St. Thomas Aquinas, Park Slope

The photos and text below are from when I visited this parish in 2010.  Much has changed since then. The church is red brick, not painted off-white as in my photo.  The interior is more colorful. Please see The Tablet article of June 18, 2015, for a complete description of the extensive renovations.  The article includes an excellent slide show.

St. Thomas Aquinas church is located on the northeast corner of Fourth Avenue (to the left) and Ninth Street (with bus B61 at the right). Its mailing address is 249 Ninth Street, Brooklyn NY 11215, telephone 718-768-9471. In 2008, Holy Family parish on 14th Street was merged with St. Thomas Aquinas.

The parish was established in 1884. If I read the history on the website correctly, this church was dedicated in 1886.

These clips for men's caps and hats appeared in many churches in the last century.

A helpful folder available inside the church offers suggestions for prayer. "The doors of our church are open all day as a symbol that all are welcomed to enter and pray!" St. Thomas Aquinas is depicted with a scroll on which is written "Joy is the noblest human act."
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Regarding that axiom, an interesting link is here.

This building at Fourth Avenue and Eighth Street was the parish school from 1919 to 2005. It is now rented to the New York City Board of Education. There are at least several public school buildings with crosses in our city. The Brentwood Josephites taught in this parish since 1884.
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In Brooklyn there are two parishes named St. Thomas Aquinas. The other one is in Flatlands, established almost at the same time, but before Flatlands was part of the city of Brooklyn.





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St. Augustine, Sixth Avenue

St. Augustine's church was built in 1888, under the design of the Profitt brothers.

The above view shows the Sterling Place (south) end of the former parish school buildings, which run through to Park Place.  Sisters of St. Joseph taught elementary grades at this end of the building.  
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Tragically, on December 16, 1960, teachers and students saw an airliner descend along Stirling Place (left to right in this photo) before it crashed near Seventh Avenue. 
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From the 1930's until the 1970's, De La Salle Christian Brothers lived in the building where the bay window indicates their chapel.  They taught at St. Augustine's Diocesan High School, now housing a public middle school.  Both the Brothers and the high school used the address 64 Park Place.  A link to that school's alumni organization is here.  One alumnus of the school was Governor Hugh Carey.
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Before the Brothers moved here from St. James Cathedral School in the 1930's, the house was the Sisters' convent.  They moved across the street to the corner of Park Place and Sixth Avenue.

In August of 2016, an alumnus of both the elementary school and high school gave me two links that explain further development of the property.  It seems that part of the property will see 62 condos built within the existing buildings.

The links are HERE and Brooklyn Eagle 4.12.2016.

St. Cecilia, Greenpoint

The church of St. Cecilia is now one of three worship sites within the new Divine Mercy parish, established in 2011. An office is maintained at 84 Herbert Street, but the principal office and rectory is at 219 Conselyea Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211.

Queen of the Rosary Catholic Academy is less than a mile south of St. Cecilia's.

Clicking on any photo will enlarge it.  The above photo was taken about a half-hour before the arrival of Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio.

St. Cecilia's parish, Greenpoint, has been merged into a new parish of Divine Mercy, which has three worship sites: Saint Francis of Paola (daily Mass, Sunday Vigil, and two Sunday Masses), St. Cecilia (daily Mass and one Sunday Mass), and St. Nicholas (two Sunday Masses).

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St. Cecilia's buildings take up almost the entire rectangle of the block bounded by North Henry, Herbert, Monitor, and Richardson Streets, the exception being a few private houses to the right in this photo. The parish was established in 1871. One year, it seems, almost 1,700 students were educated in the parish school, which closed in June, 2008. 

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St. Cecilia's website is linked here.  It is helpful to click on the word Bulletin, because that has been presenting an updated schedule of Masses, lists of the parish staff, and telephone numbers.  The St. Cecilia website offers both recent and older information and photos.

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This blog includes an older post from 2012, which I hesitate to delete: Divine Mercy triple merger.  Also, there is this post from 2009, St. Nicholas.

The cornerstone of this five-story school on Monitor Street, corner Richardson, bears the date 1906.  Brother Albert Matthew, who began his teaching career here about 1928, related how the classrooms used gas lamps at that late date. 

It is now the summer of 2016 and the above work has been done. Several buildings have been turned into rental apartments. The largest building, of course, is the former school (above) on Monitor Street. The second largest building is the former convent of the Sisters of St. Joseph, also on Monitor Street.  Adjacent to the school, but on Richardson Street is a building that may have been used by a school employee and family.  At 2 North Henry Street, but now using a Richardson Street number on the conversion permits, is the former house of the De La Salle Christian Brothers, which has been turned into either two or four apartments. The grand total is a large number of apartments in renovated parish structures, which were rented on a 49-year lease to the developers, that is, not sold by St. Cecilia's parish.

