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)

Below is a listing of churches in the area that offer Traditional Masses on First Friday and First Saturday. Please let us know about other churches to add to this schedule.

First Friday, September 6

St. Mary Church, Norwalk, CT, 8 am and 12:10 pm; Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 9 am -11:15; 1-8 pm

Sacred Heart Oratory, Georgetown, CT, 8:30 am; Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 9 am to 9 pm.

Sts. Cyrl and Methodius Oratory, Bridgeport, CT, 7:45 am

St. Patrick Oratory, Waterbury, CT, 6 pm. Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament at 5pm, Benediction at 5:45pm.

St. Martha Church, Enfield, CT, 7 pm

Holy Innocents Church, New York, NY, 6 pm

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, New York, NY, 7 am, 7:45 am; Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament 9:30 am to 6 pm

St. Josaphat, Bayside, Queens, NY, 7 am.

Corpus Christi Church, South River, NJ, 7 pm low Mass at St. Mark’s location. At Corpus Christi Church location: Confession 6 pm, Benediction 6:45 pm.

Oratory of Saint Anthony of Padua, West Orange NJ. 9:00AM

St. John the Baptist, Allentown, NJ, 8 am, 9 pm followed by adoration of Blessed Sacrament and Confessions; at midnight a low Mass will be offered in reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Mt Carmel, Lyndhurst, NJ, 1^st Friday Missa Cantata – Votive Mass of the Sacred Heart at 7pm.

First Saturday, September 7

St. Mary Church, Greenwich, CT, 8 am followed by the Holy Rosary, in downstairs chapel, entrance to left of the church.

Sacred Heart Oratory, Georgetown, CT, 8:30 am

Sts. Cyrl and Methodius Oratory, Bridgeport, CT, 8:30 am Votive Mass of the Immaculate Heart followed by Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Holy Rosary, 15 minutes of silent Adoration concluding with Benediction

St. Patrick Oratory, Waterbury, CT, 8 am. After Holy Mass, exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Holy Rosary & Benediction

St. Martha Church, Enfield, CT, 9 am

Holy Innocents Church, New York, NY, 1 pm followed by First Saturday devotions.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, New York, NY, 7:45 AM and  9:00 AM Masses; 10:00 AM Adoration, Rosary and Confessions,  12 Noon Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament

St. Margaret of Cortona, Riverdale, Bronx, NY, 12 pm

St. Josaphat, Bayside, Queens, NY,, 6:45 am Benediction; 7 am Mass; followed by an hour of reparation.

St. Paul the Apostle, Yonkers, NY, 12 noon

Shrine Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, Raritan, NJ, 8:30 am Holy Rosary; 9 am Low Mass.

Oratory of Saint Anthony of  Padua, West Orange, NJ  8:00AM

Corpus Christi Church, South River, NJ, First Saturday devotions at 11 am; low Mass at 12 noon. Convivium following Mass.

St. John the Baptist, Allentown, NJ, 12 midnight (from Friday to Saturday) low Mass offered in reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Parishioners at Most Precious Blood, a 120-year-old Church in Little Italy that is at the heart of the annual San Gennaro festival each September, were told they were going to be assigned a pastor that they will share with an East Village parish. The move comes after Cardinal Dolan rescinded its ten year merger with the Basilica of Old St. Patrick Cathedral on Jan. 1.

Parishioners of Most Precious Blood…. were told on Jan 14 that the church is not for sale presently and that a pastor from a church in the East Village will now jointly administer both parishes. ”The building is not for sale,” Joseph Zwilling, a spokesman for the Archdiocese said of the building on 113 Baxter St. which also has a door onto Mulberry St. 1)

Cardinal Dolan’s decree only mentions as supporting reasons an “evaluation” and the fact that Most Precious Blood and Old St. Patrick’s are “too different” to continue the merger. 2)

Most Precious Blood church is a veritable treasury of Italian statues and devotions. Indeed, recently new ones from other closed parishes have been added. The church has also been important to the New York Vietnamese community. The St. Hugh of Cluny Society has sponsored several masses there – in connection with the San Gennaro festival and otherwise. 3) We hope this historic church continues in existence and remains accessible – also outside festival times.

1. Kelly, Keith J., “Fate Still Up in Air: Historic Little Italy Church Will Share Pastor with E. Village Church,” Our Town Downtown(1/23/2024) (accessed 8/31/2024
2. “Decree rescinding the Decree of Merger of the Territorial Parish of Saint Patrick Old Cathedral and the Personal Parish of Most Precious Blood, New York” (1/1/2024) (accessed 8/31/2024)
3. E.g., The Society of St. Hugh of Cluny, “Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows at Most Precious Blood Church” ( 9/16/2018).

Here is the schedule for September 2024 TLMs at the Shrine Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament. Flyers below.

• SAT 9/7 – 9am – First Saturday
• MON 9/9 – 7pm – Pontifical Requiem, Purgatorial Society
• WED 9/11 – 7pm – Blessed Maria de Micheli
• SAT 9/14 – 9am – Exaltation of the Holy Cross
• THU 9/19 – 7pm – Feast of San Gennaro w/Procession
• TUE 9/24 – Our Lady of La Salette (Votive) 

Additionally, a Sung TLM is celebrated every Sunday at 10:30am.Shrine Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament50 W. Somerset Street, Raritan, NJ More info: BlessedSacramentShrine.com

Dimes Square is back in the news! This emerging outpost of bohemianism – yet with a traditionalist Catholic  flavor –  is the subject of a recent article in The Christian Science Monitor. 1) “Dimes Square” is a downtown area bordering Chinatown and the Lower East Side. The author of this piece, Leonardo Bevilacqua, describes this scene and some of its main personalities:

The Dimes Square scene began to include a number of artists with more conservative and religious visions. Writers, filmmakers, and fashion designers have been dabbling in pre-Vatican II Catholicism. They play the church organ rather than DJ at nightclubs. Instead of free love and polyamory, they espouse commitment and monogamy. And the flip phone is a favorite accessory – a statement against the herd and its iPhones. 2)

The nonconformists of Dimes Square are distancing themselves not just from the “establishment” but from the “official” counterculture, symbolized by “Brooklyn”: 

“I certainly don’t need to tell you that this place is also, emphatically, not in Brooklyn,” wrote the leftist Substack blogger Mike Crumplar in 2022, with a bit of snark. “You already know how Brooklyn is too political, too woke, too soft, too soy, too consumed by cancel culture…. 3)

And one focus of this movement is the traditional Mass:

“Leftists see greatness, and they see beauty, and they’re threatened by it, and they want to destroy it,” says Salomé, who says the Tridentine Mass is “the greatest work of art” for its superior musical composition. 4)

But is this link between “bohemianism” and Catholic tradition all that strange? Hadn’t Joris-Karl Huysmans established the connection as long ago as the 1880’s? A link that was maintained by a long succession of writers and thinkers in France and elsewhere.  

Inevitably, the renewed interest in Catholicism among the downtown bohemians is decidedly for traditional Catholicism. For is not the present Catholic Church establishment itself the incarnation of “bourgeois” conformism and philistinism? Didn’t Pier Paolo Pasolini, whose countercultural and anti-establishment credentials are impeccable, describe the mission of the Catholic Church, confronted (and subjugated)by the “modern world” and its ideology, in the following stark terms? 

Maybe the end of the Church has already been sealed by the “treason” of millions and millions of the faithful (particularly the peasants who have converted to secularism and consumerist hedonism). Maybe the end has been sealed by the “decision” of the rulers who are meanwhile certain of getting in their clutches the ex-believers – given the affluent conditions and an ideology that has been imposed on the masses. An ideology, moreover, that does not even feel it to be necessary any more to act as such. That may be. But one thing is sure: the Church has certainly committed many awful mistakes in the long history of its regime, but she would commit the worst of all if she passively stood by while she was liquidated by a power that mocks the Gospel. In the context of a radical, possibly utopian or – here one really has to say it- eschatological perspective, it’s clear what the Church has to do to avoid an inglorious end. She has to go into opposition. 5)

Now Salomé, quoted above in the Christian Science Monitor article, plays the organ at Most Holy Redeemer Church, the grand building that until 2019 was the center of the Redemptorist Order in New York City.  The Society of St. Hugh of Cluny was instrumental in returning Catholic tradition to Most Holy Redeemer after many decades. Such as by sponsoring Solemn vespers with Bishop Athanasius Schneider in 2013. Or subsequently,  Solemn Masses on St. Nicholas’s feast day (2019) (with a visit from Krampus!) and Epiphany (2020) 6)

I wrote the following in 2023 on the occasion of a splendid concert of the music of William Byrd:

Since 2011 we at St. Hugh of Cluny have often covered events at the grand Church of Most Holy Redeemer, formerly Redemptorist, formerly German. Indeed, this Society has sponsored some of them. Today a young priest of the archdiocese leads this parish in the midst of what some might consider one of the city’s more inhospitable surroundings – half party land, half “underprivileged” neighborhood. Yet, under Fr. Sean Connolly, the church looks better than ever before, and the parish is sponsoring an ambitious program of musical performances. 7)

For within the limits of Traditionis Custodes, Most Holy Redeemer parish after 2020 celebrated the TLM on a regular basis. A brief search of this site will demonstrate that.  And repairs were made on the building itself after decades of neglect – most recently the tower was restored. The tower now has a functioning clock, carillon and lights (the color of which can be changed for the liturgical season). 8) Thus, this parish had entered a period of restoration – in the liturgy, in the restored splendor of the building, in the attention paid to musical excellence. 

Now the young pastor of Most Holy Redeemer has been transferred to bigger, if not better, things in the Bronx.  The pastor of Immaculate Conception parish has been appointed the administrator of Most Holy Redeemer and St. Brigid. He is also now the administrator of Most Precious Blood shrine/church in Little Italy. And this territory includes that of three other parishes that have been completely erased since 2010: St. Emeric, Nativity and Mary Help of Christians. That is a lot to cover! 9)

Will the renewed stirrings of the traditional faith at Most Holy Redeemer and ”Dimes Square” continue to develop? Some are wondering:

However, it’s unclear whether (the pastor of Immaculate Conception – SC)will continue traditional Latin Masses at Holy Redeemer…  10)

But I certainly hope and believe the religious and cultural momentum can be sustained. After all, shouldn’t an essential characteristic of tradition be its independence from the personalities of those who preserve and celebrate it?  In the recent past, moreover, the St. Hugh of Cluny Society has also repeatedly sponsored traditional masses at Immaculate Conception parish (and at Most Precious Blood as well). 11)  As in the past, the St. Hugh of Cluny Society is ready to offer whatever help we can give. 

(Above and below) the interior of Most Holy Redeemer church one recent afternoon. (Photo 8/22/2024). Surrounding the church are still, for the time being at least, the buildings of the former Redemptorist center.

1. Bevilacqua, Leonardo, “Rebels with a religious cause: Meet New York’s avant-garde conservatives,” The Christian Science Monitor ( 6/24/2024) (accessed 8/27/2024). I have to confess I had no idea The Christian Science Monitor was still in existence – if nowadays primarily online.
2. Id.
3. Id. 
4. Id.
5. Quoted in Lorenzer, Alfred, Das Konzil der Buchhalter at 180 (Europäische Verlagsanstalt, Frankfurt am Main, 1981). Lorenzer’s work is a vehement attack on the liturgy and culture of the Second Vatican Council from a non-religious perspective. See my review “The Council of the Bookkeepers”(1/26/2017)
6.  The Society of St. Hugh Of Cluny,   Vespers at the Church of the Most Holy Redeemer, New York (1/13/2013); Solemn Mass of St Nicholas at Most Holy Redeemer Church,  (12/6/2019);  Epiphany Solemn Mass at Most Holy Redeemer Church (1/7/2020).
7.  The Society of St. Hugh of Cluny,  Byrd Fest,  (9/17/2023)
8.  Joy, Stacie, “Purple reign: Marking Holy Week at Most Holy Redeemer, ” East Village Grieve (3/24/2024) (accessed 8/29/2024) (with links to earlier posts describing and illustrating the restoration process)
9.  Joy, Stacie, “Father Seán is leaving the East Village,” East Village Grieve(6/17/2024) (accesssed 8/29/2024)
10. Reinholz, Mary, “Rev. Sean Connolly’s transfer from Most Holy Redeemer leaves ‘a void,’” The Village Sun (8/5/2024) ( This piece, while enthusiastic, contains a number of factual errors) (accessed 8/29/2024)
11. E.g., The Society of St. Hugh of Cluny,  “High Mass at the new Chapel of Immaculate Conception parish,”  (2/1/2015)

