Organ Company of Massachusetts restored the organ between 1998 and 2001.  The pipe organ has 72 independent stops creating 92 ranks from more than 5,300 pipes.  The organ case is made of American black walnut.  The four-manual console is an authentic replication of 1870s American design. 

St. Joseph Cathedral has a Facebook page, but not a separate website.  Information about the Cathedral and Diocese can be found on buffalodiocese.org.  St. Joseph Cathedral is located in downtown Buffalo and has three weekend masses.

From the Diocesan website.

Also located in the Diocese

The Diocese of Buffalo has three basilicas and one church that enjoys special status.

Our Lady of Victory Basilica and National Shrine is located in Lackawanna.  Father Nelson Henry Baker became a priest at the age of 34 after fighting in the Civil War and running a feed and grain business.  After his ordination in 1876, he was sent to the parish in what is now Lackawanna.  There he began a lifelong ministry to help thousands of orphans, troubled youth, and unwed mothers.  In 1921, at the age of 79, Father Baker began one more task—to build a church to honor Our Lady of Victory, who Father Baker had often called on during his ministry.  Five years later, he succeeded in building a magnificent Renaissance-style building with twin towers and a 165-foot high copper-topped dome.  The French baroque interior features a baldachin over the main altar topped by a 9-foot tall statue of Our Lady of Victory.  Pope Pius XI designated the church as a minor basilica in 1926—the second church in the United States to be so honored.  Father Baker is buried in the Basilica and Pope Benedict XVI named Father Baker Venerable in 2011—the second step toward canonization.  The Basilica’s website is ourladyofvictory.org.

Top picture is from the basilica website and the bottom picture is from panaramio.

The National Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Fatima is in Lewiston.  Our Blessed Mother appeared in 1917 to three children in Fatima and urged all people to serve God through prayer and sacrifice and encouraged the daily recitation of the Rosary.  In 1954, the Italian Barnabite Fathers built this shrine to our Lady of Fatima.  The main church, completed in 1965, represents the northern half of the world.  It is made out of glass and plexiglass and is 100 feet in diameter and 55 feet high.  The shrine complex is much more than the main church, however.  A large outdoor rosary in the shape of a heart outlines a pond.  The Avenue of Saints features over 130 life size marble statues of the saints.  The main church was designed a minor basilica by Pope Paul VI in 1975.  The website is fatimashrine.com.

The top picture is from pinterest and the bottom is from the basilica website.

The Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels is in Olean.  St. Mary’s was established in 1852 in a small wooden church built at a cost of $100.  The parishioners were mostly Irish and German railroad workers.  A second church was built in 1860.  The current stone Gothic basilica was built between 1913 and 1915 and was designed by Emile Ulhrich of Cleveland, who later designed the Basilica of Our Lady of Victory in Lackawanna, New York.  The Basilica has stained glass windows made by the Deprato Statuary Company, ceiling paintings by the Swiatek Studios, and a painting of St. Mary of the Angels, among many beautiful pieces of art.  The Basilica is associated with three noteworthy people.  The Venerable Father Nelson Baker preached the first homily in the church in 1915, Louis Zamparini (subject of the book and movie “Unbroken” was baptized in the church in 1917, and Thomas Merton often attended Mass here while in residence at nearby St. Bonaventure College prior to joining the Trappist Monks in Kentucky in 1940.  Pope Francis designated St. Mary’s as a minor basilica in 2017.  The Basilica’s website is smaolean.org.

Both are from the basilica website.

The first St. Adalbert’s church was completed in 1887 to serve recent Polish immigrants to Buffalo, but this building was destroyed by fire just two years later.  The current building was completed in 1898.  The brick Romanesque building features two towers that are 150 feet high and a 125-foot central dome.  The main altar is made of marble with mosaic tiles.  The brick building is 240 feet long by 118 feet wide. The 36 stained glass windows of the Basilica were produced by Franz Mayer & Co. of Munich, Germany. The interior was decorated by Jozef Mazur, an ecclesiastical painter and a member of the parish. The stained glass windows were imported from Germany.  St. Adalbert’s is not officially a minor basilica, but in 1907 Pope Pius X paired St. Adalbert’s with the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome, thus giving St. Adalbert’s all of the spiritual privileges of St. Peter’s.  St. Adalbert’s was designated an oratory in 2007 and is now part of the St. John Kanty parish community.  The church website is saintadalbertbasilica.org.

Both are from the parish website.

Diocese of Brooklyn

The diocese consists of the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens.  The Diocese has 1.6 million Catholics (32 percent of the total population) in 186 parishes, as of 2015.

Bishops of Brooklyn

John Loughlin (1817-1891)

• Born in Ireland and ordained a priest for the Diocese of New York in 1840.
• First Bishop of Brooklyn (1853-1891).

Bishop Loughlin saw the number of Catholics on Long Island—the original diocese included all of Long Island—increase from 50,000 to over 300,000, and as a result he built over 200 churches and schools, as well as other Catholic institutions, such as hospitals, orphanages, and a seminary.  He also helped establish St. John’s University in 1870.  Loughlin encouraged religious orders to work in the Diocese and promoted the work of the St. Vincent de Paul Society.  He started construction on a new Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in 1868 (at Clermont and Greene), but discontinued work in favor of charitable causes.  His brother bishops frequently proposed his nomination as Archbishop of New York, but he always declined.  Bishop Loughlin attended the First Vatican Council in 1870 and he died in 1891.

Charles E. McDonnell (1854-1921)

• Born in New York City and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of New York in 1878.
• Bishop of Brooklyn (1892-1921).

Bishop McDonnell opened several new parishes and brought in several religious orders to minister to the increasing number of ethnic and racial groups coming to the Diocese (such as Italians, Eastern Europeans, Hispanics, and African Americans).  He also established several hospitals, orphan homes, and other institutions for the needy, and he established a diocesan newspaper.  He also established Diocesan offices for education and for charitable activities.  He died in 1921 of kidney failure at which time there were 900,000 Catholics in the Diocese.

Thomas E. Molloy (1884-1956)  

·         Born in New Hampshire and ordained a priest in 1908 for the Diocese of Brooklyn.

