The Church in New York

Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV have publicly supported the social activism and pacifism of Dorothy Day. During a 2015 address to the United States Congress, Pope Francis identified Day as the founder of the Catholic Worker Movement.

Day's cause for canonization began under Pope John Paul II. In February 2000, Cardinal John O’Connor wrote to the Vatican and the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to support her cause. O’Connor stated that Day's teachings on social justice anticipated those of Pope John Paul II. Following this appeal, Pope John Paul II granted Day the title Servant of God in March 2000.

St. Patrick’s Cathedral will host two Spanish Marian Masses in November to honor Our Lady of Providence and La Purísima.

The Mass for Our Lady of Providence, the patroness of Puerto Rico, is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 15, at 4 p.m. Auxiliary Bishop Tomas Gonzalez of San Juan, Puerto Rico, will serve as the principal celebrant and homilist. Lay organizer Juan A. Sotomayor, Jr. noted that this year marks 44 years since the first Mass for Our Lady of Providence was held at the cathedral.

Pope Paul VI declared Our Lady of Divine Providence the patroness of Puerto Rico on Nov. 19, 1969. A second Mass honoring La Purísima is scheduled for Nov. 29.

Catholic Extension Society presented Brendan Mulshine the Spirit of Francis Award during the organization's 12th annual New York award dinner. The award recognizes individuals or groups who impact the mission of the Catholic Church in America through service or philanthropy.

Mulshine is the co-president of Ryan Specialty and the chief executive officer of RT Specialty. The Catholic Extension Society uses funds from the dinner to support faith communities in underserved regions across the United States.

The event also marked the first New York Spirit of Francis Award Dinner for Archbishop Ronald Hicks of New York. Archbishop Hicks stated that he renewed his membership on the organization's board of governors last year.

The Holy Mountain Retreat Center has offered free weekly music therapy sessions for people living with dementia and their caregivers since September 2. The sessions take place every Wednesday morning at 10:30 at the retreat center, located on the Graymoor property of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement in Garrison.

The program consists of one hour of sing-alongs involving rhythm, movement, and instruments such as the piano, guitar, accordion, and percussion. A music therapy specialist from the Institute for Music and Neurological Function in Croton-on-Hudson leads the sessions.

Kacey Morabito-Grean, the executive director of the Holy Mountain Retreat Center, said the program provides a supportive environment for participants and their care partners to connect. Morabito-Grean noted that offering these sessions for free aligns with the mission of the friars to reach out to the community.

Sister Julia Lydon, a member of the Congregation of Notre Dame, died on Oct. 20, 2026, at the age of 88. She passed away at Mozaic Senior Life in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

During her 58 years of service, Sister Julia taught elementary and high school students in Connecticut, New York, Illinois, and Virginia. She taught at St. Jude the Apostle and Seton Academy in South Holland, served as the director of religious education at St. Patrick’s Parish in Kankakee, and performed social work in Appalachia and pastoral work in Staten Island.

Born in New York City to William and Julia Lydon, she attended St. Monica Parish School and graduated from St. Jean Baptiste High School in 1956. She professed her first vows with the Congregation of Notre Dame on Aug. 23, 1958. Sister Julia earned a bachelor’s degree in English from DePaul University, a master’s degree in English education from Southern Connecticut State University, and a master’s degree in theology from Marquette University.

ArchCare Senior Life reached 1,000 participants in its Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) in the Bronx. The organization held a celebration on Tuesday, Oct. 20, at the PACE Bronx Center to mark the milestone.

The program provides clinical care and socialization to help older adults with complex health needs live independently within their communities. Scott LaRue, president and CEO of ArchCare, stated that the program coordinates all needs for participants and their families.

The milestone comes 17 years after the first center opened. LaRue said the organization intends to reach 2,000 participants within the next five years to meet the rising demand for community-based long-term care in New York.

Father Hugh R. Grace, a retired priest of the Archdiocese of New York, died on Saturday, Oct. 23, 2026.

Born in New Rochelle on Aug. 17, 1937, Father Grace graduated from Blessed Sacrament High School in 1955 and attended Iona University before entering Christ the King Seminary in Olean. He was ordained at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City on May 30, 1964.

His pastoral assignments included serving at St. Joseph’s in Croton Falls in 1964, followed by a term as associate pastor at Saint Columbanus in Peekskill from 1964 to 1976. He served at Saint Mary’s in Wappinger Falls from 1976 to 1987, and later served as associate pastor and pastor at Saint Mary’s of the Snow in Saugerties from 1987 to 2006. His final assignment was as pastor of Saint Boniface in Wesley Hills from 2006 to 2012.

After retiring in 2012, Father Grace served as an auxiliary priest at St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Califon, NJ.

ArchCare held its annual fundraising gala on Oct. 22 at Gotham Hall in Midtown Manhattan to support its care services for vulnerable populations. The event brought the organization closer to its $2 million annual fundraising goal, with current totals reaching $1.85 million.

The gala honored three individuals for their service to the ArchCare community. Msgr. Joseph P. LaMorte, the retired Vicar General of the Archdiocese of New York, received the Florence Eisenberg Board Leadership Award. The award recognizes his eight years of service on the ArchCare Board of Trustees.

Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Espaillat provided the invocation for the nearly 400 attendees. The event was hosted by Rosanna Scotto.

The new Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program allows taxpayers to support Catholic education through donations to eligible Scholarship Granting Organizations. Starting January 1, 2027, individuals can donate $1,700 and deduct that exact amount from their federal taxes owed. Married couples filing jointly may donate $3,400 per household to receive the same dollar for dollar tax benefit.

The program is designed to provide funds for Catholic schools and help children access Catholic education. According to OSV News, more than 30 states have filed with the IRS or expressed interest in participating in the program as of the end of 2026. Not all states are participating in the credit.

Josh Rivera, a senior at Archbishop Stepinac High School, committed Wednesday to play basketball for the University of Southern California. The 6-foot-5 small forward chose the Los Angeles university over offers from Hofstra University and the University of Massachusetts.

Rivera is ranked 87th on the ESPN Sportscenter NEXT 2027 Top 100. If he joins the Trojans next fall, he will play alongside former Stepinac teammates Adonis and Darius Ratliff. The Ratliff brothers are 6-foot-11 and were McDonald’s All-Americans last season. This marks the second year in a row that a top prospect from the White Plains high school has signed with USC.

The Lawyers Committee of the Inner-City Scholarship Fund honored Roderick J. Cassidy and Osmar J. Benvenuto at the annual Saint Thomas More Award Luncheon on Oct. 21. Cassidy is the retired general counsel for the Archdiocese of New York, and Benvenuto is a managing director and global head of internal investigations at Morgan Stanley.

The event, held at Cipriani 42nd Street, drew more than 500 guests and raised over $550,000. These funds support the Inner-City Scholarship Fund, which provides tuition assistance to students from families with financial need to attend Catholic K-12 schools within the Archdiocese of New York.

Archbishop Ronald A. Hicks provided closing remarks for the program. The luncheon included an invocation by Eyad Tapia and a speech by student Jayden Neil of Mount Saint Michael Academy.

Kate DePetro, co-founder of the Catholic young adult group Pizza to Pews, attended the 81st annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner as a guest of honor on Oct. 15. DePetro sat on the dais alongside various public figures, including New York Governor Hochul, Mayor Mamdani, and New York Islanders owner Jon Ledecky.

During the event, Mary Callahan Erdoes, vice chair of the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation, singled out Pizza to Pews in her remarks. DePetro, who co-founded the organization with Anthony Gross, stated that the recognition was significant for their work in bringing young people to Mass.