Diocese of Trenton Taking Legal Action Against Chubb and Other Insurers

Insurance Business Magazine reports that the Diocese of Trenton is pursuing legal action against Chubb and other insurance re denial of claims.  Chubb echoed their response to the Archdiocese of New York:

“Insurance covers accidents—not intentional, unconscionable, and knowing misconduct," the statement read. "There’s a reason insurance doesn’t cover this kind of behavior—it would reward those who facilitate criminal conduct rather than those who take vigilant steps to protect children from abuse. Any attempt by an organization or its representatives – religious or otherwise - to shift blame from those who tolerated, concealed, and covered up rampant child sexual abuse for decades, despite having substantial financial resources to compensate their victims today, is simply reprehensible.”

Read all about it: Trenton Diocese takes legal action against Chubb over alleged sexual abuse claim denials

Faith Based Affordable Housing Bill in NYS Would Override Landmark and Zoning Protections

From Andrew Berman at Greenwich Village Preservation: Troubling State Bill Overriding Landmark and Zoning Protections Reemerges, Requiring Sharp Pushback

This new State bill would override landmarks and zoning regulations to allow otherwise prohibited construction on the site of religious properties.

The so-called “Faith-Based Affordable Housing Act” has reemerged in Albany with a big push to pass the bill that would for the first time have the state undermine and circumvent landmarks and local zoning protections. Village Preservation has been working with a coalition of preservation organizations from across the state to fight the bill, which resulted in some concessions last session and helped keep the bill from getting a vote. But the anti-landmarking, anti-zoning-protections advocates who are behind the bill have renewed their push for its adoption this session.  We met with the bill’s main sponsor, State Senator Andrew Gounardes of Brooklyn, to seek common ground and see if the bill can be amended to address our concerns while still serving its purported purpose of helping faith-based property owners and facilitating the creation of affordable housing. The State Senator refused to budge on a single point. We have therefore again called upon local State Senators Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Brian Kavanagh, who represent our neighborhoods of Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo and are co-sponsors of the legislation, to remove their names from the bill unless it is amended to address the concerns groups from across the state have shared. Passage of this bill would not only allow construction on landmarked sites in contravention of local landmark and zoning regulations, but set a dangerous precedent for the dismantling of these measures which protect history and neighborhood character.

Today is Cardinal Dolan's 75th Birthday - Resignation Submitted Pro Forma

This morning's CBS news featured a spot wishing Cardinal Timothy Dolan a happy 75th birthday while noting that he has submitted the requisite resignation to the Vatican.  Whether the resignation will be accepted is a source of speculation.  When Cardinal Dolan was appointed Ordinary of the Archdiocese of New York his wit and relaxed demeanor were a breath of fresh air.  However, Cardinal Egan's apparatus and MO remained largely intact.   

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord at Saint Mary's - Ah! The Humanity!

Click here to view procession

Unusually cold this morning, with the wind whipping around the corner of South Broadway and St. Mary's Street.  As I sat in what has become my usual pew those who passed hugged, kissed and patted the much loved Lidia, parish matriarch and mother of Izzy.  I was greeted with waves, smiles and handshakes as well.  As the parishioners began arriving some of them would walk up to the altar and put a small statue of the child Jesus, some of them seated on little chairs or thrones.  A young teen altar server at one point bobbed a quick genuflection and sprinted across the altar to vest for the procession at the last minute

A mother, father and toddler dressed as Jesus, Mary and Joseph joined the procession followed by a very young angel with her white wings outside her white winter coat.   I was lucky enough to have them sit across the aisle from me.  Seeing the Holy Family in the flesh throughout the Mass really brought the Incarnation to life.  The young boy was adorable, looking around and taking it all in.  Mary and Joseph took turns rocking him, bouncing him and giving him something to gnaw on.  No need to imagine the daily life of the Holy Family.

St Columba in Chelsea is in Contract for $48 Million

Crain's New York Business, The Real Deal and Commercial Observer all report that the Archdiocese of New York is in contract to sell St. Columba church and 2 adjacent properties to Timber Equities for $48 million, purportedly for residential development.

National Catholic Reporter is looking for evidence that real estate sales are somehow related to payouts to abuse survivors.  So far the dots for us to connect are forming a denser plot.

If you are a subscriber, you can read all about it:

Crain's New York Business: Chelsea church in contract to sell to luxury housing developer

The Real Deal: Archdiocese of New York finds buyer for Chelsea church site

Commercial Observer: Timber Equities Acquires Catholic Church Properties in Chelsea

Read more about St. Columba Church on Wikipedia

Why Raise Money for the St. Patrick's Cathedral Organ When St. Mary's Hangs in the Balance?

When the parishioners of St. Mary's heard from the archdiocese that their church needed $10 million in repairs, they leapt at the chance to investigate lowering the estimate and to raise the money to pay.  According to what I've seen in the media and heard from individual parishioners, the archdiocese forbade them.

Today I received "An exciting announcement from St. Patrick's Cathedral."  It was a repeat announcement of a fundraising campaign with the evocative moniker "Renew the Living Voices."  According to today's blurb, 

However, Catholic New York ran an article about the 2014 return of the organ to the cathedral after it had been removed and renovated in 2012: Restored Cathedral Organ Will Soon Play Again.  The 2012 renovation of the organ was also presented to the media by PBS in their feature Treasures of New York: St. Patrick's Cathedral.  The segment about the organ restoration begins at 34:48.  Work on the organ at other points in the Cathedral's history is described in the Cathedral's Wikipedia entry.

To which I can only ask: 

• Is this necessary?
• If so, why?
• Why are they calling this the first major renovation since 1929 when what was performed in 2012 seems major enough to warrant a 2 year absence?
• Why is this a priority when they are laying off, selling real estate, paying for litigation and shepherding churches toward the real estate market?
• Did St. Mary's participate/benefit from the 2017 Renew & Rebuild campaign? If not, why?

Our Counterpart in Wilkes-Barre, PA, at Least Gets a Fitting Obit

The January 14th edition of the Times Leader ran a proper elegy for St. Mary's of the Immaculate Conception in Wilkes-Barre.  The last Mass at this church was celebrated on January 12, and it sounds like the liturgy was conducted in the manner of a funeral for a well-loved member of any family or community.  Here is a quote that moved me most.

"Then one of the most touching moments you may ever see occurred as parishioners took turns saying goodbye to the altar itself. Long lines formed. Some knelt, some kissed, some tapped gently with fingers. Some wiped tears away.

Once the church was empty, long-time parishioners Alice Rodgers and Janice Oliver locked the front doors. Rodgers tied a purple bow across the handles and made the sign of the cross as she turned to descend the steps for one last time."

The story of the Immaculate Conception of Wilkes-Barre is eerily similar to that of our St. Mary's/Immaculate Conception in Yonkers.  While I am happy that it was treated with great love in its final days, I hope (pray, plot, scheme and work) that our church will continue to stand and provide a spiritual home for the citizens of Yonkers and beyond for years to come.

You can read the sad and moving tribute from the Times Leader here: "Church had a powerful history worth remembering"

Archdiocese of New York, et al v. City of Yonkers, et al - Update

I snoop. Today I noticed some activity  dated 1/13/2025 on Trellis Law regarding the Archdiocese's suit against the City of Yonkers.   Trying to figure out what is going on via their free offering is like trying to watch a basketball game via live stats because I'm too cheap for ESPN+, but here goes: