New York’s Catholic Church — How We Serve

Church Profile
The Church in New York State is as diverse and multicultural as any in the world, and contributes immensely to the spiritual life of the state, as well as being the largest non-governmental provider of health care, human services and education. Catholics represent the largest single religious faith in New York, numbering approximately 7.3 million out of a population of 19.3 million.

The Church in New York State is made up of eight dioceses, which are geographic areas under the spiritual leadership of a diocesan bishop. They are the Archdiocese of New York and the Diocese of Albany, Diocese of Brooklyn, Diocese of Buffalo, Diocese of Ogdensburg, Diocese of Rochester, Diocese of Rockville Centre, and the Diocese of Syracuse.

You can learn about the bishops of each New York Diocese here.

Encompassing these eight dioceses are more than 1,500 parishes and hundreds of schools, hospitals, nursing homes, Catholic Charities social service agencies and countless parish-based ministries. Some statistics on the work of the Church in New York State are below:

Education
The Catholic Church has been educating children in New York State for more than 200 years, providing a quality, values-based education and hope for a brighter future to children regardless of income, race, ethnicity or religious beliefs.

  • 531 elementary schools
  • 123 high schools
  • 17,391 teachers
  • 215,768 pre-K, elementary, and secondary students
  • 420,000 Catholic public school students enrolled in parish catechetical programs

Human Services
The Catholic Charities statewide network serves persons of all faiths, colors and income categories through a multitude of agencies. More than 1.6 million individuals and families are provided help each year in areas such as:

  • Shelter and housing
  • Food pantries and kitchens
  • Clothing
  • Adoption
  • Pregnancy care
  • Immigrant assistance
  • Social supports
  • Mental health and addiction counseling
  • Foster care
  • Care for the abused

Health Care
Catholic health-care institutions provide holistic health services in an atmosphere of respect for the value and dignity of all human life, with special attention to the poor and vulnerable. Our ministries include:

  • 28 hospitals with 8,300 beds, including three satellite campuses and 172 clinics, in which we annually experience 300,000 inpatient admissions, 600,000 emergency room visits, 800,000 outpatient visits, and more than $100 million in uncompensated care
  • 54 nursing homes, with more than 10,000 beds accounting for nearly 4 million resident days
  • 6 hospice programs, with 9,000 admissions
  • 15 certified home health agencies
  • 5 licensed home health agencies
  • 14 long-term home health care programs

Parish-Based Ministries
The Catholic parishes of New York State provide valuable ministries to countless New Yorkers in need every day.

  • Visits to those imprisoned, hospitalized and homebound
  • Food pantries and other emergency help
  • Assistance to those in need of shelter, utilities and clothing
  • Care for pregnant women and their children
  • Hospice volunteers
  • Resettlement assistance for refugees
  • Job banks and employment programs
  • Bereavement support groups
  • Legislative advocacy
  • Voter education and registration