My Place in the Sun, March 23: Stations of the Cross
For many of us the Stations of the Cross are synonymous with Lent, Holy Week and, especially Good Friday. The devotion is also known as the “Way of the Cross,” and the “Via Dolorosa.” The tradition for this devotion dates back to the ancient practice of making a...
My Place in the Sun, March 16: Remembering Bishop Moynihan
A few hours before writing this week’s article, we celebrated the funeral liturgy for Most Rev. James M. Moynihan. Since his death on March 6, our diocesan website, the Catholic Sun, and the secular media have provided us with much information about his life, his...
My Place in the, Sun March 9: Rite of Election
The first two Sundays of March are joyous occasions for those preparing to receive the Sacraments of Initiation. On Sunday, March 5, I celebrated the Rite of Election at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception for 48 catechumens who are in the final stages of...
My Place in the Sun, March 1: Heroes of March
“The history of the Church has not been driven by theologians, or priests, or nuns, or bishops. Maybe in part, but the true heroes of the Church are the saints. This is those men and women who devoted their lives to making the Gospel a reality” (Pope Francis,...
My Place in the Sun, February 23: A Lenten message from Bishop Robert J. Cunningham
Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord, “We adore, you O Christ, and we bless you. Because by Your holy cross You have redeemed the world.” Lent is the Church’s holy spring. Even in the midst of the cold and snow there are signs that spring is on its way. Most...
My Place in the Sun, February 16: Marriage Jubilee
Sunday, February 12, was a joyous occasion! Married couples from throughout the diocese joined me at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception for the celebration of their jubilees. Gathered at the Eucharist we gave thanks to Almighty God for their example of...
My place in the sun, February 9: Welcome the Stranger
On Sunday, Feb. 5, I celebrated a special Mass in Solidarity with Refugees and Exiles at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. The prepared text of the homily I preached on that occasion is printed below. Let me begin with a warm welcome to those from other...
My place in the sun, Feb. 2: Catholic Schools: A Great Gift
We are in the midst of Catholic Schools Week! Last Friday evening, as has been the custom for 11 years, the Light the Way Scholarship Dinner was held at the Oncenter. We honored Bishops Moynihan and Costello, Donna Skrocki, Patrick Kinne, and three educators who have...
My place in the sun, Jan. 26: March for Life
Thousands of people, including hundreds from our diocese, will travel to Washington, DC, to participate in the March for Life on Friday, January 27. The homily I plan to preach in the crypt at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is printed...
Christians, Muslims join for Christmas Mass in liberated Mosul
By Catholic News Service MOSUL, Iraq (CNS) — Cries of joy and seasonal hymns once again filled St. Paul Cathedral in Mosul as Christmas Mass was celebrated there for the first time in three and a half years, following the northern Iraqi city’s liberation from Islamic...
Christmas proclaims hope, charity where fear reigns, pope says
By Junno Arocho Esteves | Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Christmas calls believers to see God’s presence where he is often perceived as absent, especially in the “unwelcomed visitor, often unrecognizable, who walks through our cities and our neighborhoods,...
The ‘hurt is still there,’ says Cardinal O’Malley at news conference
By Mark Labbe | Catholic News Service BRAINTREE, Mass. (CNS) — Journalists crowded into a room in the Archdiocese of Boston’s Braintree headquarters Dec. 20 as Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley answered questions following the death of Cardinal Bernard F. Law, whose death was...
Priest’s ‘sweet secret’: He invented machine that ‘hooked’ the candy cane
By Malea Hargett | Catholic News Service LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (CNS) — An Arkansas priest-inventor had a hand in creating the candy canes that you know and love this time of year. The history of the candy cane is a little murky. Legend has it that the candy started as...
Creche crush: D.C. couple has collection of 500 Nativity scenes
By Mark Pattison | Catholic News Service WASHINGTON (CNS) — For Roger and Marguerite Sullivan of Washington, Christmas really is the most wonderful time of the year. Thanks to their travels throughout the world over the past 40 years — he for the World Bank, she for...
Cardinal Law’s funeral celebrated at Vatican
By Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Cardinal Bernard F. Law, who resigned as archbishop of Boston when it became clear he had knowingly transferred priests accused of sexually abusing children, made mistakes as all people do, Cardinal Angelo Sodano said at...
