(Above) St. Joseph’s in the Village.

I recently decided to check out for myself the recently reported Catholic revival downtown. First, I visited  one of the epicenters – St. Joseph in the Village  – around 2:00 in the afternoon on a weekday.  I found it padlocked. The much-publicized  perpetual adoration chapel of 2023 is accessible through the rectory. Exposition of the blessed sacrament in this chapel is  8 AM – 6 PM Monday through Friday. However, a key card is necessary to enter. That can be obtained two or three days after registering for an account  and requires the presentation of “a state ID and proof of address (no exceptions).” 1) An article on this church indicates that key cards will be given to parishioners and NYU students. 2) So, I doubt if I will ever be able to see the inside of this chapel!  (This concern for security may relate to one terrible incident some twelve years ago).

St. Joseph’s, of course is open at Mass times and for confessions. But, as the archdiocese stated at the time it sold the original NYU Catholic Chapel,  St. Joseph’s parish has taken over the role of a university chapel. I applaud the good work the Dominicans seem to be doing here. Yet attending a somewhat exclusive chapel with restricted hours and access has not really been the historic Catholic parish experience. 

(Above and below) Our Lady of Pompeii.

I headed further south to Our Lady of Pompeii. It is archdiocesan  – even if in the care of the Scalabrini fathers – and open. Our Lady of Pompeii remains a fantastic example of Italian-American architecture and decoration. It is literally crammed with images, statues and devotions. And this is how it should be! Because this church invites Catholics and non-Catholics, even outside of scheduled Masses, to stay and linger for quiet prayer, contemplation and devotion. People do go in and out of the church,  although I found only two or three remaining in the church at any one time.

(Above) Shrine to St. Frances Cabrini, who had contacts with this parish. ((Below) Window commemorating her mission to the US. In contrast to the recent movie on Cabrini’s life, the window correctly emphasizes the role of the Scalabrinian order (whose founder, Giovanni Battista Scalabrini – now also a saint – is somwehat incongruously vested in pontificals).

(Above) Some more recently canonized or beatified holy men and women are also commemorated at Our Lady of Pompeii: at top, Clelia Merloni (1861-1930) (Beatified 2018).

Years ago,  I had even looked upon Our Lady of Pompeii as a potential basis of a future Catholic revival. 3) But that apparently is not to be. The stirrings of orthodoxy one could find ten years ago in the  bulletin of Our Lady of Pompeii have disappeared  – indeed, online I cannot find a bulletin at all. The archdiocese closed the  parochial school in 2020.  As these images show, even the dominant artwork of the church -the fresco in the apse,  dating from as recently as 1985 –  has now suffered significant damage.

(Above) Immaculate Conception Church.

Heading north to East 14th St., I came to Immaculate Conception parish. Now Immaculate Conception parish has not only survived but it (or its pastor) has absorbed or taken over the direction of six or so other east Village parishes – most recently,  Most Holy Redeemer. Until not too long ago,   the neighborhood of this parish (Stuyvesant Town)  was one of the last remnants of middle-class Catholicism on the island of Manhattan. Perhaps because of this heritage – and the closing of other parishes – the statistics for collections as set forth in the parish bulletin seem respectable by the standards of New York Catholic churches. However, just as at Our Lady of Pompeii, the parochial school recently(2023)has been closed. When I visited, Immaculate Conception church was open but only a handful of worshippers was present. 

(Above) Immaculate Conception church with “Catholic” altars and statues added.

(Above) One of the fine “Protestant” windows ( this church was constructed for an affiliate of Grace Church (Episcopal). (Below) An example of the much more recent inept “art” of the archdiocese.

Thus, my initial report on the revival is mixed. Two archdiocesan parishes are impressive artistically, remain open for prayer – but unfortunately, at least on weekdays, seem to frequented by relatively few faithful and otherwise show signs of decline. In contrast, St. Joseph’s, currently under the guidance of the Dominicans,  is achieving noteworthy growth – and garnering media attention. Yet is a relatively closed, chapel-like environment really representative of Catholicism? Perhaps the solution is to head north to the parish of St. Vincent Ferrer – combining the evangelism of the Dominicans with the most beautiful church in New York!

(Above) A noteworthy feature of the exterior of the church is this water fountain – dry as long as I can remember. (Below) A quote ( Isaiah 55:1) above the fountain.

(Below) The fountain commemorates a little girl who died in 1894.

1. “Sign up to be an Adorer.” 
2. Caldwell, Zelda, “The Holy Spirit is Moving in Manhattan,” National Catholic Register (4/5/2026)
3.  The Society of St. Hugh of Cluny, The Churches of New York LXXVIII: “The Italians of Greenwich Village…”

(All accessed 4/26/2026)

“The program will display the dizzying range of music that coexisted in one place a one time.”

Cifras nuevas presents music from the 16th and 17th centuries for the duo of harp and guitar or vihuela. Widely attested to in European iconography and Latin American folkloric traditions, this combination of instruments performed music ranging from ornamented canto llano to dances of African origin. The first half of our program will feature sacred works and instrumental fantasies from the 16th century, including Luis Venegas de Henestrosa’s setting of the “Ave maris stella.” The second half will explore the preludes and dances of the 17th century, spotlighting the dual influences of Italian harmonic innovations and the rhythms of Spain’s colonial possessions.

