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13. St. Ann (Now St. Ann-St. Lucy Church)

NOTE: In 2015 St. Lucy Church closed down and was merged into St. Ann Church as part of the Archdiocese of New York's great closings & mergers of 2015. Only St. Ann's will remain open for regular Masses and other events. This combined parish is called St. Ann-St. Lucy Church.

(mass times & church info last updated 03/30/2016)
Address: 312 E. 110th St.
Phone: 646.461.1236

Weekend Mass Times:

Sat: 6pm (English);
Sun: 9am (English), 10:30am (Spanish), 12pm (English), 1:30pm (Spanish)

Weekday Mass Times:

M-Sat: 9am (Spanish)

Confession: Before or after Masses

Links:

A Report on the Life of St. Ann

THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD

If one thing is for sure after all these posts and these incredible churches and anything I've feebly attempted here, it's that it could be that we are all actually alone here.

Sitting in the back corner, looking into the light of the next room and the screaming weeklies of souls unseen best forgotten, I can't imagine we all belong. There is no belonging; no true longing; everything we truly yearn we truly have.

It's ridiculous not to be one's self; unforgiving feigning something else. And you're lying and dying if you disagree.

I'm a prize in a game.

--great little mexican church--


additional photos...
(8/3/2013)

Obviously I was drunk and in some kind of foul mood the first time I wrote about this church, and therefore selfishly introspective, not offering much about St. Ann parish or the structure. It's such a pretty, beautiful and colorful place. The above images certainly didn't do it justice and neither did my words. Hopefully these new ones give a better idea what it's like, so I offer them below. I visited here for a few moments after I attended a quiet, little morning Mass at Holy Rosary. While at St. Ann, I took a moment to reflect on how different my life is now than the first time I was here. For instance, I now have not only a great, positive and kind girlfriend, but I am lucky to be able to call here my fiancée as well — and next year we hope to be married at another St. Anne's church. After I took the pictures below, I walked to the third and final church of my morning, Holy Agony...

12. St. Aloysius

NOTE: In 2015 this church was part of a list of churches in danger of merging with other churches or closing altogether as part of the Archdiocese of New York's great closings & mergers of 2015. This doesn't seem to have happened and this church remains open for regular Masses and other events. If you have any news about this merger or lack thereof please feel free to write in the comments section at the bottom of this post.

(mass times & church info last updated 04/01/2016)
Address: 219 W. 132nd St.
Phone: 917.261.6507

Weekend Mass Times:

Sun: 10:15am (English, Gospel Choir), 12:15pm (Spanish)

Weekday Mass Times:

Tue, Thu: 9am (English, in the chapel)

Wed, Fri: 7:30pm (Spanish, in the chapel)
Links:
Landmark Designation Commission Report
NY Times Article - Landmarking Harlem Churches
NYC Landmarks Commission Report
Catholic Encyclopedia: St. Aloysius Gonzaga
Wikipedia: St. Aloysius Gonzaga
Prayer to St. Aloysius Gonzaga

EPIPHANY SUNDAY

I walked into this church in Harlem today right on time. I had read about its landmark status, along with that of All Saints church - which I attended a few weeks ago, also a Gospel Mass - and was expecting a large grandiose near-cathedral like church, like that of All Saints. Instead, St. Aloysius is smaller and somewhat quainter - but no less grand.

Please, take the time to look through the above links at the Landmark Designation Commission Report - it does justice in describing what's so special about the architecture. My favorite piece of art in the place was an African Madonna and Child (I hope my ill-suited Blackberry camera does it justice below - but you should go see it for yourself anyway. Though it is a bit faded from the years, it sits right behind where the Choir sings.)


The Gospel Mass was good, though I feel it was missing something the Gospel Mass at All Saints had - even though the church had a more "filled up" feeling. In typical African/Gospel Mass fashion, peace time took a full 5-10 minutes while everyone walked the church shaking hands and delivering well-wishes.

I felt very welcomed here.

Yesterday, I went to a daily mass with Benediction. I was a few minutes late and as I walked in the first reading was just begining. It was from John - Chapter 3, verse 11-21:

"Beloved:
This is the message you have heard from the beginning:
we should love one another...
...Do not be amazed, then, brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.
We know that we have passed from death to life
because we love our brothers.
Whoever does not love remains in death.
Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer,
and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him.
The way we came to know love
was that he laid down his life for us;
so we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
If someone who has worldly means
sees a brother in need and refuses him compassion,
how can the love of God remain in him?
Children, let us love not in word or speech
but in deed and truth...
...for God is greater than our hearts and knows everything.
Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us,
we have confidence in God."

