Showing posts with label St. Athanasius. Show all posts
Showing posts with label St. Athanasius. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Brooklyn mergers, September, 2019, no closures

The Tablet website includes the appointment of pastors of newly-merged parishes. 
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In Bensonhurst, St. Athanasius, 61st Street, and St. Dominic, 75th Street, are merged, with  the new pastor Msgr. David Cassato. The churches are a mile apart.
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Holy Family, on Flatlands Avenue, Canarsie, is merged with St. Laurence, 1.25 mile further east on Flatlands Avenue, East New York. The pastor is Fr. Edward Kane.
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All Saints, Williamsburg, is merged with Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompei, a mile to the northeast. The pastor of All Saints, Fr. Vincenzo Cardilicchia, becomes pastor of the merged parish. He remains in ministry with the Neo-Catechumenal Way.
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In Cypress Hills, Fr. Luis Laverde, pastor of Blessed Sacrament is now pastor of the merged parish of Blessed Sacrament and St. Sylvester. The two churches are less than a mile distant.
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In Bath Beach, Fr. John Maduri, pastor of Most Precious Blood is now pastor of the merged parish of Most Precious Blood and Saints Simon and Jude, a mile northeast.
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As no churches are closed and the new merged parish often resembles what existed previously (regarding priestly staffing), maybe this news is rather minor. Instead of finding sixteen qualified pastors, the bishop now needs eight. Instead of sixteen accounts, there will be eight.

Monday, October 19, 2015

John J. O'Malley, architect

In my visits to Brooklyn parishes, I have seldom encountered a sign or plaque giving the name of the architect who designed the church.  Fortunately, the Tablet has now run an article about the prolific architect John J. O'Malley, 1915-1970.  Please see the article HERE.  The occasion was his 100th birthday, with Mr. O'Malley's descendants visiting Cathedral College in Douglaston, which he designed.
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Much of Mr. O'Malley's work is evident in circular churches and chapels in Queens.  A Wikipedia article lists his extensive accomplishments, including apparently some renovations or extensions. It appears that his brand-new churches (contrasted with renovations) date from 1950 until his death in 1970.  Archbishop Molloy died in 1956, Bishop McEntegart retired in 1968, and Bishop Mugavero replaced him.  
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Many thanks to The Tablet and the O'Malley family for publicizing his life and work!
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According to the Wikipedia article, he designed the following churches in the borough of Brooklyn:
St. Sylvester, Grant Avenue, City Line, obviously built in the O'Malley era.
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St. Athanasius, Bay Parkway, 1963.  Note the unobstructed view of the altar and the bright, colorful interior and windows.
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St. Gabriel,  Linwood St. and New Lots Ave., obviously built in the O'Malley era.  The parish cluster is now called Mary, Mother of the Church.  This interior photo shows his style, with unobstructed view.  The parish has a Saturday vigil Mass and three Masses on Sunday.
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St. Mary Mother of Jesus, 1968, replacing a church destroyed by fire. A Tablet article dated 6.13.14 describes the fire and the beautiful new church, circular and wheelchair-accessible.
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St. Finbar, Bath Beach, but the church was built before 1912.  Mr. O'Malley may have designed the former school across the street.
--- Sts. Simon and Jude, listed as Bayside (Queens), but I think Gravesend (Brooklyn). There is a resemblance to the Douglaston seminary frontage.
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And other parish buildings:
St. Nicholas High School, Catherine St., Williamsburg, now renovated and in use by Queen of the Rosary Catholic Academy.
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St. Vincent Ferrer elementary school, Flatbush, now used for other purposes.
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St. Bernard parish school, near Bergen Beach.  This page names John O'Malley's firm as architect of the school, which opened in 1963 and continues in 2015 as a Catholic academy. Across the street is a circular church, but the parish history does not give a date.  It may have been built after Mr. O'Malley's sudden death in 1970.




Sunday, August 21, 2011

St. Athanasius, Bensonhurst



Any photo may be enlarged by clicking on it.  Above is the Mass schedule as of August, 2011.  St. Athanasius church is located on the southeast corner of Bay Parkway and 61st Street. The mailing address is 2154 61st Street, Brooklyn NY 11204, telephone 718-236-0124.  The parish website is linked here.
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The parish was established in 1913.  Shortly after Bishop Kearney High School was built across the street in 1961, the congregation built the beautiful new church you see in the photos below.  The older church was located on the north side of 61st Street in what is now a parking lot between the high school and its convent.



This view looks east across Bay Parkway.


St. Athanasius was bishop of Alexandria, Egypt, in the fourth century.  His writings and teachings have designated him as a Greek Father of the Church.  I presume the mosaic shows the harbor of Alexandria.




La quinceƱera in her blue gown is seated facing the altar, while a lector reads Scripture.  It is a Friday afternoon.


The upper windows show prophets and teachers of the Old Testament.  The lower windows depict apostles and other teachers.


Across the street is St. Athanasius School at 6120 Bay Parkway, Brooklyn NY 11204, telephone as on the banner above.  The school website is linked here.
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Please note that the rectory is not adjacent to the church.  Rather, it is across Bay Parkway at 2164 61st Street.