Auxiliary Bishop Edmund Whalen, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of New York, presided and preached the 100th annual Mass in recognition of World Mission Sunday on Oct. 18.  

World Mission Sunday, instituted in 1926 by Pope Pius XI as a mandatory, global second collection to help support mission territories throughout the world, took on a deeper meaning during the Mass. Bishop Whalen pointed to the relic of Blessed Fulton Sheen, now placed at a side altar in the cathedral, who devoted much of his ministry to world missions and was beatified only a few weeks prior. 

A lesson in icons, with a bit of homework 

In his homily, Bishop Whalen connected the takeaways from Sunday’s Gospel of Matthew and the Christian call to missions with a lesson in iconography. 

For some, the vicar general noted, the word “icon” might call to mind a religious symbol, particularly for our Eastern and Orthodox brothers and sisters. For others, that word might refer to the digital icons on a computer or mobile phone. Both, Bishop Whalen explained, calls the person into deeper understanding or participation, spiritually if not practically. 

“Each and every one of us is called to be and see in each other that we are the icons. The ones who are seen and in whom we are able to enter into the mystery of God in each and every person,” he said. 

The homily concluded with a “homework assignment” for each person to help them remember that each person is sent by God and called to be an icon. 

“Every time you feel a coin in your pocket or put it away in a coin jar,” Bishop Whalen instructed, “take a moment and think ‘What does it mean to me to live our faith in… where do I live my faith well?’ Take a look at some icons today and in your daily life. Reflect ‘am I an icon? Do I see the presence of God in others?’ Give thanks for the gift of life and the challenge to live out our faith in today’s environment,” Bishop Whalen said. 

Concelebrating the Mass were Bishop Dominick Lagonegro, retired auxiliary bishop of New York, and Fr. Ryan Muldoon, director of Ecumenical and Interreligious Dialogue for the Archdiocese of New York. 

Mobilizing against hate 

Attending Sunday’s Mass were the Executive Vice President of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation, Karen Schneier Dresbach, and Executive Vice President of The New York Board of Rabbis, Rabbi Joseph Potasnik. Sunday, Oct. 18 marked the second year that St. Patrick’s Cathedral partnered with the Blue Square Alliance and the Appeal of Conscience Foundation to promote Stand Up Sunday, an interfaith initiative against antisemitism and faith-based hate. 

In an interview with The Good Newsroom after Mass, Fr. Ryan Muldoon explained the significance of the day for Catholics in New York and beyond. 

“It’s not something secondary to our Catholic faith to stand up against hate, but it’s something that is central to who we are as Catholics and as people of faith in the larger New York Metro community. We’re reminded that it is who we are as Catholics to stand up against hate, against our Jewish brothers and sisters, and all forms of religious hate.”