57. St. Joseph Chapel (Now part of St. Peter-Our Lady of the Rosary Parish)

NOTE: In 2015 this church merged with Our Lady of the Rosary Church and the Church of St. Peter as part of the Archdiocese of New York's great closings & mergers of 2015. All three churches will remain open for regular Masses and other events. This new combined parish is called St. Peter-Our Lady of the Rosary Parish. 

Home of the Catholic Memorial at Ground Zero

(mass times & church info last updated 03/31/2016)
Address: 385 South End Ave.(Gateway Apt.'s,Entrance on Liberty St.)
Phone: 212.466.0131
Weekend Mass Times: 
Sun: 10am, 12pm, 7:30pm (all English)
Weekday Mass Times: 
Mon-Fri: 7:30am, 12:10pm (both English)
Confession: 15 minutes after Mass

Links:
Official Website
Death and Resurrection at Ground Zero
Catholic Memorial at Ground Zero
Renovata Studios
Mystery Worshipper
Blessing of the Animals Photos on Flickr
St. Joseph (Chinatown)
St. Joseph (Greenwich Village)
St. Joseph (Yorkville)
St. Joseph of the Holy Family (Harlem)

It is March, the month of St. Joseph, and I have decided to visit the other St. Joseph churches in the city that I have not yet seen. Thus far, I've enjoyed all my experiences at the other St. Joseph parishes, and this was no exception, except for the fact that this little chapel is exceptional.

Hopstop directed me to take the 1 train to Rector St., then north on Greenwich. Greenwich dead ends into Liberty St., at which point I took a left. Following Liberty St., which borders Ground Zero and therefore one of the largest construction sites in the world, lead me through a covered walkway and into the lobby of an office building - One World Financial Center. The man at the information desk pointed me across the street to South End Avenue and shortly I was at the Battery Park City Gateway Apartment Complex searching (somewhat frantically, as I was a few minutes tardy) for the entrance to the chapel.

I eventually found it (it is "on" Liberty Street if one keeps walking onto the sidewalk from Liberty St., westward towards the water and Jersey) and entered a small modern crowded chapel. Standing until a nice gentleman (whose name I believe is John, though I might be mistaken, and who seems to be the organist as well as in charge of a thousand other duties) I felt very welcomed here.

St. Joseph Chapel is part of the parish of St. Peter. This is not just a chapel but a memorial and the icons and artwork on the walls and in the building are absolutely beautiful, calming to take in, and leaves one with peace as they walk out. The chapel was renovated in 2002 after the events of 9/11 left the original damaged beyond repair. The day the towers fell the exterior was covered in dust and ash. The chapel was offered to the emergency workers (police, fire, medical) as a place of respite beginning that day and for the next six months after. All the furniture was moved outside of the chapel to offer places to sit, and was damaged by weather days later. The chapel reopened, renovated and repaired, on September 11, 2002. Unfortunately, I believe the chapel's website is not working, so I shall attempt this poor job of describing what I saw and came away with. (I am taking most of my information from the brochure John handed me.)

To me, the most striking part of the artwork were the statues on the left side of the church, by artist John Collier.

The archangel Michael, St. Florian, St. Joseph and St. Mary Magdalene. Before my visit I had not heard of St. Florian (the patron of fire fighters) and had forgotten Michael was the patron of police officers. The statues are emotional, violent, sad, strong. The artist has captured something here in that they move and act before your eyes and in a heartbeat one feels they know each one of these subjects' stories as well the stories of those who they represent.

There is also a a sculpture of Jesus done by artist Walter Szostalo, without arms, "reminding us that we are to be the arms and hands of the risen Christ in the world today." (from brochure) Below the sculpture is a quote from St. Teresa of Avila...

"Christ has no body now on earth but yours,
no hand but yours, no feet but yours;
yours are the eyes through which Christ's compassion looks out on the world,
yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good
and yours are the hands with which He is to bless us now."

Szostalo also has a colored and carved glass sculpture piece displayed, Swords Into Ploughshares, my second favorite.

Guy Kemper, a returned Peace Corps volunteer, is the artist behind four abstract stained glass panels flanking the chapel doorway. Standing near the altar and looking to the back of the chapel, one is amazed and impressed by the color and feeling these windows emote.

There is also an etched glass wall at the back of the sanctuary by Christopher Cosma...

...an Our Lady of Guadalupe terra-cotta bas-relief by Brett Slavin...

...and an icon of St. John and St. Paul by Sister Cecelia.

Every Catholic living here in New York City, as well as every visiting Catholic, should make a point of stopping by this chapel for either a Mass or service or quick strong prayer.


Some of the sites outside of St. Joseph Chapel...