On the northwest corner of East 152nd Street and Tinton Avenue stands 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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On 12.9.2013, the New York Times printed an excellent article, "Bringing Back the Artistic Beauty of a 19th-Century Church," by David Gonzalez. I have linked the article here, but over time, it may receive a different URL in the archives of nytimes.com. The church suffers from deterioration and some previous inconsiderate attempts at repairs. The article describes the work of pastor, conservator, and parishioners. When I visited the church, it was obviously of Byzantine inspiration, but I had not realized that its domes imitate Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. The article explains details.
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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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An article appeared August 2, 2023, explaining that Catholic Charities will build a 12-storey apartment house in the church parking lot at 671 Tinton Avenue. The building will offer 126 apartments, many with supportive services. The lot is on the northwest corner of Tinton Avenue and East 152 St.
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