Two parishes, in two boroughs of the same city, in two dioceses of the same Church. In a Catholic parish (and school)of the Brooklyn Diocese, a teacher and music director loses his positions becuse he has married a man. In a parish of the New York Archdiocese – the very upscale Jesuit institution of St. Ignatius Loyola – the same teacher and music director is celebrated by the pastor and a not insignificant congregation:

Murphy, Fiona, “A Catholic school teacher was fired after he married a man. Now, a church debuts his film,” National Catholic Reporter (3/29/2026)

Two parishes, two boroughs, two dioceses. And two religions?

Thanks to the NCR for the reporting.

Great News from the Lower East Side Preservation Initiative (LESPI)- the historic church of St. Mary’s has been landmarked! There had been rumors that the Archdiocese was closing it.

Wonderful news! On Tuesday, the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) Commissioners voted unanimously to designate the Church of St. Mary on Grand Street an Individual Landmark. Although public testimony was not allowed — the Commissioners heard public testimony at the March 9 public hearing — a crowd of supporters was there to witness the vote. Once the church’s landmark designation was declared final, the crowd broke out in enthusiastic applause.Constructed in 1833, St. Mary’s has served its Lower East Side congregation — first Irish immigrants, then Germans, Latinos, Asians and others — continuously for almost 200 years.

News from Lespi (4/9/2026). See also:

LItvak, Ed, “Landmarks Preservation Commission Designates Church of Saint Mary as an Individual Landmark,” The Lo-Down: News from the Lower East Side (4/7/2026)

St. Mary’s is one of the oldest Catholic parishes – and one of the oldest Catholic church buildings – in New York City. We previously described it here:

“The Churches of New York XXIV: In the Beginning,” The Society of St.Hugh of Cluny (4/26/2012)

I have just seen this article in the First Things Daily Newsletter of April 8^th, 2026:

Parks, Jillian, “Looking for the Real Catholic Church in New York City”

Jillian Parks is a “junior fellow” at First Things magazine – in other words, a recent college graduate. She describes herself as a “Reformed Protestant.” Does this mean, in the context of New York City,  a member of the Dutch Reformed Church?  Far more likely,  she is of the evangelical/charismatic persuasion. Now she has heard much about the rebirth of Catholicism among younger people in New York City and set out to test that image by attending Easter vigil services at the Church of St. Joseph in the Village.

St. Joseph’s has been in the hands of the Dominican order for a number of years and is linked to  the Catholic center at NYU.  Thus, one would expect a youthful crowd. However, this definitely is a recent development. Before the coming of the Dominicans, St. Joseph’s for decades was a test bed for all kinds of Catholic progressive experimentation: in theology, liturgy, art and sexuality.  For a description and brief history of this parish see “The Catholics of Greenwich Village – and those of NYU,” The Society of St. Hugh of Cluny (1/31/2016)

Ms. Parks is surprised to find that St. Joseph’s  interior lacks “the ornate woodwork, formidable stained-glass windows, vaulted ceilings and Baroque flourishes that I have come to expect in New York City Catholic churches.”  I would point out to her that the 1834 St. Joseph’s is a particularly old church,  built at  a time when Catholics utilized the same neoclassical style as did their Protestant neighbors. Moreover, after the Second Vatican Council this church had suffered a particularly drastic “purification” of its Victorian decoration, contributing to the current stark interior.

Now apparently the size of the congregation has been increasing. Indeed,  according to the pastor, on occasion the number of people present strains the capacity of the church – which would make St. Joseph’s rather unusual  among  New York City parishes.

Curiously, Ms. Parks states that “maybe due to a cultural distrust in journalism or a dissatisfaction with recent media coverage, nobody at the vigil wanted to speak to me about Saint Joe’s or his or her conversion experience.”  I suggest that there are very good and valid reasons to avoid talking with journalists! But Ms. Parks  says she overheard what a ”recent convert behind me” explained to his neighbor as to why he chose St. Joseph’s over Our  Lady of Pompeii church right down the street. It’s beautiful,  he said,  but it’s empty. For the situation at St. Joseph’s or at the other Dominican parish  St. Vincent Ferrer/St. Catherine of Siena is not representative of New York City parishes.

Ms. Parks did obtain an interview  at some point with Rebecca Krinzman who is described as having “received the sacraments” at St. Joseph’s in January. Although Ms. Krinzman claims to have had some acquaintance with Catholicism in Spain and,  later while at college,  attended Mass, when she came to St. Joseph’s, she entered the OCIA program. 

(Krinzman) cited the aesthetic coherence and cultural and political visibility of the Catholic Church as some of the reasons for the Gen-Z draw but pointed to its call for community and discipline as the more fundamental pull.

The claims that the Church makes and the discipline and sacrifice it requires were really what drew me in.

