News from the Parish of St. Monica on East 79th Street

From the post on the great site Ephemeral New York

St. Monica’s – my old parish in 1982-83, and now, after Making all Things New “The parish of St. Monica, St. Elizabeth of Hungary and St. Stephen of Hungary.” As you can see below, a section of old tenement buildings on the corner has been torn down, exposing the brick side of the church to view for the first time in ages.

I have to differ from the erudite author of Ephemeral New York in one respect, though. St. Monica’s, like many other Manhattan churches, was meant to be viewed only from the front. Like many others, only the facade of St. Monica’s is finished in stone. The church was thus intended from the beginning to be a part of streetscape over which it presided but did not overpower or crush.

Thus, the current appearance of the church is anomalous. But what may come is far worse. For it could well be that a gigantic high rise may be built on the now empty lot. The neighood is already up in arms about that possibility. If such a bulding is erected, it would dominate and overpower the immediate neighborhood – including St Monica’s. Depending on what is built, it might also cast into permanent darkness the wonderful windows of St Monica’s on the west side of the nave – and perhaps some of those of the apse as well?

Our 2011 article on this parish.

(Below) St Elizabeth of Hungary- one of the splendid windows of St Monica’s church. St. Monica’s has some of the most beautiful decoration and furnishings of any Manhattan Catholic parish.

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