Bronx Catholic

St. Pius V, East 145 St., Mott Haven

2012-01-10T11:56:00.000-08:00

The address of St. Pius V parish is 420 East 145 St., Bronx NY 10454, telephone 718-665-6642. The church is on the south side of East 145 Street, just east of Willis Avenue.
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See page 476 for the 1906 establishment of the parish of St. Pius V. The present church, according to the A.I.A. Guide designed by Anthony F. A. Schmidt (more likely Schmitt), dates from 1908. Pages 584 and 586 describe the parish and other neighborhoods half-consumed by flames in the late 1960's and 1970's. However, in 2012, the Mott Haven is busy with residents and many small stores. Buildings have been renovated or replaced.
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Michele Ghislieri was born in 1504 and served as Pope Pius V from 1566 until his death in 1572.

The above photo was taken in January, 2012.

This banner hangs on the former convent.

The symmetrical design is evident above: a church with two towers, the rectory to the left, the convent to the right.

St. Anselm, Tinton Avenue

2012-01-08T02:38:00.001-08:00

On the northwest corner of East 152nd Street and Tinton Avenue is the church of St. Anselm. The rectory address is 673 Tinton Avenue, Bronx NY 10455, telephone 718-585-8666. Originally a Benedictine parish of German heritage, the parish is now served by Augustinian Recollects with Spanish and Latin American roots.

To the left of the church is this shrine of Nuestra Madre de Guadalupe and her appearance to San Juan Diego in 1531.

To the left of the church is this Lourdes Grotto.

In Msgr. Shelley's book, see pages 216 and 219 for the 1891 foundation of St Anselm parish, by Benedictines from Collegeville, Minnesota. The present church was built in 1917. See page 606 for the parish becoming a Hispanic parish.
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The A.I.A. Guide says the church was designed by Anton Kloster. I cannot determine whether he was from Collegeville, Europe, or New York. I received the following comment from Dan in January, 2011:
"Something odd is happening here. I have also seen St. Anselm's attributed to Anton Kloster, about whom I can find nothing. However another architect, Gustave E. Steinback has indicated in documents to the AIA that his firm did St. Anselm. There is also a comment in the Liturgical Arts Society from 1953 by the editor who had worked for Steinback at the time that also attributes the work to Steinback. I wonder if Mr. Kloster might have worked for Mr. Steinback?" Many thanks for the comment.
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Any photo may be enlarged by clicking on it.

The school is located at 685 Tinton Avenue, Bronx NY 10455, telephone 718-993-9464. The school's website is linked here. The newer building to the right is part of the school.
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Better photos of the church and school are on this Bronx Photo site.
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St. Thomas, East 221 Street

2011-11-15T08:11:00.001-08:00

On East 221st Street, Wakefield, between Barnes Avenue and Bronxdale Avenue, is the church of St. Thomas. The address of the parish is 810 East 221 Street, Bronx NY 10467, telephone 1-718-994-4747. St. Thomas the Apostle Syro Malabar Catholic Church serves a Catholic Asian Indian community. The parish website is http://www.stsmcc.org/

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The church has roots in Kerala, India, going back to the time of St. Thomas the Apostle. This is a Catholic parish, not under the jurisdiction of the Latin Rite archbishop of New York, but rather through the Syro Malabar bishops. In 2002, the archbishop of New York offered this pastor and congregation this former church of St. Valentine, built in 1937. See pages 236 and 240 Thomas Shelley's book for the foundation of the Polish parish of St Valentine in 1889.

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Church within a school

2011-11-14T15:24:00.001-08:00

As I tour The Bronx, I sometimes encounter parish schools that have a church enclosed within the school, as at St. Ann (Bainbridge Ave.), Sts. Philip and James (Boston Road), Our Savior (Washington Avenue), St. Gabriel, Christ the King, and Blessed Sacrament. I hope to learn more about the architects that designed these buildings, which tend to have construction dates between 1900 and 1940, although there are examples newer and older.

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I will label these Church Inside School.

Sts. Philip and James, Boston Road

2011-11-14T09:41:00.001-08:00

See pages 488 and 489 for the 1949 establishment of the parish of Saints Philip and James on Boston Road at East 213 Street. The parish address is 1160 East 213 Street, Bronx NY 10469, telephone 718-547-2203. I neglected to take a photo of the church entrance on East 213th Street, which just around the right corner of this view from Boston Road. The property is bounded by Boston Road, East 212 Street (to the left of this photo), Msgr. Cahill Place, and East 213 Street.
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The parish and school website, offering much information, is linked here. The school address is also 1160 East 213 Street, Bronx NY 10469. The school telephone is 718-882-4576.
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For many years the Dominican Sisters of Blauvelt staffed the parish school. The Sisters also have a blog here.
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The patrons face northwest on the school wall. Since St. James wrote an Epistle, I presume he holds a scroll. The parish website has biographies of each.

Our Lady of Mercy, Fordham

2011-10-06T18:52:00.000-07:00

Above is the Mass schedule as of October, 2011. The parish website includes a schedule (linked here) with the abbreviations spelled out.

See page 472 for a reference to the current church of Our Lady of Mercy on Marion Avenue, south of Fordham Road, dedicated in 1908. The parish was begun about 1855 on the property of St. John's College. Later, the church was located on Webster Avenue. The rectory, adjacent to the church, is at 2496 Marion Avenue, Bronx NY 10458, telephone 718-933-4400. The informative and extensive parish website is linked here.
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Our Lady of Mercy parish school is at 2512 Marion Avenue. The school website is here. For many decades renowned Sisters and lay persons have directed or staffed the school. Until the 1970's, there were separate boys' and girls' departments, Ursuline Sisters teaching the girls and Dominican Sisters teaching the boys.

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Facing Marion Avenue is this shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, apparently with references to Our Lady's other titles in Latin America. La Virgen de la Altagracia is patroness of the Dominican Republic.

Weekday noon Mass is offered in the chapel here, to the right of the rectory. The sign in the window explains that this is the location for preparation for Baptism.

All Hallows High School

2011-10-06T10:48:00.000-07:00

At the north end of Joyce Kilmer Park, on the west side of the Grand Concourse, is All Hallows High School. For full information about the school, please visit the underlined link. Open House this month is on October 19, 2011, noon to 4 p.m.

The address of All Hallows High School is 111 East 164th Street, Bronx NY 10452, telephone 718-293-4545. The above view shows the intersection of Walton Avenue and 164th Street. The Grand Concourse and buses Bx1 and Bx2 are one short block to the right.
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The name All Hallows is a synonym for All Saints, the name of the school prior to 1930.
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Please note that this school is a private Catholic high school, that is, not owned by the Archdiocese of New York. Throughout its history, the Irish Christian Brothers, now known as the Congregation of Christian Brothers, have sponsored this school, Rice High School, and Iona College, New Rochelle.
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A different congregation, the De La Salle Christian Brothers, sponsors Manhattan College and staffs St. Raymond's parish high school.

Cardinal Hayes High School, Grand Concourse

2011-10-06T08:30:00.000-07:00

The address of Cardinal Hayes High School is 650 Grand Concourse (near East 153rd St), Bronx NY 10451, telephone 718-292-6100. The school's extensive and informative website is linked here. When I took the above photos in October, 2011, scaffolding hid the facade. For better photographs, please visit the website.
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See page 513 for the opening of Cardinal Hayes (archdiocesan) High School on the Grand Concourse in 1941. The building with art-deco features was designed by the firm of Otto Reinhold Eggers (1882-1964) and Daniel Paul Higgens (1886-1953), linked here.
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The school is located three blocks north of the important subway station of 149th Street and Grand Concourse of subway routes 2, 4, and 5. Bus routes Bx1 and Bx2 also serve Cardinal Hayes High School.

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St. Philip Neri, Bedford Park

2011-08-11T18:14:00.000-07:00

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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St. Mary Star of the Sea, City Island

2011-08-11T17:12:00.000-07:00

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. The parish website is linked here.
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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."

The school address is 580 Minnieford Avenue, Bronx, NY 10464, telephone 718-885-1527. The school website is linked here. The enrollment appears to be about 205.

Bronx Catholic High Schools

2011-08-07T12:19:00.001-07:00

There are thirteen Catholic high schools in The Bronx. The organization that manages the Test for Admission to Catholic High Schools (TACHS) has prepared an informative, printable chart at this link in preparation for the Fall, 2011, open houses. That chart gives tuition costs and phone numbers.
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Below is a short version of the list, in order of approximate enrollment, a number that is different from the approximate 2012 admissions numbers on the TACHS site. These enrollment numbers are mostly based on reports to the 2011 Official Catholic Directory.
St. Barnabas (parish) High School, about 224 girls enrolled.
St. Raymond (parish) Academy, about 353 girls enrolled.
Academy of Mount St. Ursula, about 360 girls enrolled.
Monsignor Scanlan (parish) High School, about 490 students enrolled.
Preston High School, about 575 girls enrolled.
All Hallows High School, about 640 boys enrolled.
Aquinas High School, about 675 girls enrolled.
St. Catharine Academy, about 720 girls enrolled.
St. Raymond (parish) High School for Boys, about 723 boys enrolled.
Mount St. Michael Academy, about 873 boys enrolled.
Cardinal Hayes (archdiocesan) High School, perhaps about 900 boys enrolled.
Fordham Prep, about 970 boys enrolled.
Cardinal Spellman (archdiocesan) High School, about 1,420 students enrolled.
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A more detailed guide has been published by the newspaper Catholic New York. The guide is linked here as a pdf document.

St. John Chrysostom

2011-07-29T11:00:00.000-07:00

The church stands on the southwest corner of East 166th Street and Hoe Avenue. One block behind the church is the busy intersection of Westchester Avenue and Southern Boulevard, at the Simpson Street station of the #2 and #5 trains.

See page 297 for the establishment of the parish of St John Chrysostom on East 167 St at Hoe Avenue, in 1899. The church dates from 1900. Also see page 521 for a 1974 photo of the parish Holy Name Society. The rectory address is 985 East 167 St., Bronx NY 10459, telephone 718-542-6164.
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Since 1914, the Dominican Sisters of Sparkill and lay teachers have staffed the parish school. The school address is 1144 Hoe Avenue, Bronx NY 10459, telephone 718-328-7266. The extensive and informative school website is lined here. With about 600 students, it apparently has two sections per grade.
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St. John, known as Chrysostom (golden-mouthed) because of his preaching, is recognized as both a Father and Doctor of the Church. He lived from about 349 to 407, in what is now Turkey and in the imperial capital of Constantinople. He spoke Greek, and many of his sermons survive in the original Greek, with some English translations available. A brief life of St. John Chrysostom is linked here.

St. Anthony of Padua, East 166th Street

2011-07-29T08:06:00.000-07:00

See page 221 for the foundation of the parish of St Anthony of Padua on the southwest corner of East 166 Street and Prospect Avenue, Morrisania, in 1901. The present church date from 1928. See page 606 for the parish becoming a mostly Hispanic parish. The rectory address is 832 East 166 St., Bronx NY 10459, the telephone number 718-542-7293. The pastor is Bishop Josu Iriondo, who is also vicar for the South Bronx.