Other observations in this piece are more problematic.  Again, according to Ms. Krinzman, “beneath the many layers of irony and anemoia  among so-called TradCaths I believe the draw is rooted in a genuine and pure desire to recover something real that has been lost.” (“Anemoia” Is a recent made-up word indicating nostalgia for something never actually experienced (such a strange notion of nostalgia!))  As always, it is almost ritualistic for a member of a  “conservative Novus Ordo“ community to gratuitously take a swing against traditionalist Catholics, who are here indicted for dishonesty.

Ms. Parks found “the exuberant joy that takes hold of a Protestant congregation in celebration was largely missing from the vigil,  especially in its baptismal liturgy and congregational singing.  That which overemphasizes austere reverence is often drained of its vitality, and vice versa.“ Parks perhaps means the “exuberant joy “characteristic of evangelical or born-again congregations, which is not, in my experience, what necessarily prevails in mainstream Protestant denominations.  Otherwise, the four-hour plus Easter vigil liturgy seemed to her to be more of a penitential and ascetic exercise (which is indeed one aspect of it!)

What did strike her is the changing  illumination of the church, a feature inherited from Catholic tradition. As she put it:

While we journey through the mysteries of God’s work to save his beloved creation, the room was illuminated by candles representing the light of Christ that shines in his church, “a fire into many flames provided yet never dimmed by sharing of its light.” After the readings concluded the lights came on for good signifying the elucidating work of faith in our lives: faith that requires the same endurance patience and fortitude to see to its mystery as the mass requires of its attendees.

Now I don’t know what the liturgy and music at Saint Joseph’s actually are like. But I think it’s telling that, other than the above remarks, Ms. Parks says nothing at all about the music, the vestments, the ceremony, the homily or the readings . That would seem to indicate to me that the Novus Ordo service has not made a major impression on at least one otherwise sympathetic visitor.

Ms. Parks rightly points out that the fact of rising participation and conversions of younger people not just in New York City but in Europe has to be balanced against the much larger number of cradle Catholics who are ceasing to practice the faith. Thus, the future for a smaller group may be good, but the overall situation for the institution remains uncertain. 

As to the “church crawling,” the positive evaluations of St. Joseph’s made by Ms. Parks and her dialogue/eavesdropping  partners were entirely consistent with the attitudes of a very secularized American Protestantism: the charismatic qualities of the pastor,  the clarity of the preaching, the growth and size of the congregation, the “incredible”  community and the “unbelievable” support they offer. Yet the liturgy – the worship of God -was given short shrift! if  Ms. Parks will be continuing her survey of Catholicism,  I would suggest she visit Holy Innocents church in Manhattan which celebrates  the traditional mass. Or better yet,  get on Metro-North and come to Norwalk, CT. At the traditional Latin Mass at St. Mary’s,  she will experience an entirely different perspective on  the Catholic faith. 

UPDATE:

When I posted comments on JIllian Parks’ First Things report on young Catholics attending this year’s Easter Vigil I was unaware of the following articles on Manhattan churches increasingly attended by young Catholics:

Caldwell, Zelda, “The Holy Spirit is Moving in Manhattan,” National Catholic Register (4/5/2026)

Murphy, Fiona, “A viral Church ranking series is sending young Catholics to Mass in New York,” America (1/16/2026)

Indeed, Parks’s article seems like a reaction to the posts and videos of Anthony Gross, as described in the America article. He rated St. Joseph’s the “#1 Catholic Church in NY City!” And the National Catholic Register article makes some of the same points I did about the history and decoration of St. Joseph’s parish. But, seen in this context, Jillian Parks seems to have attempted a corrective to these overly enthusiastic dreams of a Catholic revival. And Parks acknowledges, both directly and by omission, the liturgical limitations of the Novus Ordo. Yes, the desire for the faith is there – but is the “establishment” Catholic Church capable of directing these feelings to the worship of God in truth? Parks seems to share the view of these commentators that Catholic Church and of the Catholic liturgy primarily offer subjective social and psychological benefits to the faithful.

To me, what is described as happening at the Masses of the New York Dominican parishes is yet another version of “reform of the reform.” Originating in the 1970’s-1980’s, this movement never acquired the necessary momentum in the Church. Pope Benedict, its main patron, was unnable to advance it at all during his papacy; Pope Francis expressly denounced both the movement and the very term. His acolytes, like Cardinal Cupich, who remain in high office, stilll do. These stirrings of the innate human desire for the worship of God, for truth and beauty are to be commended. But, without an objective foundation in truth and Tradition, such enthusiasm will share the fate of previous initiatives.

The Mass of Easter

The blessing of the font, the Baptisms and Confirmation

The blessing of the new fire and lighting the Easter Candle

Note: The captions for our posts were taken from the church program notes by John Pia.

The Resurrection from the Isenheim altar by Matthias Grünewald. (Unterlinden Museum, Colmar)

A Blessed and Happy Easter to all our members and readers!

The bier of the Body of Christ is returned to the Church as the hymn “Vexilla Regis” is sung. It is placed before the high altar, whre is is ritually washed and buried by the clergy, as the choir sings the psalms and the Lamentations of Jeremiah from the first nocturn of the Office of Matins of Holy Saturday (From the program of the service).