56. Holy Rosary Church (Now St. Paul's - Holy Rosary)

NOTE: In 2015 this church was set to close and be merged with St. Paul Church (Spanish Harlem) as part of the Archdiocese of New York's great closings & mergers of 2015. This combined parish is called St. Paul's Church - Holy Rosary. Only St. Paul's was to remain open for regular Masses and other events, however it seems that regular Masses are indeed continuing here during this transitional period. If you have any news about this closure/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 03/22/2016)
Address: 444 E. 119th St.
Phone: 212.534.0740

Weekend Mass Times:

Sun: 9:30am (Spanish), 11am (English)

Weekday Mass Times:

Mon: 8am (English, in the chapel)
Thu: 7pm (Spanish, in the church)
Fri: 8am (Spanish, in the chapel)
Links:

Old, Original Holy Rosary Website
New Official Parish Website
Holy Rosary Church of New York
Holy Rosary Church Restoration Website
New York Times Article
YouTube Clip
Our Lady of the Rosary Church

I underestimated how far east on 119th Street Holy Rosary Church lies and found myself briskly walking this Sunday morning to get there on time, a feat I missed accomplishing by a few minutes. As I rushed through the streets of Harlem I could hear multiple religious services going on in a variety of churches; the sounds floating through the cold, rainy air. It was a dreary day and I myself felt dreary as well - have in fact been a bit dreary lately; my relationship seems dreary too, something is amiss.

I reached the church only to find the front doors closed to me. A kind old man pointed me through a side door and there I found a basement hall converted into a temporary church. I couldn't understand why they weren't celebrating up top (it wasn't until after the Mass that a woman explained the church had been closed for renovations for the past six month and services had been held down here this whole time.)

It was a strange celebration, not least because (I believe) it was half English and half Filipino. But there were times of great joy there in the basement among the fifteen or so in the congregation at this 12:30pm Mass - the songs that were sung, read off from an overhead projector, were fun and joyous. I must admit, at first being put off that we weren't in the grand main church I had read a little bit about, I was in a (dreary) mood, and the pastor seemed to be delivering less of a good news homily and more of a laundry list of grievances concerning the behaviors and practices of the parishioners of the church. But as the Mass went on and concluded and I walked out into the cold misty weather, I felt very bad for this parish. They are, in a sense, locked out of their house of worship, waiting for renovations to conclude (some of which are not even begun, perhaps.) Since the economic collapse some of their donors have fallen through and who knows how long this endless wait of theirs will go on?

The juxtaposition of last week's visit to newly renovated St. Ignatius Loyola compared to the basement of Holy Rosary is such a contrasting image to me.

As we enter into Lent this week I am going to, among other things, keep this church of the Holy Rosary in mind and pray that their church receive the pledges and donations it needs to complete the work.

I ask you to do the same and, if possible and if you are able, to even perhaps do more?



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

Once again I am attempting to complete this blog by taking better photos of some of the churches I visited early on in this journey. Today I headed far east once more and arrived at Holy Rosary Church to once again find the main church doors locked. I called the church to see if 8am English Mass was going to happen and luckily a nice man on the other end told me it was taking place in the rectory. I wandered into the tiniest of chapels, richly decorated, with an old priest standing behind the altar, praying to himself and 3 empty pews. He looked up and asked me, "English or Spanish?" I told him English, and he proceeded saying Mass in English. When it came time for the readings he had me read them. Just me and this old Mexican priest — it was quite a special occasion. Later a young mother and her child joined us as well. After Mass, I asked about the main church and he told me it was still closed, under repairs. Even though my intention was to see the main church and photograph the interior, I am very happy I went to this quiet, intimate Mass this morning. Even though my girlfriend and I stayed out quite late last night having beers in Brooklyn, something woke me up this morning and told me to get off my butt and head to Spanish Harlem and go to this church. I will just have to come back another day if and when the main sanctuary is repaired and ever opens up again.  Afterwards, I decided to take advantage of where I was and hit two other nearby churches. I journeyed on to St. Ann Church after taking these new pictures...

54. Old St. Patrick's Cathedral (Now the Basilica of St. Patrick's Old Cathedral)

NOTE: In 2015 this church merged with the Church of the Most Precious Blood 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. There is no new combined name for this parish as both churches will continue to be known by their separate names. However, this church is now known as The Basilica of St. Patrick's Old Cathedral.

(mass times & church info last updated 03/23/2016)
Address: 263 Mulberry St. (corner of Mott and Prince)
Phone: 212.226.8075
Weekend Mass Times:
Sat: 5:30pm (English)
Sun: 9:15am (English), 10:15am (Chinese), 11:30am (Spanish), 12:45pm (English), 7pm (English)
Weekday Mass Times:
Mon-Sat: 8am (Spanish)
Mon-Fri: 12:10pm (English)
Confession: Sat: 4:30-5:15pm; Sun: 6-6:45pm
Evening Prayers/Vespers: First Sundays: 7pm followed by Mass

Links:
Official Website
Architecture Images
Wikipedia
About the Organ
New St. Patrick's
The Cathedral Becomes a Basilica

My experience this week was fantastic.

