Thursday, August 11, 2011

St. Philip Neri, Bedford Park





See page 230 for the 1898 creation of the parish of St Philip Neri in Bedford Park to care for Italian laborers constructing a nearby reservoir. The church is located on the west side of the Grand Concourse at East 202nd St., a few steps north of Bedford Park Blvd. The rectory address is 3025 Grand Concourse, Bronx NY 10468, phone number is 718-733-3200.
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A parish website is linked here.



Any photo may be enlarged by clicking on it.
An excellent summary of the church's history and a full description of its organ is linked here.

The school address is 3031 Grand Concourse, adjacent to the rectory.  For decades, the Ursuline Sisters directed and staffed the parish school.  In 2010, the enrollment seems to have been about 250.
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Catholic Charities has received approval in January, 2020, for two apartment houses quite opposite each other on Villa Avenue, behind the church. Please see this article in New York Yimby. A 14 story apartment house will replace a parking lot on the west side of Villa Avenue. It seems that the new structure on the east side (church-and-school side) is a smaller apartment house.

St. Mary Star of the Sea, City Island

On August 1, 2015, this parish was merged with that of Our Lady of the Assumption, Mahan Avenue, Pelham Bay.  Mass will continue to be offered at both churches, but it seems that the priests will live only at Our Lady of the Assumption, which will also have the records of both parishes.



Clicking on any photo will enlarge it.  These photos were taken in August, 2011.


See page 182 for a reference to a mission on City Island in the 1850's, attended from New Rochelle. See pages 299 and 300 for the foundation of the parish of St Mary, Star of the Sea, on City Island in 1887. The present church dates from 1959. The rectory address is 595 Minnieford Ave., Bronx NY 10464, telephone 718-885-1440.  
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There is only one bridge approach to City Island. Continue on the principal business street. The church is soon on the left, at approximately 590 City Island Avenue. To reach the rectory and school, one may continue to the next traffic signal (Cross St.), make a left and another left onto Minnieford Avenue. Minneford is an alternate spelling, an early name for City Island, according to John McNamara in "History in Asphalt."




In 2013, the archdiocese decided to close the parish school.