85. Our Lady of Sorrows

(mass times & church info last updated 03/25/2016)
Address: 213 Stanton St. (@ Pitt St.)
Phone: 212.673.0900
Weekend Mass Times: 
Sat: 6:30pm (Spanish)
Sun: 8:30am (English), 10am (Spanish), 11:30am (English), 1pm (Spanish)
Weekday Mass Times: 
Mon, Wed, Fri: 9am (English)
Tue, Thu: 6:30pm (Spanish)
Confession: Sat: 5pm-6pm
Church Constructed: 1868
Links:
Official Website
About the Organ
Our Lady of Sorrows

'Then I said, “Woe is me, I am doomed!
For I am a man of unclean lips,
living among a people of unclean lips;
yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”
Then one of the seraphim flew to me,
holding an ember that he had taken with tongs from the altar.

He touched my mouth with it, and said,
“See, now that this has touched your lips,
your wickedness is removed, your sin purged.”

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
“Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?”
“Here I am,” I said; “send me!” '
(Is 6:1-2a, 3-8)

How was it, the burning ember, cleansing body and soul, purging sin? To taste the sun. To live again. Absolution. Rebirth. Salvation.

Our Lady of Sorrows is a welcoming parish. I discovered this as I wandered into the 11:30am Mass today.

The light level in the church is bright and that brightness feels good as one enters and sits amidst a very nice group of people. The design of the church is spacious, inviting.

"The Church of Our Lady of Sorrows was established in 1867 by the Capuchins. Located on Pitt Street in the area once known as Kleindeutschland (Little Germany), the church served as a national parish for the many thousands of German families who arrived in New York in great numbers after 1848. The church was built from 1867-68 to designs by Henry Engelbert—who combined Victorian, Byzantine and Romanesque styles—and was dedicated by Archbishop McCLoskey on September 6, 1868. By the early 1910s, the Germans had moved uptown and in their place were throngs of newly-arrived Italian immigrants. Still later, the Italians moved out and the area demographic became largely Hispanic. By 2000, masses were offered in Spanish and English, and the church is also known as Nuestra Señora de los Dolores." (from nycago.org, http://www.nycago.org/Organs/NYC/html/OurLadySorrows.html)

Unfortunately much of the art on the walls, ceiling and on the altar are in serious need of renovation as they have, over the years, lost their color and contrast. They are now dark images where a visitor can barely make out the iconography behind them, the stories of faith, forgiveness, new life.

I, in my own way, am about to begin a very new life for myself. I have decided to leave my current job, that has lately caused me such grief and aggravation. I will soon begin working in a field I desire to be in more and feel I am much better suited toward. Prayers have been answered, God has granted me many gifts. This new position is such a blessing, a gift dropped into my lap. I am grateful.

My girlfriend has moved here - another gift. She is here now in this beautiful and terrible city, this monstrous metropolis, awesome Gotham. I want her so much to enjoy this city, to see it for all its beauty as I often have. I know her transition here will be difficult, and the adjustment to a new life in New York will be tough. I pray for her that her life here is good, and for me that I can be good to her and be all the things she needs me to be.

I just want to be one of the good ones. But I fall. And sin. Again and again.

After church this week the celebrating priest, Fr. Michael, greeted me and shook my hand. Before I had much of a chance to think about it, I asked him if there was any confession offered at the time. He graciously offered to hear my confession right then and there. It has probably been over a year since the last time I went to confession, and with all these new things happening in my life, I really wanted and needed absolution, a clean slate, a fresh start.

A cynical person might say that an organized religion such as the Catholic church has cornered the market on sin, offering forgiveness and salvation to those who willingly come and ask for it, and taking in the process their loyalty, numbers, and money. That these followers are looking for a salve against a very human and natural and common trait - sin. That sin is something we are destined (and predestined) to do because it is in our genetic makeup, our biology, our weak will - and that the church takes advantage of these very normal traits to gain followers.

But I am not cynical, I am a sinner.

80. Chapel of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus & Mary (Now the Parish of Our Saviour, Saint Stephen and Our Lady of the Scapular, and the Chapel of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary)

NOTE: In 2015 this church merged with two churches: Our Lady of the Scapular & St. Stephen Church and the Church of Our Saviour as part of the Archdiocese of New York's great closings & mergers of 2015. Only this chapel and Our Savior will remain open for regular Masses and other events. This combined parish is now called the Parish of Our Saviour, Saint Stephen and Our Lady of the Scapular, and the Chapel of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. 

