Calvary Cemetery, Woodside, NY

02/12/2026

The First Sunday Mass of His Excellency Archbishop Ronald A. Hicks

Dear Beloved in Christ,

On February 8, 2026, St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City celebrated Sunday Mass presided over by His Excellency Archbishop Ronald A. Hicks, marking his first Sunday liturgy there as principal celebrant.

Watch the Holy Mass here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXTG5NUTpPI

Our new Archbishop comes to us as a shepherd formed by prayer, missionary service, and deep pastoral love. Appointed by the Holy Father to lead the Archdiocese of New York, he now carries the spiritual care of millions of Catholics — a responsibility he accepts with humility and trust in God.

Before this moment, Archbishop Hicks served both as Bishop of Joliet and as a missionary in El Salvador, where he worked closely with vulnerable children and families. Those years shaped in him a heart attentive to the poor, a love for the universal Church, and a genuine sensitivity to the needs of diverse communities. He is a pastor who has walked closely with suffering people and who understands that leadership in the Church begins with service.

His Excellency is firmly rooted in the Church’s teaching — especially regarding the dignity of every human life, the importance of protecting the vulnerable, and the urgent call to evangelize in our time. Yet he carries these truths not as burdens, but as gifts — gifts meant to heal, to unite, and to draw souls more deeply to Christ.

In Archbishop Hicks, we receive a shepherd who seeks fidelity to the Gospel, compassion in ministry, and renewal for the Church. Let us welcome him with open hearts and keep him always in our prayers.

May peace be with you...

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02/12/2026

Memorial of Saint Scholastica

Today we recall with gratitude the beloved sister of Saint Benedict, who was a radiant witness to the power of contemplative love.

Living in the sixth century, she consecrated her life to God and founded a community of women dedicated to prayer, silence, and holy obedience. The most cherished account of Scholastica tells of her final meeting with her brother. When Benedict wished to depart after their yearly conversation, she prayed that he might remain a while longer to speak more about of God. A sudden storm arose, preventing his departure. In this, the Church sees a gentle yet profound teaching: prayer born of deep love moves the heart of God and transforms the world in unseen ways.

Saint Scholastica stands as patroness of Benedictine nuns and of those who seek protection from storms—both literal and spiritual. She reminds us that the hidden life, faithfully lived, sustains the Church just as surely as the most visible ministries. Her quiet fidelity recalls the primacy of communion with God, where love becomes our greatest work. As we entrust ourselves to her intercession, may we learn to cherish silence, to pray with confidence, and to love Christ above all things—so that, like Saint Scholastica, our lives may rise heavenward as an offering of love.

May peace be with you...

02/07/2026

Installation of the Most Reverend Ronald A. Hicks as the 11th Archbishop of New York

We invite you to join in a profoundly significant moment in the life of the Church: the installation of the Most Reverend Ronald A. Hicks as the 11th Archbishop of New York. This beautiful Mass, celebrated in the sacred space of St. Patrick’s Cathedral marks the beginning of Archbishop Hicks’s pastoral ministry over one of the largest and most diverse Catholic communities in the United States.

With deep gratitude for the faithful leadership of Cardinal Timothy Dolan and a spirit of hope for the future, this ceremony is rich in tradition, prayer, and the promise of renewal—a moment to pause, reflect, and celebrate the call to serve Christ and His people.

Watch the installation mass here:

Installation of the Most Reverend Ronald A. Hicks as the 11th Archbishop of New York

02/06/2026

A Great Day of Joy!

Archbishop-designate Ronald A. Hicks proclaimed a message of unity in his homily from the pulpit of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral during Solemn Vespers on Thursday evening, ahead of his Installation Mass tomorrow.

Watch the video:

Solemn Vespers for the Installation of the Most Reverend Ronald A. Hicks as the 11th Archbishop of New York

02/05/2026

With sincere joy, the Trustees of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, welcome Archbishop-designate Ronald A. Hicks and pray that the Holy Spirit abundantly blesses his ministry among us.

02/05/2026

On behalf of The Trustees of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, we express our deep gratitude to His Eminence, Timothy Cardinal Dolan, for 17 years of faithful and visionary leadership.

01/29/2026

1/28: The Feast Day of Saint Thomas Aquinas

Dear Beloved in Christ,

Saint Thomas is one of the Church's greatest treasures—the "Angelic Doctor," whose luminous intellect and sanctified heart have illuminated the path of faith for nearly eight centuries. Born around 1225 into nobility in Aquino, Italy, Thomas entered the Dominican Order as a young man and devoted his extraordinary gifts entirely to understanding and defending the truths of our Catholic faith. He stands before us as a magnificent witness to the sublime harmony between reason and revelation—demonstrating that a mind steeped in rigorous philosophical inquiry and a soul devoted to prayer are companions in the great work of understanding God's wisdom.