Between the school and former convent is a new flagpole and this memorial.
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For decades, the Sisters of St. Joseph and the De La Salle Christian Brothers staffed the parish school.  Sad to relate, Brother Andrew Gerard Duncanson, teacher at St. Cecilia's Boys' department 1962-1964 and principal there 1967-1969, passed away in Providence, Rhode Island, 8/28/2011, where he worked at La Salle Academy.

Holy Name, Windsor Terrace

The address of Holy Name of Jesus church is 245 Prospect Park West, Brooklyn NY 11215, telephone 718-768-3071. The parish website is linked here. Prospect Park West is in front of the church, with Prospect Avenue alongside the church.  The Mass schedule above was photographed in April, 2013.

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The parish Facebook page is linked HERE.

Clicking on any photo will enlarge it. In 2013, the church property was being renovated, as described in this link.  An altar designed by James Renwick is being moved from the closed church of St. Vincent de Paul, Williamsburg, to this church.
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The parish school at 241 Prospect Park West has been renamed St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Academy, website linked here.

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For almost a century, Sisters of St. Joseph staffed this parish school, and the Xaverian Brothers taught her for several decades. An excellent guide titled "Weekend Walks in Brooklyn" was authored by Robert J. Regalbuto, who graduated from this school in 1964. He says the school was built in 1923 and the Gothic Revival church dates to 1878.
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The three organizations with offices in the former convent apparently deal with diocesan finances.  The name "Rocklyn" hints at a joint venture with the diocese of Rockville Centre, but the few notices I have come across are in Brooklyn.  There are also diocesan corporations named Rocklyn Properties and Rocklyn Ecclesiastica.  Futures in Education is linked here.  It seems to work with the Catholic Foundation for Brooklyn and Queens, but both seem to raise funds for diocesan operations.  Futures in Education submitted an IRS form 990 in 2011 showing a balance of $5.8 million.

Bishop Kearney HS, Bensonhurst

Bishop Kearney High School is located on the southeast corner of 60th Street and Bay Parkway, on the borders of Bensonhurst and Parkville, Brooklyn.  The mailing address is 2201 60th Street, Brooklyn NY 11204, telephone 718-236-6363.  The school's website, linked here, is extensive and informative.  There are many photos, including this slideshow of the graduation in 2011.

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Two important bus routes cross at this location.  In the photo is a B6 bus connecting Bath Beach to East New York.  On 60th Street runs the B9, connecting Bay Ridge to Kings Plaza.

Above is the view at 61st Street.  St. Athanasius church is off the right side of the photo.  Josephite Sisters and lay teachers staff both the private high school and the parish elementary school.

  

St. Brendan, Midwood

The address of St. Brendan's parish 1525 East 12th Street, Brooklyn NY 11230, telephone 718-339-2828.  The parish website is linked HERE. There is a Saturday evening Mass and two on Sunday.  Each photo may be enlarged by clicking on it.

It appears that the religious education department shares the former St. Brendan's diocesan high school with one or other entities., one of them called New York League Early Learning - William O'Connor Midwood.  The school extends south on East 13th Street, has a 1912 cornerstone, and apparently received a fourth-story addition at some time. 
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Many thanks to MaryAnne for this clarification which led me to edit the above paragraph: 

"As an alumna, I wanted to point out that the building in the pic of the former St. Brendan's Elementary School was originally St. Brendan's Diocesan High School from 1922 to 1977.   

I think the original convent (Sisters of St. Joseph,  Brentwood) and the original elementary school (across Ave O) were torn down and turned into Senior Citizen housing when the High School closed.  But my memory may not be totally accurate on those buildings."  Your memory has been confirmed by another former parishioner.  The senior housing is where the elementary school was.

The above view looks north on East 13th Street towards Avenue O, where one may glimpse a small part of the Senior Citizen housing across the avenue.