·         Also served as auxiliary bishop of Brooklyn (1920-1921).

·         Bishop of Brooklyn (1921-1956).

Molloy was the first priest of the Diocese to become its Bishop.  During his time as bishop, the Catholic population of the Diocese tripled, and Bishop Molloy doubled the number of diocesan priests and established 90 parishes, over 100 schools, and several hospitals.  He opened Immaculate Conception Seminary and concentrated diocesan offices in a new chancery.  He established Catholic charitable organizations and raised money for their support.  He opened a trade school during the Depression to train workers and instill in them Catholic values and encouraged his priests to understand worker concerns.  He communicated well with the laity urging them to be generous to the needy and faithful to their Catholic Faith.  He was given the personal title of Archbishop in 1951 and he died in 1956 from pneumonia after suffering a stroke.

Bryan J. McEntegart (1893-1968)

·         Born in Manhattan and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of New York in 1917.

·         Also served as the Bishop of Ogdensburg (1943-1953) and rector of the Catholic University of America (1953-1957).

·         Bishop of Brooklyn (1957-1968).

Bishop McEntegart launched a multimillion-dollar building program, which included six high schools, two seminaries, and a hospital.  He promoted outreach to the growing Hispanic population, sending priests and religious to study the Spanish language and Hispanic culture.  He attended all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council and began implementation of its decrees.  He was a strong advocate of ecumenism and established an ecumenical institute in 1967.  McEntegart was given the personal title of Archbishop in 1966.  Bishop McEntegart resigned in 1968 due to poor health and died two months later.

Francis J. Mugavero (1914-1991)

·         Born in Brooklyn and ordained a priest in 1940 for the Diocese of Brooklyn.

·         Bishop of Brooklyn (1968-1990).

Bishop Mugavero was the first Italian-American Bishop of Brooklyn and the first bishop of the diocese native to Brooklyn.  Mugavero established the Catholic Migration Office to serve the needs of immigrants and refugees living in the Diocese, especially for the Italian, Haitian, Polish, Korean, Croatian, and Spanish communities.  At that time (the early 1970s), Mass was being celebrated in 14 languages in Diocesan churches.  Mugavero also started the Nehemiah project to build low-income housing on vacant parcels of land and began a fund-raising campaign to assist the poor.  Mugavero established Immaculate Conception Center in 1987, which houses residences for retired priests, a retreat and conference center, and some Diocesan offices.  Bishop Mugavero retired in 1990.

Thomas V. Daily (1927-2017)

·         Born in Massachusetts and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Boston in 1952.

·         Also served as auxiliary bishop of Boston (1975-1984) and first Bishop of Palm Beach, Florida (1984-1990).

·         Bishop of Brooklyn (1990-2003).

Bishop Daily served as Supreme Chaplain of the Knights of Columbus from 1987 to 2005 and he retired as Bishop of Brooklyn in 2003.

Current Bishop

Nicholas A. DiMarzio was appointed Bishop of Brooklyn by Pope John Paul II in 2003.  He was born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1944 and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Newark in 1970.  He previously served as auxiliary bishop of Newark (1996-1999) and Bishop of Camden, New Jersey (1999-2003).

The Cathedrals

Cathedral Basilica of St. James
Jay Street and Cathedral Place
Brooklyn, New York 11201

St. James the Greater was one of the twelve Apostles and the brother of the Apostle John.  He was the first Apostle martyred for the Faith.  He was beheaded by order of King Herod Agrippa I in Jerusalem around 43 A.D.  He is the patron saint of Spain and several nations in Latin America, pilgrims, and arthritis sufferers.  His feast day is July 25.

O glorious Apostle, St. James, who by reason of thy fervent and generous heart wast chosen by Jesus to be a witness of His glory on Mount Tabor, and of His agony in Gethsemane; thou, whose very name is a symbol of warfare and victory: obtain for us strength and consolation in the unending warfare of this life, that, having constantly and generously followed Jesus, we may be victors in the strife and deserve to receive the victor's crown in heaven. Amen.

St. James parish was founded in 1822 to serve a mostly Irish congregation that had come to Brooklyn to work at the Navy Yard.  St. James is the oldest Catholic church on Long Island, the third oldest in New York City, and the sixth oldest in the State of New York.  The building was completed in 1823.  St. James became the cathedral for the new Diocese of Brooklyn when it was created in 1853.

First picture is from the Diocesan website and the second is from Wikipedia.

Bishop Loughlin started construction on a new Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in 1868 (at Clermont and Greene, now the site of Bishop Loughlin High School), but discontinued work.  At some point, St. James was enlarged and noted Catholic architect Patrick Charles Keely was tasked to redesign the interior.  Keely himself carved the candlesticks for the main altar using wood from his daughter’s cradle.  Lightning caused a serious fire in 1889 that resulted in considerable damage to the Cathedral.  After Charles McDonnell became Bishop in 1892, he once again made plans to build a new and larger Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on the same site as proposed by Bishop Loughlin.  In the meantime, McDonnell hired architect George Streeton to substantially rebuild St. James, a task that was completed in 1903.  In 1896, St. James was titled as a Pro-Cathedral in anticipation of the building of Immaculate Conception Cathedral.

Immaculate Conception Cathedral was never built and in 1972, Bishop Mugavero once again retitled St. James as the Diocesan Cathedral.  Pope John Paul II visited the Cathedral in 1979 and in 1982 designated St. James as a minor basilica.  

The red brick Queen Anne style Cathedral-Basilica has a single central tower over the entrance.  The stained-glass windows were done by the Meyer Company of Germany and depict the Blessed Virgin Mary, Old Testament prophets, New Testament scenes, and saints.  The Stations of the Cross has painted three-dimensionally figures and the main altar is covered by a baldachin.  The pipe organ was made by James A. Konzelman of New Jersey and contains 45 stops and 41 ranks of pipes.  There is a mural at the baptismal font showing the Baptism of Jesus.

The Cathedral website, brooklyncathedral.org, has a virtual tour of the building.  Also see the Diocesan website at dioceseofbrooklyn.org.  St. James is located in downtown Brooklyn and has three weekend masses.

Top picture is from pinterest and the bottom is from Wikipedia.

Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph
856 Pacific Street
Brooklyn, New York 11238

St. Joseph was the husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the foster father of Jesus.  He was a carpenter and taught this trade to Jesus.  Devotion to St. Joseph dates to the early days of Christianity in the Eastern churches, but only in the last 500 years has Joseph gained his deserved respect in Western Christendom.  He is the patron saint of many countries, as well as being the patron saint of workers and fathers.  He is also known as the patron of a happy death, since he presumably died in the presence of Jesus, the Son of God, and Mary, the Mother of God.  His feast day is March 19.

Obedient in following the law of God, St. Joseph, you felt sorrow when Jesus' first blood was shed at his circumcision, but you felt joy when he was given the name Yeshua bar Yosif (Luke 2:21). Glorious St. Joseph, through the love you bear to Jesus Christ and for the glory of His name, hear our prayers and obtain our petitions.

St. Joseph parish was founded in 1850 to serve Irish immigrants.  The first church building was completed in 1823 and the second church in 1861.  The current building was built between 1912 and 1914.  St. Joseph’s became Co-Cathedral for the Diocese in 2013, in part due to the small size of the Cathedral Basilica of St. James—St. James’ seats 600 and St. Joseph’s 1,500—and in part due to its more central location.

From Wikipedia

St. Joseph’s was designed in the Spanish Colonial style by Brooklyn architect, F.J. Berlenbach.  It was built of glazed brick and terracotta. The stained glass windows were designed and made by the Alexander F. Locke Decorative Company of Brooklyn. The altar, baldachin, pulpit and four side altars, were designed by Domenico Borgia.

The Co-Cathedral’s website is stjosephs-brooklyn.org.  St. Joseph Co-Cathedral is located in Brooklyn’s Prospect Heights neighborhood.  The Co-Cathedral has three weekend masses, including one in Spanish.

First picture is from the Diocesan website, the next two are from Flickr, and the fourth is from Wikipedia.

Also located in the Diocese

Also located in the Diocese is an Eastern-rite cathedral and two basilicas, in addition to St. James.

Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Cathedral in Brooklyn is the cathedral parish for the Maronite-rite Eparchy (Diocese) of St. Maron of Brooklyn—one of two Maronite-rite dioceses in the United States.  The diocese has 33,000 members in 34 parishes located in 13 states east of the Appalachian Mountains, and the District of Columbia.

The Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help is in Brooklyn.  The parish was established in 1893 and has always been staffed by Redemptorist priests.  The original wooden frame church was replaced by the current building in the 1920s.  The Basilica is 240 feet long and 190 feet wide. The exterior is solid granite and the interior is terra cotta. The seating capacity is 1800.  The Basilica has two floors allowing two services to be conducted at the same time.  Pope Paul VI designated the church as a minor basilica in 1969.  The Basilica’s website is olphbkny.org.

Top is from pinterest and bottom is from Wikipedia.

The Basilica of Regina Pacis is also in Brooklyn.  Parishioners of St. Rosalia’s parish in Brooklyn vowed in 1942 to build a shrine dedicated to Our Lady Queen of Peace in hopes of the safe return of U.S. troops fighting in the Second World War and for a just peace.  Construction began in 1948 and the church was dedicated in 1951.  The building was designed by Anthony DePace and is built with Indiana limestone on a concrete base.  The bell tower is 150 feet high and has three large bells.  The beautiful interior is made almost entirely of marble with many murals and mosaics.  A large painting of Our Lady Queen of Peace rises above the marble throne behind the main altar.  Pope Benedict XVI designated the church as a minor basilica in 2012.  The Basilica’s website is reginaparish.com.

Top is from Flickr and the bottom from Wikipedia.

Diocese of Rochester

The diocese consists of 12 counties in northwestern New York.  The Diocese has 344,000 Catholics (23 percent of the total population) in 94 parishes, as of 2015.

Bishops of Rochester

Bernard J. McQuaid (1823-1909)

·         Born in New York City and ordained a priest for the Diocese of New York in 1848.

·         First Bishop of Rochester (1868-1909).

McQuaid previously served as the first president of Seton Hall University in New Jersey.  As Bishop, he was noted as a good administrator, establishing parishes and two seminaries and even planting a vineyard to provide pure altar wine.  The number of Catholics grew from 55,000 (in 35 parishes) to 121,000 (in 93 parishes) during his time as Bishop, and most of this increase was due to  new immigrants coming to the Diocese from many nations, including Ireland, Germany, Canada, Poland, and Italy.  McQuaid preferred to gradually, rather than quickly, bring the immigrants into the mainstream of American culture.  He established a parochial school system—there were 53 parish schools in 1909—to protect Catholic children from the Protestant influences of public schools, although he promoted the establishment of state-supported Christian schools.  He secured freedom of worship and other constitutional rights for inmates in state institutions.  He also served as a mentor to Katherine Conway, who was a noted female Catholic writer at a time when there were few.  He was one of 19 U.S. bishops to serve 40 or more years as bishop of a single diocese.  Bishop McQuaid died in 1909 at the age of 85.

Thomas F. Hickey (1861-1940)

• Born in Rochester and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Rochester in 1884.
• Also served as coadjutor bishop of Rochester (1905-1909).
• Bishop of Rochester (1909-1928).

Hickey, as coadjutor bishop, immediately became Bishop upon the death of Bishop McQuaid.  Bishop Hickey was a leader in providing charitable programs to the needy within the Diocese.  He also was a proponent of secondary education in the Diocese and provided religious education to children attending public schools.  He also began a ministry to the deaf and an office for the bishops of New York to lobby the state legislature.  Bishop Hickey resigned in 1928 due to poor health.

John F. O’Hern (1874-1933)

·         Born in Olean and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Rochester in 1901.

·         Bishop of Rochester (1929-1933).

Bishop O’Hern was ahead of his time by being a proponent of ecumenism.  He collaborated with members of other faith communities in the Diocese and was active in civic affairs, such as supporting the Community Chest and Red Cross.  O’Hern promoted lay groups and provided chaplains to Catholic students at secular colleges in the Diocese.  He also used the media to further the Christian message.  Bishop O’Hern died in 1933 from a heart attack.