(mass times & church info last updated 03/31/2016)
Address: 325 E. 33rd St.
Phone: 212.213.6027
Weekend Mass Times: 
Sun: 12:45pm, 5:30pm (both English)
Weekday Mass Times: 
Mon-Fri: 12:15pm (English)
Confession:
Sun: 5pm-5:15pm
Church Constructed: 2009? (forgive me if I'm mistaken)
Links:
Official Website
Chapel History

Church of Our Lady of the Scapular & St. Stephen (associated Church)
Congegration of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary

This chapel is so far on the east side, why does anyone live all the way over there?

My thought, as I headed down 33rd this evening towards the Chapel of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus & Mary, and, finally arriving, I looked inside the chapel through it's great south windows, walking closer, peering inside, I witnessed a great congregation gathering for the Sunday 5:30pm Mass. It must happen every Sunday, and it was nice to see a mixed crowd, all ages, various types, lots of different people.

The priest gave a good sermon about living in the moment, living within and being inside each breath you take to be present in the Lord's graces and be in the moment, ready for God. It was direct and to the (and such a good) point. Ironically, I felt very out of the moment this evening. Why are things so off sometimes?

more...

Additionally, there was a special announcement at the end of Mass, and an insert in the bulletin, about the U.S. Catholic Bishop's response to the Heath Care reform that had just passed the House. There are some fundamental sacredness of life issues presently in the bill that conflict with standard Catholic teachings concerning public funding for abortion, and care for the poor and immigrants. As United States Catholics, the Bishops urge us to speak out to our senators, politicians, lawmakers who are also our fellow human beings.

One can go here: www.usccb.org/action to lodge an automatic online request to your senators.

more...

Recently I was in a cafe with a good friend, 0ne of my closest, a fellow Christian who's a protestant. We were speaking about sin and repentance and forgiveness (pretty light, huh?) They told me that even though through their faith they know that when their sins are forgiven by God, they still feel a need to admit aloud what they have done and that they wish their church had something similar to confession as the Catholic church has.

I was struck suddenly by the sweetness of the Church's seven sacraments (specifically Reconciliation) and what it means for Catholics. These are gifts we have as Catholics that simply do not exist in other branches and sects of Christianity, and we (and I mean I here, but perhaps you feel the same) should cease taking these things for granted. We all sin down here, there is no way around - but the fact we are able to walk into the confessional and admit to God's servant our wrongdoings, and be blessed and absolved in person in a very real way, materializes for us the wondrous abstraction that is God's constant and eternal forgiveness of our very real sins.

It has given me a new realization of my Catholic faith and I now, very soon, I gots to get me to a confessional.

I've begun reading Paul Elie's book, The Life You Save May Be Your Own, which focuses on the spiritual pilgrimages of Thomas Merton, Dorothy Day, Flannery O'Connor and Walker Percy. Thus far I am especially connecting with Dorothy Day's journey, in New York, and her visits to Manhattan churches. This may begin happening in the next few following posts, my sharing excerpts about Day's thoughts on NYC from Elie's book:

"Mornings she would set out on the streets of lower Manhattan...'In all that great city of seven millions, I found no friends, I had no work; I was separated from my fellows. Silence in the midst of city noises oppressed me. My own silence, the feeling that I had no one to talk to overwhelmed me so that my very throat was constricted; my heart was heavy with unuttered thoughts; I wanted to weep my loneliness away...
So it was at dawn, going home, she found herself stopping at St. Joseph's Church on Sixth Avenue, not far from Hell Hole, thinking it inevitable that 'sooner or later I would have to pause in the mad rush of living and remember my first beginning and my last end...'St. Joseph's is the oldest Catholic church in Manhattan, low and square, with fieldstone walls, high white pillars, and a portico topped by a cross that stands out starkly against the sky. It is a kind of house blend of old and new, of city and country, of Catholic Europe and leatherstocking America...
All her life she had been haunted by God. God was behind her. God loomed before her. Now she felt hounded toward Him, as though toward home; now she longed for an end to the wavering life in which she was caught...
For the time being, she began to pray...'God, be merciful to me, a sinner.'"