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Please note that there are three parishes in The Bronx named after the same Franciscan saint, St. Anthony of Padua, also known as St. Anthony of Lisbon, where he was born in 1195. The three parishes are in Wakefield, Van Nest, and here in Morrisania.

The church faces Prospect Avenue and a bus stop of Bx17, a long route which connects Fordham Plaza with East 133rd Street. On East 166th Street, adjacent to the church, is the former school, now used by the Charismatic Center. Please see the center's video here. A block west, on Union Avenues, contemplative Missionaries of Charity reside.

Any photo may be enlarged by clicking on it.

St. Anthony, Wakefield

2011-07-01T02:45:00.000-07:00

To read the important announcement below the schedule, please click on the photo. While other rectories have been closed in the 200-year history of the archdiocese of New York, this is the first such sign I have seen. Note, however, that Mass is celebrated here.

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See pages 478 and 479 for the parish of St. Anthony, Wakefield, founded as an Italian parish in 1919. The present church dates from 1976. The above photos were taken at 4505 Richardson Ave., Bronx NY 10470, a few steps north of East 239th Street. This is west of White Plains Road. The parish office is now a half-mile south, but east of White Plains Road.

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Careful! There are three parishes in The Bronx with St. Anthony of Padua as patron: Mansion St. (Commonwealth Ave.), East 166 St., and this one. Also, this parish on Richardson Avenue shares its pastor or administrator with two other Wakefield parishes, St. Frances of Rome and St. Francis Assisi.
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The elementary school founded by the parish closed in June, 2011. The archdiocesan press release is linked here.

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St. Joan of Arc, Stratford Avenue

2011-06-27T08:38:00.001-07:00

Any photo may be enlarged by clicking on it.

See pages 488 and 489 for the foundation of St. Joan of Arc parish, at Stratford Avenue and East 174 Street, in 1949, because of the postwar construction of public housing (the Bronx River Houses, 1951). The church dates from 1953. The rectory address is 1372 Stratford Ave., Bronx NY 10472, telephone 718-842-2233. In the top photo, two-way East 174 Street is along the left side of the church. The car is on one-way northbound Stratford Avenue.

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The Bx36 crosstown bus provides frequent service along East 174th Street here, with a bus stop a few steps from the church. In automobile terms, the church is located southwest of the interchange of the Cross-Bronx Expressway and the Bronx River Parkway. Getting from a highway exit to the church can be a bit complicated, but keep in mind that St. Joan of Arc church is at the corner of East 174 Street and Stratford Avenue.

St. Thomas Aquinas, Crotona Parkway, East Tremont

2011-06-27T06:12:00.000-07:00

St. Thomas from Aquino, Italy, lived from 1225 to 1274. A Dominican friar, renowned for his teaching and his writings, St. Thomas is honored as a Doctor of the Church.

The rectory address is 1900 Crotona Parkway, Bronx NY 10460, telephone 718-589-5235. IN 2010, it appears that the parish is entrusted to the Institute of the Incarnate Word, priests from Argentina. The above photo looks east from Southern Boulevard and its linear park. The one-way northbound street is Crotona Parkway, parallel to Southern Boulevard. The street running west from this intersection is Fairmount Place.

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See page 296 for the establishment of the parish of St Thomas Aquinas on Crotona Parkway in East Tremont in 1890. See page 413 for a 1908 advertisement for the parish's annual picnic and games to be held at Morris Park Race Track. The directions suggest travel by trolley, perhaps influenced by the many parish males who worked for the Third Avenue Railway System, the car barn located two blocks south of the church. The present church dates from 1925.
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The address of the parish school, immediately east of the church, is 1909 Daly Avenue. For many years, the parish school was staffed by the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary. It seems to have about 230 students. Any photo may be enlarged by clicking on it.

St. Martin of Tours, East 182nd St.

2011-06-26T06:42:00.000-07:00

The entrance to St. Martin of Tours church is on East 182 Street, the northeast corner with Grote St. Across Grote St. is Aquinas High School. Over the doorway is a statue of St. Martin, Bishop of Tours, France, who lived 316-397.

In the above photo, East 182 Street is to the left. Crotona Avenue goes north (at the right) past what seems to be a school gym.
See page 296 for the establishment of the parish of St Martin of Tours at the intersection of East 182 St. and Grote Street, Tremont, in 1897. This intersection is one short block east of Belmont Ave. The present church dates from 1953. See also page 348. The rectory address is 664 Grote St., Bronx NY 10457, telephone 718-295-0913.
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For decades, laity and the Dominican Sisters of Sparkill staffed the parish school. Unfortunately, the archdiocese chose to close the school in 2011, and a public school now uses the rooms
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David Gonzalez has written an excellent article on the final day of St. Martin of Tours school, which was Wednesday, June 22, 2011. The article appeared in the New York Times and is linked here. Photos accompany the article. Because newspaper articles sometimes change their url, you may have to do a search for the article. The web edition headline is "School's Out, Forever."

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Our Lady of Victory Centennial

2011-05-04T11:05:00.000-07:00

Father Eric Cruz, administrator of Our Lady of Victory, writes:

We are having a 100th Anniversary Banquet on Fri., June 3, 7 pm to midnight, at Ville Barone in the Throggs Neck section of the Bronx. The cost is $75 per dinner plate, that is, per person. Also, Archbishop Dolan will celebrate the Anniversary Mass on Nov. 20, 2011 at 1 pm, at OLV.. and everyone is invited!

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Father Cruz can be reached at 718-538-5546 (Christ the King Church). "Please leave a message and I will return your call."

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Some comments can be found by clicking here.

Our Lady of Angels, Kingsbridge Heights

2011-04-11T11:43:00.000-07:00

Our Lady of Angels church is located on Sedgwick Avenue, Kingsbridge Heights, a few steps south of Reservoir Avenue. The Bx3 bus passes the door and stops nearby. The rectory, behind the church, is at 2860 Webb Avenue, Bronx, NY 10468, telephone 718-548-3005. The parish website is linked here.
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The school is behind the rectory, at 2685 Claflin Avenue, telephone 718-549-3503. The school website is linked here.
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In Thomas Shelley's book, please see pages 478 and 480 establishment of this parish in 1924. The present church dates from 1958.

Any photo may be enlarged by clicking on it. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is honored by this statue because her Sisters of Charity and lay teachers have staffed the parish school for decades.

Three streets mentioned here run parallel, north-south. The church is on Sedgewick Avenue, the rectory on Webb Avenue, the school on Claflin Avenue. From easyschoolsearch.com it seems that there are two sections per grade.

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St. Anthony, Commonwealth Ave.

2011-04-11T08:42:00.000-07:00

Each photo may be enlarged by clicking on it. The above photos show the church and school on Mansion Street at the corner of St. Lawrence Avenue. The rectory is to the right, around the corner of Commonwealth Avenue. The parish address is 1496 Commonwealth Avenue, Bronx, NY 10460, telephone 718-931.4040. The school address is 1776 Mansion St., Bronx, NY 10460, telephone 718-892-1244. The neighborhood is north of the Cross-Bronx Expressway and south of Tremont Avenue, in the neighborhood called Van Nest.

Ten minutes after a crowded and jubilant sung Mass had finished on 4.10.2011, I took the above photo, which shows the tabernacle atop steep steps and the present altar among the people. A Latin American band (at the left corner) led enthusiastic singing. The crucifix and statues are covered for Lent.

The school website is linked here. The phone number is 718-892-1244.

In Msgr. Shelley's book, see page 481 for the parish of St. Anthony, Van Nest. The parish was established in 1908 for Italians, but now includes faithful of many heritages. For years, the Sisters of Charity staffed the parish school. The above view is from Commonwealth Avenue. The church-within-a-school was built in 1930.

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Sisters of Charity of Mt. St. Vincent

2011-04-03T14:25:00.000-07:00

The Sisters of Charity of Mount St. Vincent, Riverdale, staffed the following Bronx parish elementary schools for decades:
Blessed Sacrament
Our Lady of Angels
St. Anthony, Commonwealth Ave.
St. Augustine
St. Barnabas
St. Gabriel
St. John Vianney
St. Raymond
Sts. Peter and Paul
Visitation
Others? Please send corrections to cjmcmann@msn.com
Thank you

St Lucy, at Mace and Bronxwood Aves., Williamsbridge

2011-02-24T16:01:00.000-08:00

See pages 482 and 484 for the parish of St. Lucy, shown above on the northwest corner of Mace Avenue and Bronxwood Avenue, Williamsbridge. The parish was established in 1927. The rectory address is 833 Mace Ave., Bronx NY 10467, telephone 718-882-0710. The church is entered by entering a gate (near the tree at the center of the photo) and descending steps. An upper church may have been planned. Any photo may be enlarged by clicking on it.
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The website of St. Lucy's parish school is kept up-to-date and informative.

The school takes up the south side of Mace Avenue from Matthews Avenue (on the right) to Bronxwood Avenue (beyond the left edge of the photo).
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Several newspaper articles available on the internet recount the history of the Lourdes grotto at this parish. Scroll down Forgotten-NY for photos, context, and text.
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Above is a partial view of the Hall of Saints, perhaps twenty-five statues of saints and objects of devotion.

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St Helena, Olmstead Ave., Parkchester

2011-02-24T15:01:00.000-08:00

Each photo may be enlarged by clicking on it.

See page 487 for the beginnings of St Helena parish, Parkchester in 1940. The church was built in 1941 on Olmstead Avenue, just north of Westchester Avenue. Whereas St. Raymond's church is near the northeast corner of Parkchester, St Helena's is at the southeast corner. The parish website is linked here. The rectory address is 1315 Olmstead Ave., Bronx NY 10462, telephone 718-892-3232. The stained glass windows of the church are pictured and described on the parish website.
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The parish elementary school is at 2050 Benedict Avenue, adjacent to the church. The parish high school, Msgr. Scanlon High School, is about a mile south of the church, at 915 Hutchinson River Parkway, Bronx NY 10465. The parish schools are described on this webpage, with further links.

Above is the elementary school as seen from Westchester Avenue. The school entrance is on the other side, Benedict Avenue.

Above, another view from Westchester Avenue.

Six Bronx parish schools to close in June, 2011

2011-01-12T15:03:00.000-08:00

A link to the press release dated 1.11.2011 is here.
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The six Bronx parish schools to close in June are:
Saint Augustine
Saint John Vianney
Saint Martin of Tours
Saint Dominic
Saint Anthony-Saint Frances, Wakefield
Saint Pius V Girls' High School

Holy Family, Unionport

2010-12-05T13:15:00.000-08:00

See page 220 for the parish of the Holy Family, Unionport, founded in 1896 for German Catholics. The present church on the southwest corner of Castle Hill Avenue and Watson Avenue was built in 1962.This intersection is a short block south of the Cross-Bronx Expressway (Interstate 95; the service road is also named East 177 Street). The rectory address is 2158 Watson Avenue, Bronx NY 10472, telephone 718-863-9156. The parish elementary school is at 2169 Blackrock Avenue, immediately south of the church.

