Church of Notre Dame (New York City)
Encyclopedia
The Church of Notre Dame in New York City is a parish
of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York
. The church is located at 40 Morningside Drive
and the rectory at 405 West 114th Street in Manhattan
, New York City
.
, a French community of priests, requesting they build a chapel
to propagate devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes
. They established the Church of Notre Dame in 1910 as a mission of the St. Vincent de Paul Parish on West 23rd Street. The first administrator of the parish was Fr. Maurice Reynauld, who later died in France during World War I. While in France in 1913, he affiliated Notre Dame Church with the Sanctuary of Our Lady
in Lourdes, France, thus enabling worshipers at the Church of Notre Dame in New York City to obtain the spiritual benefits of worshipers at Lourdes
. From the beginning of the Parish, a special arrangement was made with the ecclesiastical authorities in Lourdes, France that Lourdes water would be sent directly from the mother shrine at Lourdes to the Church of Notre Dame. Since that time Lourdes water has been continuously available at the church.
The sanctuary completed in 1910 was the work of Daus and Otto. Cross & Cross designed the nave, facade, and rectory completed in 1914. A planned dome was never completed. The expansion continued intermittently until completed 50 years later.
The chapel was officially dedicated on October 2, 1910, by Archbishop John Farley. Cardinal Farley dedicated the enlarged structure on February 11, 1915, the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes.
Notre Dame became an official parish in 1919 and grew from a small chapel to the present church in the late 1920s and early 1930s. It was still a center for New York's French community when Cardinal Charost
of Rennes visited the church in June 1926 and when Bishop Alfred Baudrillart
of the Institut Catholique de Paris
presided at a ceremony in April 1927. In 1960 charge of Notre Dame was transferred from the Fathers of Mercy to the Archdiocese of New York.
In 1936, an organization of lay parishioners, the Notre Dame Study Club, was the first group of its type to call upon every Catholic parish to support the Catholic Church in efforts to provide for social justice for the Negro.
In January 1967, the New York City Landmarks Commission designated the Church and the Rectory of Notre Dame as architectural landmarks. The buildings were listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 6, 1980.
In 1988, some parishioners sued under cannon law to prevent the remodeling of the sanctuary, specifically relocating the altar in accordance with liturgical reforms established by Second Vatican Council.
community was integrated with other ethnic groups. Calling Notre Dame home are many people of Irish, German, Italian, Black, Hispanic and Filipino decent. Today Notre Dame is still just as ethnically diverse as its neighborhood.
In 2003, the Archdiocese of New York entrusted the Polish Province of the Dominican Order
with the responsibility of taking care of Notre Dame Parish and all its ministries. Control returns to the Archdiocese in the fall of 2011.
Catholic Campus Ministry at Columbia University
became a part of the parish mission of Notre Dame in 1988. Notre Dame's community includes ministry at St. Luke's Hospital
and the nearby Amsterdam Nursing Home, part of NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System
.
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York
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...
. The church is located at 40 Morningside Drive
Morningside Drive (Manhattan)
Morningside Drive is a roughly north-south bi-directional street in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of the New York City borough of Manhattan...
and the rectory at 405 West 114th Street in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, 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...
.
History
Geraldyn Redmond donated funds to the Fathers of MercyFathers of Mercy
The Fathers of Mercy is a Catholic religious order of missionary priests, founded by the Very Rev. Jean-Baptiste Rauzan in early 19th century France.-Foundation:...
, a French community of priests, requesting they build a chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
to propagate devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes
Our Lady of Lourdes
Our Lady of Lourdes is the name used to refer to the Marian apparition said to have appeared before various individuals on separate occasions around Lourdes, France...
. They established the Church of Notre Dame in 1910 as a mission of the St. Vincent de Paul Parish on West 23rd Street. The first administrator of the parish was Fr. Maurice Reynauld, who later died in France during World War I. While in France in 1913, he affiliated Notre Dame Church with the Sanctuary of Our Lady
Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes
The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes or the Domain is an area of ground surrounding the shrine to Our Lady of Lourdes in the town of Lourdes, France...
in Lourdes, France, thus enabling worshipers at the Church of Notre Dame in New York City to obtain the spiritual benefits of worshipers at Lourdes
Lourdes
Lourdes is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Midi-Pyrénées region in south-western France.Lourdes is a small market town lying in the foothills of the Pyrenees, famous for the Marian apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes occurred in 1858 to Bernadette Soubirous...
. From the beginning of the Parish, a special arrangement was made with the ecclesiastical authorities in Lourdes, France that Lourdes water would be sent directly from the mother shrine at Lourdes to the Church of Notre Dame. Since that time Lourdes water has been continuously available at the church.
The sanctuary completed in 1910 was the work of Daus and Otto. Cross & Cross designed the nave, facade, and rectory completed in 1914. A planned dome was never completed. The expansion continued intermittently until completed 50 years later.
The chapel was officially dedicated on October 2, 1910, by Archbishop John Farley. Cardinal Farley dedicated the enlarged structure on February 11, 1915, the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes.
Notre Dame became an official parish in 1919 and grew from a small chapel to the present church in the late 1920s and early 1930s. It was still a center for New York's French community when Cardinal Charost
Alexis-Armand Charost
Alexis-Armand Charost was a French Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Rennes from 1921 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1922.-Biography:...
of Rennes visited the church in June 1926 and when Bishop Alfred Baudrillart
Alfred-Henri-Marie Baudrillart
Alfred-Henri-Marie Baudrillart, Orat. was a French Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Rector of the Catholic Institute of Paris from 1907 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1935.-Biography:...
of the Institut Catholique de Paris
Institut Catholique de Paris
The Institut Catholique de Paris, or the Catholic University of Paris, is a private university located in Paris, France. The institute was founded in 1875, under the name Université Catholique de Paris, by Maurice Le Sage d'Hauteroche d'Hulst....
presided at a ceremony in April 1927. In 1960 charge of Notre Dame was transferred from the Fathers of Mercy to the Archdiocese of New York.
In 1936, an organization of lay parishioners, the Notre Dame Study Club, was the first group of its type to call upon every Catholic parish to support the Catholic Church in efforts to provide for social justice for the Negro.
In January 1967, the New York City Landmarks Commission designated the Church and the Rectory of Notre Dame as architectural landmarks. The buildings were listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 6, 1980.
In 1988, some parishioners sued under cannon law to prevent the remodeling of the sanctuary, specifically relocating the altar in accordance with liturgical reforms established by Second Vatican Council.
Notre Dame today
Over the years the FrenchFrench people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
community was integrated with other ethnic groups. Calling Notre Dame home are many people of Irish, German, Italian, Black, Hispanic and Filipino decent. Today Notre Dame is still just as ethnically diverse as its neighborhood.
In 2003, the Archdiocese of New York entrusted the Polish Province of the Dominican Order
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
with the responsibility of taking care of Notre Dame Parish and all its ministries. Control returns to the Archdiocese in the fall of 2011.
Catholic Campus Ministry at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
became a part of the parish mission of Notre Dame in 1988. Notre Dame's community includes ministry at St. Luke's Hospital
St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center
St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, an academic affiliate of Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, is a 1,076-bed, full-service community and tertiary care hospital serving New York City’s Midtown West, Upper West Side and parts of Harlem....
and the nearby Amsterdam Nursing Home, part of NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System
NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System
The NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System is a network of independent, cooperating, acute-care and community hospitals, continuum-of-care facilities, home-health agencies, ambulatory sites, and specialty institutes in the New York metropolitan area....
.