Edward F. Mooney (1882-1958)

·         Born in Maryland and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Cleveland, Ohio, in 1909.

·         Also served as apostolic delegate to India (1926-1931) and apostolic delegate to Japan (1931-1933).

·         Bishop of Rochester (1933-1937).

·         Later served as first Archbishop of Detroit (1937-1958).  He given the personal title of Archbishop in 1926 and was named a Cardinal in 1946.

Mooney established a ministry for African-Americans in the Diocese (the St. Peter Claver Society) and promoted adult religious education, Catholic social teaching, and fair labor relations.  He also was active in the local Community Chest.  Mooney started a long tenure as chairman of the National Catholic Welfare Conference (now the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops) in 1937.  He also chaired a Catholic organization that tried to meet the spiritual needs and social welfare of members of the armed services.  Mooney was also an avid golfer.  Bishop Mooney was appointed the first Archbishop of Detroit in 1937.

James E. Kearney (1884-1977)

·         Born in Iowa and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of New York in 1908.

·         Also served as Bishop of Salt Lake City, Utah (1932-1937).

·         Bishop of Rochester (1937-1966).

Kearney led the Diocese through the Second World War and the Second Vatican Council.  During his almost 30 years as Bishop, the number of Catholics grew from 224,000 to 362,000.  Much of this growth was caused by European immigrants coming to the United States after the War and the migration of Puerto Ricans and African-Americans to the north.  Kearney met this need by expanding the number of parishes from 129 to 155 and by increasing the number of priests by more than 80.  He also opened new schools and hospitals.  Bishop Kearney attended all sessions of the Second Vatican Council and he retired in 1966.

Fulton J. Sheen (1895-1979)

·         Born in Illinois and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Peoria, Illinois, in 1919.

·         Also served as auxiliary bishop of New York (1951-1966).

·         Bishop of Rochester (1966-1969).  

Sheen was possibly the best known Catholic bishop of his time.  Bishop Sheen was nationally known based on the success of his national radio and television programs—including “Life Is Worth Living” which aired from 1951 to 1957.  He also served as the director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith from 1951 to 1966.  As Bishop of Rochester, he sought to create the prefect diocese based on the recently completed Second Vatican Council.  He succeeded in many areas—greater involvement by priests and the laity in diocesan decisions and improved relations with Protestant churches.  He also spoke out against abortion, the Vietnam War, and racial discrimination.  However, resistance by some Catholics to the changes and shortcomings in Sheen’s administrative and, surprisingly, communication skills, led to his resignation in 1969 after less than three years as bishop.  Sheen was given the honorary title of Archbishop in 1969 and efforts are underway for his canonization. Pope Benedict XVI declared him “Venerable” in 2012.

Joseph L. Hogan (1916-2000)

·         Born in Lima, New York, and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Rochester in 1942.

·         Bishop of Rochester (1969-1978).

Bishop Hogan implemented the decrees of the Second Vatican Council within the Diocese, worked for social justice and sought to improve ecumenism with other churches.  He also spoke out against the war in Vietnam and supported Diocesan missions in Alabama and South America.  He established a diocesan office to serve African American Catholics and ministered to the growing number of Asian American Catholics in the Diocese.  He also began a Diocesan pastoral council to have more lay involvement in the management of the Diocese.  Bishop Hogan resigned in 1978 due to poor health.  

Matthew H. Clark (born 1937)

·         Born in Waterford, New York, and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Albany in 1962.

·         Bishop of Rochester (1979-2012).

Bishop Clark spoke out against many of the social ills of our society and called a Diocesan Synod in 1993 to address his goals of “lifelong faith formation for Catholics, a consistent life ethic, support for the role of women in the Church, the importance of nurturing spirituality and discipleship for daily living.”  Clark also addressed the pastoral needs of growing numbers of from Central American and the Caribbean.  Bishop Clark challenged the Vatican’s ban on homosexual priests, but brought the Diocese into full compliance with the U.S. Bishops’ charter for protecting children and young people.  He was also criticized for a controversial and expensive renovation of the Cathedral while he also closed poor parishes.  Bishop Clark retired in 2012.

Current Bishop

Salvatore R. Matano was appointed Bishop of Rochester by Pope Francis in 2013.   He was born in Rhode Island in 1946 and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island, in 1971.  He previously served as Bishop of Burlington, Vermont (2005-2013).

The Cathedral

Sacred Heart Cathedral
296 Flower City Park
Rochester, New York  14615

St. John Eudes was a 17^th Century French priest who preached the loving nature of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  Later in the same century, a French nun, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque had visions of Jesus revealing that his Sacred Heart was filled with love and mercy for all people.  The Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is celebrated on the Friday after the second Sunday after Pentecost.  Many Catholics also show devotion to the Sacred Heart by attending Mass and receiving the Body and Blood of Christ on the first Friday of each month.

My God, I offer You all my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings in union with the Sacred Heart of Jesus, for the intentions for which He pleads and offers Himself in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, in thanksgiving for Your favors, in reparation for my sins, and in humble supplication for my temporal and eternal welfare, for the needs of our holy Mother the Church, for the conversion of sinners, and for the relief of the poor souls in purgatory.

St. Patrick’s church—the first Catholic parish in Rochester—was founded in 1832.  The third St. Patrick’s—designed by Patrick Charles Keely—became the first cathedral for the Diocese in 1868.  Sacred Heart parish was established in 1910 and the current church was completed in 1927.  St. Patrick’s, which was located in downtown Rochester, remained the cathedral until it was torn down for an expansion of Kodak’s headquarters.  Sacred Heart was dedicated as the new Cathedral in 1952.  Sacred Heart Cathedral completed a controversial $11 million renovation in 2005.  

From Wikipedia

The tabernacle in the new Eucharistic Chapel came from the old St. Philip Neri Church (which burned in 1967 taking the lives of a priest and a nun as the as they attempted to retrieve the Blessed Sacrament). The sides of the tabernacle will be adorned with artwork from the tabernacle of the former St. Patrick’s Cathedral.  St. Patrick’s is also the source of the baldachin over the altar.

