Church of the Transfiguration, Roman Catholic (Manhattan) facts for kids
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Church of the Transfiguration
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Church of the Transfiguration, formerly Zion Protestant Episcopal Church
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| Location | 25 Mott St. Manhattan, New York City |
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| Built | 1801 (rebuilt 1815) |
| Architect | steeple and alterations (1868): Henry Engelbert |
| Architectural style | Georgian Gothic |
| NRHP reference No. | 80002682 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | April 16, 1980 |
| Church of the Transfiguration, Roman Catholic | |||||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 顯聖容 — 聖雅各伯 — 聖若瑟天主教堂 | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 显圣容 — 圣雅各伯 — 圣若瑟天主教堂 | ||||||||||
| Literal meaning | Transfiguration – St James – St Joseph Catholic Church | ||||||||||
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The Church of the Transfiguration is a Roman Catholic church in New York City. It's located at 25 Mott Street in the Chinatown area of Manhattan. This church is part of the Archdiocese of New York. It is run by the Maryknoll order, a group of priests and brothers.
Contents
A Look at the Church's History
This church building has a long history! It was first built in 1801. It was designed in the Georgian style. At first, it was home to the Zion English Lutheran Church. Later, this group became part of the Protestant Episcopal Church. The church was then called Zion Protestant Episcopal Church.
Rebuilding After a Fire
In 1815, a big fire badly damaged the church. It also destroyed 35 homes nearby. A member of the church, Peter Lorillard, helped rebuild it. The Episcopal group sold the building in 1853. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York bought it. They moved their "Church of the Transfiguration" congregation here. That church had been on Chambers Street.
Special Design and Recognition
The Church of the Transfiguration is one of four churches. These churches on the Lower East Side are built from Manhattan schist. This is a type of rock found in Manhattan. The church has a Georgian style with Gothic windows. These windows have special patterns called tracery. The building blocks are made from neat Manhattan schist. They have brownstone details.
In 1868, a copper-covered tower was added. It was designed by Henry Engelbert. The Gothic windows were likely added around this time too. The church became a New York City landmark in 1966. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
The Church Community Today
The Church of the Transfiguration started its journey in 1827. Father Felix Varela y Morales bought an old church building. It became the fourth Catholic church in Manhattan. When that building became unsafe, the church moved again. In 1836, Father Varela bought another church. He renamed it the "Church of the Transfiguration."
A Church with Many Homes
By 1853, the church needed more space. So, the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York bought the larger building on Mott Street. This is where the church is today. It's interesting that this church has moved three times. Each time, it moved into a building that was first built as a Protestant church.
Over the years, the church has welcomed many immigrant groups. It served Irish and Italian families. More recently, it has served Chinese families.
Serving the Chinese Community
Today, this church mainly serves a Chinese community. It holds Sunday masses in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin. The church also has a Catholic School. This school welcomes children of all religions. The Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers run the parish. They are known for their mission work around the world. Because of this, the Church of the Transfiguration is special. It is the only parish fully run by Maryknollers. One of its past leaders was Bishop John W. Comber. He was a Maryknoll Missionary who worked in Fushun.
Transfiguration School
Transfiguration School is a Catholic school connected to the Church of the Transfiguration. Father Varela founded it in 1832. In 1969, it opened its doors to children of all faiths.
School Achievements and Growth
The school has high academic standards. It won the National Blue Ribbon Schools Award in 2011. The school has been growing. It launched a plan to expand and had three campuses by 2016. These campuses include the Early Childhood Campus, Transfiguration Lower School, and Transfiguration Upper School.
Transfiguration Lower School is linked to the church. Transfiguration Upper School is on the former campus of St. James Elementary School. New York State governor Al Smith went to school there.
Church Mergers
Over time, some nearby churches joined with the Church of the Transfiguration. In 1967, St. Joachim's Church was taken down. It was on Roosevelt Street. Its community joined with St. Joseph's Church. St. Joseph's Church was also nearby.
In 2007, St. James Parish joined with St. Joseph's Church. This created the Parish of St. Joseph/St. James. Then, in 2015, the Parish of St. Joseph/St. James merged with the Church of the Transfiguration. This brought these church communities together.
See also
In Spanish: Iglesia Católica de la Transfiguración (Manhattan) para niños
