Church of Notre Dame (New York City) facts for kids

Church of Notre Dame and Rectory
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Facade of the Church of Notre Dame
Location in New York City Show map of New York City Location in New York Show map of New York Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	405 W. 114th St. and 40 Morningside Drive, New York, New York
Built	1909
Architect	Daus & Otto; Cross & Cross
Architectural style	French Neo-classical
Website	Church of Notre Dame, New York
NRHP reference No.	80002678
Quick facts for kids Significant dates
Added to NRHP	May 6, 1980

The Church of Notre Dame is a Roman Catholic church in New York City. It's located in the Morningside Heights area of Manhattan. The church building is at 40 Morningside Drive. The rectory (where the priests live) is nearby at 405 West 114th Street. In 2022, this church joined with another nearby church called Corpus Christi.

History of Notre Dame Church

The Church of Notre Dame was started in 1910 by a group of French priests called the Fathers of Mercy. It began as a small mission connected to the St. Vincent de Paul Parish. A woman named Geraldyn Redmond gave money to the Fathers of Mercy. She asked them to build a chapel to honor Our Lady of Lourdes.

Early Leaders and Lourdes Connection

The first leader of the church was the Rev. Maurice Reynauld. In 1913, he connected Notre Dame Church with the famous Sanctuary of Our Lady in Lourdes, France. This meant that people praying at Notre Dame in New York City could receive the same spiritual benefits as those at Lourdes.

From the very beginning, a special agreement was made. Water from the famous spring in Lourdes, France, would be sent directly to the Church of Notre Dame. This special "Lourdes water" has been available at the church ever since.

Building the Church

The first part of the church, the sanctuary, was finished in 1910. It was designed by architects Daus and Otto. Later, the architects Cross & Cross designed the main part of the church (the nave), the front (facade), and the rectory. These parts were completed in 1914.

There were plans for a large dome on top of the church, but it was never built. The church's expansion continued bit by bit for about 50 years until it was fully completed.

Dedication and Growth

The small chapel was officially opened on October 2, 1910, by Archbishop John Farley. When the church was made larger, Cardinal Farley dedicated the new, bigger building on February 11, 1915. This date is important because it's the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes.

Notre Dame became its own independent church in 1919. It grew from a small chapel into the large church you see today during the late 1920s and early 1930s. For many years, it was a special place for the French community in New York. Important French church leaders, like Cardinal Charost and Bishop Alfred Baudrillart, visited the church in the 1920s.

Community Involvement

In 1936, a group of church members called the Notre Dame Study Club made history. They were the first Catholic group of their kind to ask every Catholic church to help support social justice for Black people.

In 1960, the responsibility for Notre Dame Church was passed from the Fathers of Mercy to the main Catholic organization in New York, the Archdiocese of New York.

Becoming a Landmark

In January 1967, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission officially named the Church and Rectory of Notre Dame as important city landmarks. This means they are protected because of their historical and architectural value. The buildings were also added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 6, 1980.

In 1988, some church members had a disagreement about changing the altar inside the church. They wanted to prevent the altar from being moved.

Notre Dame Today

Over the years, the church community has become very diverse. While it started with many French members, today Notre Dame is home to people from many different backgrounds. This includes people of Irish, German, Italian, Black, Hispanic, and Filipino descent. The church community is just as diverse as the neighborhood around it.

Leadership and Ministries

In 2003, the Archdiocese of New York asked a group of priests called the Dominican Order (from Poland) to take care of Notre Dame Parish. They managed the church and its activities until the fall of 2011, when control returned to the archdiocese.

Since 1988, the Catholic Campus Ministry for Columbia University students has been part of Notre Dame's mission. The church also helps people at St. Luke's Hospital and the nearby Amsterdam Nursing Home.

The church is also home to Columbia's Thomas Merton Institute for Catholic Life, which opened in 2023.