The End of the Churches: Down Memory Lane

A. OUR LADY OF VILNA

Recently, in writing an obituary for Fr. Nicholas Gregoris, Fr. Peter Stravinskas recalled:

On September 27, 1987, as I was vesting for the Sunday evening Latin Mass at Our Lady of Vilna Church downtown, a young fellow approached me, cassock and surplice slung over his arm, and asked, “Father, may I serve?” “It’s a Latin Mass,” I replied. “That’s why I’m here,” came the cheeky response. 1)

That “Latin Mass” of course was the Novus Ordo. For it was at Our Lady of Vilna that the “Latin Mass” – in this form – reappeared in New York City. Later, the parish was closed and the church demolished. We have covered these developments on this blog. 2)

“570 Broome” was built on the site of the church in 2016:

570 Broome is a collection of fifty-four contemporary residences located at 570 Broome Street, New York, NY 10013. Inspired by the history and style of West SoHo, these residences offer a modern and stylish living experience. 

Asking prices for residences on the market range from $1.5M to $2.4M. 3)

B. OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP (MANHATTAN)

The parish of our Lady of Perpetual Help was originally Czech and in the care of the Redemptorists. As a former parisioner recalled:

 Being Roman Catholic, Ed Chlanda’s family attended a different house of worship in the area. “The Jan Hus Church is a Presbyterian church and many Czechs went here as their church. The other church would be Our Lady of Perpetual Help, down on 61st St., which has now been demolished. That was a Catholic church.

Were you family regular attendees at the Catholic Church?

“Yes, my mom attended the Catholic Church. My dad was not such a church-goer. “I was baptised at our Lady of Perpetual Help and continued going to Catholic churches as a teen.”

Were the services conducted in Czech?

“Some were. Later on in the ‘50s they weren’t, but some were at that time, yes.” 4)

By the time I got around to writing about this parish in 2010 the church had already been demolished (after 1998). (The site of the church was eventually sold for a reported $21M.)The rectory had been repurposed as a home for retired Redemptorist priests. 5) The rectory was demolished some years later. A complex of modern buildings were erected in 2017 (on the site of the church) and 2020 (on the site of the rectory) and all leased or purchased by the Sloane Kettering Cancer Center. (Only hospitals and universities can compete with developers of luxury condominiums for Manhattan real estate on which Catholic churches, schools, rectories and convents once stood.) 6)

C. ST. JOHN THE MARTYR (250 East 72nd Street)

When we last visited the vicinity in 2014, St. John the Martyr parish was still fearfully hanging on. Affiliated with the parish were two town houses on East 71st Street – one the rectory, the other a convent of the Sisters of Life. 7) As I anticipated, all were subsequently sold and demolished. Now the developer has acquired additional properties and demolished the structures on them. A luxury high rise is in the works. Coincidentally, the (formerly Catholic) college of Marymount Manhattan announced this year that it is merging with ( I suspect “being acquired by” might be more accurate) Northeastern University of Boston.

1. Stravinskas, Fr. Peter, “Reverend Nicholas L. Gregoris, Requiescat in Pace,” Catholic World Report ( 8/27/2024) (accessed 9/15/2024).
2. The Society of St. Hugh of Cluny, “Our Lady of Vilna RIP” (7/23/2015); “The Churches of New York XXV: Losses, Part II (With a Commemoration of the Restoration of Liturgical Latin in New York)” (5/7/2012).
3. Highline Residential LLC, 570 Broome: 570 Broome Street Condominium in Hudson Square, Manhattan (accessed 9/15/2024)
4. Radio Prague International, “Old Czech New York – a Guided Tour” (3/30/2019) (accessed 9/15/2024)
5. The Society of St. Hugh of Cluny, “The Churches of New York III: Losses” (9/22/2010)
6. Young, Michael, “323 East 61st Street Nears Topping Out On The Upper East Side,“ New York YIMBY(2/2/20220) (accessed 9/15/2024); Bockmann, Rich, “Sloan Kettering pays $185M for UES medical center” The Real Deal((9/13/2022) (accessed 9/15/2024)
7. The Society of St. Hugh of Cluny, “The Churches of New York LIX: The Two Churches of St. John I” (7/4/2014); Young, Michael and Pruznick, Matt, “New Rendering Revealed For 252-260 East 72nd Street On Manhattan’s Upper East Side,” New York YIMBY (11/17/2023) (accessed 9/15/2024)Moody, Josh, “Northeastern Expands With Marymount Manhattan Merger,” Inside Higher Ed (5/30/2024) (accessed 9/15/2024)