United in Faith Your Monthly Newsletter from the Archdiocese of New York
SEPTEMBER 2026
A Season of Remembering, Gratitude and Hope A Letter from Archbishop Hicks
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, As I begin this letter, there is one thing I must say first: thank you. Thank you for your prayers and well wishes as I recovered from surgery for a detached retina. I have been deeply touched by the outpouring of kindness from across the archdiocese and beyond. Your prayers have been a reminder of how much we rely on one another, especially in moments when life asks us to slow down. September is always a season of transition. Children begin a new school year. Young adults leave home for college, while their parents watch with a little ache as their children begin lives of their own. Summer’s slower rhythms give way to familiar routines, and we find ourselves moving forward while carrying with us what has come before. Perhaps nowhere is that more evident than here in New York, especially this year. As I have gotten to know my new home by walking its streets and exploring the city, I’ve noticed how present September 11th still is in everyday life. Twenty-five years later, its memory lives on; in a new skyline, in simple plaques and great memorials, and in the photographs of first responders who were lost, still displayed outside of firehouses and police stations. I was living in Chicago at the time, but, like so many of you, I remember it vividly. We remember those who died and the extraordinary courage, service, sacrifice, and compassion that followed. That same spirit of remembering calls us to consider how we care for one another and the world we have been given. September also opens the Season of Creation, a month that invites us to look more closely at the fragility and dignity of life and our responsibility for one another. To care for God’s creation is to recognize the interconnectedness of all life and to remember that the poor and vulnerable often suffer first and most profoundly when our common home is harmed. Caring for the earth and caring for one another are inseparable. And finally, this is where the witness of the Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen speaks to us. His beatification this month reminds us of a man who understood the power of helping others see. His life was deeply connected to New York, and his voice reached millions through television and radio. He knew that our task is not simply to speak about Christ, but to help others see Christ; in the Eucharist, in the poor, and in the ordinary circumstances of daily life. It’s a busy month, but September reminds us that there is a time for everything under heaven: a time to remember and a time to begin again. Thank you again for your prayers during my recovery. They have been a profound gift to me, and I assure you of my continued prayers for you. As I remain, Sincerely yours in Christ, Most Reverend Ronald A. Hicks Archbishop of New York
EVENTS
Share With Your Community Click items below for more information on each event.
Our Lady of Charity Mass Misa en honor a Nuestra Señora de la Caridad del Cobre Cultural Diversity Apostolate SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6
Mass of the Holy Spirit for Adult Leaders and Volunteers in Ministry Office of Adult Discipleship and Marriage Formation WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9
Mass in Honor of San Lorenzo Ruiz Cultural Diversity Apostolate SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13
Our Lady of Coromoto Mass Misa en honor a Nuestra Señora de Coromoto Cultural Diversity Apostolate SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13
Fourth Annual Mass for the Season of Creation Metro New York Catholic Climate Movement WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16
Mass of the Divine Child Misa en honor al Divino Niño Jesús Cultural Diversity Apostolate SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20
Archdiocese of New York | September 2026 Monthly Bulletin | P. 1
EVENTS (cont.)
Share With Your Community Click items below for more information on each event.
Steuben Day Parade Mass Cultural Diversity Apostolate SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20
Office of Youth Faith Formation 2026 Kickoffs Office of Youth Faith Formation TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 – WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14
365 Catholic Singles Historic Pilgrimage: Fulton Sheen Beatification Office of Youth Ministry | Young Adult Ministry | University Apostolate WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
Mass in honor of Our Lady of El Cisne Misa en honor a Nuestra Señora de El Cisne Cultural Diversity Apostolate SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27
Our Lady of Mercy Mass | Misa en honor a Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes Cultural Diversity Apostolate SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27
Corpus Christi and Notre Dame: Pilgrimage to France Office of Youth Ministry | Young Adult Ministry | University Apostolate WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7
Archdiocese of New York | September 2026 Monthly Bulletin | P. 2
EVENTS (cont.)
Share With Your Community Click items below for more information on each event.
