About Archdiocese of New York
The Archdiocese of New York (Latin: Archidiœcesis Neo-Eboracensis) is a Roman Catholic metropolitan archdiocese in the State of New York, headed from its seat at St. Patrick's Cathedral on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. Erected by Pope Pius VII on April 8, 1808, as the Diocese of New York and elevated to an archdiocese on July 19, 1850, it today serves approximately 2.5 million Catholics across nearly 300 parishes in Manhattan, the Bronx, Staten Island, and seven Hudson Valley counties (Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester). Its ministries include 153 Catholic schools educating about 50,000 students, Catholic Charities serving more than 400,000 people annually, and ArchCare, the archdiocese's continuing-care health system.
- Archbishop (Coadjutor, to be installed February 2026)
- Ronald Aldon Hicks
- Established
- 1808
- Cathedral
- St. Patrick's Cathedral (Fifth Avenue, Manhattan)
- Territory
- The boroughs of Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island in New York City, and the counties of Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester in the Hudson Valley.
- Parishes
- Nearly 300 parishes
- Province
- Itself — the Metropolitan See of its own ecclesiastical Province of New York, which includes the Dioceses of Brooklyn, Rockville Centre, and others as suffragans.
History of the Archdiocese of New York
On April 8, 1808, Pope Pius VII erected the Diocese of New York from territory taken from Baltimore, covering the whole of New York State and seven New Jersey counties. John Hughes, the fiery fourth bishop, became the first archbishop on July 19, 1850, when Pius IX raised the see to metropolitan rank. From the original vast territory came the dioceses of Albany and Buffalo (1847), Newark and Brooklyn (1853), and the Apostolic Prefecture of the Bahamas (1929), while Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester were added to the see over time, making the present Archdiocese of New York the spiritual home of roughly 2.5 million Catholics in Manhattan, the Bronx, Staten Island, and the Hudson Valley.
- Erected April 8, 1808; elevated July 19, 1850
- Eleven ordinary bishops/archbishops led the see before Timothy Dolan
- Ronald Aldon Hicks named by Pope Leo XIV on December 18, 2025
Leaders of the Diocese and Archdiocese
The succession of ordinary bishops and archbishops of New York includes some of the most consequential figures in American Catholic history — from John Hughes, who built the Catholic school system, to John McCloskey, the first American cardinal, to Francis Spellman, whose 28 years remains the longest tenure. Since 1911 every archbishop of New York has been elevated to the College of Cardinals. The current apostolic administrator following Cardinal Dolan's retirement is Bishop Ronald Aldon Hicks, former Bishop of Joliet, Illinois, whose installation is scheduled for February 2026.
- Hughes → McCloskey → Corrigan → Farley → Hayes → Spellman → Cooke → O'Connor → Egan → Dolan → (Hicks)
St. Patrick's Cathedral
St. Patrick's Cathedral, the seat of the Archbishop of New York on Fifth Avenue between 50th and 51st Streets in Manhattan, is the largest Gothic Revival Catholic cathedral in the United States. Construction began under Archbishop John Hughes in 1858 and the cathedral was dedicated in 1879 by Archbishop (later Cardinal) John McCloskey. Designed by James Renwick Jr. in a style inspired by the great French cathedrals of the Middle Ages, it accommodates roughly 3,000 worshippers and welcomes millions of visitors each year. It is also the only cathedral in the United States whose crypt holds the remains of a venerated layperson — Venerable Pierre Toussaint, a formerly enslaved man from Haiti.
- Fifth Avenue between 50th and 51st Streets, Manhattan
- Designed by James Renwick Jr.; cornerstone laid 1858; dedicated 1879
- Houses the remains of Venerable Pierre Toussaint
Catholic Schools
The Catholic school system of the Archdiocese of New York is one of the largest in the United States, with 153 schools serving about 50,000 students from pre-K through 12th grade. Its roots reach back to the New York Literary Institution (1809), the first Catholic school in the diocese, and to the parallel system that John Hughes built after the Maclay Act of 1842 banned public funding of religious schools. The Inner-City Scholarship Fund, founded under Cardinal Cooke, has provided tens of thousands of need-based scholarships for low-income families to attend Catholic schools.
- 153 schools educating nearly 50,000 students
- Department of Education: 646-794-2885
- Inner-City Scholarship Fund: 646-794-2810
St. Joseph's Seminary and College
St. Joseph's Seminary and College in Yonkers is the major seminary of the archdiocese, primarily forming men for the Catholic priesthood; it also offers graduate theological and philosophical degree programs for qualified lay students. Successor to the remote seminaries that John Dubois and John Hughes founded at Nyack and Lafargeville, it has been the archdiocese's principal house of priestly formation since the late 19th century.
- Major seminary of the archdiocese
- Located in Yonkers
- Phone: 914-968-6200 x 8202
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York is one of the largest social-services agencies in the New York region, helping more than 400,000 people each year regardless of religion. Services span housing, behavioral health, immigration legal assistance, family and children's services, refugee resettlement, senior programs, food pantries, and disaster response. The Beacon of Hope Division provides a continuum of housing for people struggling with serious mental illness.
- Information & Referral Help Line: 1-888-744-7900 (toll-free)
- 646-794-3779
- Several offices across NYC and the Hudson Valley
ArchCare — Healthcare Ministry
ArchCare is the continuing-care community of the Archdiocese of New York, providing home care, short-term rehabilitation, nursing home care, hospice, specialized services for people with dementia, HIV/AIDS programs, and health-plan coverage for elders and those in need. Inspired by Catholic faith, ArchCare delivers care to the underserved with compassion guided by the healing ministry of Jesus.
- Headquarters: 205 Lexington Ave., 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10016
- Phone: 718-923-5370
- www.archcare.org
Faith Formation and Religious Education
The Office of Youth Faith Formation supports parish-based religious education programs across the archdiocese, providing catechetical resources, sacramental preparation guidelines, and training for catechists. The Department of Education supports Catholic schools in implementing religion curricula aligned with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' framework.
- Youth Faith Formation Office
- Department of Education: 646-794-2885
Youth, Young Adult & University Apostolate
Catholic Youth, Young Adult Ministry, and the University Apostolate accompany young people across the archdiocese from middle school through graduate school, organizing retreats, faith formation, service opportunities, and chaplaincies for Catholic students at secular and Catholic colleges in the region.
Ministries & Offices Directory
The archdiocese operates dozens of central offices supporting parish life, including the Offices of Vocations, Priestly Life and Ministry, Lay Ecclesial Ministry, Liturgy, Music, Cultural Diversity, Care of God's Creation, Communications, Stewardship and Development, Legal, Finance, Tribunal, Cemeteries, and the Safe Environment Program. Each office connects parishes and the faithful to archdiocesan resources.
- Communications: 646-794-2990; [email protected]
- Safe Environment Program
- Archdiocese Drug Abuse Prevention Program
Faith Initiatives: United in Faith & Care of God's Creation
United in Faith is the archdiocese's parish renewal initiative, strengthening parish life, clergy support, and lay engagement across the region. Care of God's Creation is the archdiocesan response to Pope Francis' environmental encyclical Laudato Si', integrating ecology into parish mission and operations.
Getting Involved & Contact
Parishioners and newcomers are invited to connect through their parish, attend liturgy and devotions at St. Patrick's Cathedral, enroll children in Catholic schools, volunteer with Catholic Charities and parish outreach, support the Inner-City Scholarship Fund or the Annual Catholic Appeal, and serve as lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, catechists, or members of parish councils.
- Catholic Center: 488 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022
- 212-371-1000
- [email protected]
- www.archny.org
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