Mary Queen of Heaven school to close

On February 8, 2019, NBC reported that the diocese of Brooklyn will close Mary Queen of Heaven Catholic Academy, located at 1395 East 56th Street, Flatlands or Old Mill Basin. To the west of this school is Midwood Catholic Academy at the parish of St. Thomas Aquinas.

St. Laurence, Flatlands & Van Siclen Aves.

I have not yet visited St. Laurence parish church on the northeast corner of Flatlands Avenue and Van Sicklen Avenue in East New York, near Spring Creek Towers and the Gateway Shopping Center.  The parish website is linked HERE.  For Mass schedule, parish office phone and address, please see the parish website.
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Flatlands Avenue extends five miles across southeast Brooklyn.  At Flatbush Avenue, it passes the parish of St. Thomas Aquinas.  In Canarsie, it passes Our Lady of Miracles and Holy Family. The church of St. Laurence is a mile east of Holy Family.
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Mary, Queen of Heaven, Flatlands or Old Mill Basin

The mailing address of the parish of Mary, Queen of Heaven, is 1395 East 56th Street, Brooklyn NY 11234, telephone 718-763-2330. The impressive parish website is linked here. The church is on the south side of Avenue M between East 56th and East 57th Streets.



Mary Queen of Heaven Catholic Academy at 1326 East 57th Street, Brooklyn NY 11234, telephone 718-763-2360. Unfortunately, on February 8, 2019, the diocese announced that this school would close.  Please see the press release HERE.

This view of Mary Queen of Heaven school looks east from East 56th Street. The cornerstone says 1949. The Dominican Sisters' convent is to the left. If I understand correctly, for years the school was staffed by Sparkill Dominicans, and the current principal is an Amityville Dominican. The 8th grade graduation class of 1970 numbered 52 (photo on Facebook). It seems there is one room per grade now.


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St Thomas Aquinas, Flatlands

The website of the parish of St. Thomas Aquinas in Flatlands is linked HERE. The above view looks north on residential Hendrickson Street. On the left is the rectory, the church, and a convent. Click on any photo to enlarge it.
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The address of St. Thomas Aquinas parish is 1550 Hendrickson Street, Brooklyn NY 11234, telephone 718-253-4404. Some parish buildings stand on the southwest side of Flatbush Avenue and Flatlands Avenue, but the nearby rectory, church, and school line Hendrickson Street, on which traffic moves northbound from Avenue P to Flatlands Avenue. Hendrickson Street is parallel to Flatbush Avenue, a short block west of Flatbush Avenue. The parish website states that the parish offices will move out of the rectory to a building on Flatbush Avenue, but that the mailing address will remain.

A few years ago, Midwood Catholic Academy moved into the former St. Thomas Aquinas school at 1501 Hendrickson St., Brooklyn NY 11234.

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There are two parishes in Brooklyn named St. Thomas Aquinas. This parish was established in 1885, before the City of Brooklyn included Flatlands.



Above is the old church on Flatbush Avenue.

To the right of the church is a convent for contemplative Sisters in the former convent of the Sisters of Mercy.



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