I visited this church remembering somewhere in the recesses of my mind that a scene from The Godfather had been filmed here. And as I sneaked in a little bit late (having had some issue finding the front door - it's on Mott Street, by the way, not Mulberry,) I was pleasantly surprised to hear the priest beginning his Homily by discussing that very scene.

You know the scene: the baptism scene at the end of the film, where Michael Corleone becomes the Godfather to his sister's child, renouncing Satan, all the while a series of mob hits are being carried out under his orders. It's a beautiful juxtaposition of the appearance of good and the reality of evil. The priest mentioned it in relation to the past few Gospels that highlight Satan working to fill our lives with sin.

I know the times my life has been filled with sin - which reminds me I probably need to go to confession again very soon - which also reminds me that I just read about indulgences being offered once again in the Church.

The priest's words about The Godfather were pertinent to me as I have become an uncle to a little girl who will be my Godchild. Over the next couple months before I travel back for the baptism, I need to figure out the duties one must fulfill to be a successful and faithful Godparent in this modern age - a time where religion and faith are slipping through our collective fingers and sin wages a war on us, wearing and tearing us down.

The old Cathedral of St. Patrick is a fantastic church and is decorated beautifully with stained glass and statues everywhere you turn. It seemed large yet it was also cozy and comfortable - not at all like any of my experiences at the current Cathedral. The congregation was a mix of young and old, and everyone seemed attentive and happy to be there - it was a good feeling. It was a mix of simplicity and tradition, history and faith, a classic Catholic church in the middle of SoHo.

I have finally managed to rid myself of the debt that has, for the most part, plagued me since moving to NYC over two and a half years ago. I no longer want to be part of the problem of the economic crisis, no longer wish to to partake in my generation's selfish gluttony or demand for material satisfaction. Is it possible to live simply and humbly in this city with all it's distractions, money and status worship, and pure material greed? Those things seem contagious somehow, and myself highly susceptible to all of it.

With Lent two weeks away I am planning on giving up the boozing again - but only for forty days. It was proposed that I give it up forever. Hmmm. With an indefinite amount of time before me, I have serious doubts I could do this.

Having finished getting my new apartment together I suddenly realized that I've turned my new bedroom into a kind of hermitage.

How many of us have done that, I wonder?

Finding solace in this city away from the city.

Having put up shelves and arranging everything so-so I realize it's become more a workroom than a bedroom.

Arranging my new place, going through old journals, I stumbled upon my final thoughts from Aug-7-2000, when I found myself on a road trip through various U.S. cities:

What have I discovered?
I spend a lot of money.
There are a lot of beggars.
Cities are big.
And merciless.
Souvenirs are always crappy.
Home is where and what you make of it.
I like camping.
Journals are hard to maintain.
I don't miss working.

Has anything changed?

After Mass, I wandered SoHo for awhile taking in the people and the views...

48. Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

(mass times & church info last updated 04/29/2016) 
Address: 448 E. 116th St.
Phone: 212.534.0681
Weekend Mass Times:

Sat: 5pm (English), 6:30pm (Spanish)
Sun: 8am (Spanish), 9:15am (English), 10:30am (Latin), 11:45am (Spanish), 1pm (English), 2pm (Polish)
Weekday Mass Times:
Mon-Fri: 7am, 9am (both English)
Sat: 9am (English)
Confession: upon request
Sacred Heart Devotion: First Fridays: 9am
Our Lady Devotion: First Saturdays: 9am (Mass, Novena, Benediction)
Links:

Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel
Carmelite Spirituality and the Practice of Mental Prayer
Devotions to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

What is with me lately? It's taking far too long to post my entries, and I seem to not have as much to say either (or is it not that much to complain about or to verbalize my fears and anxieties about?)

Why am I still journeying to these churches? Since dating my recent girlfriend I find myself torn these Sundays. Either continue my ramble around the city from holy house to house (alone) or attend with her, at her nearby church - a great one by the way, one I reviewed with zeal. I certainly enjoy attending with her but feel it's slightly more a social outing and less of a spiritual emotional experience - the kind I have when going to these strange new places alone. I have asked her to attend new churches with me, but she prefers her own parish week to week and doesn't quite grasp why I do what I do even though I've tried to explain it's one way I search for and discover God - through each new church, religious art, stained glass, and experience.

So today I traveled to the East Side's Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. It's a convent and a church. Not sure what I was expecting, but once I entered this church I was very happy for coming. Another beautiful church and this one seems like a secret somehow, tucked away far east on 116th.

But upon sitting down with the services beginning I began to space out (it was a Spanish service, something I typically enjoy but today just made me feel aloof.) There was quite a few people gathered in the congregation but participation in the service seemed low. Come Communion time most of the assembled did not go up, and me in my daze waited and waited and waited, expecting a point when everyone would stand up and go receive, and it never came, and I just sat (or kneeled - can't remember) and did nothing and missed out on Communion

I attended a service I could not understand, missed out on the part that brings me the most peace and joy, and did not even enjoy the "socialness" that my friends did attending their parish. All of this lead me to question why am I doing any of this? What is it proving? Is it helping me spiritually or not? Is it gaining me anything? Should it?

The financial crisis our country is now facing me plagues me as does the upcoming vote - both play constantly on my mind. We are an indebted nation full of indebted people who have bought more than we can afford with money we do not have. It is my fault as it is your fault and ultimately some kind of sin. Greed? Worse?

Things are bad.