This Independence Day will feel different for Santa and Virginia. Like millions of Americans, they will gather with family, admire fireworks, and proudly display the nation’s flag. However, this year, as the United States commemorates its 250th anniversary, the celebration carries a deeper meaning. For...

When Wahab left Nigeria in 2016, he carried little more than hope for a safer future. Born and raised in Lagos, he had built a life as a husband, father, and community activist. But growing insecurity and threats to his safety made remaining in his home country increasingly difficult. Believing...

Every day, hundreds of people across the Empire State call Catholic Charities’ phone lines to do something that New Yorkers typically find extremely difficult: ask for help.  With passion, patience, and expertise, our Catholic Charities New Americans Hotline staff and volunteers field high-stakes questions from neighbors in dire circumstances. The callers’ precarious status makes...

On a weekday morning and afternoon, Fran logs onto Zoom, adjusts her screen, and waits for a familiar face to appear. There’s no formal lesson plan or rigid curriculum laid out in advance. Instead, there’s a conversation. Sometimes about opera, sometimes about a job, sometimes about something...

This holiday season, Catholic Charities Community Services brought the spirit of generosity and belonging to life by hosting a Holiday Toy Market for families served through its Refugee Resettlement Department — an event designed to celebrate dignity, choice, and community during a time of year that can be especially challenging for families...

The Day Everything Changed On February 24, 2022 — the first day of the Russian invasion — Borys knew he had to leave.  A former police officer living in Mariupol, just 30 miles from the Russian border, he and his dog — a Cane Corso — sought shelter underground...

From Haiti to Hope  When Rose, a devoted mother of two, left her home in Haiti, she carried with her both heartbreak and hope. Life in Haiti had become increasingly dangerous and unstable.   Insecurity and political violence touched her family directly. Rose’s partner, a politician, was targeted by violent...

Art That Tells New York’s Story On September 17, 2025, St. Patrick’s Cathedral unveiled its largest major commissioned artwork in the 146-year history of the cathedral: a 25-foot mural celebrating the arrival of immigrants to New York City. Painted by Brooklyn-based artist Adam Cvijanovic, the sweeping artwork draws...

A New Chapter Begins On June 11, Alejandrina stood proudly as she took the Oath of Allegiance and officially became a United States citizen. After more than a decade of perseverance, struggle, and growth, this moment — just weeks before her first Independence Day as an American — marked not...

When Erica stepped off a plane in New York in July 2024, she was exhausted but hopeful. Originally from Nicaragua, Erica fled political violence and endured years of instability in Costa Rica before being granted refugee status in the United States. Speaking softly in Spanish through an interpreter,...