St. John Vianney, Castle Hill Avenue

2010-12-04T15:38:00.000-08:00

See page 489 for the parish of St John Vianney, Cure of Ars, founded in 1949 at Castle Hill Avenue and Homer Avenue. The rectory address is 715 Castle Hill Ave., Bronx NY 10473, telephone 718-863-4411.
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Any photo may be enlarged by clicking on it.

The above view looks west across Castle Hill Avenue.

This view shows the school on the north side of Seward Avenue. It seems that the school entrance is to the left of the sign and cross. The rectory entrance with the number 715 is to the right of the sign and appears to be reached by walking through the parking lot from Homer Avenue.

The parish elementary school is located at 2141 Seward Avenue, around the corner from the church. Unfortunately, the archdiocese announced on January 11, 2011, that the school would close in June. The press release is linked here.
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Castle Hill Avenue boasts several Christian churches in its 2.5 miles. At its northern starting point stands the Church of St. Raymond. Midway is the parish of Holy Family, and in this populated peninsula is St. John Vianney. More than 5,000 people live in the Castle Hill Houses, immediately south of the church.

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Elementary CCD or Religious Education

2010-11-09T04:30:00.000-08:00

The 2010 Official Catholic Directory reported that about 96,600 youngsters were enrolled in the CCD or Religious Education classes of the ten counties of the archdiocese of New York. These generally are the programs for students attending public schools, and the classes often meet an hour or two a week. Adding up the enrollment at about 61 Bronx parishes gives a total of about 11,800, quite a large group of youngsters learning their faith in classes led by mostly unpaid faithful, that is, faith-sharing Christians. By the way, CCD is a colloquialism or short-hand for a Catholic version of Sunday School, usually on a weekday. The term Confraternity of Christian Doctrine dates back to the 1500's, when such classes were organized in Milan.

St. Theresa parish, Pelham Bay

2010-10-26T14:23:00.000-07:00

Looking north on Pilgrim Avenue at St. Theresa Avenue, one can see St. Theresa School on the southwest corner and St. Theresa church on the northwest corner.
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See pages 482 and 483 for the parish of St Theresa of the Infant Jesus, Pelham Bay, founded in 1927 as an Italian national parish. The present church dates from 1970. The rectory address is 2855 St. Theresa Ave., Bronx NY 10461, telephone 718-892-1900. The parish website is here.
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The parish school is located at 2872 St. Theresa Avenue, telephone 718-792-3688. The school website is here. Apparently, the school has about 350 students, two sections per grade.
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An interesting history is linked here. It explains that an architect, Anthony DePace, was a parish trustee who designed both the school and the new church.

The above photo looks east on St. Theresa Avenue towards to #6 train over Westchester Avenue.

Clicking on any photo will enlarge it.

Our Lady of the Assumption, Pelham Bay

2010-10-25T16:51:00.000-07:00

Clicking on any photo will enlarge it.

See page 481 for the 1923 founding of Our Lady of the Assumption at Mahan and Roberts Avenue in the Pelham Bay neighborhood. The present church dates from 1961. The rectory address is 1634 Mahan Ave., Bronx NY 10461, telephone 718-824-5454. A parish bulletin is linked here.
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The parish school is on the Parkview Avenue side of the block, as in the above photo. The school address is 1617 Parkview Avenue, Bronx NY 10461, telephone 718-829-1706. Enrollment appears to be about 340. Plastic owls keep pigeons away from Maria Assunta.

The above view is from Middletown Road. Mahan Avenue is at the left, Parkview Avenue at the right.

St. Frances de Chantal, Throgs Neck

2010-10-24T17:43:00.000-07:00

See pages 482 and 483 for St. Frances de Chantal, established as a parish in 1926. The present church at the intersection of Harding Avenue and Hollywood Avenue in Throgs Neck dates from 1970. The rectory address is 190 Hollywood Avenue, Bronx NY 10465, and the phone number 718-792-5500. The parish website is here. According to the AIA Guide, the architect of the 1970 church was Paul W. Reilly, who also designed St. Vincent Ferrer church in Naugatuck, Connecticut.

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The above photo looks west across Hollywood Avenue. Buses Bx40, Bx42, and BxM9 stop near the church.

The Chapel in the upper church lobby is open weekdays from 7:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. for private prayer.

A newer, larger wing of the school is to the left. The school address is 2962 Harding Avenue, Bronx NY 10465, telephone 718-892-5359. The school website is linked here. There appears to be one section of students per grade.

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Adjacent southeast is the Jeanne Jugan Residence, a work of the Little Sisters of the Poor. The property was formerly the site of a monastery of Poor Clares.

St. Athanasius, Southern Blvd.

2010-09-06T10:57:00.001-07:00

See pages 476 and 477 for the founding in 1907 of the parish of St. Athanasius on Tiffany Street a few steps west of Southern Boulevard. Page 580 has a 1982 photo of Cardinal Cooke visiting a first grade class, and page 585 has a photo of housing on Tiffany Street. See also page 586. The rectory address is 878 Tiffany St., Bronx NY 10459, the telephone number 718-328-2558.
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The above photo looks east on Tiffany Street, with the rectory to the right of the church. Adjacent to the rectory and on the corner of Southern Boulevard is the Hunts Point branch of the New York Public Library. The blocked-off plaza is called Father Gigante Plaza, in honor of a former pastor.

The Ten Commandments are posted outside the church in English and in Spanish. The Mass schedule is not posted. The church doors were locked when I stopped by on a Saturday afternoon.

The school address is 830 Southern Boulevard. The school website is here. The enrollment appears to be about 355.

St. Roch, Wales Avenue, East Morrisania

2010-08-16T08:11:00.000-07:00

On the afternoon of September 4, 2010, I entered St. Roch's church and chanced upon the celebration of a Mass on what appeared to be a Quinceanera. A mariachi group played and sang the liturgical music, such as the Sanctus and offertory and communion hymns. Clicking on any photo will enlarge it.

See page 231 for the foundation of St Roch parish in 1899 by Father John Milo. The church is on the west side of Wales Avenue north of East 147th Street. The rectory address is 525 Wales Ave., Bronx NY 10455, telephone 718-292-3834.
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You may wish to read this interesting post by Fr. Robert Imbelli, native of St. Roch's parish.

This view looks north on Wales Avenue towards busy East 149th Street and the Bx19 bus.

The church was dedicated in 1932. According to the A.I.A. Guide, it was designed by the firm DePace & Juster, Anthony DePace also designer of two churches at the parish of St. Theresa, Pelham Bay.

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St. Brendan, East 207 St., Norwood

2010-05-17T01:46:00.000-07:00

See pages 477 and 478 for the creation of the parish of St. Brendan, Norwood or Bedford Park, in 1908. The church is at East 207th Street and Perry Avenue, near the northern terminal of the D train. The present church, built in 1968 resembles the prow of an ocean-going ship, in reference to the title "Brendan the Navigator." The rectory address is 333 East 206th St., Bronx NY 10467, telephone 718-547-6655. The parish website is here.
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The above view shows the rectory on East 206th Street, with Perry Avenue at the end of the street. The slope of Perry Avenue provides an entrance to the lower church and, a few steps further north at East 207th Street, the main entrance to the upper church. The architects were Belfatto and Pavarini, who designed Epiphany, Second Avenue, about the same time.

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The address of the parish school, shown above, is 268 East 207 Street, Bronx, NY 10467, telephone 718-653-2292. For decades, the Dominican Sisters of Sparkill staffed the elementary school and the now-closed girls' high school. In this photo, the church is to the left of the school. Photos of the church and school are on this site.

Visitation, Van Cortlandt Park South

2010-05-16T17:19:00.000-07:00

See pages 478 and 480 for Visitation parish, Kingsbridge, founded in 1928. The present church dates from 1953, because the previous church and school (a combined building, if memory is correct) was destroyed to construct Major Deegan Expressway. The rectory address is 160 Van Cortlandt Park South, Bronx NY 10463, telephone 718-548-1455.

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The parish school is at 171 West 239th Street, Bronx NY 10463. The school website is here. The school has one section per grade. Lay teachers, Sisters of Charity, and Dominican Sisters staff the school.

Cardinal O'Connor Residence,Riverdale

2010-02-10T19:01:00.000-08:00

An article in The Riverdale Press of 2.4.2010 gives an interesting history of the priests' residence at 5655 Arlington Avenue, Riverdale, NY 10471. Built as a monastery for cloistered Sisters in 1902, it was later used as a pre-seminary residence. Now, some 28 retired priests of the Archdiocese of New York live there. Link to the article here.
It seems that the full name of the residence is John Cardinal O'Connor Clergy Residence. The Press's article is titled, "Living on God's Doorstep."
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A blogger of extraordinary insight, sense, and writing ability resides there. His blog is Archangel.

St. Margaret Mary, East Tremont and Morris Aves.

2010-01-12T12:24:00.000-08:00

The above view looks south across busy Tremont Avenue. Morris Avenue is one-way northbound, at the right of the photo, and the rectory is a few steps down that block. To the left of the church is the parish school and the Grand Concourse.

This view is also taken from Tremont Avenue. The church is to the right. This appears to be a parking lot or playground for the school, whose northern entrance is seen here.

Above is the south entrance to St. Margaret Mary school, situated on East 177 St.

See page 408 for a 1950's photo of a First Communion procession in St. Margaret Mary church. Parents and Sisters of Mercy may be seen at the procession. See page 472 for establishment of the parish in 1923. Page 473 has an exterior photo of the church. See page 606 for a reference to parishioners from Ghana. The rectory address is 1914 Morris Ave., Bronx NY 10453, telephone 718-299-4233. The parish website is linked here.
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The parish school address is 121 East 177 Street, Bronx NY 10453, likewise between Morris Avenue and the Grand Concourse. The telephone number is 718-731-5905. With an enrollment somewhere over 300, it would seem that this school has one or two sections per grade.

St. Simon Stock, Valentine Ave. and East 182 St.

2010-01-11T18:07:00.000-08:00

See pages 472 and 473 for the founding of the parish of St. Simon Stock in 1919 on the south side of East 182nd Street from Ryer Avenue to Valentine Avenue. The clergy are Carmelite Friars, known in some places as the Whitefriars, distinguishing them from the Blackfriars (Dominicans) and Greyfriars (Franciscans). The rectory address is 2191 Valentine Avenue, Bronx NY 10457, telephone 718-367-1251.

This is a view of the southeast corner of the intersection of Ryer Avenue and East 182 Street. The low building is the basement of the never-completed church, with a cornerstone (below) of 1921. As happened in several Catholic parishes in New York, the urgency of building a school meant that construction efforts turned to the school, which has a cornerstone of 1925. If my memory is correct, in 1950 St. Simon Stock High School had the least expensive monthly tuition in The Bronx, $8 for parishioners of other parishes.

The above photo of St. Simon Stock elementary school looks west. Valentine Avenue goes downhill (south) to the left. West on 182nd Street (at the right edge of the photo) is the lower church.

Any photo may be enlarged by clicking on it. The parish elementary school is located at 2195 Valentine Avenue. It has about 300 students, one section per grade. The school website is linked here. Please note that the home page has links both in the center and at the bottom. For me, the forty-two pages of the school handbook is an interesting and clear example of school management.