(pages 16, 28-29)

31. Church of the Nativity (CLOSED)

NOTE: In 2015 this church closed down and was merged into Church of the Most Holy Redeemer as part of the Archdiocese of New York's great closings & mergers of 2015. Only Church of the Most Holy Redeemer will remain open for regular Masses and other events. This combined parish is called Parish of the Most Holy Redeemer and of Nativity.

(church info last updated 03/23/2016)
Address: 44 2nd Ave. (between 2nd & 3rd sts.)
Phone: 212.674.8590
Links:
About the Organ
An NY Times article from 1900 about a priest

The most important lesson I have learned about Christianity in the last few months is that of forgiveness. Now, of course, growing up a cradle Catholic I have always been aware of the forgiveness aspect of Catholicism and Christianity, but only recently have come to realize the great importance of it.

Attending regular confession over the last 2 months (and planning on continuing this once a month) has helped me to maintain focus on this forgiveness element. Christ forgives all the wrong I commit as long as I admit I have done wrong and plan not to continue on the sinful path. And of course this is extremely difficult to do - we are all sinful creatures - but admitting it, reflecting on it and praying about it helps in healing these rifts we create between ourselves and God. Confession acts as a reminder as well of the importance of forgiveness and that I should always forgive others in my life if they do me any wrong or harm. I should never harbor any ill will.

I was recently confirmed - a step on my "path" which I am very happy to have taken at this point in my life. I feel I now understand many things about the Church and my faith that before I was somewhat blind to. As I stood near the altar and the Bishop blessed me with the holy Chrism, rubbing it into my forehead and saying a prayer I was suddenly removed from the church we were in - the background of the building, the candles, statues, everything just kind of dropped away and I felt like I was outside in some green pasture on the side of a slowly rising mountain and it was all surreal for a moment. And then it was over and I went back to the pew with my sponsor and back to my life - but with a new name and a new commitment to my faith.

Now, I have taken the whole Confirmation process and sacrament very seriously this time around and felt that it would herald a change in my life. Within the very week I was confirmed however, I have immediately turned around and began sinning again - as if I have no control over my actions or, if I do, maintain no will power to do better than I am doing. And that is when I began thinking deeply about forgiveness. We are all imperfect and it is better that we are sinful with intentions of improvement attending Mass and being part of this community rather than sinning and not attending.
- - -
The Church of the Nativity on the Lower East Side is a smaller very modern building. It seems very simple - yet the community is incredibly welcoming. The priest at today's 12pm Mass gave a fantastic sermon (as I'm certain happens every week), the music was good and it just felt simple and right to be there. Of course, with the ever growing heat we are experiencing in this city it was muggy and sweaty, but never mind that.

If you are staying nearby this church (very close to the 2nd avenue F and V subway stop) you should absolutely attend. I must say this church experience was slightly strange, a little bit weird. Church of the Nativity is not as eloquent as some of the other churches in Manhattan I have visited. The formality and sacredness of the Mass is all very much there - and truly that is all that is important - the validity of the sacraments, that and that they are all so welcoming - but, the organization and the church itself doesn't appear to a visitor as well kept as, say, some of those crazy big East side churches. Of course, one has to assume, that many of those East side churches have a lot more cash flow than a lot of the others. The decor' of the church wasn't overwhelming; the musicians were a little bit off (they were new, it was their first day playing in a church environment) so understandably so. All in all I was glad to be there though. I love visiting a new environment myself each week - it reminds one of all the similarities these places have in common despite the differences in location, congregation and capitol. I like them all - from the most elegent, to the least formal; from uptown to downtown; very devout and orthodox to the more liberal ones - it is an honor to be welcomed to all these holy places.

Later on in the day, my roommate dragged me along to the Williamsburg Renegade Craft Fair that took place at the McCarren Park Pool. It turned out to be really great being and I was happy I had come. Suddenly walking around the booths a calmness fell over me, as if someone was praying for me or the general overall good energy of the people at the craft fair soaked into me.

