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.

St. Anselm, Tinton Avenue

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.

St. Thomas, East 221 Street

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

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

Update, July 13, 2020 -- The church is open, the school is closed. The pastor  is Father Steven Masinde, A.J.  A relevant article from 2017 is HERE.
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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

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.

All Hallows High School

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.  

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 at West 242nd Street, Bronx.

Cardinal Hayes High School, Grand Concourse

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

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

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

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

St. Mary Star of the Sea, City Island

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

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

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

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