New York City

Believe it or not, there was a St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan before there was the St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan. The famous one — the one that can now boast of receiving three Popes (Paul VI, John Paul II and Benedict XVI) — gets the press. Its older sister gets a heaping helping of humble pie.

Which, for a Catholic house of worship, is not a bad thing.

St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral was designed by Joseph Francois Mangin, the same architect who designed New York’s magnificent City Hall. The cathedral took nearly six years to build and was dedicated on May 14, 1815 — Ascension Thursday. It was the largest church in New York City at the time regardless of denomination and the first Gothic-revival church in America.

A reporter from The New York Gazette described it as “a grand and beautiful church, which may justly be considered one of the greatest ornaments of our city.”

Considering the anti-Catholic xenophobia of the day, this was high praise indeed.

For a time this was the center of Irish New York. Many now know it as the site of the nativist Riots fictionalized in Martin Scorsese’s 2002 film Gangs of New York and its interior had an unfortunate starring role in The Godfather. Closer to real life, Old St. Pat’s hosted the memorial service for John Kennedy Jr. in 1999.

Through the years the parish has served French, German, Irish, Italian, Chinese and Dominican communities. Its changing faces are a vibrant testament to America’s openness to immigrants — and the Catholic Church’s openness to all. For most of its life it was a poor man’s cathedral, serving the poorest of the poor. Recently it has begun to attract young professionals and artists.

The exterior of the church is relatively plain and unassuming, but the cross atop its towering vault looks over the roofs of most of the neighboring buildings.

The simplicity of the church’s rough-cut stone and stucco façade belies the sublime serenity of the interior. Tall, clustered iron columns divide the church into three naves. Gothic arches surmount the columns, melding gracefully and organically into a ribbed vault ceiling. The church’s sanctuary is dominated by an exquisite altar of carved marble surrounded with an ornate, gold-leaf reredos. The sculpted altar screen depicts the apostles; above it are a pointed arch stained-glass window and an enormous figure of Christ.

The church’s choir loft contains an opulent organ, still in beautiful condition. Built by Henry Erben in 1852, it’s one of very few in the city. In fact, you’d have a hard time finding another one like this anywhere in the world.

It is interesting to note that some of New York’s most sanctified souls have, in one way or another, been associated with Old St. Pat’s. Ven. Pierre Toussaint, Mother Seton, Mother Cabrini, Thomas Merton, Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin prayed inside this great church.

Ven. Toussaint had been buried here, along with his wife and adopted child, but once his cause for sainthood was officially opened, Cardinal O’Connor had the holy man’s remains moved.

Father Isaac Hecker, founder of the Paulist Fathers, was buried in the church’s crypt until he was reinterred at St. Paul the Apostle’s on 59th Street. St. John Neumann was ordained here and worked as a missionary in New York City for many years before moving to Philadelphia. Father Felix Varela, Father Stephen Eckert and Mother Mary Angeline Teresa McCrory — Servants of God all — ministered in this neighborhood for many years.

Given that kind of heritage, it’s not a stretch to say that, at Old St. Patrick’s, the past is ever present.

The church’s underground crypt is a dark labyrinth that winds through a great deal of local and church history. It is a silent witness to the many struggles and accomplishments of New York Catholics. Those familiar with the city’s history will recognize the names on the family vaults. Catholic bishops rest eternally beside prominent individuals connected with Tammany Hall. Any Catholic who was anyone is, or was, buried here.

The cemetery that surrounds the church has its fair share of history, too. Locals are invited to stroll respectfully around the tombstones every weekend.

A Mighty Fortress

But the beauty, sanctity and star power of the church aside, Old St. Pat’s is also historically important.

It was the original focus of the St. Patrick’s Day parade until it moved uptown. This was the scene of the some of the bloodiest anti-Catholic riots in American history. In fact, the church is surrounded by a tall brick wall built in response to the Nativist riots against poor Irish immigrants and other local Catholics. Bishop John Hughes, New York’s fourth ordinary and first archbishop, founded the Ancient Order of Hibernians (from the ancient Latin name for Ireland) in order to protect Catholics from being attacked by Protestant nativists.

After hearing a report of a yet another imminent attack by angry xenophobes, Bishop Hughes warned New York City’s Mayor James Harper that, if he did not employ the city’s police to protect the Catholic community, he he threatened that New York would burn. The nativist mayor capitulated.

Bishop Hughes served as emissary to several European countries at the behest of President Abraham Lincoln in an effort to dissuade Europeans from supporting the Confederacy. In appreciation for his assistance, President Lincoln petitioned Pope Pius IX to promote the archbishop to the cardinalate. Unfortunately, Archbishop Hughes did not survive long enough to receive this honor. However, his successor, Bishop John McClosky, became America’s first cardinal

History, beauty, faith and holiness: St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral has got it all. Maybe Pope Benedict will consider stopping here on his next New York visit.

Angelo Stagnaro writes

from New York City.

St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral

260-264 Mulberry St.
New York, NY 10012

Phone: (212) 226 8075

E-Mail: [email protected]

Web: oldsaintpatricks.com

Planning Your Visit

Sunday Mass is celebrated in English, Spanish and Chinese. Confessions are heard Saturdays prior to the 5:30 p.m. Mass. The Blessed Sacrament is exposed for adoration on First Fridays from 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. For full schedules, visit the website or call the rectory.