A blessed New Year!

You may have heard that Pope Francis directed the bishops of the United States to assemble together for a retreat, given by his own official preacher, Father Raniero Cantalamessa.

So, off we go!  Our retreat is a week-long, and begins today, at St. Mary of the Lake Seminary outside of Chicago.

Why did the Holy Father mandate this retreat?  Well, he realizes that the Catholic Church in the United States is in the thick of a crisis over sexual abuse.  (He also wisely acknowledges…

Dear Family of the Archdiocese,

I am saddened to tell you that our beloved Bishop Robert A. Brucato (class 1957), retired auxiliary bishop of New York, and former pastor, chancellor, and vicar general, has gone home to the Lord. Many of you would know him from the countless number of Confirmations, parish celebrations, and other events that he would have attended. He died this morning at Saint Joseph Hospital.

Join me, please, in thanking God for his life, especially his generous and faithful priesthood.

Pray as well that the powerful mercy of Jesus, in which our bishop had such trust, has ushered…

Never have I received such a positive response to an article I have written like I did to my “To Whom Shall I go?”  column in the Catholic New York of September 13, 2018.

That rather short and simple piece suggested that every parish in the archdiocese offer the traditional Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel after each Mass during the nine days (a novena) leading to the Feast of the Archangels on September 29.  My request was based on the exhortation from Pope Francis that we bluntly acknowledge the powers of darkness, personified in Satan, so mighty and…

Earlier today I held a press conference to announce that Judge Barbara S. Jones, former Federal Judge and prosecutor, has accepted my invitation to serve as “Special Counsel and Independent Reviewer” to review, evaluate, and recommend improvements to the Archdiocese of New York’s response to the sexual abuse crisis currently confronting the Church. I’d like to share with you my statement from that conference, as well as a brief overview of the Archdiocese of New York’s response to the sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable adults.