The Archdiocese at 200
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A bipartisan group of congressman from New York this week introduced a resolution commemorating the 200th anniversary of the Archdiocese of New York. The resolution recounts the history of the Catholic church in the state. On April 8, 1808, the “Diocese of New York was established with the Most Reverend R. Luke Concanen as its first Bishop, and was elevated to an Archdiocese in 1850,” it says, noting that the diocese originally included the entire state of New York as well as New Jersey, areas that are now served by 12 different dioceses.
The resolution speaks of how New York was home both to the first Cardinal Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Church in America, his Eminence John Cardinal McCloskey, and the first American-born Saint, Elizabeth Ann Seton, a member of the Archdiocese of New York and founder of today ‘s Catholic education parochial school system. It speaks of how, with 2.5 million Catholics, 402 parishes, 278 elementary and high schools, and 3,729 charitable ministries, including include Catholic Charities, hospitals, nursing homes, and outreach programs, the archdiocese of New York is a vast enterprise. It speaks of how New York has been the site of three Papal visits — Pope Paul VI on October 5, 1965 and Pope John Paul II on October 7, 1979 and again on October 5, 1995.
The resolution was introduced by Rep. Vito Fossella, a Republican who represents Staten Island, and its cosponsors include Democrats such as Rep. Jose Serrano of the Bronx, Carolyn Maloney of Manhattan, and Charles Rangel, who represents Harlem. Not all of the resolution’s cosponsors are Catholic, or even Christians — Rep. Anthony Weiner, who is Jewish, has signed on as a backer. Nor are all of the supporters New Yorkers — Rep. Frank Wolf, a Republican of Virginia, is a co-sponsor. The Catholic church, like many other religious institutions in America, labors in hope of recognition from God, not from Washington. But the resolution strikes us as one welcome and appropriate approach to honoring an institution that has contributed to the good of this city in a way that New Yorkers of all political and religious backgrounds can, without hesitation, join in applauding.