Above is the rectory at 2191 Valentine Avenue. The school is to the right.

Our Lady of Refuge, Briggs Ave. & East 196 St., Fordham

2010-01-08T04:10:00.000-08:00

The above photo looks west across Briggs Avenue at East 196th Street. The parish center is on the southeast corner of the intersection, where all traffic meets stop signs. The parish school can be seen to the right. As an older, larger public school is on the north side of 196th Street, the neighborhood is filled with young students and their parents at arrival and dismissal. During school hours, traffic is prohibited on 196th Street from Briggs Avenue to Bainbridge Ave.

Clicking on any photo will enlarge it.

In the above photo, the combined parish school and church is to the left of the red houses.

See page 478 for the founding of the parish of Our Lady of Refuge on Briggs Avenue at East 196 St., Fordham, in 1923. The church is within a combined school-and-church building. The extensive parish website is linked here. Under "About us" is a posting board. The website also has an informative history, the pastor's blog, photos, and a guest book. The rectory address is 290 East 196 St., and the phone number is 718-367-4690.
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The school address is 2708 Briggs Ave., telephone 718-367-3081. From the photos on the parish website, it appears that each grade numbers 25 to 29 students.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, East 187 Street

2009-12-16T16:34:00.000-08:00

The above photo shows the church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel on the northwest corner of East 187 Street and Belmont Avenue, three blocks south of Fordham University. See pages 231, 472, and 474 of Msgr. Shelley's book for the creation of the parish in 1906. The upstairs church was dedicated in 1917. The website of this parish includes a history page. The rectory address is 627 East 187 St., Bronx NY 10458, telephone 718-295-3770.
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The school is at 2465 Bathgate Avenue, the corner of East 189th Street and Bathgate Avenue. From easyschoolsearch.com , it would seem that Our Lady of Mount Carmel School has about 25 to 30 students per grade.
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Clicking on a photo will enlarge it. Someone is carrying lunch in this noontime photo.

St Augustine, Franklin Avenue and East 167 St.

2009-11-21T18:05:00.000-08:00

See pages 175 and 176 for the founding of The Bronx's third parish, St Augustine, on East 170th Street in 1855. The imposing church on East 167 St. between Fulton Avenue and Franklin Avenue was erected in 1895. The rectory address is 1183 Franklin Ave., Bronx NY 10456, the telephone number 718-893-0072. Unfortunately, the New York Daily News ran a story that the parish will be merged into that of Our Lady of Victory on January 29, 2012. If this happens, I must post an update.
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The A.I.A. Guide credits Louis C. Giele, a prolific church architect.

As the above greeting explains, Sunday Masses are offered in the auditorium of the school, in Spanish at 9:30 a.m. and in English with a Gospel choir at 11 a.m. Weekday Masses are offered in the chapel of the Spiritual Life Center, to the right of the school. The church building cannot be used because the roof needs major restoration.

The much-praised parish elementary school is located at 1176 Franklin Avenue, Bronx NY 10456, telephone 718-542-3633. It seems that St. Augustine School has one section per grade, with an enrollment of about 212. Unfortunately, on January 11, 2011, the archdiocese announced that the school would close in June. The press release is lined here.

Any photo may be enlarged by clicking on it.
For about seventy years the boys' department was staffed by the De La Salle Christian Brothers. The Sisters of Charity taught younger boys and all the girls.

Above is the Lwanga+DePorres Spiritual Life Center, 1168 Franklin Avenue, adjacent to the school.

Immaculate Conception, Melrose

2009-11-21T10:24:00.000-08:00

The above view looks west at the intersection of Melrose Avenue and East 150th Street in The Bronx. The large building at the corner is the parish rectory, 389 East 150th St., Bronx NY 10455, telephone 718-292-6970. Adjacent is the church of the Immaculate Conception, with a cornerstone dated 1889. The A.I.A. Guide says that the architect was Henry Bruns.
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See page 175 for the foundation of Immaculate Conception parish in 1853, by Father Joseph Stumpe. See page 392, for the visitation by coadjutor archbishop Corrigan in August, 1883. In 1886, the parish was given to the care of Redemptorists. See page 606 for the parish becoming a Hispanic parish. (Please do not confuse this parish with another parish named Immaculate Conception on East Gun Hill Road.) I note that Henry Bruns is also credited with designing a rectory for the Redemptorists at 323 East 61 Street, Manhattan, in 1887-8, according to this link.
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Clicking on any photo will enlarge it.

The above view looks east on 150th Street. The cornerstone of the church bears the date September 25, 1887.

The above view looks east on 151 Street towards Melrose Avenue. Immaculate Conception school is in the foreground, with a parish hall at the corner of Melrose Avenue. The school website, extensive, current, and informative, is here. The school address is 378 East 151 St., Bronx NY 10455, telephone 718-585-4843.

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For many years, the Sisters of Christian Charity have lived and worked for the parish. They continue to provide teachers in the school.
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Grace Outreach, a non-profit organization, is located on the fifth floor of the school building.
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At the far end of the block is a school hall said to be designed by Anthony F. A. Schmitt, who designed the nearby church of St. Pius V.

St. Michael the Archangel, Co-op City

2009-10-31T17:55:00.000-07:00

Clicking on any photo will enlarge it.

See page 489 for the 1969 establishment of the parish of St Michael, Co-op City. The rectory address is 765 Co-op City Blvd., Bronx NY 10475, telephone 718-671-8057. The church is at the intersection of Co-op City Blvd. and Rombouts Avenue, but, as shown above, the Rombouts Avenue sign is missing from the intersection. Blue street signs are memorials.
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Co-op City is a development of cooperative apartments in the northeast Bronx near Baychester and Pelham Bay. When this large project was planned and built, no government agency was willing to extend rail service to this community of 55,000. Hence, people rely on walking, cars, and buses. Five bus routes have a stop near the church.
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In driving to St. Michael's church, it is helpful to note that the church is quite close to the Connor St. Exit of Interstate 95. By using Connor Street eastward to reach the maze of apartment houses and curving streets, one soon meets Co-op City Boulevard, a principal winding road. Turn right on Co-op City Boulevard and within a quarter-mile one will see the church. If you become lost, take note of the address: 765 Co-op City Blvd.
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The parish has no school. I have been told that some students attend Our Lady Star of the Sea on nearby City Island. Holy Rosary parish school and Cardinal Spellman High School are both near sections of Co-op City.

St. Luke, 138th St., Mott Haven

2009-08-22T10:39:00.000-07:00

The address of St. Luke's parish address is 623 East 138th St., Bronx NY 10454, telephone number 718-665-6677. The school address is 608 East 139th Street, telephone 718-585-0380. An informative website is here. There would appear to be one or two sections per grade level.

The church of St. Luke, completed in 1919, stands on the north side of East 138th Street just west of Cypress Avenue. Because the building east of the church has been demolished, one can see the side of the church and the school behind it. Clicking on any photo will enlarge it.

The school on East 139th Street is now entered through a passageway from the busier East 138th Street. Please click on this photo to read the signs.
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See page 293, for the establishment of St Luke parish on East 137 Street, Mott Haven, in 1897, where a Sadlier family stable was converted into the first church. The present church on the north side of East 138 Street was completed in 1919. See also page 587 for a view of the survival of the people of St Luke's parish.
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Since 1910, the Dominican Sisters of Blauvelt have staffed this school. For some years, the Brothers of the Sacred Heart taught older boys.

St. Jerome, Alexander Avenue, Mott Haven

2009-08-22T10:38:00.000-07:00

The above view shows St. Jerome's church at Alexander Avenue and busy East 138th Street in Mott Haven, The Bronx. Not everyone arrives by town car. Stairs from the Third Avenue station of the #6 subway train are to the right of the photographer.

The above view looks north on Alexander Avenue from East 137th Street. At the next corner is St. Jerome's church. In the foreground is Saint Jerome's elementary school. The rectory is between them at 230 Alexander Avenue, Bronx NY 10454, telephone 718-665-5533.

The school address is 222 Alexander Avenue,Bronx NY 10454, telephone 718-292-4920. The school website is linked here. Each photo may be enlarged by clicking on it.

On the 138th Street side of the church is this shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of Mexico. On a weekday afternoon, I found the church locked.

In Msgr. Shelley's book, please see page 230 for a reference to Italians at St Jerome parish in 1893. On pages 292 and 293, there is a more lengthy description of the establishment of St Jerome parish in 1869 under Father John J. Hughes. By 1871, he constructed a school on Alexander Avenue at East 137 Street. The present church on the southeast corner of Alexander Avenue and East 138 Street dates from 1900. For many years, Ursuline Sisters staffed the school. For decades after 1928, the Brothers of the Christian Schools taught the older boys. Page 558 contrasts Mass attendance in 1950 (6,100) and 1975 (795). Page 586 describes the parish in difficult times. See also page 606 for recent restoration of the church.

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About 2007, Archbishop Egan entrusted this parish to the care of the Institute of the Incarnate Word, a congregation founded in Argentina about twenty-five years ago. They, "the IVE fathers," also staff St. Thomas Aquinas parish, Crotona Parkway, and St. Michael parish in East New York, Brooklyn.
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An excellent professional photographer has posted about 200 of her photos of St. Jerome's on Flickr, as linked here. Her photo of the Eye is here. Another photographer offers an interior shot from the altar steps to the main doors, linked here.
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The AIA Guide and other places give the church architect as the firm Delhi & Howard, but the spelling is wrong. Please see this brief biography of Arne Dehli. Dehli, from Norway, designed quite a few impressive buildings in metropolitan New York.

St Mary Protectress, Washington Ave., Tremont

2009-08-15T11:47:00.000-07:00

St. Mary Protectress church stands on the west side of Washington Avenue about two blocks south of the Cross-Bronx Expressway.

See page 254 for the 1943 creation of the Ukrainian parish of St Mary Protectress, 1745 Washington Avenue, Bronx NY 10457, telephone 718-731-9392. This is an Eastern Rite parish in the jurisdiction of the Eparchy of Stamford, Connecticut. Whether the Sunday Divine Liturgy is celebrated in modern Ukrainian or Old Slavonic, I don't know. It appears that the pastor is a Basilian monk. Yes, this is a Catholic parish.
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Note that the English name of the parish is a bit different from the Ukrainian name, which I take to be Holy Protectress. This link gives some of the history of the title Protectress.

St. Joseph, Bathgate Ave., Tremont

2009-08-15T11:29:00.000-07:00

Above is a view south on Bathgate Avenue. Clicking on any photo will enlarge it.

The school is on the east side of Bathgate Avenue. The cornerstone is dated 1922. The church cornerstone is dated 1899.

