St. Augustine & Our Lady of Victory, Webster Avenue.

The parish of St. Augustine and Our Lady of Victory worships in this church on the east side of Webster Avenue at East 171 Street.  The red building to the left is the rectory, at 1512 Webster Avenue, Bronx NY 10457, telephone 718-583-4044. The informative parish website is linked HERE.
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Repairs to the facade are underway in this May, 2012, photograph.  The Bx41 local bus, providing frequent service from The Hub at East 149th Street, stops near the church at East 171 Street. The Bx41 Select Bus Service stop is further south, at East 170th Street. 

Symbols of the four evangelists surround the rose window: John and Matthew above, Luke and Mark below.

The cornerstone carries the date 1911.

For many comments about Our Lady of Victory parish and school, please see my earlier post.

For photos of St. Augustine's church and school, please see my earlier post.

St. Nicholas of Tolentine, Fordham Road

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.  The above view looks north on University Avenue towards Fordham Road.  Left to right: an apartment house with scaffolding; a family services agency in a former school, the rectory, and the church, with its main entrance facing the busy intersection.

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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.

The sign at the rectory displays three languages of the parish: English, Spanish, and Vietnamese.  Any photo may be enlarged by clicking on it. For the Mass schedule, please check the parish website here.  

Holy Spirit, University Avenue

The above photos were taken in February, 2012.

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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. The neighborhood is busy with residents and shoppers.

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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. 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.

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In the first decades of the 20th century, vacant land in The Bronx soon became scarce.  Several Catholic churches were designed as combination buildings, fitting a church within a school.  In this instance, it appears that the architect put three functions within five stories: a church, a school, and a lofty convent.

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

As of August 1, 2015, the Archbishop has merged this parish with that of St. Rita of Cascia at 448 College Avenue. This church no longer has regular weekly services.  

The address of St. Pius V parish was 420 East 145 St., Bronx NY 10454.  The church remains on the south side of East 145 Street, just east of Willis Avenue. According to the notice from the archdiocese, it may be used for special occasions. The above photo is from 2012. The symmetrical design is evident: a church with two towers, the rectory to the left, the convent to the right.

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See page 476 for the 1906 establishment of the parish of St. Pius V. The 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.

In January, 2012, this banner hung on the former convent.

Also, please see my post about the merged parish. The archbishop's decree of merger is linked here.

Our Lady of Mercy, Fordham

Above is the Mass schedule as of October, 2011.  The parish website includes a schedule (linked here) with the abbreviations spelled out.
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The schedule may have changed, as the parish has been administered by the pastor of Our Savior parish on Washington Avenue since October, 2014.

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 at 2512 Marion Avenue closed in June, 2013. For many decades renowned Sisters and lay persons 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.

St. Anthony of Padua, East 166th Street

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, Commonwealth Ave.

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.

Unfortunately, the archdiocese closed this school in June, 2013.

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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St. Athanasius, Southern Blvd.

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. Brendan, East 207 St., Norwood

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.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, East 187 Street

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. Jerome, Alexander Avenue, Mott Haven

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, which the archdiocese closed in 2013. The rectory is between them at 230 Alexander Avenue, Bronx NY 10454, telephone 718-665-5533. It appears that neighboring St. Luke's parish will be staffed from St. Jerome's by August, 2016.  On 4.1.2015, Archbishop Dolan appointed Fr. Javier Correa-Llano, I.V.E, pastor of St. Jerome's.  A native or Argentina, he was ordained in 2001.

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.

Our Lady of Solace, Morris Park Avenue, Van Nest

The church faces busy Morris Park Avenue. To the right is the intersection with Holland Avenue.

The parish schools of Our Lady of Solace parish and St. Dominic have closed. 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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In 2023, the parish of Our Lady of Solace is staffed by Misioneros Idente, also known as Institute Id of Christ.

St Rita of Cascia & St Pius V, Mott Haven

As of August 1, 2015, the parish of St. Rita of Cascia parish has absorbed the parish of St. Pius V. The parish website is linked here. The two photos below are from 2009.





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. Archbishop Michael Corrigan immediately named a new parish for each: Rita here in The Bronx, and John Baptiste de la Salle on Staten Island.
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Clicking on any photo will enlarge it.

The parish website shows parishioners painting the church exterior. They did  a masterful job.

The Missionaries of Charity live, work, and pray in this parish. 

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The pastor or administrator is now the pastor or administrator of the merged parish of St. Rita and St. Pius V.  However, in neither location could I find a sign acknowledging the merger.  The 2016 Official Catholic Directory lists Fr. Pablo Gonzales Maestre as administrator (or pastor?).  In turn, he is listed as a priest of the Archdiocese of Madrid as a missionary in The Bronx.  His service appears to be with the O.M.P., Obras Misionales Pontificias.
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Please see my post for the parish of St. Pius V, which has no regular religious services.
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There are seven comments, which may be read when you click on "Comments" below.
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Immaculate Conception elementary school is a half-mile away at East 151st Street and Melrose Ave.