The Archdiocese of New York turns 200 next year, but its planned year-long celebration of the anniversary will begin with a commemorative Mass on Sunday at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

Lectures, conferences, and museum exhibits are planned in the 12 months leading up to the archdiocese’s bicentennial, on April 8, 2008.

In honor of the anniversary, the archdiocese last year embarked on a capital campaign and has thus far received $105 million in cash and pledges. The goal for the campaign has been set at $200 million, which will pay for parish upkeep and to support the archdiocese’s Fund for Needy Parishes.

Representatives from the archdiocese’s 400-plus parishes have been invited to this Sunday’s celebratory 2 p.m. Mass, at which Edward Cardinal Egan will give a homily. “We’re hoping that parishes throughout the archdiocese will be inaugurating the bicentennial year on their own — not just at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Sunday,” a spokesman for the archdiocese, Joseph Zwilling, said.

On April 2, Cardinal Egan turned 75, and submitted to Pope Benedict XVI a mandatory letter of resignation, which the pope can either accept or reject. Mr. Zwilling said the cardinal has not yet received an answer from the Vatican. “I would be surprised if he hears anything besides ‘Keep on doing what you’re doing’ as a response,” he said.

The 10-county Archdiocese of New York, home to about 2.5 million Catholics, was founded in April 1808 — together with the archdioceses of Boston, Philadelphia, and Bardstown, Ky.