See page 216 for the influx of Germans into Melrose, Morrisania, and Tremont, and the creation of the parish of St Joseph in Tremont in 1873. See page 218 for prints and photos. See page 292 for its quickly becoming a territorial parish. Page 392 shows St Joseph's parish on the list of coadjutor archbishop Corrigan's visitations in August, 1883. Page 222 refers to an Irish-American pastor at St. Joseph's in 1895. See page 412 for a photo of a Holy Name Communion Breakfast in 1938. The present church was built in 1902 on Bathgate Avenue, just north of East Tremont Avenue and a block west of Third Avenue.
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The rectory address is 1949 Bathgate Ave., Bronx NY 10457, telephone 718-731-2504. The parish office has shorter hours than larger parishes, so if the phone is not answered, try at a different time. From a Sunday parish bulletin, it would seem that Sunday adult attendance (total of all Masses) is about 190. The exterior granite of the church has been beautifully cleaned.
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The address of the parish school is 1946 Bathgate Ave., across from the church. With about 500 students, it seems to have one or two classes per grade. The school's excellent website is linked here. For years, the Dominican Sisters of Sparkill staffed the school.
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The neighborhood bustles with residents, shoppers, and workers in many small enterprises. Quite a few smaller churches line the streets.
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In this 1969 photo of the Third Avenue El, one can see both the church and the school. The school has a white-painted wall facing east and a satellite dish for the archdiocesan television network. The church stone is afflicted with the grime from many Bronx furnaces. In fact, one cloud of soot can be seen in the distance.

St. Gabriel, Arlington Ave. and West 235 St., Riverdale

2009-08-15T10:47:00.000-07:00

Above is the view from Arlington Avenue. The church entrance is seen ahead. Access to this door is from three directions: a short driveway from West 235 Street, a often-closed gate on Nethlerland Avenue, and the stairway from Arlington Avenue. The stairway is to the right of the photographer's position.

Above is a sign at the southwest corner of Netherland Avenue and West 235th Street.

The above view looks north. Inside this center door is a foyer, a few steps down, and then the east-west main section of the church. The altar is in the corner where the two wings meet. It appears that folding doors allow an expansion of church seating in the north-south wing (at the right side of this photo). The school is located upstairs.
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See pages 487 and 513 for St. Gabriel parish at Arlington Avenue and West 235 Street, Riverdale. The parish was created in 1939, and the combined church and school were completed in 1941. The address is 3250 Arlington Ave., Bronx NY 10463, telephone 718-548-4470. The parish website here includes both church and school. School enrollment seems to be about 200.
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An excellent bird's-eye view of the school appears on Flickr here.

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Aquinas High School, East 182 St.

2009-08-14T12:03:00.001-07:00

Aquinas High School, a leading Catholic high School for girls, is located at 685 East 182nd Street, Bronx NY 10457, where both Belmont Avenue and Grote Street meet 182nd Street. The telephone is718-367-2113. The school website is linked here.

Aquinas High School is not a parish or archdiocesan high school. Rather, as with numerous Catholic high schools and academies, it was established by a congregation of teaching Sisters, the Dominican Sisters of Sparkill. They and lay teachers have staffed the school for many decades.

The above photos are taken from the east side of the intersection, where the parish church of St. Martin of Tours is located.

The Metropolitan Transit Authority inherited many of its bus routes from previous owners who had arranged with some high schools to provide direct bus service at the student fare, rather than have students change from bus-to-bus. Perhaps because of the different requirements for school buses, in recent years these routes have become marked as public routes. They have never used yellow buses. This bus stop sign shows that at dismissal students may board a Bx12 bus which travels Fordham Road to Sedgwick Avenue.

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Nativity of Our Blessed Lady, East 233 St., Eastchester

2009-07-26T16:15:00.000-07:00

Nativity of Our Blessed Lady church stands at the southwest corner of East 233rd Street and Secor Avenue. The far side of the church, that is, facing Secor Avenue, has some windows.

The address of the parish school is 3893 Dyre Avenue, Bronx NY 10466, telephone 718-324-2188.

See pages 484 and 485 for the foundation of the parish of the Nativity of Our Blessed Lady near Dyre Avenue and East 233 Street in the Eastchester neighborhood of The Bronx. The rectory address is 1531 East 233rd St., Bronx NY 10466, telephone 718-324-3531.
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Though the parish dates from 1924, a first church was completed in 1933, according to a parish history at this link. The church burned in 1958, and in 1969 the new church was inaugurated at the corner of Secor Avenue and East 233rd Street. For many years since the parish school's opening in 1953, the Dominican Sisters of Newburgh educated youngsters of Nativity. The school is at 3893 Dyre Avenue, telephone 718-324-2188. It appears that the school has one section per grade, as it graduated about thirty students in June, 2009.
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The name Eastchester dates back to the late 1600's, it seems, but the Town of Eastchester shrunk as cities and villages were carved from it. This northern neighborhood of The Bronx is correctly called Eastchester, but the remaining Town of Eastchester lies about six miles north. Church and school are near the Dyre Avenue terminus of the 5 Train of the New York City subway.
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A comment follows:

michael said...: "I grew up in the north Bronx. entered Nativity school the 1st year it opened. In fact, I have the program when Cardinal Spellman dedicated the school. I also was an altar boy when the church was on Secor Avenue. In fact, I served the last mass there on the day it burnt down. I also have a photo of my baptism that shows the lawn where the playground now is or was."; January 19, 2009 12:22 AM

St. Margaret of Cortona, Riverdale

2009-07-26T15:01:00.000-07:00

The church of St. Margaret of Cortona is on the east side of Riverdale Avenue north of West 260th Street. See page 298 for the 1889 establishment of the parish of St Margaret of Cortona at Riverdale Avenue and West 260 Street. The present church dates from 1965. The rectory address is 6000 Riverdale Ave., Bronx NY 10471, telephone 718-549-8053.

The congregation leaves church after the 5:15 Mass on a July Saturday. The parish has extensive frontage on the west side of Riverdale Avenue. To the right of the church in this photo (that is, south) is the rectory, then West 260th Street, then a paved lot for the school, then a newer school building and more space. To the left (that is, north) is a parking lot with trees.

Above is the parish school at 452 West 260th Street, Bronx NY 10471, telephone 718-549-8580. To the rear right is a newer extension of perhaps eight more classrooms. The website for the parish school is here.

Holy Rosary, Eastchester Road

2009-06-26T05:12:00.001-07:00

Above is Holy Rosary church on Eastchester Road near Gun Hill Road. See pages 484 and 486 in Thomas Shelley's book for the 1925 creation of the parish. The rectory is to the left at 1510 Adee Avenue, Bronx NY 10469, telephone 718-379-4432. The church dates from 1970, probably just before architects realized that imposing steps often impose difficulties. An alternate access is at the blue sign. Clicking on any photo enlarges it.

Above, a Catholic church that advertises the time for Bible Study!

For decades, the Presentation Sisters taught in Holy Rosary School and lived above it. An interesting 2001 article in the Catholic New York is linked here. The school address is 1500 Arnow Avenue, likewise near the intersection of Gun Hill Road and Eastchester Road.

Blessed Sacrament, Beach Ave., Soundview

2009-06-08T07:12:00.000-07:00

See pages 484 and 486 for the 1927 creation of Blessed Sacrament parish, Beach and Gleason Avenues, a block south of Westchester Avenue. The church and school date from 1929. The rectory address is 1170 Beach Avenue, Bronx NY 10472, telephone 718-892-3214. The school address is 1160 Beach Ave. From privateschoolreview .com, it would seem that the school has 40 or 50 students per grade, apparently two sections per grade. The above photo shows classrooms above the church. These classrooms, according to the New York Times article of 7.16.2009, are used by the older students.
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In May, 2009, President Obama nominated a graduate of Blessed Sacrament school to the United States Supreme Court. This article by Michael Daly of the New York Daily News describes the school in 2009. Since the mid-1950's, the school seems to have used classrooms in two buildings, back-to-back but apparently without an enclosed connecting passageway. If the school now needs 24 or more classrooms (two per grade), the Taylor Avenue building must contain the majority.
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In the above photo, note the stained glass windows indicating the location of the church, with classrooms above it. Quite a few Bronx parishes were built with such combined use.

Above is the cornerstone at the north end of the combined school and church.

A second school building, with a 1955 cornerstone, is on the west side of Taylor Avenue, behind the 1929 building. According to the same New York Times article referred to above, the younger students use this building. Also on Taylor Avenue is the Seton House, a former convent with a 1950 cornerstone. For many decades, the Sisters of Charity taught in Blessed Sacrament School.

A playground and ballfield occupy the north side of Watson Avenue between Beach Avenue (to the left) and Taylor Avenue to the right.

One may find in the neighborhood quite a few signs like the above.

Holy Cross, Soundview Avenue

2009-06-08T07:09:00.000-07:00

See pages 484 and 485 for the 1921 foundation of Holy Cross parish on Soundview Avenue, Clason Point. The parish website is linked here. The rectory address is 600 Soundview Ave., Bronx NY 10473, telephone 718-893-5550.
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Above is the church, on the east side of Soundview Avenue. The intersection is Taylor Avenue is to the left. The church was designed by Brother Cajetan Baumann, O.F.M.
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A year or so ago, archdiocesan clergy replaced the Franciscan Friars, who for more than eighty years staffed this parish. An interesting set of historical photos is linked here. I note that for a while this parish had a combined church-and-school structure that several Bronx parishes built in the 1920's.

Above is one of the parish school buildings, located on the east side side of Thieriot Avenue just north of Randall Avenue. Another building which appears to be a school with a playground is one the west side of Thieriot Avenue, that is, somewhat behind the church.
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The address of Holy Cross school is 1846 Randall Ave., Bronx NY 10473. The school website is linked here.

St Francis of Assisi, Baychester Ave., Wakefield

2009-04-20T18:09:00.000-07:00

Each photo may be enlarged by clicking on it.

See pages 488 and 489 for the creation in 1949 and merger in 2007 of the parish of St Francis of Assisi, at Baychester Avenue and Pitman Avenue, seven blocks inside the city line. The rectory phone number is 718-324-5340. With St. Anthony (Richardson Ave.) and St. Frances of Rome (Barnes Ave.), St Francis of Assisi is one of three Wakefield parishes with the same pastor and associates. There is another parish named St. Francis of Assisi in High Bridge, but that has been merged with the larger parish of the Sacred Heart.
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This parish offers an elementary school at 4300 Baychester Avenue, Bronx NY 10466, telephone 718-994-4650. With about 300 students, it appears that there is one section per grade. Adjacent to the church is an early learning center, the sign for which appears above.

St Frances of Rome, Barnes Ave., Wakefield

2009-04-19T15:26:00.000-07:00

Above, before the 1960's only the lower church existed, on the ground floor. Then a magnificent, bright upper church was added. More recently, an elevator helps those who have difficulty with the foyer staircases.
Clicking on any photo will enlarge it.
The new church, as seen from the west.
See pages 299 and 301 for the 1897 creation of the parish of St Frances of Rome, near East 236 Street and Barnes Avenue, Wakefield, east of White Plains Road. The present church dates from 1967. For many years, the Sisters of the Presentation taught in the parish school. The rectory address is 4307 Barnes Ave., Bronx NY 10466, telephone 718-324-5340. The pastor of this parish is also responsible for St. Anthony's on Richardson Avenue and St. Francis of Assisi on Baychester Avenue. For the St. Anthony/St. Frances of Rome elementary school, please use this link.