I needed that calm because I just feel so desperate and worried lately. I'm uncertain about my career and what to do with it (and sometimes trying to ascertain if I even have one!) Finanical issues, love, unhappiness - everything is plaguing me lately and I don't know where to turn. I have become obsessed with this blogging effort and visting these churches - it too gives me calm each week when I enter these houses of God, but shortly after I leave, the despondence sets in and grows ever more and more.

View from McCarren Park Pool

28. St. Catherine of Siena (Now the Parish of St. Vincent Ferrer and St. Catherine of Siena)

NOTE: In 2015 this church merged with the church of St. Vincent Ferrer as part of the Archdiocese of New York's great closings & mergers of 2015. Both churches will remain open for regular Masses and other events. This new combined parish is called the Parish of St. Vincent Ferrer and St. Catherine of Siena.

(mass times & church info last updated 04/04/2016) 
Address: 411 East 68th Street @ 1st Ave.
Phone: 212.988.8300
Email: parish@svsc.info
Weekend Mass Times:
Sat: 5:15pm (English)
Sun: 9am, 12pm, 5:15pm (all English)
Weekday Mass Times:
Mon-Fri: 7am, 12pm, 5:15pm (all English)
Sat: 12pm (English)
Confession: 
Mon-Sat: 11:30am-11:55am, 4:40pm-5:05pm 
Rosary: 
Mon-Sat: 11:40am 
Sun: 3pm 
Liturgy of the Hours:
Mon-Fri: 5pm
Adoration:
Sun: 11am-11:45am
Wed: 12:30pm-5pm
Thu: 12:30pm-5pm
Our Lady of Perpetual Help Prayer Group: 
Wednesday following 5:15pm Mass
Queen of Peace Prayer Group: 
Sat: 9am
Constructed: 1897
Links:
Official Website
About St. Catherine of Siena
Dominican Friars Blog - Surprise Papal Visit
Art Images of St. Catherine

It's embarrassing, and I am sorry to write, that an ex-girlfriend and I were both given a ticket yesterday by two undercover NYPD officers for drinking beers on the subway - open container violations. Now, it is only a violation and a minor fine to pay - no "real" trouble but it's so damned depressing. I followed up this despicable behaviour with further destructive and irresponsible action when I went with my ex to her apartment, continued drinking and ended up hooking up with her - an act that fills me with guilt because I no longer have any intention of maintaining a relationship with her (though I had strongly desired a friendship, something I now realize - stupidly delayed - that boys and girls really can't "just be friends" when these things end) and feel I have acted terribly and possibly given her the wrong idea of things. Further, why did I even put myself in that stupid stupid position? Drinking nonstop, alone at her place - completely susceptible to sin.

And today?

Confession, of course. Some of my non-Catholic friends look strangely upon the sacrament of Confession - seeing it as a bizarre Catholic loophole where one may freely commit sins, readily confess them, and it is like nothing ever happened - but it is different than that. When I confessed today, more than my penance or the priest's kind words and reflections on my actions, what struck me and stuck to me the most was the absolution. He said, "now be forgiven and remember to forgive others as Christ has forgiven you. Be forgiven and go in peace. Go in peace."

He must have seen the worry I wore on my face and knew I was probably making a bigger deal out of things than I should have been. The whole point of regular confession is consistent reflection on your actions and morality - a good thing. And it is a reminder to you that God forgives - and you too should forgive others - also a good thing. And so I was reminded of this. Reminded of the value of forgiveness and the moral path one should attempt following.It's my second confession in the past six years and this big brick church offered me a grand place in which to sit and reflect before entering the confessional. This is another massive building - the brick structure reminds me of a monastic church - there are tons of incredible statues of saints, the stained glass windows present a beautiful color scheme against the dark arches.

After Mass, I walked from the East side to Times Square - a trip in itself.

Walking around this city, it is difficult to see one's place in the grander scheme of things. Are you what you do, your occupation? Are you your faith? Are you what others see you as being? Are you a montage of these things? Do your friends make you who you are - are they a reflection?

It is easier than imagined to lose oneself in the anonymity and magnitude of the city. And everywhere, in every corner, everyone is attempting to be so damned individualistic - and everyone is just coming out wholly the same. And we seek answers on this sticky web - we post our thoughts whether others wish to know them or not; we sell our belongings and even ourselves on Craigslist, internet dating sites; we broadcast shadows of this life and this society on Youtube. And when we are done posting, we begin consuming it all up again.