The dark granite main altar is now in the center of the Cathedral and the 25,000 pound, 50 stop tracker pipe organ designed by Paul Fritts and Company of Tacoma, Washington, is now located in the old sanctuary.  The Cathedral features restored stained glass windows, statues of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, St. Joseph, St. John Fisher, and the Holy Mother and Infant Jesus.  The Cathedral seats 800 people.  The Cathedral website is cathedralcommunity.org and the Diocesan website is dor.org.

Sacred Heart Cathedral is located about two miles north of downtown Rochester.  The Cathedral has five weekend masses.  The Cathedral School at Holy Rosary on Lexington Avenue enrolls about 170 students.

From Pinterest.

Diocese of Ogdensburg

The diocese consists of 6 counties and part of two other counties in Northern New York.  The Diocese has 93,000 Catholics (19 percent of the total population) in 94 parishes as of 2015.

Bishops of Ogdensburg

Edgar P. Wadhams (1817-1891)

• Born in Lewis, New York, converted to Catholicism in 1846, and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Albany in 1850.
• First Bishop of Ogdensburg (1872-1891).  

Wadhams doubled the number of parishes and missions in the Diocese and also doubled the number of priests.  He brought in religious orders of nuns to staff the new schools he built.  He also built a hospital and homes for orphans and the aged.  He attended the New York Provincial Council of 1883 and the Plenary Council of Baltimore of 1884, and held three diocesan synods.  He also dealt with tensions between French and Irish Catholics.  Bishop Wadhams died in 1891.

Henry Gabriels (1838-1921)  

·         Born in Belgium and ordained a priest in Europe in 1861.

·         Bishop of Ogdensburg (1892-1921).

Bishop Gabriels established new health care facilities for the Diocese and worked to improved Catholic schools.  He also built churches and schools to serve an influx of immigrants from eastern and southern Europe and he dealt with the tragedy of the murder of one of his priests by an anarchist in 1908.  Bishop Gabriels died in 1921 at age 82.

Joseph H. Conroy (1858-1939)

• Born in Watertown and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Ogdensburg in 1881.
• Also served as auxiliary bishop of Ogdensburg (1912-1921).
• Bishop of Ogdensburg (1921-1939).

Conroy was the first priest of the Diocese to become its Bishop.  Bishop Conroy founded a seminary which led to an increase in native-born priests.  He also started a Diocesan newspaper and encouraged lay organizations such as the Knights of Columbus and parish service guilds.  He advocated for the creation of the St. Lawrence Seaway project.  Bishop Conroy died in 1939 at age 80.

Francis J. Monaghan (1890-1942)

·         Born in New Jersey and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Newark, New Jersey, in 1915.

·         Also served as coadjutor bishop of Ogdensburg (1936-1939).

·         Bishop of Ogdensburg (1939-1942).

Monaghan, as coadjutor bishop immediately became Bishop upon the death of Bishop Conroy.  Bishop Monaghan sought to strengthen the Faith of the laity through improved catechetical programs and to improve the educational levels of Diocesan priests.  He died in 1942 from a cerebral hemorrhage.  At the time of his death, there were 117,000 Catholics in the Diocese, served by 140 Diocesan priests and over 150 parishes and missions.

Bryan J. McEntegart (1893-1968)

·         Born in New York City and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of New York in 1917.

·         Bishop of Ogdensburg (1943-1953).  

·         Later served as rector of the Catholic University of America (1953-1957) and Bishop of Brooklyn (1957-1968).

McEntegart rebuilt St. Mary’s Cathedral after the original Cathedral burned in 1947.  He established a new Diocesan newspaper and a full-time superintendent for Diocesan schools.  He also encouraged lay organizations such as the Catholic Youth Council and Marian sodalities.  Bishop McEntegart was named Rector of the Catholic University of America in 1953.

Walter P. Kellenberg (1901-1986)

• Born in New York City and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of New York in 1928.
• Also served as auxiliary bishop of New York (1953-1954).
• Bishop of Ogdensburg (1954-1957).
• Later served as the first Bishop of Rockville Centre (1957-1976).

Bishop Kellenberg promoted Catholic education and catechetical programs, as well as religious vocations.  He was named the first Bishop of Rockville Centre in 1957.

James J. Navagh (1901-1965)

·         Born in Buffalo and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Buffalo in 1929.

·         Also served as auxiliary bishop of Raleigh, North Carolina (1952-1957).

·         Bishop of Ogdensburg (1957-1963).  

·         Later served as Bishop of Paterson, New Jersey (1963-1965).

Bishop Navagh established six parishes and built several new churches and schools.  He also started a diocesan development fund and began a mission in Peru.  He encouraged vocations to the priesthood through vocations clubs in schools and through the establishment of a new seminary.  He also encouraged programs for the laity that encouraged family life and devotion to the Holy Eucharist and to our Blessed Mother.  Navagh was named Bishop of Paterson, New Jersey, in 1963.  

Leo R. Smith (1905-1963)

• Born in Attica and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Buffalo in 1929.
• Also served as auxiliary bishop of Buffalo (1952-1963).
• Bishop of Ogdensburg (1963).

Bishop Smith served only five months as Bishop.  He died in October 1963 while attending the Second Vatican Council in Rome.

Thomas A. Donnellan (1914-1987)

·         Born in New York City and ordained a priest in 1939 for the Archdiocese of New York.

·         Bishop of Ogdensburg (1964-1968).  

·         Later served as Archbishop of Atlanta (1968-1987).

Donnellan implemented the directives of the Second Vatican Council, including liturgical changes and outreach to other religious bodies.  He also instituted pastoral councils and a priest’s senate to allow greater consultation with priests and the laity.  He brought parish schools under the partial control of the Diocese and established a committee to implement the Economic Opportunity Act.  He was named Archbishop of Atlanta in 1968.

Stanislaus J. Brzana (1917-1997)

• Born in Buffalo and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Buffalo in 1941.
• Also served as auxiliary bishop of Buffalo (1964-1968).
• Bishop of Ogdensburg (1968-1993).