Mount St. Michael, Murdock Avenue, Wakefield

2009-04-19T13:18:00.001-07:00

Above, the main entrance on Murdock Avenue. Please click on any photo to enlarge it.
Above is the view from the intersection of Nereid Avenue and Murdock Avenue.
Above, St. Michael the Archangel, guards the campus from rival teams in sports.

Above, looking east across from Nereid Avenue to Pitman Avenue. That is the Brothers' house, with football field and all-weather track to the left.

See page 378, for a passing reference to the arrival of the French-speaking Marist Brothers from Quebec. Their work continues at Mount St. Michael Academy, a boys' school (grades 6-12), 4300 Murdock Ave., Bronx NY 10466, telephone 718-515-6400.
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The Marists continue the work begun by St. Marcellin Champagnat in 1817 in southern France. They opened St. Anne's Academy on East 76 Street, Manhattan, in 1892, and in 1926 they opened Mount St. Michael Academy in The Bronx. In addition to the academy's scholastic work, the Mount is long-famous in Bronx high school sports. This is the same community that built Marist College in Poughkeepsie.
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The academy property is large. It is bounded by Murdock Avenue on the south, Pitman Avenue on the east, Mundy Lane on the north, and Nereid Avenue on the west. According to John McNamara's "History in Asphalt," Murdock Campbell was a Wakefield real estate agent around 1899, Pitman the name of a landowner further south on Pitman, Mundy a funeral director, and Nereid the name of a fire brigade near Richardson Avenue and Nereid Ave., which is also East 238th Street.

St Raymond parish, Westchester or Parkchester

2009-03-15T17:56:00.000-07:00

St. Raymond's church is on East Tremont Avenue at Castle Hill Avenue. This view looks south.
See page 171 for an account of the founding of St. Raymond Parish in 1842 by Father Felix Vilanis, "who had been the first rector of St Joseph's Seminary in Fordham two years earlier." Page 141 has an old photo of the original St Raymond's church. Note that this was once the Town of Westchester within the County of Westchester, before Bronx County was formed. See page 174 for later history and photos of the present church, built in 1898, shown also above.
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The parish website is linked here. The rectory address is 1759 Castle Hill Ave., Bronx NY 10462, and the phone number is 718-792-4044.
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McNamara's Blog, linked here, reproduces a 1914 history of St. Raymond's parish. This snippet adds much to other accounts, as it describes the early parish history in more detail.

The rectory and church seen from Castle Hill Avenue. The front of the church faces Tremont Avenue, to the right.
Clicking on any photo enlarges it. Above is the interior of St. Raymond's church. According to the New York City Organ Project, the church, built in 1898, was designed by George H. Streeton, who later designed St. James Cathedral in Brooklyn. As of November, 2010, the lower church is being used for services. A note in the parish bulletin states that the upper church will be renovated by the spring of 2011.

St. John Baptist de la Salle. A biography is here.

The above building now houses the girls' high school.

Above, looking west from the front steps of the church. It seems the church yard was much larger before this elementary school was built about 1950, as shown in this link a helpful reader has sent me. It is a 1905 view from past the school and facing the church. It shows the extent of the graveyards in 1905. It is also a good view of the church.

Above, looking west. The parish owns two other cemeteries, about two miles east.

Above, the rear of the elementary school is seen from Purdy Street.
Above, looking south from Tremont Avenue. Both the elementary school and the girls' high school are entered through this gate.

At some point after 1924, year unknown, the parish built the above building as a convent for the Sisters of Charity. It seems that in the late 1950's a new convent was built on the south side of Metropolitan Avenue, and the De La Salle Brothers moved from a frame house several blocks away to this commodious building. One can see the chapel and a parlor facing the sun. The entrance is on the far side, on Castle Hill Avenue. The new convent, with elegance resembling Motel 6, is now used for parish or archdiocesan offices.

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The parish website is linked here. The rectory address is 1759 Castle Hill Ave., Bronx NY 10462, and the phone number is 718-792-4044.
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The parish maintains an elementary school at 2380 East Tremont Avenue, adjacent to the church, a girls' high school, St. Raymond Academy at 1725 Castle Hill Avenue, and St. Raymond High School for Boys, at 2151 St. Raymond Avenue, Bronx NY 10462, main entrance on Purdy St. The De La Salle Christian Brothers have been members of the teaching staff since 1909. The 2008 edition of the Official Catholic Directory gave these enrollment figures: 654 students in the elementary school, 351 students in the girls' academy, and 714 students in the boys' high school.
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Above is St. Raymond High School for Boys at the corner of St. Raymond Avenue and Purdy Street.

In the fall of 2011, a new entrance and addition was constructed along Purdy Street.

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An 1924 aerial view of St. Raymond's parish may be viewed here, courtesy of the New York Public Library.

St Barnabas, Woodlawn

2009-03-15T16:15:00.000-07:00

To the left of the steps, one can detect the door to a new elevator connecting street level with both the upper and lower churches. In this photo, Martha Avenue, going north, is at the left, and the next building is in the city of Yonkers. To the right is East 241 Street, Bronx, with the rectory and elementary school in sight.
A click on any photo enlarges it.
Looking west at McLean Avenue and Hyatt Avenue, Yonkers. This is St. Barnabas Chapel, on the street level of the high school.

See pages 478 and 479 for the creation of St. Barnabas Parish, Woodlawn, in 1910. The present church, built in 1911 at the corner of East 241 Street and Martha Avenue, has long been insufficient for all the Sunday Masses. Some Masses are said at a nearby school building on McLean Avenue, Yonkers. The border separating two cities (New York and Yonkers) apparently goes through the parish property. The rectory address is 409 East 241 St., Bronx NY 10470, telephone 718-324-1478.
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The Sisters of Charity and religious sisters of other congregations have staffed the parish schools (K-12) for many decades. The address of the parish elementary school is 413 East 241 St., Bronx NY 10470. The website of the elementary school is here. With an enrollment about 540, it seems to have two sections per grade. The website of the girls' high school at 425 East 240th Street is here.

Our Lady of Solace, Morris Park Avenue, Van Nest

2009-03-15T15:01:00.000-07:00

The church faces busy Morris Park Avenue. To the right is the intersection with Holland Avenue.
Students from Our Lady of Solace parish attend St. Dominic's parish school. The religious education program of both parishes is apparently conducted in this building at the corner of Morris Park Avenue and Holland Avenue.
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See page 481 for the establishment of Our Lady of Solace in 1903. The rectory address is 731 Morris Park Ave., Bronx NY 10462, telephone 718-863-3282. Morris Park was the name of nearby race track, and Van Nest a nearby railroad station that gave its name to a housing subdivision west of Morris Park. The present church was dedicated in 1929. For years, the Sisters of the Presentation staffed the parish school.
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From the banner in front of the church, it would seem that the parish of Our Lady of Solace is staffed in part by Misioneros Idente, also known as Institute Id of Christ.

St Dominic, Unionport Road, Van Nest

2009-03-15T14:50:00.000-07:00

Above the entrance, "Domine, dilexi decorem domus tuae." Lord, I have loved the beauty of your house (Psalm 26). A allusion to the name Dominic may be intended. You may click on any photo to enlarge it.
The above photo looks north on Unionport Road to Morris Park Avenue.
See pages 482 and 483 for St Dominic's parish, established in 1924. The church on Unionport Road south of Morris Park Avenue dates from 1927. The rectory address is 1739 Unionport Road, Bronx NY 10462, telephone 718-828-2424.
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St. Dominic's parish school is a few blocks south at 1684 White Plains Road. On January 11, 2011, the archdiocese announced that the school would close in June. An article in the Bronx Times is linked here. The staff of the school may include six Sisters of the Congregation of St. John the Baptist, CSJB, also known as the Baptistines.
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From the website of the Misioneros Idente, it would seem that this congregation provides some of the staff for St. Dominic parish.

Our Lady of Grace, Bronxwood Ave, Wakefield

2009-03-15T11:26:00.001-07:00

This sculpture of Mary and Jesus was created by Sister Angelica Ballan.
Please click on any photo to enlarge it. However, the parish website linked here offers better photos of this sculpture, which was transferred from what had been Misericordia Hospital.
The photo above shows the school, rectory, and church.

See pages 478 and 479 for the parish of Our Lady of Grace, founded as an Italian parish in 1924. The present church, at Bronxwood Avenue and East 226 St., dates from 1968. The rectory address is 3985 Bronxwood Avenue, Bronx NY 10466, telephone 718-652-4817. This is two blocks east of White Plains Road. The school, rectory, and church occupy the west side of Bronxwood Avenue from 225th St to 226th St. The parish website is linked here; scroll to the bottom of that home page to find more links about the parish and its school.
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The parish school is at 3981 Bronxwood Avenue. A March, 2009, message from the principal would seem to indicate one room per grade.

St Clare, Rhinelander Ave., Morris Park

2009-03-15T11:19:00.001-07:00

Clicking on any photo enlarges it.
In the above photo, the church and school are seen on Rhinelander Avenue. The one-way-southbound street to the left is Paulding Avenue. To the right of the school is Hone Avenue, one-way-northbound.
An outdoor statue of St. Clare faces Paulding Avenue. For a biography, click here.
Note that the craftsmen who built this church did not present us with a flat brick wall, but they knew how to ornament it with designs.

See page 484 for the 1929 creation of the Italian parish of St Clare of Assisi at Paulding and Rhinelander Avenue, Morris Park or Williamsbridge. The present church dates from 1931. The parish website is linked here. The rectory address is 1918 Paulding Ave., Bronx NY 10462, and the phone number is 718-863-8974.
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The parish school is located at 1911 Hone Avenue, Bronx NY 10461. The school and rectory are back-to-back on parallel avenues (Hone and Paulding), but they seem to be in different zip codes or post office branches. With more than 500 students, the school appears to have two sections per grade.
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An extensive history of the parish (49 pages in PDF file) is linked here. Many thanks to the persons who wrote it and posted it.

St Francis Xavier, Van Nest Ave., Morris Park

2009-03-15T11:13:00.001-07:00

See 484 and 486 for St Francis Xavier, founded in Morris Park in 1928. The parish patron, Francis Xavier, was born in Spain in 1506. He became one of the first Jesuits and a missionary to India and Japan, dying on route to China in 1552. Brief biographies of St. Francis Xavier are linked here and here.
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The present church at Lurting and Van Nest Avenues dates from 1951. The parish has several substantial buildings, including what appear to be two schools. A convent was refurbished for the Franciscan sisters sponsored by Fr. Benedict Groeschel. The rectory address is 1703 Lurting Ave., Bronx NY 10461, telephone 718-892-3330. The parish website is linked here. Thanks to Tom, who provided the link.
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The parish school is at 1711 Haight Avenue, telephone 718-863-0531. With about 370 students, it appears that some grades have two sections, other grades one.
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Lurting Avenue and some parallel avenues to the west carry the names of former mayors of New York City. According to "History in Asphalt" by John McNamara, Robert Lurting was mayor from 1726 to 1735. Stephan Haight was a local landowner.

Sacred Heart, Highbridge

2009-01-10T12:40:00.000-08:00

The address of Sacred Heart parish is 1253 Shakespeare Ave., Bronx NY 10452, telephone 718-293-2766. As the above photo shows, the church faces the intersection of Woodycrest Avenue and Shakespeare Avenue. Bus route Bx11 comes past the door. Clicking on a photo will enlarge it.
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The address of the parish school is 95 East 168th St., Bronx, NY 10452.
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Please note that the church of St. Francis of Assisi, on Shakespeare Avenue less than a mile north, has been merged with Sacred Heart parish.

Regarding the above photo, Sacred Heart provides primary education in the newer building in the center, and middle school education in the older building to the left.

This door at the back of this photo is to a chapel accommodating about 28 faithful. The large church is to the right. The rectory is to the left.

The Highbridge Community Life Center operates from seven buildings in Highbridge. For years, the Brothers teaching at the school lived here at 1252 Nelson Avenue.
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See page 292 of Msgr. Shelley's book for the establishment of Sacred Heart parish in 1875. In 1877, the pastor purchased a wooden church from St. Rose of Lima parish, Cannon Street, Manhattan, and had it disassembled and transported to Highbridge. See page 392 for the visitation by coadjutor archbishop Corrigan on August 15, 1883. The present church dates from 1912. See page 294 for photos. See page 475 for a photo of St. Eugene's chapel on Odgen Avenue. See page 585 for Sacred Heart parishioners affected by fires and destruction in the 1970's. The neighborhood has been rebuilt, and it is alive with residents.
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Sad to relate, Fr. Michael Sepp, beloved pastor of Sacred Heart and St. Francis of Assisi parishes, died on March 13, 2009. A touching narrative has been posted on the Bronx News Network, linked here.
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For decades the Sisters of Mercy and, from 1926, the Brothers of the Christian Schools staffed the school.

St Francis of Assisi, Highbridge

2009-01-10T12:28:00.000-08:00

The church is in the short block of Shakespeare Avenue between Featherbed Lane (to the left of the photo) and the canyon of the Cross Bronx Expressway (to the right of this photo).
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See page 475 for the 1928 establishment of the parish of Saint Francis of Assisi in a predominantly Jewish part of High Bridge. With rather small territory carved from the thriving Sacred Heart parish, St. Francis could afford neither a school nor a large church. It has recently become part of Sacred Heart parish again. The postal address is Post Office Box 520013. Bronx NY 10452, telephone 718-731-6840. The Sunday received offering at Sacred Heart in January, 2009, was about $2,700 a week, and at St Francis about $1,700.

Christ the King, Grand Concourse

2009-01-10T11:44:00.001-08:00

A helpful person forwarded this explanation as a comment:
"A building fundraising drive was initiated in 1962, and ended on November 16th with $275,000 pledged by parishioners. This was added to another $200,000 that the parish had already set aside for building.

"The new school building was dedicated on September 12, 1965. The school was constructed over the old church. Only the lower portion of the church had originally been constructed before the Depression put a halt to building plans. (Information obtained from the Dedication Album for Christ the King, printed in 1965.)"

See pages 472 and for the 1929 creation of the parish of Christ the King, at the Grand Concourse and Marcy Place. This is on the west side of the Grand Concourse two blocks south of East 170 Street,. The rectory address is 141 Marcy Place, Bronx NY 10452, telephone 718-538-5546. The school entrance is at the southwest corner of the intersection, 1345 Grand Concourse. The church entrance is downhill west on Marcy Place, underneath the school.

St Angela Merici, East 163 St, Melrose

2009-01-10T10:39:00.000-08:00

East 163rd Street is at the right. The church entrance can be seen in the center of the school. Please continue reading below the next two photos.

See page 295 for the creation of St Angela Merici parish, at Morris Avenue and East 163 St., Melrose, in 1899. The present church dates from 1923. For many years, Ursuline Sisters taught in the school of this parish named after their foundress. See page 606 for parishioners from Nigeria. The parish website is linked here. The rectory's address is 917 Morris Ave., Bronx NY 10451, and the telephone is 718-293-0984.
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The school address is 266 East 163rd St., Bronx NY 10451. The school website is here.
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The third photo is taken from East 162nd Street, looking at the altar end of the church. Anytime you are reading such a blog as this one, a click on the photo will bring an enlargement. For example, if you wish to read what is written above the door of the church entrance in the second photo above, just click on that photo.

St Rita of Cascia, College Ave., Mott Haven

2009-01-10T06:15:00.000-08:00

See page 231 for the foundation of the parish of St Rita of Cascia in 1900. The present church was built in 1904 at College Avenue and East 145 Street. The rectory address is 448 College Ave., Bronx NY 10451, telephone 718-585-5900.
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On May 24, 1900, Leo XIII canonized two saints: Rita of Cascia and Jean Baptiste de la Salle. Each got a New York parish right away: Rita here in The Bronx, and John Baptiste de la Salle on Staten Island.
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There are two comments, which may be read when you click on "Comments" below.

Villa Maria Academy private elementary school

2009-01-01T17:13:00.001-08:00

The Villa Maria Academy, a private elementary school, is located at 3335 Country Club Road (near Campbell Drive), Bronx NY 10465, telephone 718-824-3260. From privateschoolsreport.com it would appear that Villa Maria Academy has two sections per grade and almost 500 students. The academy seems to be run by the Sisters of the Congregation de Notre-Dame, C.N.D., of Wilton, Connecticut.

St. Joseph School for the Deaf

2008-12-26T17:53:00.000-08:00

A private (that is, not dependent on a parish) elementary school is on the campus of St. Joseph School for the Deaf at 100 Hutchinson River Parkway, Bronx NY 10465. The website is here. The AIA Guide ascribes the old building at the school and its match across the parkway (Msgr. Scanlon High School) to the firm Schickel and Ditmars. The many other buildings which the firm designed for the Archdiocese include the seminary at Dunwoodie and St. Vincent's Hospital.

Editor's Note

2008-12-15T14:47:00.000-08:00

Because this blog appears to receive visitors looking for parish information rather than a book index, I am reviewing each post, adding geographic help, mailing addresses, phone numbers, and website links. Be sure to use the labels at the right to find information, or use the search box at the top. Thank you.
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It would seem that 54 of the 67 parishes have elementary schools, but my count could be wrong. I have begun to add notes about each school as I find them, an incomplete task.

Enthusiasm for The Bronx

2008-04-02T06:44:00.000-07:00

I have enjoyed Msgr. Thomas Shelley's book, and I have learned much from it. My enthusiasm for The Bronx comes from education at St John's, Kingsbridge, and dad bringing me on explorations of the Bronx streetcar routes of the Third Avenue Railway System that existed about 1946. These car lines passed many a Bronx church, and Dad tipped his hat. Some trolleys even carried the destination "Protectory" on their lengthy roller signs, the turnback being on Tremont Avenue in front of where the Pro had stood.

Calvary Hospital

2008-04-01T18:27:00.000-07:00

Page 610 has a reference to the House of Calvary (Featherbed Lane?) which became Calvary Hospital on Eastchester Road.

Missionaries of Charity

2008-04-01T18:25:00.000-07:00

Page 610 has a reference to the 1971 arrival of Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity in Mott Haven.

Corpus Christi Monastery

2008-04-01T18:20:00.001-07:00

On page 610 there is a photo of the chapel of Corpus Christi Monastery on Lafayette Avenue, Hunts Point.

Organization "South Bronx Churches"

2008-04-01T17:50:00.000-07:00

See pages 587 and 595 for a description of the activist community organization, "South Bronx Churches." This index uses older neighborhood names as Mott Haven and Melrose. The term "South Bronx" is too often used for neighborhoods that are geographically North, Central, East, or West Bronx.

Yankee Stadium, 1957

2008-04-01T15:27:00.000-07:00

See pages 523 and 524 for a celebration at Yankee Stadium in 1957.

Santa Maria, St. Raymond Ave., Westchester Square

2008-03-31T15:32:00.000-07:00

Above, Santa Maria church on St. Raymond Avenue. Parker Street is at the right side of the building. Zerega Avenue and the school is to the left.

Above, the Mass schedule as seen in May, 2011.

See pages 484 and 485 for the 1926 foundation of the parish of Santa Maria at St. Raymond Avenue and Parker Street, east of Castle Hill Avenue and Parkchester. The present church was remodeled in 1936. The rectory address is 2352 St. Raymond Ave., Bronx NY 10462, telephone 718-828-2380.
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Three blocks from the church is the Santa Maria parish school, located at 1510 Zerega Avenue, Bronx NY 10462, filling the block from Glebe Avenue to Frisby Ave. The school was created in 1951, and is staffed, in part, by religious sisters, the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The website for Santa Maria parish school is here.
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From the website of the Misioneros Idente, it would seem that three parishes near to each other (Santa Maria, Our Lady of Solace, St. Dominic) are staffed by this congregation, founded by Dr. Fernando Rielo. The Catholic Directory would seem to indicate that they live at Santa Maria rectory.

St Benedict, Otis Avenue, Throgs Neck

2008-03-30T10:57:00.000-07:00

The church steps face Otis Avenue. Just one block west is busy East Tremont Avenue.

At the rear of the church (the north side, that is) a trench carries the traffic of Interstate 95, here called the Bruckner Expressway. Terence Cardinal Cooke (1921-1983) hailed from this parish twenty or more years before the highways arrived.

See page 482 for St Benedict's parish in Throgs Neck, established in 1923 by Benedictines from Collegeville, Minnesota. The present church dates from about 1960. In 1976 (thanks to a reader who commented), the parish was transferred from the care of the Benedictines to archdiocesan priests. I have been unable to determine whether the boundaries of the Village of Unionport included territory later within this parish, as the bicentennial history implies. The rectory address is 2969 Otis Avenue, Bronx NY 10465, telephone 718-828-3403.
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Shown below is the parish school at 1016 Edison Avenue, a half-block south of the church. Both are in a quiet neighborhood of private homes two blocks from the busy intersection of I-95 (Bruckner Blvd) and East Tremont Avenue. The school would appear to have one or two sections per grade, total enrollment about 340.

St Ann, Bainbridge Avenue, Gun Hill

2008-03-29T11:05:00.000-07:00

See pages 478 and 478 for the 1927 creation of the parish of St. Ann on Bainbridge Avenue, just north of Gun Hill Road. Inside the door, another set of stairs leads up to the church. Higher up is the school. Several Bronx parishes have a similar construction of school-above-church. Because of the steps, a ramp has been installed to a new church door along the left side of the building. The rectory address is 3519 Bainbridge Ave., Bronx NY 10467, and the telephone is 718-547-9350.

The address for St. Ann's parish school is 3511 Bainbridge Ave., Bronx NY 10467 telephone 7018-655-3439. It may have 280 students. For years, the Dominican Sisters of Sparkill staffed this school.

Our Lady of Pity, East 151 St., Melrose

2008-03-29T10:39:00.000-07:00

See pages 476 and 467 for the Italian parish of Our Lady of Pity (Madonna del Suffragio) on East 151 Street near Morris Ave., Melrose. Founded in 1908, "the parish is now (2007) closed."