St. Cecilia, Greenpoint, now Divine Mercy

St. Cecilia's parish, Greenpoint, has been merged into a new parish of Divine Mercy. The main office for Divine Mercy Parish is located at St. Francis of Paola, 219 Conselyea Street. The phone number is (718) 387-0256. Each church continues as a liturgical worship site.
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St. Cecilia's buildings take up almost the entire rectangle of the block bounded by North Henry, Herbert, Monitor, and Richardson Streets, the exception being a few private houses to the right in this photo. The parish was established in 1871. One year, it seems, almost 1,700 students were educated in the parish school, which closed in June, 2008. For more photos of this parish, please look at my September, 2008, photos on Webshots here. When you get to that link, move to Previous or Next (near top right of photo) to explore more photos of the parish and Greenpoint.
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The parish website is linked here.  Please see the comments linked above the photo.
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For decades, the Sisters of St. Joseph and the De La Salle Christian Brothers staffed the parish school.  Sad to relate, Brother Andrew Gerard Duncanson, teacher at St. Cecilia's Boys' department 1962-1964 and principal there 1967-1969, passed away in Providence, Rhode Island, 8/28/2011, where he worked at La Salle Academy.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, Kensington

The parish of Immaculate Heart of Mary is located at 2805 Fort Hamilton Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11218, telephone 718-871-1310. This is at the northern end of Fort Hamilton Parkway, between East 4th Street and East 5th Street, close to Prospect Park and the Prospect Expressway, but about 4 miles northeast of Fort Hamilton. The neighborhoods are Windsor Terrace to the north and Kensington to the south.  The parish website is linked HERE.  The parish Facebook page is linked HERE.
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One might recall a tradition of crossing oneself or of men tipping their hats when passing a church. Despite the locked fence, a young lady stops here to pray before a statue, either Jesus as the Good Shepherd between the doors, or Mary above the doors.

The parish of the Immaculate Heart of Mary was established in 1898, and the cornerstone of this church is dated 1931. In 1933, the Independent Subway came to this neighborhood, with a station entrance one block east on Fort Hamilton Parkway (F and G trains).

At East 5th Street is this prayer for peace, in eight languages.

And the public school across Fort Hamilton Parkway echoes the prayer.

For many decades, the Brentwood Josephites and lay teachers staffed this school, but in 2012 the bishop merged it into the newly-named St.Joseph the Worker Catholic Academy at 241 Prospect Park West, the former Holy Name school.

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St. Francis of Assisi

The church of St. Francis of Assisi (combined with the parish of St. Blaise) is located on the east side of Nostrand Avenue between Lincoln Road and Maple St. The mailing address is 319 Maple St., Brooklyn NY 11225, telephone 718-756-2015. Please see the informative parish website, linked HERE.
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The school is at 400 Lincoln Road, Brooklyn NY 11225, telephone 718-778-3700. The excellent website for St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Academy is linked HERE.  

Any photo may be enlarged by clicking on it.

Above is the parish school on Lincoln Road. It is staffed by lay educators and Brentwood Josephites. 

Above is a representation of the shepherds' vision of Our Lady at Fatima, Portugal, in 1917.

Above is St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226), as in the account of his preaching to birds.
From the parish bulletin, it would seem that this parish is now entrusted to the Society of Mary, s.m., or Marist Society.


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Sts. Peter and Paul, Williamsburg

Update in June, 2021. Please see the dedication of a church at 288 Berry Street. [url]https://thetablet.org/saints-peter-and-paul-parish-celebrate-new-church-in-historic-building/[/url]

The mailing address of the parish of Sts. Peter and Paul is 71 South Third St., Brooklyn NY 11211, telephone 718-388-9576. The church, pictured above and constructed in 1963, at 82 South Second Street between Berry St. and Wythe Avenue, will be closed April 3, 2016. Please take note of this decree from the bishop concerning the church building.  A news story in the Tablet (linked HERE), explains how parts of a former school will ultimately be rebuilt for worship.  Please check the dialogue in the comments below!

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The above photo and the two photos below were taken in 2010.   
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To the left of the church is a convent of the Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matara. This link describes their work. They, with the initials S.S.V.M., are connected to the group of I.V.E. priests from Argentina working in East New York parishes.
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Any photo may be enlarged by clicking on it.

The pastor and staff serve a merged parish. This church is a few blocks north of the Williamsburg Bridge. Epiphany is a few blocks south of the Williamsburg Bridge. The website of the merged parish is lined HERE.

The parish, founded in 1844, was one of the first Catholic parishes in Williamsburg. From 1848 to 1957 this parish was graced with architect Patrick Keely's first church. Above is the 1963 church that will soon close.  Below is the building in which a church will be constructed.

This is the former parish school on Berry Street.

Sister Helen Patrick Howley, a Brentwood Josephite, was principal of the parish school. For a brief and inspiring biography, please scroll down on this link.

Above: the rectory at 71 South Third St.
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(Edit of 1.11.2017:) Because of inquiry in the comments below, "Where was the original church?" I refer the reader to this link.  On an aerial photo collection of the entire city taken in 1924, the church appears to be on the east side of Wythe Avenue between South 2nd Street and South 3rd Street.




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