Archbishop Hicks hosts his first Al Smith dinner; NYPD commissioner, Cardinal Dolan honored
Archbishop Hicks hosted his first Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner, the 81st annual event, in Manhattan on Oct. 15. New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch received the Happy Warrior Award for her public service and spoke about interfaith cooperation and service to the city. Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop emeritus of New York and a former dinner host, delivered the keynote, calling for unity amid division and hatred. The dinner raised an estimated $6.4 million to support vulnerable women and children in the Archdiocese of New York.
about 20 hours ago
The 81st Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner brought about 850 guests together in New York on Oct. 15, with Archbishop Ronald Hicks hosting for the first time. The event honored NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, recognized Cardinal Timothy Dolan’s years of leadership, and raised an estimated $6.4 million for vulnerable women and children in the Archdiocese of New York. 1
Tisch received the Happy Warrior Award for her public service. In her remarks, she noted that she is a Jewish police commissioner working for Muslim Mayor Zohran Mamdani and being honored by the Catholic Church; she also thanked the dinner and highlighted the interreligious chaplains she appointed to the NYPD, including Dolan and the Rev. A.R. Bernard as co-chief chaplains. 1
Tisch spoke about the shared commitment to serving New York and the duty and sacrifice involved in police work. Actress Lynda Carter, known for playing the original Wonder Woman, presented Tisch with a Wonder Woman shield, prompting her to be described as a “modern-day Wonder Woman.” 1
Dolan, the archbishop emeritus of New York and the dinner’s former host, delivered the keynote. He recalled Al Smith’s efforts to bridge divisions and evoked the anti-Catholic hostility Smith faced during his 1928 presidential campaign, linking that history to contemporary division and hate-crime violence. 1
Dolan welcomed Hicks as his successor, praised the Al Smith Foundation’s work, and thanked Tisch for her service. The evening also included a video recognizing Dolan’s leadership, narrated by columnist Peggy Noonan. 1
Hicks described the dinner as an occasion to work together for the common good despite disagreements. Comedian Jim Gaffigan served as emcee, and Bernard delivered the closing benediction; guests at the dais included Mamdani, Gov. Kathy Hochul, religious leaders, elected officials and foundation members. 1
Catholic social teaching grounds interfaith cooperation and civic solidarity
Catholic social teaching grounds interfaith cooperation and civic solidarity in the dignity of every human person and the shared responsibility to pursue the common good. Catholics are therefore called to work with people of other religions—and with people of goodwill who profess no religion—for justice, peace, and the relief of human suffering, without pretending that religious differences do not exist.
This cooperation is practical: communities can join in serving people facing poverty, hunger, illness, violence, or displacement, and in defending human rights. Such collaboration does not require agreement on every theological or moral question; it calls for mutual respect and a shared commitment to human dignity.
Civic solidarity also requires protecting religious freedom, including each person’s right to profess a religion according to a properly formed conscience, within just limits established by civil society. In this way, solidarity seeks not uniformity, but a peaceful society where people with different convictions can contribute to the common good.