List of Roman Catholic archbishops of New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids {{{name}}}
Timothy M. Dolan, the Archbishop of New York since 2009
Coat of arms
Information
Denomination	Catholic Church
Sui iuris church	Latin Church
Established	1808 (bishopric) 1850 (archbishopric)
Cathedral	St. Patrick's Cathedral

The Archbishop of New York is the main leader of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York. This person is in charge of the spiritual and administrative needs of the Catholic Church in New York City and nearby areas. The Archbishop also helps oversee other bishops in almost all of New York State. These other bishops lead areas like Albany, Brooklyn, and Buffalo. The current Archbishop is Timothy M. Dolan.

The Story of the Archdiocese

The Catholic Church in New York started as the Diocese of New York. It was officially created on April 8, 1808.

First Bishops

R. Luke Concanen was chosen as its first bishop. However, he could not travel from Italy to New York. This was because of the Napoleonic Wars happening at the time. He sadly passed away before he could ever reach New York.

His successor, John Connolly, took over. During his time, the number of Catholics in New York grew a lot. Many new immigrants from Ireland and Germany were arriving. Because of this growth, the Holy See (the Pope's main office) decided to make the diocese bigger.

Becoming an Archdiocese

On July 19, 1850, the Diocese of New York became an "archdiocese." This means it became a more important and larger church area. John Hughes was then named the first Archbishop of this new, larger area.

The job of Archbishop of New York is very important. It also comes with many challenges. Pope John Paul II once called the office "archbishop of the capital of the world." This shows how significant the role is.

Key Facts About the Archbishops

So far, ten men have served as Archbishop of New York. Before that, three men were bishops of the earlier diocese.

Notable Archbishops

Only one of these leaders, John Dubois, was not born in Ireland or from an Irish family. Eight of the archbishops were also made a cardinal. A cardinal is a very important church leader. They are chosen by the Pope and help advise him.

John McCloskey was the fifth leader of the archdiocese. He was the first archbishop born in the United States. He was also the first born in what is now New York City. When he became a cardinal in 1875, he was the first American to receive this high honor.

Francis Spellman served as Archbishop of New York for the longest time. He held the position for 28 years, from 1939 to 1967. The shortest time was served by Concanen, who was bishop for 26 months.

List of Ordinaries

R. Luke Concanen was the first Bishop of New York, but died before he could set foot in the Diocese.

John Hughes was the last Bishop of New York and its first archbishop.

John McCloskey became the first American cardinal in 1875.

Key

	This means the archbishop was also made a Cardinal
OP	Dominican Order (a religious group)
PSS	Society of the Priests of Saint Sulpice (another religious group)

Bishops of New York

Archbishops of New York

Archbishops

From	Until	Leader	Notes
1850	1864	Hughes, JohnJohn Hughes	Became the first Archbishop of New York on July 19, 1850. Died on January 3, 1864.
1864	1885	McCloskey, JohnJohn McCloskey	Was a helper archbishop from 1843 to 1847. Chosen as Archbishop on May 6, 1864. He was the first archbishop born in the United States and in New York City. He became a cardinal on March 15, 1875. Died on October 10, 1885.
1885	1902	Corrigan, MichaelMichael Corrigan	Was a helper archbishop from 1880 to 1885. Died on May 5, 1902.
1902	1918	Farley, John MurphyJohn Murphy Farley	Was a helper bishop from 1895 to 1902. Became a cardinal on November 27, 1911. Died on September 17, 1918.
1919	1938	Hayes, Patrick JosephPatrick Joseph Hayes	Was a helper bishop from 1914 to 1917. Became a cardinal on March 24, 1924. Died on September 4, 1938.
1939	1967	Spellman, FrancisFrancis Spellman	Chosen on April 15, 1939. Became a cardinal on February 18, 1946. Died on December 2, 1967.
1968	1983	Cooke, TerenceTerence Cooke	Was a helper bishop from 1965 to 1968. Became a cardinal on April 28, 1969. Died on October 6, 1983.
1984	2000	O'Connor, JohnJohn O'Connor	Chosen on January 26, 1984. Became a cardinal on May 25, 1985. Died on May 3, 2000.
2000	2009	Egan, EdwardEdward Egan	Was a helper bishop from 1985 to 1988. Became a cardinal on February 21, 2001. Retired on February 23, 2009. Died on March 5, 2015.
2009	present	Dolan, Timothy M.Timothy M. Dolan	Chosen on February 23, 2009. Became a cardinal on February 18, 2012.