St. Nicholas of Tolentine, Fordham Road

2008-03-29T09:38:00.000-07:00

See page 475 for the 1906 foundation of the parish of St. Nicholas of Tolentine. The church, on the southwest corner of University Avenue and Fordham Road, was dedicated in 1928. The rectory address is 2345 University Ave., Bronx NY 10468, telephone 718-295-6800. According to the AIA Guide, the church was designed by Delaney, O'Connor, and Schultz.
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A description of the church, its history, its organ, and photos is here. A website of Augustinian Fathers on the East Coast is here.
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The parish elementary school is located at 2336 Andrews Avenue, around the corner from the church. It seems to have one section per grade, with an enrollment over 300.

Holy Spirit, University Avenue, Morris Heights

2008-03-28T18:41:00.000-07:00

See page 475 for the Church of the Holy Spirit on the east side of University Avenue, near West Burnside Avenue, founded 1901. Page 586 describes the successful efforts against abandonment, fires, and destruction, largely through the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition.
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The rectory address is 1940 University Avenue, Bronx NY 10453, telephone 718-583-0120. University Avenue is also known as Dr. Martin L. King Blvd. The school at 1960 University Avenue is adjacent to the church. The school phone number is 718-583-1570. West Burnside Avenue zig-zags as it crosses University Avenue, and Holy Spirit is between the zig and the zag!
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The parish website, quite informative, is linked here.
The school website, also informative, is linked here.

Our Savior, East 183 Street

2008-03-28T18:01:00.000-07:00

To enlarge any photo, please click on the photo.

See pages 472 and 474 for the parish of Our Savior, East 183 Street and Washington Avenue, in 1911. The present church dates from 1914. The rectory address is 2317 Washington Ave., Bronx NY 10458, telephone 718-295-9600. In some lists, the name "savior" is spelled "saviour." The 2008 Official Catholic Directory shows no school. The priests are Yarumal Missionaries, M.X.Y., a Society of Apostolic Life founded in Colombia in 1927.
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Note that land in The Bronx was already so scarce that the church is within the school. When the above photo was taken in late 2009, the school floors, presumably above the church, were rented to a public school. Five stained glass windows of the church can be seen by enlarging the photo.
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A grandfather of a friend of mine was a young man in this parish when its pastor, the famous Father Francis P. Duffy, became chaplain of "The Fighting 69th" and went off to the Mexican border during the fight with Pancho Villa (1916?). It is said that the young man was with this regiment there.

Our Lady of Victory, Webster Avenue, Tremont

2008-03-28T17:56:00.000-07:00

Webster Avenue proceeds north at the left of the photo. The rectory is the shorter building at the left. Maybe classrooms are above the church, but the parish has no elementary school. Instead, a vigorous CCD program is offered.

See page 472 for the establishment of the parish of Our Lady of Victory, 1512 Webster Avenue, at East 171 St, a block south of Claremont Parkway, in 1909. See page 474 for a photo of the church, which dates from 1911. For an explanation of Mary's title, "Our Lady of Victory," you may check out this link from the University of Dayton. I have long been puzzled by the question, "Which victory?" The primary victory seems to be Lepanto in 1571, but as the French often use the plural, there is a hint of more than that single battle.
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The rectory address is 1512 Webster Ave., Bronx NY 10457, telephone 718-583-4044.
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To read the comments, please click on "Comments" below. Please note especially the beginning of plans for the centennial.

Hugh J. Grant

2008-03-27T18:24:00.000-07:00

See page 385 for a reference to Hugh J. Grant, a New York mayor (1889-1892), the second Catholic mayor of New York. In 1911, a year after he died, the circle at East 177 Street and Westchester Avenue was named after him.

St Joseph's Hospital, Mott Haven

2008-03-27T18:17:00.000-07:00

See page 382 for a photo of St Joseph's Hospital for Tuberculosis Patients (or Consumptives) founded by the Sisters of the Poor of St. Francis in 1882. The location seems to have been on Brook Avenue between East 143 St and East 144 St. In the 1960's, my grandmother was a patient at St. Francis Hospital, perhaps on Brook Avenue between East 142 St and 143 St.

Catholic Protectory

2008-03-27T17:25:00.000-07:00

See pages 362 for references to the Catholic Protectory on the 114-acre site of what is now Parkchester. That property was purchased in 1865 and sold to Metropolitan Life about 1938. For seventy or seventy-five years, the Sisters of Charity (Mother Seton's congregation) staffed the girls' division and the Brothers of the Christian Schools (De La Salle Brothers) the boys' division.

St John's College and Fordham University

2008-03-27T17:04:00.000-07:00

See pages 359, 360 and 386 for the foundation of St John's College in 1841 and the transfer of its administration to Jesuits in 1846. Somewhere I have read that the name "Fordham" referred rather to an estate along the Harlem River and that Rose Hill, the 106-acre purchase made by Bishop Hughes in 1839, was at the east end of the estate. See pages 111 and 132 for references to the first diocesan synod, held at St John's College, Fordham, in 1842. In 1905, the Jesuits renamed the college Fordham. Thomas Shelley's book, the Bronx references of which I am here indexing, is rich with footnotes. See footnote #14 on page 360 for a helpful history of Fordham University. Page 421 has a photo of Keating Hall. Page 522 refers to the San Juan Fiesta at Rose Hill in 1956. Page 598 reminds the reader that The Bronx was honored with its own cardinal in 2001, Cardinal Avery Dulles, .S.J., residing at Fordham University.

Academy of Mount St. Ursula

2008-03-27T16:54:00.000-07:00

See page 357 for the arrival of the Ursulines in The Bronx in 1855. They established an academy on Westchester Avenue, east of Eagle Avenue, Morrisania. In 1892, they moved the academy and convent to Mount St. Ursula in Bedford Park, between Marion and Valentine Avenues, where the staff of the academy in 2008 continues to educate girls of high school age. The mailing address and school entrance is 330 Bedford Park Boulevard, NY 10458.
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The website of the Academy of Mount St. Ursula is here. The international website of the Ursulines is here.

St John Nam, White Plains Road, Williamsbridge

2008-03-27T12:59:00.000-07:00

See pages 299 and 300 for the Korean Catholic parish of St John Nam, which apparently was established in 1989 at some other location, and in 2007 moved into the church of St Mary on White Plains Road near East 215 St, Williamsbridge. The rectory address is 3663 White Plains Road, Bronx NY 10467, telephone 718-231-2414.
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This 2004 link may give some explanation of the history of the two parishes.

St Mary School, Wakefield

2008-03-27T12:44:00.000-07:00

See pages 299 and 300 for the 1886 founding of St Mary parish, White Plains Road at East 215 Street, Williamsbridge. In 2007, the 1887 church was transferred to the Korean Catholic parish of St John Nam. The archdiocesan website shows this rectory address for the Church of St. Mary: 650 East 226 St., Bronx NY 10466, telephone 718-547-8000. This address is near the school in the Wakefield post office zone.
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This link from 2004 provides some history of the shared church.
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The school that the parish founded educates about 300 students in a separate building at 3956 Carpenter Avenue, Bronx NY 10466, telephone 718-547-0500. The school and its auditorium take up the east side of Carpenter Avenue from East 224 St to East 225 Street. This location is a block west of White Plains Road.

St John, Kingsbridge

2008-03-27T12:06:00.000-07:00

See pages 268 and 298 for the creation of St John parish on Kingsbridge Avenue, north of West 230 Street, in 1886. Previously, it had been a mission of St Mary's, Yonkers, and after 1869 a mission of St Elizabeth parish, Washington Heights, whose pastor, Father Henry Brann, built a chapel in Kingsbridge. This church's patron is John the Apostle and Evangelist. The parish is often called St John's, Kingsbridge, to distinguish it from other parishes named St John. The present church dates from 1910, but was rededicated in 1966. For more than a century, the Religious of Jesus and Mary have staffed the school. For about twenty years (1950-1970?) the De La Salle Christian Brothers staffed the boys' department.
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The rectory address is 3021 Kingsbridge Ave., Bronx NY 10463, telephone 718-548-1221. In the above photo, the rectory is at the left, the church is at the right.
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The school is located two blocks north of the church, at 3143 Kingsbridge Avenue. It appears to have almost students, with one section per grade. The parish's older and larger school building is now leased to the New York City Board of Education. More views of Kingsbridge may be found here on Webshots.
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The original convent of the Religious of Jesus and Mary stands on Godwin Terrace. The building above on West 230th Street was built for the Sisters in 1950, but the parish reclaimed it about fifty years later, moving the Sisters to the Godwin Terrace building.

Above is a banner over the church's main door in April, 2011.

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Sts. Peter and Paul, Brook Avenue, Melrose

2008-03-26T06:34:00.000-07:00

The church is on Brook Avenue. East 159 Street is to the right. The school is to the left.

The above photo of the parish school was taken in October, 2006. Clicking on a photo enlarges it. In this case, you can then read the signs.
See pages 295 and 296 for the establishment of the parish of Saints Peter and Paul on Brook Avenue, Melrose, in 1898. The present church was completed in 1932. Page 587 has a photo of a student with a Sister of Charity in 1989. For years, the Sisters of Charity and lay teachers have staffed the parish school
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The rectory address is 833 St. Ann's Avenue, Bronx NY 10456. telephone 718-665-3924. The parish property includes the north side of East 159th St. from St. Ann's Avenue on the east to Brook Avenue on the west. The church and school face Brook Avenue.
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The school address is 838 Brook Ave., Bronx NY 10456, telephone 718-665-2056. . It seems to have more than 300 students and one or two sections per grade. The school website is here.
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Alumni of the parish have created an interesting website with photos, linked here. In the views looking north on Brook Avenue, one can see the el between the school and the court house. There are photos of teachers, families, and students.

Bronx annexation

2008-03-26T04:02:00.000-07:00

See page 292 for an excellent summary of the stages of annexation of The Bronx (1874, 1895), the formation of Greater New York (1898), and the establishment of Bronx County (1914).

Map of Bronx parishes in 1875

2008-03-26T03:53:00.000-07:00

See page 291 for a map of parishes in The Bronx in 1875. These are St Raymond, St Jerome, Immaculate Conception (Melrose), Our Lady of Mercy, Sacred Heart, St Augustine, and St. Joseph.

St Adalbert, East 156 Street, Melrose

2008-03-25T19:21:00.000-07:00

See page 240 for the founding of St Adalbert parish, East 155 Street, Melrose. in 1898. In 2008, this parish does not appear on the list of archdiocesan parishes, but the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal may be using some of the buildings. Please view the comments below by clicking on the word "Comments."

Immaculate Conception, Gun Hill Road, Williamsbridge

2008-03-25T19:05:00.000-07:00

See page 231 for the 1902 beginning of Immaculate Conception church, on Gun Hill Road, just east of White Plains Road, in Williamsbridge. The present large church dates from 1925. Do not confuse this parish with the Immaculate Conception parish on East 150th Street. The informative website for church and school is here.
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The rectory address is 754 East Gun Hill Road, Bronx NY 10467, telephone 718-653-2200.