New York Archbishop Feeds 450 Families on Holy Thursday

Archbishop Ronald Hicks stood in the cold rain, holding up packages of salmon and asking each person in line, "Do you want salmon?" It was his first major public appearance as New York's new archbishop, and he chose to spend it serving food to 450 families in Washington Heights.

The Holy Thursday event on April 2 drew such crowds that some families arrived after midnight, worried supplies might run out. Volunteers distributed fresh fruits, vegetables, milk, eggs, and fish donated partly by Goya Foods along a stretch of folding tables that ran down the block.

Hicks worked alongside Antonio Fernandez, CEO of Catholic Charities New York, which organized the distribution. The agency is one of the city's largest faith-based social service providers, feeding more than 400,000 people every year.

Before the final boxes went out, Hicks gathered everyone for a blessing. "This is faith into action," he told the crowd of volunteers, staff, and local officials. "On this day, he not only gives us the Eucharist, but he washes the disciples' feet. That means he teaches us how to serve."

He emphasized unity over division. "We do not gather as 'them' and 'us.' It's simply us together, todos, todos, todos, everyone together."

The Ripple Effect

Catholic Charities isn't just handing out food and sending people home. Fernandez says the organization asks why families need help in the first place, then connects them with job training, mental health resources, or other support to build independence.

"We're looking into how do we teach people how to fish?" Fernandez explained. "How do we help people to become self-sufficient and go from assistance to independence?"

The need keeps growing. Fernandez says food insecurity has reached crisis levels in New York, particularly with new federal requirements making it harder for families to qualify for SNAP benefits. Catholic Charities is responding by opening new weekly food pantries across the Bronx and Staten Island.

Goya Foods has been a major partner in this work, donating 300,000 pounds of food for Holy Thursday alone. Over the past decade, the company has contributed 1.8 million pounds to Catholic Charities and their partner agencies.

Faith communities across New York are proving that showing up matters, especially when the need is urgent and the line stretches down the block.