I feel I spend most of my time trying to be loved by others. I walk past bums and homeless all the time, without flinching, caught up in whatever my iPod is spitting into my ears. And despite what the rest of the world is trying to tell me, about religion spoiling everything and how we'd be better off giving up faith as a waste of time, I know there is something else there that, for some reason, a lot of the world is ignoring and turning away from. Why do they do this? And what is it I feel?



additional photos...
(11/25/2012)

My wonderful girlfriend surprised me this morning by taking me to this church for the 10am Gospel Mass. As always, nice music. Here's some new photos. Not sure why they turned out a little dark and drab. Perhaps this church is not as well lit as some of the others.

6. All Saints Church

(mass times & church info last updated 03/07/2016) 

Address: 47 East 129th @ Madison Ave.
Phone: 212.534.3535, 212.534.7957

Weekend Mass Times:
Sunday: 10am (English)

Weekday Mass Times:

Wed, Thu: 7pm

Sat: 9am (Morning Prayer and Mass)

Confession: 

Sat: 6pm or 6:30pm-7pm (or by appointment)

Devotions: 

Rosary: Wednesday 6pm (English)
Rosary: Thursday 6pm (Spanish)
Adoration: Wed & Thu after Mass (English)

Post-Church Activity: conversation
Links: 

Official Website
About the Organ
Harlem Site
Encyclopedia Britannica
Landmark Conservancy
Dance

There is only one Weekend Mass at this Harlem Roman Catholic Church and it is at 10am on Sundays and I highly suggest you attend it if ever you have the chance. It is a Gospel Mass - and the singing is outstanding.

The only sad depression of note, which you may find for yourself if you attend, is a lack of congregation.

I envisioned a loud church, a filled-to-capacity-psuedo-cathedral in the midst of Harlem. But, as always the case in most Masses I go to these days, the congregation was sparse, absent, gone. There were maybe 30 in attendance and because it is another old, big, classic church it just seemed strangely empty to me.

That in itself didn't really stop me from enjoying the Mass and the celebration and getting a lot from it, however. There was singing and clapping and during Peace time - when everyone is sharing a handshake and a "Peace be with you," with each other - which lasted about 10 minutes, everyone was so nice and outgoing. A stranger to the city wouldn't of known it was New York.

At the end of the Mass, so many people greeted my friend and I and told us to come back. There was such immense joy and gladness in everyone's eye. My hour and a half at this church in Harlem couldn't help but remind me of Africa and all the wonderful and kind people I met there.

If you've happened upon this blog and are at all interested in attending any of these churches I've written about - you should definately attend this one, this 10am Mass, and greet the people that side for me.

Another note of interest - my friend who attended is a young pretty Catholic girl and of course, if you're getting to know me at all, I couldn't help but to continue to think of her after we spent the rest of the day together, enjoying each other's company very much and agreeing that we should get together again very soon...


(08/20/2014)
Additional Photos...

Just went here for Wednesday evening Mass that was supposed to start at 7pm. By 7:15pm when no priest had shown up I decided to leave, but not before walking around the strangely lit sanctuary to take some photos and dropping a donation into the box.

(By the way, there are some big discrepancies currently between the bulletin I picked up at the front of the church and the website. For instance, the website says there are daily Masses everyday of the week, but the bulletin only says Wednesday and Thursday. The Mass times listed above are taken from the bulletin, but I highly suggest any visitors call the parish before heading to this big, beautiful church.)

Speaking of which, All Saints church was so much bigger and more beautiful than I remember it being (7 years ago!) and I still stand by my initial assessment: you should go visit this church and take in the grandeur of it, however aging it is.

While I waited for the Mass to begin that never would (which I believe would have taken place in the small side chapel area pictured below in the last photo), I believe I was sitting down in or around the same pew as my friend and I did years before. I began reflecting how strange it would be if I could reach back in time and talk to my (7 years) younger self. I wonder, since the Almighty knows no bounds of time, if God ever reaches back in time to speak to us, or into the future — telling us it will all, eventually, be all right.

It was funny sitting with my female friend 7 years ago, who I was obviously a little bit attracted too; who eventually became my Confirmation sponsor; who I now no longer speak to or have any contact with — not because we had a falling out or anything, but simply because that's what happens over time.

My life, in so many ways, is so much better now than it was back then and I am grateful. I'm happy to say, I am now married, having found the perfect mate to share my life with. Not perfect in any sense or list I would have designed 7 years ago, but perfect in a real, well-matched in reality, honest, sincere, loving and true way.

Thanks be to God!