Here is a note from, Fr. Sean Connolly, the new pastor of St. Margaret of Cortona, Bronx:

The Low Latin Mass at St. Margaret’s on the first Sunday of each month at 3:00 p.m. is discontinued. We will be offering instead, a Sung Latin Mass at 12 noon in honor of the Immaculate Heart of Mary every First Saturday of the month. I hope many of you join us each month for this Mass, which is meant to help as many souls as possible fulfill the request of the Mother of God given at Fatima:

In reparation for the blasphemies committed against the Immaculate Heart, we are to do the following on the First Saturday of 5 consecutive months:

-Go to Confession
-Receive Holy Communion
-Recite 5 decades of the Rosary
-Meditate for 15 minutes on the mysteries of the Rosary

The first, First Saturday Mass in honor of the Immaculate Heart is this Saturday 7th September. Recitation of the Rosary at 11:30 a.m. The Sung Mass follows at 12 noon.

By Jill Chessman

If one is travelling in the Wisconsin area, it is worth it to visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse. The shrine project was conceived by Raymond Cardinal Burke, while he was Bishop of La Crosse in the 1990s. Beginning with the ground breaking in 2001, Cardinal Burke oversaw its design and construction, which took place in the course of about a decade. Duncan Stroik is the architect.

It’s clear that the great Catholic basilicas of Rome are the inspiration behind the architectural form of the shrine. It is in fact remarkable and gratifying to look upon so beautiful a Catholic church built entirely in the 21st century.

The shrine interior, above, could be modeled after any number of Roman churches of the baroque period, with its central dome, arched ceiling, and symmetrical architraves and pilasters. Compare it to Sant’ Andrea della Valle, below.

In this view of the shrine’s nave, we see the attention to detail in the plaster work, gilding, and beautiful golden color palette, with no expenses spared.

The shrine’s baldacchino, above, directly imitates the baldacchino of Santa Maria Maggiore, below.

The stark front facade of the shrine does not come off nearly so well as the interior. But perhaps a baroque inspired facade will be added at a later time. We can think of beautiful simple American examples that might show the way, like the facade of Visitation Convent in Brooklyn (below), whose story we covered a few weeks ago (it has just been closed!).

Many of the side altars of the shrine are devoted to the recently canonized and beatified, such as St. Gianna Molla (above) and Blessed Miguel Pro (below). One can spot references to the Guadalupe story in some of the original paintings that grace these altars. The Madonna who looks down upon St. Gianna, for example, is dressed as Our Lady of Guadalupe. Behind Blessed Miguel at his martyrdom, we see him celebrating Mass, with an image of the Guadalupe tilma on his back.

In this painting of the 13th century St. Peregrine, an anachronistic stained glass window shows Our Lady of Guadalupe curing Juan Diego’s uncle. The theme of healing ties the featured saint to the Guadalupe story. (These three paintings are by Neilson Carlin)

The lush grounds are meant to be an important part of the pilgrimage. One must park a half mile distance from the shrine and walk up a hill that is punctuated with wayside statues. (An alternative is to ride up in a golf cart driven by a shrine volunteer.)

This Holy Family group tells the story of the shrine’s founding. The donors of the land for the shrine, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Swing, are shown kneeling while Cardinal Burke stands behind them.

On the outdoor Rosary walk, one spies another reference to the shrine. Our Lady and the Apostles receive the gift of the Holy Spirit within the shrine itself.

A group of students from the University of Wisconsin prayed the Rosary at the memorial to the unborn. The memorial provides a resting place for babies lost in misacrriage (below).

A separate chapel houses this tall tower of votive candles.

A visit to the shrine is a rewarding experience. One’s spiritual needs are met by a group of dedicated Norbertine priests who say Mass and hear confessions. Priests from a nearby oratory of the Institute of Christ the King also serve at the shrine. While most Masses on the schedule are Novus Ordo, a Traditional Mass is offered every Sunday. All Masses are said ad orientem and pilgrims are asked to receive Communion kneeling and on the tongue. At the Mass I attended, an a capella choir sang Gregorian chant. A spirit of silence and prayer prevaded in the shrine church and on the grounds. I was told that there are plans to build a retreat center, which will include overnight accommodations and will be staffed by religious sisters.