His Summa Theologiae is a towering masterpiece in which he wove together all the main teachings of Catholic doctrine into a systematic whole. Pope Pius V honored him as a Doctor of the Church—calling him "the most brilliant light of the Church"—and for centuries his works were the very foundation of priestly formation and theological study. Yet what strikes us most profoundly is not merely the breadth of his learning, but the principle that animates all his work: "grace does not destroy nature, but perfects it." Through this insight, Thomas reconciled faith and reason as complementary paths to truth, teaching us that God speaks to us both through the gift of revelation and through the rational powers He has placed within our minds, reminding us that the ultimate goal of all our learning is not knowledge, but union with Christ, communion with Him in the Eucharist, and the sanctification of our souls.

Through the intercession of this great Doctor of the Church, may we learn to honor both the mind and the heart, to cultivate reason as a gift from God while never forgetting that reason itself finds its fulfillment only in faith.

May we, like Thomas, approach the mysteries of God with both intellectual humility and childlike wonder, recognizing that the deepest truths—the Trinity, the Incarnation, the Eucharist—exceed our comprehension yet call us ever deeper into communion with the living God.

May peace be with you...

01/29/2026

The Feast Day of Saint Angela of Merici

Dear Beloved in Christ,

This remarkable woman stands among the Church’s most visionary founders, offering enduring lessons in faith, courage, and the transforming power of Christian education.

Orphaned as a young girl, she allowed suffering to deepen—not diminish—her love for Christ. She joined the Third Order of Saint Francis, embraced a life of prayer and penance, and consecrated her virginity to the Lord. In a luminous vision received during prayer, Angela was shown that God was calling her to form a company of women dedicated to the Church and to the Christian formation of young girls.

At the age of sixty, she gathered twenty-eight companions and founded the Company of Saint Ursula in Brescia—an entirely new form of consecrated life. With the blessing of the Church, her daughters lived in the world without cloister or habit, offering themselves in obedience, chastity, and service. Their mission was clear: to educate girls in faith and virtue, strengthening families and society from within. From this bold beginning emerged the first teaching order of women in the Church, whose influence soon spread across Europe and beyond.

Canonized in 1807, Saint Angela is today honored as a patroness of educators and teachers. On this blessed feast, the Church invites us not only to admire her witness, but to imitate it, remembering that holiness is often quiet, faithful, and attentive to those most in need—and that education rooted in Christ renews both souls and cultures.

On this blessed day, and always, may peace be with you…

01/22/2026

Feast Day of St. Agnes: A Lamb's Legacy

Dear Beloved in Christ,

On January 21, we honor Saint Agnes, who is renowned for her bravery, unwavering faith, and purity. She was a young child murdered under Emperor Diocletian's persecutions for refusing marriage to remain devoted to Christ. Saint Agnes is now the patron saint of girls, chastity, and virgins. Her name reflects her holiness: Agnes meaning “pure,” and agnus, “lamb.”

She was perhaps only twelve or thirteen years old—when she became one of the Church’s most radiant martyrs. Born around 291 into a noble Roman family, Agnes consecrated her virginity to Christ at a young age. Though many suitors sought her hand, she refused them all, declaring: “My life belongs to Him who has chosen me first.”

When the son of the prefect denounced her for her Christian faith and her refusal to marry, Agnes was brought before Prefect Sempronius during the persecutions under Emperor Diocletian. Threatened with torture and ordered to sacrifice to false gods, Agnes instead made the Sign of the Cross. Hoping humiliation would succeed where threats failed, the prefect ordered her to a brothel. Yet God protected His bride: a brilliant light surrounded her, preserving her purity. One young man who approached her fell dead, and at Agnes’s prayer he was restored to life—revealing the power of Christ at work through this child.

Enraged, the prefect ordered her burned alive, but the flames could not touch her. Standing in prayer, Agnes praised God for delivering her. At last, she was put to death by the sword, offering herself willingly and joyfully to Christ. Even pagans wept at the sight of such innocence embracing martyrdom.

