St. Barnabas' Church (Bronx)
| The Church of St. Barnabas | |
|---|---|
Woodlawn Heights, The Bronx, New York City | |
| Country | United States |
| Completed | 1911[1][2] |
| Client | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York |
The Church of St. Barnabas is a
Buildings
The church building was built 1911. The Italianate church was dedicated by Cardinal John M. Farley, the Archbishop of New York, in November 1911.[1] When opened, it accommodated 700 people.[1][2] A temporary school was opened in 1911, with 200 students, staffed by seven Sisters of Charity of New York.[1] Opposite the church, a convent for the Sisters was opened in January 1913 at a cost of $8,000 (which in 1914 still had a debt of $5,500).[1] Prior to that, the Sisters had to travel daily from their motherhouse in Riverdale. In 1914, the parish numbered around 1,000, and the property was valued at $100,000, with a debt of $59,500.[1]
The chapel and high school, which opened in 1924, were rebuilt during the pastorship of Msgr. George McWeeney (1947–1965).[3] During the 1980s, up to 22 Masses were celebrated in the parish each week.[3] The rectory, parish center and high school chapel were renovated during the pastorate of Msgr. Timothy S. Collins (1986–1994).[3]
Music
The church has had at least four organs over its 100-year history. The first was installed by the
Parish Schools
St. Barnabas Elementary School, founded in 1911, is located at 413 East 241st Street, Bronx, New York, 10470. The school offers grades from pre-kindergarten (pre-K) to 8th grade. Jonathan Morano has served as Principal since 2015 and Stephen Marositz has served as Vice Principal since 2018.[5]
During the 1980s, there were more than 1500 students enrolled in the parish elementary school and 800 enrolled in the high school.[3] The high school has since been independent from the parish as of September 2015.[7]
Pastors
- 1910-1947: Msgr. Michael A. Reilly (1873–1947), the first pastor was the New York City-born Rev. Reilly, who graduated from St. Peter's Church (Poughkeepsie, New York) until being transferred to the New York Apostolate in 1902 where he remained until 1910, when he founded St. Barnabas. Under his pastorship, he built the church, the schools, the convent, and the rectory, and the parish became one of the largest in the Archdiocese.[3] Consequently, he was elevated to the position of monsignor and died in 1947.[3]
- 1947-1965: Msgr. George McWeeney, erected the new high school building and chapel were erected.[3]
- 1965-1986: Msgr. John J. Considine[3]
- 1986-1994: Msgr. Timothy S. Collins, transferred to become pastor of Our Lady of the Rosary Church, Manhattan (The Mother Seton Shrine).[3]
- 1994-2003: Msgr. Francis X. Toner, reorganized parish services and served until his death.[3]
- 2003–2015: Msgr. Edward M. Barry[3]
- 2015–Present: Father Brendan Fitzgerald
References
- ^ a b c d e f g 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 Together with some Supplementary Articles on Religious Communities of Women.. (New York City: The Catholic Editing Company, 1914), p.384.
- ^ a b c d e f g NYC Organ Website (Accessed 16 February 2011)
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Official Church Website Parish History (Accessed 16 February 2011)
- ^ See Thomas J. Shelley, The Archdiocese of New York: the Bicentennial History, (New York City: Archdiocese of New York, 2007)
- ^ "St. Barnabas Elementary". Retrieved 2011-02-16.
- ^ "St. Barnabas High School". Retrieved 2011-02-16.
- ^ DosSantos, Juliann (April 30, 2015). "St. Barnabas High School to Become Independent". Catholic New York. New York. p. 12. Retrieved 2016-06-19.