We are losing ourselves in ourselves, in our pride and obsession with ourselves, in this mess we've piled up on the earth, on the web and in our heads.

- - -

P.S. - I need to just add something.  Once arriving in Times Square last night, I went to see the new Indiana Jones movie.  Awful. Honestly, just awful.  Now I am a big fan of the original 3 movies and I know recently I've heard a lot of arguments that if you go back and watch them, they don't stand up that well, the acting isn't terrific, the new one is just as good as the other 2 sequels - that is all horse shit!

This movie had plot holes big enough to drive a desert tank convoy through.  Harrison Ford was off about 95% of his time in the movie - his delivery on most of his lines was terrible - very unlike the other 3, the dialog itself wasn't very good, the filmmakers had scenes that make Indiana look very goofy.  Marion Ravenwood character was wasted - she spent the whole time just smiling - the interaction/romance between her and Indy didn't develop very believably -and why drag John Hurt's insane character and the constantly-trading-allegiances-only-when-the-plots-needs-it-to-happen Mac along all the way to the end?

There was (of course - damn you George Lucas!) way too much CGI in the whole film to make it an authentic and believable Indiana Jones movie - way too much soft "Barbara Walters" lighting prevalent during the entire mess, obvious sound stage scenes - it was all just really depressing to watch.

The original 3 films were fun, the "real" location shots made it all the more believable, they required a suspension-of-disbelief you were ready and willing to give, whereas this new travesty requires one that you're embarrassed to put forth.

All in all, the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is a blight on the franchise and a reminder that what runs this whole machine we are a part of is down and dirty money.  This movie will bank the millions or billion dollars that the Paramount execs expect, George and Steven will tell themselves that they've done a good job and move on to produce further catastrophes, and soon we may even convince ourselves that it wasn't all bad, and ignore its inherent bad qualities which we all down deep know are truly there.  

Such is this life and the world we live in - and thanks to this new movie, even other worlds we used to be able to escape into have been tainted, vandalized, ransacked, sacrileged.

24. St. Joseph (Yorkville)

(mass times & church info last updated 04/24/2016)
Address: 404 E. 87th St. (between 1st and York)
Phone: 212.289.6030
Weekend Mass Times: 
Sat: 4pm (English)
Sun: 8am (English, no music)
10am (English, but German Mass on 1st Sundays)
12pm (English, with choir from September-June)
2pm (Hungarian)
6pm (English)
Weekday Mass Times: 
Mon-Fri: 7am, 12:15pm, 6pm (during Lent) (all English)
Sat: 8am, 12:15pm (both English)
Confession: Sat: 3:30pm-3:45pm
Rosary: Thursdays at 6:30pm in either the church or rectory
Lectio-Divina: Every other Thursday at 7pm in the rectory
Post-Church Activity: Beers at Heidelberg
Links:
Official Website
About the Organ
German Catholics in Manhattan
About St. Joseph
Catholic Encyclopedia: St. Joseph
The destruction of another St. Joseph's
United States' Catholic Catechism for Adults
Making A Good Confession
How To Confess
Mortal vs. Venial Sin
A listing of sins
Another listing of sins
St. Joseph (Battery Park City)
St. Joseph (Chinatown)
St. Joseph (Greenwich Village)
St. Joseph of the Holy Family (Harlem)
- - -
-great little german church-


Pope Benedict XVI visited here last week during his New York Tour and I wonder if he found it to be as peaceful as I did.

The Saturday 4pm mass, I have to say, has quite a few older people in attendance, though I did see a few young faces - and heading to the Heidelberg Restaurant afterwards was way too much fun to have on a Saturday afternoon. My main focus of this week's visit wasn't necessarily to view the art or structure of the church, though again, it is another beautiful gem of Manhattan Catholicism, it was of a more reconciling nature.

- - -
A few days ago...
A whole whole lot on my mind this week that doesn't necessarily have anything to do directly with St. Joseph's in Yorkville, but read on and you may see the connection...

Girls never want to just be friends unless it is I who am pursuing them...

