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Church of St. Paul the Apostle (New York City)
Encyclopedia
The Church of St. Paul the Apostle is a substantial Roman Catholic church on Columbus Avenue between 59th and 60th streets, in Midtown Manhattan
, New York City
, New York
. It is the mother church
of the Paulist Fathers
, the first order of Roman Catholic priests founded in the United States.
The Late Gothic Revival-style
church was built between 1876 and 1884 with Tarrytown
granite to designs by Jeremiah O'Rourke
and the Rev. George Deshon
. The building was dedicated on January 25, 1885.
The architect O'Rourke died before plans were complete and work was finished by the Rev. Deshon. The Paulist Fathers' founder Fr. Isaac Thomas Hecker may have had a hand in its design, using the thirteenth-century Cathedral of Santa Croce, Florence as a model.
It contains interior elements designed between 1887-1890 by Stanford White
and many large decorated side chapels. Later stained glass windows were added by John LaFarge
. Other artists who worked within include Augustus Saint-Gaudens
and Frederick MacMonnies; Stanford White
and Bertram Goodhue
both offered advice on design elements.
The New York Daily Tribune reviewed the architecture as "vast, plain, fortress-like in its solidity—almost repelling in the aesthetic cast without and within, yet it is the most August, unworldly interior of this continent."
The sarcophagus of Hecker is located in the northeast corner of the nave. Other Paulist Fathers are entombed in crypt off a chapel on the lower level of the church.
The life of the parish has mirrored the growth, decline and rebirth of the Hell's Kitchen
neighborhood. It was largely impacted by creation of the Lincoln Center
just two blocks to the north. The parish opened an elementary school in 1886 and a high school in 1922. The parish's last school closed in 1974.
Today, the parish, with six Masses
each Sunday, has a large young professionals community and a Spanish-speaking community. It also hosts a bookstore and gift shop at the east end of the nave.
The large church basement has been used as a homeless shelter, soup kitchen, rehearsal space for The Rockettes
and for boxing matches.
Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan, or simply Midtown, is an area of Manhattan, New York City home to world-famous commercial zones such as Rockefeller Center, Broadway, and Times Square...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. It is the mother church
Mother Church
In Christianity, the term mother church or Mother Church may have one of the following meanings:# The first mission church in an area, or a pioneer cathedral# A basilica or cathedral# The main chapel of a province of a religious order...
of the Paulist Fathers
Paulist Fathers
The Missionary Society of Saint Paul the Apostle, better known as the Paulist Fathers, is a Roman Catholic religious society for men founded in New York City in 1858 by Servant of God Fr. Isaac Thomas Hecker in collaboration with Fr. George Deshon, Fr. Augustine Hewit, and Fr. Francis A. Baker....
, the first order of Roman Catholic priests founded in the United States.
The Late Gothic Revival-style
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
church was built between 1876 and 1884 with Tarrytown
Tarrytown, New York
Tarrytown is a village in the town of Greenburgh in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, about north of midtown Manhattan in New York City, and is served by a stop on the Metro-North Hudson Line...
granite to designs by Jeremiah O'Rourke
Jeremiah O'Rourke
Jeremiah O'Rourke, FAIA, , was an Irish-American architect known primarily for his designs of Roman Catholic churches and institutions and Federal post offices...
and the Rev. George Deshon
George Deshon
George Deshon was an American Paulist Father.-Life:...
. The building was dedicated on January 25, 1885.
The architect O'Rourke died before plans were complete and work was finished by the Rev. Deshon. The Paulist Fathers' founder Fr. Isaac Thomas Hecker may have had a hand in its design, using the thirteenth-century Cathedral of Santa Croce, Florence as a model.
It contains interior elements designed between 1887-1890 by Stanford White
Stanford White
Stanford White was an American architect and partner in the architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White, the frontrunner among Beaux-Arts firms. He designed a long series of houses for the rich and the very rich, and various public, institutional, and religious buildings, some of which can be found...
and many large decorated side chapels. Later stained glass windows were added by John LaFarge
John LaFarge
John La Farge was an American painter, muralist, stained glass window maker, decorator, and writer.-Biography:...
. Other artists who worked within include Augustus Saint-Gaudens
Augustus Saint-Gaudens
Augustus Saint-Gaudens was the Irish-born American sculptor of the Beaux-Arts generation who most embodied the ideals of the "American Renaissance"...
and Frederick MacMonnies; Stanford White
Stanford White
Stanford White was an American architect and partner in the architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White, the frontrunner among Beaux-Arts firms. He designed a long series of houses for the rich and the very rich, and various public, institutional, and religious buildings, some of which can be found...
and Bertram Goodhue
Bertram Goodhue
Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue was a American architect celebrated for his work in neo-gothic design. He also designed notable typefaces, including Cheltenham and Merrymount for the Merrymount Press.-Early career:...
both offered advice on design elements.
The New York Daily Tribune reviewed the architecture as "vast, plain, fortress-like in its solidity—almost repelling in the aesthetic cast without and within, yet it is the most August, unworldly interior of this continent."
The sarcophagus of Hecker is located in the northeast corner of the nave. Other Paulist Fathers are entombed in crypt off a chapel on the lower level of the church.
The life of the parish has mirrored the growth, decline and rebirth of the Hell's Kitchen
Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan
Hell's Kitchen, also known as Clinton and Midtown West, is a neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City between 34th Street and 59th Street, from 8th Avenue to the Hudson River....
neighborhood. It was largely impacted by creation of the Lincoln Center
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of New York City's Upper West Side. Reynold Levy has been its president since 2002.-History and facilities:...
just two blocks to the north. The parish opened an elementary school in 1886 and a high school in 1922. The parish's last school closed in 1974.
Today, the parish, with six Masses
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
each Sunday, has a large young professionals community and a Spanish-speaking community. It also hosts a bookstore and gift shop at the east end of the nave.
The large church basement has been used as a homeless shelter, soup kitchen, rehearsal space for The Rockettes
The Rockettes
The Rockettes are a precision dance company performing out of the Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan, New York City. During the Christmas season, the Rockettes have performed five shows a day, seven days a week, for 77 years...
and for boxing matches.