Pope: Redeemed Christians are joyful, don’t have ‘funeral wake’ faces
By Junno Arocho Esteves | Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Christians have good reason to be joyful and should let it shine in their faces rather than sport sad, pessimistic looks, Pope Francis said. Although “the root of Christian joy” lies in the fact that...
Bring peace on earth and in hearts by going to confession, pope says
By Carol Glatz | Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Head to confession so Christmas can be a time of peace in your hearts, Pope Francis told Vatican employees and their families. “Yesterday I went to confession for Christmas … and it did me good,” he told the...
2018 Light the Way Award recipients announced: See the honorees
From the Catholic Schools of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse: The Catholic Schools of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse announce their 12th Annual Light the Way Scholarship Dinner, to be held Friday, January 26, at the Marriott Syracuse Downtown. The event...
Ruth Pesane, 97, recalled as loving, generous, talented
She was married to Luke for 75 years; they met at a dance hall on Butternut Street By Tom Maguire | Associate editor Luke Pesane can’t recall exactly how he worked up the nerve to approach Ruth Guckert that night in the mid-1930s at the dance hall on Butternut Street...
Get to Mass early; don’t calculate how late you can be, pope says
By Carol Glatz | Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Don’t be late for Mass believing the introductory rites do not matter, Pope Francis told visitors and pilgrims. The words and gestures that open the celebration help the faithful come together as one and...
German churches act as buffer for refugees with sanctuary program
By Dale Gavlak | Catholic News Service BERLIN (CNS) — Sitting on the bare pavement outside a Catholic church, an Afghan refugee woman, dressed in a bright floral headscarf, calls out plaintively to passersby, begging for coins. It’s a scene repeatedly played out in...
Catholic leaders offer prayers for all affected by train derailment
By Catholic News Service DUPONT, Wash. (CNS) — Catholic leaders in the Archdiocese of Seattle and the Archdiocese of Portland, Oregon, offered prayers for all affected by the Dec. 18 derailment of an Amtrak train that had just come from the Tacoma station and was...
Local congregations form Central New York Interfaith Sanctuary Coalition
By Renée K. Gadoua | Contributing writer All Saints Church in Syracuse has prepared a space to shelter an undocumented immigrant challenging the deportation process. The parish announced its status as a sanctuary church December 11, as leaders introduced the Central...
Family’s first Christmas in U.S. makes a ‘heart open to Jesus and this new life’
By Renée K. Gadoua | Contributing writer Justin Ndayambaje and Bienvenue Mbuguje spent Christmas 2016 in Rwanda’s Kiziba Refugee Camp. The brothers, their parents, and a cousin marked the birth of Jesus Christ last year with a treat — a rare meal with meat — and...
They yell ‘Mr. Oscar!’ at Christmastime in Colombia
Ludden coach brings boxes and boxes of gifts to needy By Tom Maguire | Associate editor The soccer coach made the save. In the darkness outside Manlius Pebble Hill School, three huge boxes destined for needy Colombian kids started to tip off the hand truck pushed...
Called and gifted: Formation for Ministry program offers opportunities to grow in faith
By Katherine Long | Editor One of the greatest lessons Michael Thayne learned during his time in the diocesan Formation for Ministry program was that “we are all 100 percent called and gifted by God,” he said. “It’s not just me being called — it’s all of us.” Thayne...
St. John the Evangelist School celebrates Advent
Jesse Tree Tradition honors Old Testament and story of Jesus Submitted by John Kocik At St. John the Evangelist School in Binghamton, the Advent season is a special time of the year for everyone. It is even more exciting in an elementary school where young children...
Forming a ‘domestic church’ in the Year of the Family: Community
“Let us not forget that the family and the Church are communities that build us up and support us in love. When the family is a strong community then the Church is strengthened and becomes an impressive ‘cloud of witnesses’ (Hebrews 12:1). Please help to build up the...
Forming a ‘domestic church’ in the Year of the Family: Community
“Let us not forget that the family and the Church are communities that build us up and support us in love. When the family is a strong community then the Church is strengthened and becomes an impressive ‘cloud of witnesses’ (Hebrews 12:1). Please help to build up the...
Catholic Conference statement on veto of nonpublic school aid bill
From the New York State Catholic Conference: Last night, the New York State Catholic Conference was informed that Governor Andrew Cuomo vetoed legislation (S.6089) that would have averted cuts in state reimbursements to Catholic and other nonpublic schools. The cuts...
