N.Y. Religious Corporations Law § 91

§ 91. Government of incorporated Roman Catholic churches. The\narchbishop or bishop and the vicar-general of the diocese to which any\nincorporated Roman Catholic church belongs, the rector of such church,\nand their successors in office shall, by virtue of their offices, be\ntrustees of such church. Two laymen, members of such incorporated\nchurch, selected by such officers or by a majority of them, shall also\nbe trustees of such incorporated church, and such officers and such\nlaymen trustees shall together constitute the board of trustees thereof.\nThe two laymen signing the certificate of incorporation of an\nincorporated Roman Catholic church shall be the two laymen trustees\nthereof during the first year of its corporate existence. The term of\noffice of the two laymen trustees of an incorporated Roman Catholic\nchurch shall be one year. Whenever the office of any such layman trustee\nshall become vacant by expiration of term of office or otherwise, his\nsuccessor shall be appointed from members of the church, by such\nofficers or a majority of them. No act or proceeding of the trustees of\nany such incorporated church shall be valid without the sanction of the\narchbishop or bishop of the diocese to which such church belongs, or in\ncase of their absence or inability to act, without the sanction of the\nvicar-general or of the administrator of such diocese.\n