She was buried in the catacombs beneath what is now the Basilica of Sant’Agnese fuori le mura. Each year on January 21, the Pope blesses lambs whose wool becomes the palliums worn by archbishops—a living sign of purity, sacrifice, and unity with Rome.
Saint Agnes reminds us that true freedom is found in belonging wholly to Christ. In a world that often despises innocence, she proclaims that holiness is strength perfected by grace. Through her intercession, may we remain pure in heart, faithful in promise, and courageous in witness.

May peace be with you...

01/22/2026

Feast Day of Saint Sebastian, Model of Courage

Dear Beloved in Christ,

It is a true privilege to honor and reflect upon one of the Chruch's most courageous and loved martyrs: Saint Sebastian is a patron for soldiers, and athletes, and who we pray to for protection from plague.

Born around 255 and raised in Milan, he rose to captain of the Praetorian Guard under Emperor Diocletian. While serving in the heart of imperial power, he lived a hidden Christian life—secretly encouraging imprisoned believers and converting many through word and example.

When the deacons Marcus and Marcellianus were imprisoned for Christ, Sebastian revealed his faith and fortified them so powerfully that their families and many others embraced Christianity. Miracles accompanied his witness: the mute Zoe spoke, the prefect Chromatius was healed and baptized, and Sebastian became, for a time, Rome’s unseen protector of the Church.

Discovered in 286, Sebastian was condemned to death by arrows and left for dead. God preserved his life, and Saint Irene nursed him back to health. Rather than flee, Sebastian confronted Diocletian directly, denouncing the persecution of Christians. For this, he was clubbed to death, and his body later laid to rest in the catacombs along the Appian Way, where the Basilica of San Sebastiano now stands.

Venerated as a protector against plague and patron of soldiers and athletes, Saint Sebastian reminds us that true strength flows from total surrender to Christ. His life teaches us to stand firm in faith, to use our positions for God’s glory, and to bear witness without fear.
For more than seventeen centuries, his quiet heroism and fearless witness have strengthened the faithful.

May this faithful soldier and glorious martyr of Christ pray for us.

01/16/2026

January 17: The Feast of Saint Anthony the Abbot

Dear Beloved in Christ,

The feast day of the Father of Monasticism draws us into the wisdom of a soul who learned to listen deeply to God. Living in the stillness of the Egyptian desert, Saint Anthony discovered that true freedom is found not in possessing much, but in surrendering everything to the Lord. His life was not an escape from the world, but a loving offering for it—a witness that the human heart is made for God alone.

Saint Anthony's holiness was formed in silence, prayer, and perseverance. In the simplicity of his days, he waged a courageous battle against fear, temptation, and distraction, trusting wholly in God's grace. When he distributed his inheritance to the poor and withdrew to the desert around 270 AD, he modeled a radical response to Christ's call to perfection. The Church honors him because his way of life reminds us that intimacy with God is possible for every soul, not through great achievements, but through faithfulness in small, hidden acts of love.

The Desert Fathers understood their solitude as intercession for the Church and the world. Through their prayers and penances, they stood in solidarity with all humanity, offering their suffering for the redemption of souls. In an age of constant distraction, Saint Anthony's example invites us to examine our attachments and idols, calling us to spiritual vigilance against the "demons of the age"—pride, lust, greed, and envy.

As we celebrate his feast today, we join the universal Church across centuries in honoring this saint and invoking his intercession. We are invited to step back from the noise of our lives, to rest in God's presence, and to rediscover the quiet joy that comes from placing our hearts entirely in His care. May the example of Saint Anthony strengthen our resolve to seek first the kingdom of God, knowing that in losing ourselves, we truly find ourselves in Christ.

May peace be with you...

01/15/2026

The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

Dear Beloved in Christ,

This Holy day is a gentle and luminous moment in the life of the Church. In it, we are invited to imagine standing quietly on the banks of the Jordan and behold a mystery filled with humility and love. Jesus, the sinless Son of God, steps into the waters not because He needs cleansing, but because He wishes to draw close to us—so close that He enters fully into the human condition. In doing so, He blesses the waters of the earth and reveals the tender heart of God, who desires to meet His children where they are.

As the heavens open and the Holy Spirit descends, the voice of the Father is heard proclaiming His delight in the Son. This moment, so simple yet so profound, is a gift to all humanity, and especially those of us in the Catholic faith. It reminds us that in our own baptism, we too were claimed, cherished, and named as His beloved sons and daughters. This Feast tenderly brings the Christmas season to its close, turning our eyes from His wonderous birth in the manger to the unfolding of His mission of love and mercy. And so, the Baptism of the Lord is an invitation to remember who we are in Christ—and to walk forward with trust, knowing that we, too, are held in the loving gaze of the Father.

May peace be with you...