St. Aloysius Catholic Church (New York City)

Contents

The St. Aloysius Catholic Church[1] is a Catholic parish in the Archdiocese of New York, located at 209-217 West 132nd Street between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard and Frederick Douglass Boulevard in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City.

It was built in 1902-04 and was designed by William W. Renwick – the nephew of James Renwick Jr. – in the Italian Gothic Revival style.[2] It has been called a "little-known treasure".[3] The church was designated a New York City Landmark on January 30, 2007.[4]

History and description

The St. Aloysius congregation was established in 1899 and has been staffed by the Jesuit Fathers, of which Saint Aloysius Gonzaga was himself a member.[5] The congregation was originally primarily German, Irish and Italian immigrants and their families.[2] The current congregation is primarily African American, and gospel music is utilized in the services.[3] The congressman Charles Rangel was an altar boy and lifelong member.[6]

The brick church designed by Renwick has an "usually intricate facade, with colorful bands of red brick, celadon glazed bricks and polychrome terra cotta,"[2] creating "an evocative and delicate facade."[7] Sculpted reliefs on the depict Christ, the Holy Family and two angels.[2] The overall design compares favorably to Renwick's All Saints Church on East 129th Street,[3] and may have been inspired by Renwick's travels in Italy before joining his uncle's firm.[7]

References

  1. 1.This is the name of the church according to the information board attached to the building
  2. 2.[2.2][2.3][2.4]New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission; Dolkart, Andrew S.; Postal, Matthew A. (2009). Postal, Matthew A. (ed.). Guide to New York City Landmarks (4th ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons. p. 203. ISBN 978-0-470-28963-1.
  3. 3.[3.2][3.3]Dunlap, David W. (2004). From Abyssinian to Zion: A Guide to Manhattan's Houses of Worship. New York: Columbia University Press. p. 188. ISBN 0-231-12543-7.
  4. 4.Shockley, Jay."St. Aloysius Roman Catholic Church Designation Report" New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (January 30, 2007)
  5. 5.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.310.
  6. 6.Rangel, Charles B. (2008-08-05). And I Haven't Had a Bad Day Since: From the Streets of Harlem to the Halls of Congress. Macmillan. p. 28. ISBN 978-0-312-38213-1.
  7. 7.[7.2]White, Norval; Willensky, Elliot; Leadon, Fran (2010). AIA Guide to New York City (5th ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. p. 540. ISBN 978-0-19538-386-7.