Bishop Brzana continued to implement changes from the Second Vatican Council, by establishing a Diocesan pastoral council, a council for religious sisters, a permanent diaconate program, and a Eucharistic ministry program.  He also brought women into leadership roles within the Diocese.  As a Bishop of Polish ancestry, he worked to unite the Church with the Polish National Catholic Church.  He cared for miners and their families during strikes and was named a honorary Mohawk chief in 1977.  Bishop Brzana retired in 1993.

Paul S. Loverde (born 1940) 

• Born in Massachusetts and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Norwich, Connecticut in 1965.
• Also served as auxiliary bishop of Hartford, Connecticut (1988-1993).
• Bishop of Ogdensburg (1993-1999).
• Later served as Bishop of Arlington, Virginia (1999-2016).

Bishop Loverde was forced to close Mater Dei College and some Diocesan schools because of low enrollment.  He also established programs to promote evangelization and vocations to the priesthood.  He also built a new center for education and faith formation programs.  He was named Bishop of Arlington, Virginia, in 1999.  

Gerald M. Barbarito (born 1950)

·         Born in New York City and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Brooklyn in 1976.

·         Also served as auxiliary bishop of Brooklyn (1994-1999).

·         Bishop of Ogdensburg (1999-2003).  

·         Serves as Bishop of Palm Beach, Florida (since 2003).

Barbarito served during a difficult time for the Diocese.  He closed Wadhams Hall Seminary and the Diocesan mission in Peru.  He also dismissed eight Diocesan priests accused of the sexual abuse of children.  He established a planning committee to look at future changes in the Diocese.  Barbarito was named Bishop of Palm Beach, Florida, in 2003.

Robert J. Cunningham (born 1943) 

·         Born in Buffalo and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Buffalo in 1969.

·         Bishop of Ogdensburg (2004-2009).

·         Serves as Bishop of Syracuse (since 2009).

Cunningham established an evangelization program and a new stewardship appeal.  He opened the new St. Joseph’s nursing home and appointed the first female chancellor for the Diocese.  He was named Bishop of Syracuse in 2009.

Current Bishop

Terry R. LaValley was appointed Bishop of Ogdensburg by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010.  He was born in Mooers Forks, New York, in 1956 and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Ogdensburg in 1988.  He previously served in several capacities with the Diocese including pastor and chancellor.

The Cathedral

St. Mary's Cathedral
415 Hamilton Street
Ogdensburg, New York 13669

The cathedral is named for Mary, the Mother of God.

O God,  who by the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, did prepare a worthy dwelling place for Your Son, we beseech You that, as by the foreseen death of this, Your Son, You did preserve Her from all stain, so too You would permit us, purified through Her intercession,  to come unto You. Through the same Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

The French established Fort de la Presentation in 1749 at present day Ogdensburg and built a chapel dedicated to the Holy Trinity.  The site was abandoned ten years later, and it would not be until 1832 that St. Mary’s Church was established—first as a chapel.  The first permanent church was completed in 1852 on a site now occupied by St. Joseph’s Home.  Bishop Wadhams selected this church to be the Cathedral for the new Diocese of Ogdensburg when it was created in 1872.  This first Cathedral was destroyed by fire in 1947.  Construction on the current Gothic Cathedral began in 1950 and was completed in 1952.

 From Wikipedia.

Some additional information can be found on the Cathedral’s website, ogdensburgcatholics.org and on the Diocesan website rcdony.org.

St. Mary’s, located in downtown Ogdensburg, is paired with Notre Dame parish.  There are three weekend masses at the Cathedral and one at St. Joseph’s Home to serve over 1,200 families.  Ogdensburg is one of a dozen diocesan sees that has a population of fewer than 20,000.

From Pinterest and Wikipedia.

Diocese of Syracuse

The diocese consists of 7 counties in northeastern New York.  The Diocese has 246,000 Catholics (21 percent of the total population) in 129 parishes, as of 2015.

Bishops of Syracuse

Patrick A. Ludden (1836-1912)

• Born in Ireland and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Albany in 1865.
• First Bishop of Syracuse (1887-1912). 

Ludden was serving as vicar general of the Diocese of Albany and pastor of a church in Troy, when the Vatican asked him to become the first Bishop of Syracuse in 1887.  He initially declined, but two months later accepted the honor.  The number of Catholics more than doubled in the Diocese while Ludden was Bishop and he increased the number of parishes from 46 to 75 and increased the number of schools, hospitals, and other institutions.  He also used his own funds to build the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.  He died in 1912.

John Grimes (1852-1922)

·         Born in Ireland and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Albany in 1882.

·         Also served as coadjutor bishop of Syracuse (1909-1912).

·         Bishop of Syracuse (1912-1922).  

As coadjutor bishop, Grimes immediately became Bishop upon the death of Bishop Ludden.  Bishop Grimes died in 1922.

Daniel J. Curley (1869-1932)

• Born in New York City and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of New York in 1894.
• Bishop of Syracuse (1923-1932).  

Curley established 28 parishes, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Binghamton, and a home for the aged.  He also built several new schools and established school music programs.  He established the Society for the Propagation of the Faith in the Diocese and invited the Dominican Sisters of the Perpetual Rosary to open their monastery in Syracuse.  He died of heart disease in 1932.

John A. Duffy (1884-1944)

·         Born in New Jersey and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Newark in 1908.

·         Bishop of Syracuse (1933-1937).  

·         Also served as Bishop of Buffalo (1937-1944).

Bishop Duffy established a fund for victims of the Great Depression and established parishes in rural parts of the Diocese.  He also started the Catholic Youth Organization and the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine within the Diocese and started Newman clubs at colleges and universities in the Diocese.  Bishop Duffy was named Bishop of Buffalo in 1937.

Walter A. Foery (1890-1978)

·         Born in Rochester and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Rochester in 1916.

·         Bishop of Syracuse (1937-1970).

Foery has served longer than any other Bishop of Syracuse and served during the postwar building boom.  He established 42 new parishes and built an additional 42 new church buildings.  He opened almost 50 new schools and three hospitals.  He established Le Moyne College, a retreat house, and youth programs.  Foery ordained 257 new priests—an average of 8 every year.  He also attended all sessions of the Second Vatican Council and spoke out against abortion.  Bishop Foery retired in 1970.