Receiving and Celebrating the New Liturgy of the Hours Liturgy Office SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24
Archdiocese of New York | September 2026 Monthly Bulletin | P. 3
INITIATIVES
Building Momentum Together
Office of Adult Discipleship and Marriage Formation Encounter School of Ministry NYC
Designed and established from the heart of Encounter Ministries, this school draws from the richness of our Catholic heritage as we seek to teach, equip, and activate disciples to demonstrate the love of God through the power of the Holy Spirit in their spheres of influence. In conformity with the teachings and traditions of the Catholic Church, we offer students a dynamic two-year training program designed to take you to the next level in your ministry. The school year will begin with a Mass of the Holy Spirit celebrated by Bishop Joseph Espaillat on Friday, September 9. View flyer
More info
Metro NY Catholic Climate Movement Season of Creation 2026
With the celebration of the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation on Tuesday, September 1, we begin the 2026 Season of Creation, a five-week period when Christians around the world pay greater attention to what is happening to the earth and to the vulnerable. It closes on Sunday, October 4 with the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, patron of the environment. The Season of Creation is a time to renew our relationship with our Creator and all creation through celebration, conversion and commitment together. We hear more acutely the cry of the earth with the wildfires raging around the globe, with homes destroyed and smoke-filled air choking the most vulnerable in its path. In other areas, people are facing heat domes and destructive floods. This ecumenical season mobilizes churches, faith-based organizations and communities worldwide to respond to the ecological crisis. View flyer
More info
St. Joseph’s Seminary Graduate Degree Programs: Fall Registration is Going on Now!
Join us at St. Joseph’s Seminary this fall for online and in-person degree and certificate programs in Catholic Theology! Discounts for new students and full-time diocesan employees are available. Classes begin Thursday, September 8! View flyer
More info
Youth Faith Formation Prepare for Catechetical Sunday 2026
On September 26 we will celebrate Catechetical Sunday, where those whom the Community has designated to serve as catechists will be called forth to be commissioned for their ministry. Catechetical Sunday is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the role that each person plays, by virtue of Baptism, in handing on the faith and being a witness to the Gospel. Catechetical Sunday is an opportunity for all to rededicate themselves to this mission as a community of faith. View flyer
More info
Archdiocese of New York | September 2026 Monthly Bulletin | P. 4
INITIATIVES (cont.) Building Momentum Together
Youth Ministry | Young Adult Ministry | University Apostolate Parish Youth and Young Adult Nights
Our pastoral office is hosting parish youth and young adult nights for parishes interested in starting a new youth ministry (for middle and high schoolers) and/or young adult ministry (18-35 year olds). For more info, please contact Pjetër Nilaj, Coordinator of the Office of Youth Ministry, Young Adult Ministry and University Apostolate at archny.org/young-catholics.
Youth and Young Adult Ministry Leadership Formation
Our pastoral office is hosting youth ministry and young adult ministry leadership formation for young adults interested interested in growing in their Catholic faith and leadership. For more info, please contact Pjetër Nilaj, Coordinator of the Office of Youth Ministry, Young Adult Ministry and University Apostolate at archny.org/young-catholics.
Archdiocese of New York | September 2026 Monthly Bulletin | P. 5
BACK TO SCHOOL As a new school year begins, we welcome our students, teachers, and families back with joy and hope! Welcome back! Find your school at catholicschoolsny.org/school-finder. For reference, view the elementary schools calendar at catholicschoolsny.org/ elementary/elementary-calendar Download your personal Back to School prayer card for iPhone or Android
Care for Creation Season In celebration of this September’s Season for Creation, we invite our Catholic school communities to begin the year with a spirit of gratitude and care for God’s creation. To help students celebrate, explore our Children’s Care for Creation Activity Book, designed especially for grade school students.
September 1, 2026
ARCHDIOCESE OF NEW YORK AND BORGO LAUDATO SI’ AT THE PAPAL ESTATE ANNOUNCE DIGITAL PARTNERSHIP FOR THE 2026 SEASON OF CREATION NEW YORK — The Archdiocese of New York and the Borgo Laudato Si’, located in the Pontifical Gardens of Castel Gandolfo, Italy, on the grounds of the papal estate, are launching a digital partnership to amplify the vision of the 2026 Season of Creation. This global ecumenical observance is inspired by Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical, Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home. Established by Pope Francis through a 2023 chirograph and inaugurated by Pope Leo XIV in September 2025, Borgo Laudato Si’ is a project entrusted to Laudato si’ Center For Higher Education, the Vatican’s institution for integral ecology, bringing together faith, education, environmental sustainability, and care for creation.
Download your personal Care for Creation prayer card for iPhone or Android
Download your personal September 11th prayer card for iPhone or Android
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