Immaculate Conception Church (Bronx)
| The Church of the Immaculate Conception | |
|---|---|
 Immaculate Conception Church on Gun Hill Rd. | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Italianate / Neo-Romanesque |
| Town or city | Williamsbridge, Bronx, New York City, New York |
| Country | United States |
| Construction started | 1902 (first church)[1] |
| Completed | 1905 (first church)[1] 1925 (present church)[2] |
| Client | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | Masonry brick |
The Church of the Immaculate Conception is a Catholic parish church under the authority of the Archdiocese of New York. It is located at 754 Gun Hill Road, Williamsbridge, Bronx, New York City. The parish was established in 1902–1903 and is currently run by Capuchin friars.[3]
Parish history
[edit]An Immaculate Conception parish church was around in 1892 for the German community, located at 151st Street, near Third Avenue.[4] That, and other Immaculate Conceptions (on Manhattan's 14th Street and in Queens) are not connected with this parish.
In December 1902, Cardinal John Farley assigned to Fr Joseph Cirincione the task of founded Immaculate Conception for the Italians of the neighborhood.[1] In November 1903, Fr Patrick J. Lennon succeeded in the pastorate and began the work of building a church, which was contributed to by Farley, Msgr Michael J. Lavelle, and the Jesuits of St. Ignatius Church and St. Francis Xavier Church.[1] The first church structure was dedicated October 8, 1905.[1] It is situated on the corner of Maple and Briggs Avenues."[1]
The third pastor (appointed in 1906), Fr Contantino Cassaneti, was chaplain on the public work of the Croton Dam, and had the temporary chapels of St. Michael and St. Mary's erected at Peekskill Quarry, New York, on the suggestion of the contractor and builder J. J. Coleman.[1]
In 1914, "the congregation number[ed] about 1,500, and the value of the church property is estimated at $23,000."[1]
On December 23, 1923, the previous structure burned. The present Italianate - Neo-Romanesque brick twin-towered church, across Gun Hill Road from the previous church, was built in 1925, designed by architect Joseph Ziccardi.
The rectory address is 754 East Gun Hill Road, Bronx NY 10467.[5]
Priests
[edit]- Fr Joseph Cirincione (1902-1903)[1]
- Fr Patrick J. Lennon (1903-1906)[1]
- Fr Contantino Cassaneti (March 25, 1906-?)[1]
- Fr Robert Grix (1980s-1990s)[1]
- Fr John LoSasso (ca. 1996)[1]
- Fr John Aurilia
Immaculate Conception Catholic Elementary School
[edit]The parochial elementary school opened in 1950. As of 2011, it was staffed by fourteen religious sisters and lay faculty members. From 2013 to 2024, the school was operated by the Partnership for Inner-City Education, a nonprofit group assisting struggle Catholic schools. Their contract with the Archdiocese of New York ended in 2024.[6] in January 2025, the school was slated for closure.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m 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.386.
- ^ See Thomas J. Shelley, The Archdiocese of New York: the Bicentennial History, (New York: Archdiocese of New York / Strasbourg: Éditions du Signe, 2007), p.231.
- ^ Immaculate History Archived 2010-08-15 at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved 11 May 2011.
- ^ The World Almanac 1892 and Book of Facts (New York: Press Publishing, 1892), p.390.
- ^ Joe McMahon, Bronx Catholic "Immaculate Conception, Gun Hill Road, Williamsbridge", "This is an attempt to index references to The Bronx in "The Archdiocese of New York: the Bicentennial History," a marvelous 624-page book written by Thomas J. Shelley. The 2007 book may still be available at the St. Patrick Cathedral gift shop. The strength of this blog will be in the alphabetic list of labels to the right, or use the search box at top left. The blog format requires that entries move from recent to old. I continue to add photos and information." (Retrieved 11 May 2011)
- ^ "Seven inner-city independent Catholic schools in New York to revert to archdiocese". Black Catholic Messenger. June 26, 2024. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
- ^ Swanson, Emily (January 17, 2025). "Three Bronx Catholic schools to close amid financial struggles and declining enrollment – Bronx Times". www.bxtimes.com. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
External links
[edit]
- Italian-American culture in New York City
- Roman Catholic churches in the Bronx
- Italianate architecture in New York City
- Romanesque Revival church buildings in New York City
- Private middle schools in the Bronx
- 1902 establishments in New York City
- Catholic elementary schools in the Bronx
- Williamsbridge, Bronx
- 20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United States
- Italianate church buildings in the United States