If anything is true about me it is that I am a sinful sinful man. I've just recently broke up with another sweet gal who was beautiful and smart and sexy and a good person. My problem is I keep ending these relationships with these great girls because I feel I can do better. What an ass I am! On the way down, knowing it would end soon, I ended up kissing another girl, who I stupidly began to think I could end up with, happily, all because she was Catholic and nice, and beautiful, completely disregarding the bigger picture that she and I didn't have a whole lot of other stuff in common and that she is one of those people who constantly busy themselves running from activity to activity with very little room to breathe because every action has got to have some point, some purpose; idle time to sit and to wonder doesn't really exist for these people. And perhaps I am just jealous of this type, perhaps I have all too much time on my hands and am currently unhappy with my life, my situation. Today, having gotten only a few slim hours of sleep because I had to spend time in the bars last night with my friend who was in town and forced myself to awake early this morning to have breakfast with this girl - a strange breakfast, by the way, in which I was realizing I probably didn't even really like her like I thought I might as she went on and on discussing the busy, varying and dizzying details of her life, and after which she told me she didn't want a relationship - I walked around in a daze, a zombie-like shuffle, in and out of extreme moods that dipped to despair and alighted at the top of the world

i think somebody had to be praying for me somewhere

and I felt utterly alone, without friends or a home or a future; with family far away, with people here in the city that I know either moving away or losing touch - it's like a countdown to city anonymity. I am in the middle of indecision. I have discerned I do not want to be alone for my life (ala the priesthood) but it seems I can't get too close to others either.

Because this girl was Catholic I tricked myself into believing that everything else I wanted from a relationship would evolve naturally - ignoring a host of problems right around the corner. It is indeed best she doesn't want the relationship to happen, it saved us both from a few uncomfortable months of boy/girl fights and troubles - however, it did hurt, my feelings were bruised, I was rejected on some level and though it saved us from an ultimate catastrophe, it in itself and today was a minor catastrophe.

What's worse is this girl is my Confirmation sponsor.
- - -
Attending Confirmation classes has been very enjoyable thus far. I'm learning a bit about the Church and with friends in grad schools and continuing ed classes, I feel like this is my own bit of continuing ed. I can't really see myself going to class for any other degrees; I might go for some additional skill sets and knowledge in my profession, but outside of that the only thing I'd really want to do is progress further along in theological studies. But again, I am not going to be a priest, my God, I want a wife, I even have three names for my daughters already picked out. But perhaps there's something in the religious field in my future - theologian someday, or maybe a deacon?

Something that struck me the other day while reading my catechism was that the candidate for confirmation should be in a state of grace - without serious sin.

I realized suddenly that before my confirmation date rolls around, I will need to go to confession - a sacrament I have not received in 6 or 7 years.

I know there's many Catholics out there who have, like me, neglected this sacrament, however, I now plan on making at least one confession prior to my confirmation and then maintaining this practice regularly. This comes straight from my catechism book:

"Despite society's efforts to downplay the reality of sin, there is an instinctive recognition of its existence. Children generally know, even when not told, when they have done something morally wrong. Adults readily admit the evil of terrorism, unjust wars, lies, unfair treatment of people, and similar matters. Society as a whole must also learn to admit the evil of abortion, physician-assisted suicide, and obtaining stem cells from embryos, which results in the death of embryonic human life. Denying evil corrupts us spiritually and psychologically. Rationalizing our own evil is even more destructive."

It's time I admit to what I have been doing

- - -
After Mass and confession...
After 6 years, it feels good to get things off your chest. Waiting in line for the confessional, however, I felt kind of gross, and sick in the pit of my stomach. I was nervous. It is no easy task to admit you have done something wrong, and it's even harder to admit your sin to God, even though He already knows it. And it's difficult to tell all these things to a man of God. And when I reflected on my sin and what I would say, I realized that I was most likely sharing the same other things that everyone else tells him - because we all suffer from a condition, the human condition, and it is all so difficult to live on this planet and do everything correctly - we are flawed and we fail and we get up again just to fail all over. But, yet, there is God's grace and providence and forgiveness and with all that, God help us, maybe we can get along and fail a little less, striving and moving towards what God wants from us.

Maybe.
- - -
"You believe in the Angels, or the saints. Or that there's such a thing as a state of grace. And you believe it, but it hasn't anything to do with reality."

-Sean Penn in State of Grace (*Perhaps misquoted slightly)