David F. Cunningham (1900-1979)  

·         Born in Montana and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Rochester in 1926.

·         Also served as auxiliary bishop of Syracuse (1950-1967) and coadjutor bishop of Syracuse (1967-1970).

·         Bishop of Syracuse (1970-1976).

As coadjutor bishop, Cunningham immediately became Bishop upon the retirement of Bishop Foery.  Cunningham attended all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council.  Bishop Cunningham retired in 1976.

Frank J. Harrison (1912-2004)

·         Born in Syracuse and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Syracuse in 1937.

·         Also served as auxiliary bishop of Syracuse (1971-1976).

•     Bishop of Syracuse (1976-1987).

Harrison was the first and so far only priest from the Diocese to be named its Bishop.   Bishop Harrison practiced a collegial manner of governing, and worked to include laity and especially women in diocesan affairs.  He launched diocesan programs for African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, and the disabled.  Harrison once played a game of golf with entertainer Bob Hope, who later recorded a radio ad for the Diocese's first HOPE Appeal, an annual fundraiser Harrison started in 1978.  Harrison opposed military aid to El Salvador and Nicaragua during the 1980s.  Bishop Harrison retired in 1987.

Joseph T. O’Keefe (1919-1997)

• Born in New York City and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of New York in 1948.
• Also served as auxiliary bishop of New York (1982-1987).
• Bishop of Syracuse (1987-1995).

Bishop O’Keefe retired in 1995.

James M. Moynihan (1932-2017)

• Born in Rochester and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Rochester in 1957.
• Bishop of Syracuse (1995-2009).

Bishop Moynihan often spoke out against abortion and led a march to protest Planned Parenthood in Syracuse.  He also established a successful fundraising campaign and an education fund and helped establish a housing foundation, but also closed or merged more than 40 churches.  In 2003 Bishop Moynihan set up a review board and an office of victim assistance to review abuse claims and run background checks on all employees and volunteers.  Moynihan pushed for Marianne Cope’s canonization, which came about in 2012, three years after Bishop Moynihan retired.

Current Bishop

Robert J. Cunningham was appointed Bishop of Syracuse by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009.  He was born in Buffalo in 1943 and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Buffalo in 1969.  He previously served as Bishop of Ogdensburg (2004-2009).

The Cathedral

Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
259 East Onondaga Street
Syracuse, New York  13202

Many Christians believe that humans are born into sin—known as original sin.  This sin is erased through baptism and the saving grace of Jesus Christ.  Catholics believe that Mary, through the grace of God, was conceived without the stain of original sin—the Immaculate Conception.  She was given the honor because of her role as the Mother of God.  The Feast of the Immaculate Conception is celebrated on December 8.

O most Holy Virgin, who was pleasing to the Lord and became His mother, immaculate in body and spirit, in faith and in love, look kindly on me as I implore your powerful intercession. O most Holy Mother, who by your blessed Immaculate Conception, from the first moment of your conception did crush the head of the enemy, receive our prayers as we implore you to present at the throne of God the favor we now request...(State your intention here...) O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will. Amen.

Although one of the oldest parishes in Syracuse, Immaculate Conception Church, founded in 1841 and then known as St. Mary’s, was not the first Cathedral for the Diocese of Syracuse.  The first bishop, Patrick Ludden, selected St. John the Evangelist Church to be his cathedral when the Diocese was established in 1886.  St. John’s, located on North Salina Street, remained the Cathedral until 1904.  By that time, Bishop Ludden had purchased property next to St. Mary’s and built a new cathedral at that location, apparently incorporating the old St. Mary’s church, which was rededicated to the  Immaculate Conception.  St. John’s is now the home of Samaritan Center.

Lawrence O’Connor designed St. Mary’s church in a Gothic Revival design.  This church was dedicated in 1874.  The renovation, which included a bell tower and new sanctuary, was completed in 1904, and was designed by Archimedes Russell, a Syracuse architect.  The bell tower was not strong enough to support a bell and many years later, electronic Flemish carillons were installed.  The sanctuary was built with materials taken from a demolished Turkish bath house.

From Wikipedia.

The Cathedral’s stained glass windows were made by Mayer and Company of Munich, Germany, in 1884.  The window above the main altar was made by Tiffany and the Cathedral also has a rose window above the choir loft.  In 1958, James Curtain made a tapestry for the Cathedral and James Randell designed a new baptistery.  Cathedral Prayer Park was built in 1998 and a mosaic of St. Marianne Cope was installed near the Sacred Heart altar in 2013.  The Cathedral also has a shrine to our Blessed Mother with a statue sculpted by Jacqueline Belfort-Chalat.

The Cathedral’s pipe organ was installed in 1892 at a cost of $12,000.  It was made by the Roosevelt brothers, who “revolutionized the organ world with the development of the electro-pneumatic action organ. With the flexibility that electricity afforded, their creative experimentation resulted in the increase of tonal quality and strength of sound. The Roosevelt brothers were considered the avant-garde in organ building technique for the time.”  The 3,000 pipe organ was renovated by the Schantz Company in 1981 and by Kerner and Merchant Organ Builders in 2014.

Additional information can be found on the Cathedral’s website at cathedralsyracuse.org and on the Diocesan website at syracusediocese.org.  The Cathedral is located in downtown Syracuse and has four weekend masses.

From Flickr.

Also located in the Diocese

The Sacred Heart of Jesus Basilica is also located in Syracuse.  Sacred Heart Church was established in 1892 to serve Polish immigrants who came to the Syracuse area in large numbers in the late 19^th Century.  The original wood frame church was replaced by the current church 1910.  The Gothic church is made from stone veneered with marble.  The church features two spires reaching to 212 feet high and can seat over 1000 people.  Stained glass windows and doors depict scenes from the life of Christ and of the Saints.  Sacred Heart parish serves a community of 2,100 families.  Pope Paul II designated the church as a minor basilica in 1998.  The Basilica’s website is sacredheartbasilicasyr.org.

The top picture is from the Basilica's Facebook page and the second is from Wikipedia.

Diocese of Rockville Center

The diocese consists of Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island.  The Diocese has 1.5 million Catholics (50 percent of the total population) in 134 parishes, as of 2015.

