SS. Cyril, Methodius, and Raphael's Church (New York City)
Encyclopedia
The Church of Saints Cyril & Methodius and St. Raphael. is a Roman Catholic parish church in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York
, located at 502 West 41st Street in Hell's Kitchen / Clinton
, Manhattan, New York City
, near the entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel
. It was established in 1974 from the parish merger of St. Raphael's Roman Catholic Church and SS. Cyril & Methodius and is staffed by the Franciscan Friars. The church is located in the former St. Raphael's Church. It is the city's Croatian American parish.
) was built between 1900 and 1902 ("in marble" according to some) as the Parish Church of St. Raphael to the designs by the New York architect George H. Streeton
for $90,000 (for the church) and $25,000 (for the dwelling house). The twin-towered design and front facade
is composed of Manhattan schist
trimmed with limestone
; the rest of the church is brick trimmed with stone.
, are listed as repairing or replacing an electro-pneumatic action
organ
for the church in 1932. That earlier organ may have been built by Lewis Condit Harrison of L.C. Harrison & Co. of Bloomfield, New Jersey
. Harrison is listed as having "built or rebuilt an organ at St. Raphael's Church" before he retired in 1909.
. In 1892, the parish was listed as being located at 509 West 40th Street. The decline of the neighborhood reverted St. Raphael's from parish status to a mission of Holy Innocents Church. The Rev. James A. Dunningham, an armed forces chaplain, was transferred to St. Raphael's in 1919.
was a parishioner of St. Raphael's and also cast his first vote" in the parish church.
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York covers New York, Bronx, and Richmond counties in New York City , as well as Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester counties in New York state. There are 480 parishes...
, located at 502 West 41st Street in Hell's Kitchen / Clinton
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....
, Manhattan, 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...
, near the entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel
Lincoln Tunnel
The Lincoln Tunnel is a long tunnel under the Hudson River, connecting Weehawken, New Jersey and the borough of Manhattan in New York City.-History:...
. It was established in 1974 from the parish merger of St. Raphael's Roman Catholic Church and SS. Cyril & Methodius and is staffed by the Franciscan Friars. The church is located in the former St. Raphael's Church. It is the city's Croatian American parish.
Building
The church building and "dwelling house" (used as a rectoryRectory
A rectory is the residence, or former residence, of a rector, most often a Christian cleric, but in some cases an academic rector or other person with that title...
) was built between 1900 and 1902 ("in marble" according to some) as the Parish Church of St. Raphael to the designs by the New York architect George H. Streeton
George H. Streeton
George H. Streeton, AIA, was an American architect who worked in New York during the first half of the twentieth century, primarily for Roman Catholic clients.-Early life and education:...
for $90,000 (for the church) and $25,000 (for the dwelling house). The twin-towered design and front facade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
is composed of Manhattan schist
Manhattan schist
The Manhattan schist is a formation of mica schist rock that underlies much of the island of Manhattan in New York City. It is well suited for the foundations of tall buildings, and the two large concentrations of skyscrapers on the island occur in locations where the formation is close to the...
trimmed with limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
; the rest of the church is brick trimmed with stone.
Organ
George Kilgen and Son of St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, are listed as repairing or replacing an electro-pneumatic action
Electro-pneumatic action
The electro-pneumatic action is a control system for pipe organs, whereby air pressure, controlled by an electric current and operated by the keys of an organ console, opens and closes valves within wind chests, allowing the pipes to speak. This system also allows the console to be physically...
organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
for the church in 1932. That earlier organ may have been built by Lewis Condit Harrison of L.C. Harrison & Co. of Bloomfield, New Jersey
Bloomfield, New Jersey
Bloomfield is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 47,315. It surrounds the Bloomfield Green Historic District.-History:...
. Harrison is listed as having "built or rebuilt an organ at St. Raphael's Church" before he retired in 1909.
St. Raphael's Parish (1886-1974)
The Parish of St. Raphael was established in 1886 to serve the Irish Catholics of Hell's KitchenHell'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....
. In 1892, the parish was listed as being located at 509 West 40th Street. The decline of the neighborhood reverted St. Raphael's from parish status to a mission of Holy Innocents Church. The Rev. James A. Dunningham, an armed forces chaplain, was transferred to St. Raphael's in 1919.
SS. Cyril and Methodius and St. Raphael's Parish (1974-present)
in 1974, the two parishes, St. Raphael's and the nearby Croatian Roman Catholic parish church of SS. Cyril and Methodius, merged creating the present name. Now known as Saints Cyril and Methodius and St. Raphael's Croatian Catholic Church, the parish church is the former St. Raphael's Church building, which has also been renamed.Notable parishioners
"Senator Daniel Patrick MoynihanDaniel Patrick Moynihan
Daniel Patrick "Pat" Moynihan was an American politician and sociologist. A member of the Democratic Party, he was first elected to the United States Senate for New York in 1976, and was re-elected three times . He declined to run for re-election in 2000...
was a parishioner of St. Raphael's and also cast his first vote" in the parish church.