Friday, November 11, 2011

Guardian Angel, Brighton Beach


Guardian Angel church, dedicated in 1905, stands on the west side of Ocean Parkway at Oceanview Avenue.  It seems that the building behind the church, now used as a parish hall, was the 1880 church.


This view looks west across Ocean Parkway.  The rectory, to the left of the church, is at 2978 Ocean Parkway, Brooklyn NY 11235.  The telephone number is 718-266-1561.  The updated parish website, linked here, includes the Mass schedule and an interesting history of the parish. 
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The parishioners include faithful of many languages.  Sunday Mass is celebrated in English, Spanish, and Polish, with monthly celebrations in Filipino and thrice-monthly in Malayalam (from Kerala).
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One long block south (to the left in the photo) is the Ocean Parkway station of the Q train from Broadway, Manhattan.  Another long block south is the beach and the Atlantic Ocean.  The B1 crosstown bus from Bay Ridge to Manhattan Beach stops in front of the church.


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Tuesday, November 8, 2011

St. Martin de Porres, Bed-Stuy


In 2007, the bishop of Brooklyn created the parish of St. Martin de Porres by merging three parishes, Our Lady of Victory, St. Peter Claver, and Holy Rosary. The pastor and his assistant live at 583 Throop Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11216, telephone 718-574-5772.  The parish website, giving the address, Mass schedule, telephone, and e-mail of each of the three churches, is linked here. For insights into the pastor, staff, parishioners, and activities, I suggest you peruse the archive of weekly bulletins.
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Above is the shrine of St. Martin de Porres, to the left of the altar in Our Lady of Victory church, Throop Avenue.


On the northeast corner of Throop Avenue and MacDonough Street stands the magnificent church of Our Lady of Victory.  The parish was established in 1868, and this church, designed by Thomas F. Houghton,  was consecrated in 1893. Francis Morrone writes, "It is a strong Gothic church of Manhattan schist with highly contrasting limestone trim."



The above view looks south on Throop Avenue from Macon Street.  The rectory is at the left. Up Macon Street to the left is the convent of the Missionaries of Charity and the former parish school.





A single click on any photo will enlarge it.  Then the original size will also be offered.





The history and architecture of this parish and church are of great interest, but the faith and zeal of the congregants are the soul of the parish.
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At this link to Flickr, Emilio Guerra has provided two photos of Our Lady of Victory church.  He also provides a helpful text from the city's Landmark Commission.  Also, one might look at page 11 of this pdf document.
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More photos, history, and a description of the organ are provided at this link to the New York Organ project.
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Bus B43 (from Ebbets Field to Greenpoint) stops in front of the church. The southbound B43 uses Tompkins Avenue.  Nearby is the Kingston-Throop station of the C train under Fulton Street.
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A mile west of Our Lady of Victory church is that of St. Peter Claver.


On the southeast corner of Claver Place and Jefferson Avenue is the church of St. Peter Claver, now one of the three churches in the parish of St. Martin de Porres.  The address is 29 Claver Place, Brooklyn, NY 11238, telephone 718-622-4647.  For the Mass schedule, please see this link.
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The cornerstone is dated 1921.  Fulton Street is a short block to the right (south). Nearby is the busy subway station at Franklin Avenue and Fulton Street (C and S trains).



On the northeast corner is St. Peter Claver Institute, with a cornerstone dated 1931.  The parish and this institute have an amazing, impressive history.  A statue of St. Peter Claver and a slave is at the corner.  To the left, one door is marked Convent, another door is marked School.


In 2011, the Brooklyn Waldorf School leased this property for 49 years.  

Three blocks northwest, on the southeast corner of Madison Street and Classon Avenue, is the former church of Nativity parish.  In 1973, the bishop of Brooklyn merged that parish into St. Peter Claver.  Another Christian congregation purchased Nativity, according to this link


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Holy Rosary, at 139 Chauncey Street, Brooklyn NY 11233, is one of three worship sites for the parish of St. Martin de Porres, established in 2007.  Please see the parish website, linked here.
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Chauncey Street is one block north of the Utica Avenue station of the A and C subway lines beneath Fulton Street.  Walk one block north on Malcolm X Boulevard, turn west, and you will see the church.
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The parish was established in 1889.  The handsome brick church dates from 1894. Holy Rosary is the easternmost church of St. Martin de Porres parish, extending about 1.5 mile from St. Peter Claver to Holy Rosary, or approximately the east-west extent of the residential neighborhood Bedford-Stuyvesant.
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It seems that a campanile was removed after 1946.  On this website, please click on the photo.


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The June 26, 2019, issue of the Brooklyn Tablet has a lengthy report on Msgr. Quinn's sainthood cause, but in many paragraphs other important topics are touched on. Please see the article HERE.