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Church of St. Simon Stock – St. Joseph

The Church of St. Simon Stock – St. Joseph is a Roman Catholic parish church under the authority of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, located at 2191 Valentine Avenue, Bronx, New York City. It was established in 1919 and has been continuously staffed by the Carmelite Fathers since its founding.

The Church of St. Simon Stock – St. Joseph
Photographed in 2010
Map
General information
Town or cityBronx, New York City
CountryUnited States of America
ClientRoman Catholic Archdiocese of New York

History

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The parish of St. Simon Stock was founded by the Irish Carmelites of Our Lady of Scapular Mount Carmel in lower Manhattan. The first Mass was offered in a two-story frame house at "Carmel Hill", at 182nd Street and Valentine Avenue, on Palm Sunday, March 28, 1920.[1]

Construction began on the church in 1921, but was interrupted by the need to build a school. On occasion, sermons were given in Irish Gaelic.[2]

Pastors

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  • Fr. William G. O’Farrell, 1920 – 1925
  • Fr. Elias Vella, 1925 – 1926
  • Fr. Louis Gerhard, 1926 – 1929
  • Fr. Dionysius Flanagan, 1929 – 1931
  • Fr. Patrick Russell, 1931 – 1933
  • Fr. Elias Holland, 1933 (10 months)
  • Fr. Mel Daly, 1933 – 1961
  • Fr. Gerard McCarthy, 1961 – 1968
  • Fr. John Parsons, 1968 – 1973
  • Fr. Martin Miller, 1974 – 1979
  • Fr. Vincent Ciorciari, 1980 – 1981
  • Fr. James Goulding, 1982 – 1983
  • Fr. Patrick McGuigan, 1983 – 1988
  • Fr. Mike Kissane, 1988 – 1992
  • Fr. Ruben Rodriguez, 1992 – 1998
  • Fr. Mike Kissane, 1998 – 2003
  • Fr. Nelson Belizario, 2003 – Current
 
General information
Town or cityBronx, New York City
CountryUnited States of America
ClientRoman Catholic Archdiocese of New York

St. Joseph's Church

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The Church of St. Joseph was a Roman Catholic parish church in the Upper Morrisania neighborhood under the authority of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, located at 1949 Bathgate Avenue, Bronx, New York City. The parish was established in 1873.

History

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St. Joseph's Parish was founded in 1873 by Archbishop John McCloskey to serve the German Catholics in the Tremont area of the Bronx. The original church, dedicated in 1874 fronted Washington Avenue near 177th Street. The first resident pastor was the Rev. Joseph M. Sorg.[3]

A new church building was begun in October 1898. Located near the original building, it faced Bathgate Avenue.[4]

As of 2015, out of repair, the church had been closed[5] and the congregation merged with the Church of St. Simon Stock about 3/4 of a mile away.[6] St. Joseph's church building was desacralized by a decree effective November 30, 2017.[7]

Architecture

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The neo-Gothic church was built of white stone quarried from the lot, and faced with polished granite on the front and rear ends. When built, the church provided seating for about 1,500 persons.

School

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St. Joseph's Catholic School closed in 2019.[8]

References

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  1. ^ "Parish History", St. Simon Stock – St. Joseph Parish
  2. ^ Almeida, Linda Dowling. Irish Immigrants in New York City, 1945-1995, Indiana University Press, 2001, 9780253108531, p. 181 n.43
  3. ^ Remigius Lafort, S.T.D., Censor, The Catholic Church in the United States of America: Undertaken to Celebrate the Golden Jubilee of His Holiness, Pope Pius X. Volume 3: The Province of Baltimore and the Province of New York, Section 1: Comprising the Archdiocese of New York and the Diocese of Brooklyn, Buffalo and Ogdensburg.. (New York City: The Catholic Editing Company, 1914), p.387.  This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  4. ^ "St. Joseph Catholic Church", NYC AGO
  5. ^ Andy Newman (May 8, 2015). "New York Archdiocese Will Close 7 More Churches". The New York Times. Retrieved September 26, 2015. The decisions are set to take effect on Aug. 1.
  6. ^ David Gonzalez (September 25, 2015). "In the Bronx, 'Poor Church' Is More Than a Papal Phrase". The New York Times. Retrieved September 26, 2015. ...St. Joseph's attendance had dwindled, and its walls and ceiling were crumbling from a leaky roof. Repairs would cost at least $5 million, impossible for a poor parish like St. Joseph's....
  7. ^ Timothy Cardinal Dolan. "Decree on the Relegation of the Church of Saint Joseph, South Bronx, New York", Archdiocese of New York, November 30, 2017
  8. ^ Annese, Paul (2019-02-06). "5 NYC Catholic schools set to close at end of school year in June". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
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40°51′17.97″N 73°53′57.23″W / 40.8549917°N 73.8992306°W / 40.8549917; -73.8992306

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