Bishops of Rockville Centre

Walter P. Kellenberg (1901-1986)

• Born in New York City and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of New York in 1928.
• Also served as auxiliary bishop of New York (1953-1954) and Bishop of Ogdensburg (1954-1957).
• First Bishop of Rockville Centre (1957-1976).

Bishop Kellenberg attended all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council and directed the building of many new schools and other buildings.  He retired in 1976.

John R. McGann (1924-2002)

·         Born in Brooklyn and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Brooklyn in 1950.

·         Also served as auxiliary bishop of Rockville Centre (1971-1976).

·         Bishop of Rockville Centre (1976-2000).

Bishop McGann spoke out against U.S. military aid to El Salvador and Nicaragua and advocated for low-cost housing within the Diocese.  He also led marches against abortion clinics, appointed lay people to key positions in the Diocese and urged Catholics to avoid shopping on Sunday.  Bishop McGann retired in 2000.

James T. McHugh (1932-2000)

• Born in New Jersey and ordained a priest in 1957 for the Archdiocese of Newark.
• Also served as auxiliary bishop of Newark (1987-1989), Bishop of Camden, New Jersey (1989-1998), and coadjutor bishop of Rockville Centre (1998-2000).
• Bishop of Rockville Centre (2000).

McHugh, as coadjutor bishop became Bishop upon the retirement of Bishop McGann in January 2000, but died from cancer in December of the same year.   

William F. Murphy (born in 1940)

• Born in Boston and ordained a priest in 1964 for the Archdiocese of Boston.
• Also served as auxiliary bishop of Boston (1995-2001).
• Bishop of Rockville Centre (2001-2016).

Bishop Murphy was criticized by many, including several priests of the Diocese, for an expensive construction of a personal residence and for his handling of sexual abuse cases.  Bishop Murphy closed six parish schools and strongly advocated for pro-life issues.  Bishop Murphy retired in 2016.

Current Bishop

John O. Barres was appointed Bishop of Rockville Centre by Pope Francis in 2016.  He was born in Larchmont, New York, in 1960 and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Wilmington, Delaware, in 1989.  He previously served in several capacities, including chancellor, for the Diocese of Wilmington.  Bishop Barres’ parents were converts to Catholicism and he was baptized by Archbishop Fulton Sheen.  

The Cathedral

St. Agnes Cathedral

29 Quealy Place

Rockville Centre, New York 11570

St. Agnes was a young girl, aged 10 to 13, who was martyred for the Faith during the persecution of the Church by the Emperor Diocletian in about 305 A.D.  Her feast day is January 21.  On that day each year, Church officials bless lambs whose wool will be used to make pallia—woolen garments that the Pope gives to each archbishop as a symbol of his office.  Agnes is the patron saint of young girls.  This is one of only two U.S. cathedrals named for Agnes—the other is in Springfield, Missouri.

O glorious St. Agnes, you served God in humility and confidence on earth and are now in the enjoyment of His beatific Vision in heaven because you persevered till death and gained the crown of eternal life.  Remember now the dangers that surround me in the vale of tears, and intercede for me in my needs and troubles.  Amen.

Rockville Centre Catholics began gathering in various locations—including a blacksmith’s shop—to celebrate Mass as early as 1887.  Charles McDonnell, Bishop of Brooklyn, established the parish of St. Agnes in 1894 and parishioners converted an old wood frame school house into the first church.  A second church was completed in 1905 on lots adjacent to the first church.  The current church was completed in 1935 on the site of the second church.  The creation of the Diocese of Rockville Centre in 1957 raised St. Agnes to the status of a cathedral.

The top picture is from Wikipedia and the bottom picture is from the Cathedral website.

The Cathedral church was built in a fifteenth century Norman Gothic style and designed by architect Gustave E. Steinbeck.  The Cathedral is constructed with buff-colored brick and limestone trimmings and has a 150 foot high bell tower complete with gargoyles.  The façade has statues of St. Agnes and Christ the King.

The nave’s red, blue, and green ceiling was designed by Rambusch Associates of New York.  Iron chandeliers light the nave.  The main altar is made of Italian white bottichino marble.  Above the altar is the crucified Jesus with His Blessed Mother and St. John.  The reredos behind the altar has religious carvings including carvings of the Twelve Apostles.  There is also a Jerusalem Cross.  The tabernacle is located in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel which has a stained glass window depicting St. Dominic.

The choir loft has a large stained glass window that depicts the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary.  The stairway leading to the choir loft has a stained glass window depicting St. Cecilia.  The Wicks Organ Company of Illinois constructed the pipe organ in 2001. The organ is actual two organs with one console on the front altar and one in the choir loft.  The new pipe organ has over 4,400 pipes.

The Cathedral has numerous stained glass windows showing Jesus and the lives of the saints.  There are also number statues of saints.  The Stations of the Cross were designed in Austria and are made in a mosaic of stained glass partly gilded on wavy surfaces giving a rich effect heightened by light reflection.  Behind the baptismal font is a carving by Long Island artist Yan Reiger, depicting the baptism of Jesus.  The Cathedral website is stagnescathedral.org and the Diocesan website is drvc.org.

St. Agnes Cathedral has 10 weekend masses, including one in Spanish, to serve a parish of 5,300 families.  The Cathedral also celebrates a monthly Mass for those with special needs.  The Cathedral, located in downtown Rockville Centre, has an elementary school with about 900 students.

The first three pictures are from the Cathedral website and the last is from Flickr.

Also located in the Diocese

Also located in the Diocese is one Eastern-rite cathedral and a basilica.

The Cathedral for the Syro-Malankara Diocese of St. Mary, Queen of Peace in the USA, is located in Elmont.  The Diocese has 10,000 members served by 13 parishes in the United States and 3 in Canada.

The Basilica of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary is in Southampton.  The current church, completed in 1908, replaced the original wooden church built to serve a congregation of Irish servants of wealthy summer visitors.  The Basilica seats 800 and has stained glass windows and a 300-year old pulpit obtained from Germany and Austria.  Pope Benedict XVI designated the church as a minor basilica in 2011.  The Basilica’s website is shjmbasilica.org.

From Wikipedia.