Archdiocese of New York

1785 - 1814 - The Beginning

BICENTENNIAL PEOPLE PART 1 - THE BEGINNING 1785-1815 In 1785, a group of influential Catholic laymen purchased land on Church and Barclay Streets from Manhattan's Trinity Episcopal Church as the site for the first Catholic church in New York City. These influential Irish immigrants had brought a deep faith to their new home and a [ more... ]

1815 - 1863 - The Builders

PART 2 - THE BUILDERS 1815-1864 During the next 50 years, the Sisters of Charity initiated services to meet the growing needs of New York's burgeoning population. In 1831 the community assumed the administration of Saint Patrick's School attached to the cathedral, the first of more than 150 schools in the archdiocese which they staffed [ more... ]

1864 - 1913 - The Nurturers

PART 3 - THE NURTURERS 1864-1914 The Church of New York then began to build upon the foundation it had laid in the first half of the 19th century. In 1879, Archbishop John Hughes' "cathedral of suitable magnificence" opened on Fifth Avenue, even though part of the architect's plans were incomplete. Spires would be added in [ more... ]

1940 - 1983 - The Inheritors

PART 5 - THE INHERITORS 1940-1983 Viggo F.E. Rambusch , an architect, and Columbia University graduate, who along with his brother Harold, continued the family tradition of church decorating and architecture, was one of those who played an extensive role in the expansion of churches in the archdiocese during the tenure of Cardinal [ more... ]