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Saints Kyril & Metodi Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocesan Cathedral facts for kids
| Saints Kyril & Metodi Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocesan Cathedral | |
|---|---|
 |
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| 40°45′56″N 73°59′39″W / 40.765461°N 73.994182°W | |
| Location | 552 West 50th Street New York, New York |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Bulgarian Orthodox Church |
| History | |
| Consecrated | May 13, 1984 |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocese of the USA, Canada and Australia |
The Saints Kyril & Metodi Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocesan Cathedral is a very important church. It is the main church and office for the Bulgarian Orthodox Church in the United States, Canada, and Australia. You can find this church at 552 West 50th Street in Manhattan, New York City. It's located between Tenth and Eleventh Avenues in an area called Hell's Kitchen / Clinton.
Contents
About the Building
The church building is quite long, measuring 100 feet. It is 28 feet wide and 25 feet tall. The outside of the church is made of yellow bricks. Before the church was built, in 1890, a silk-ribbon factory stood on this spot. By 1899, the church building was finished and even had an organ inside.
A Home for Different Communities
Polish Catholic Community
In 1909, a group of Polish Catholics started a new church community. They named it St. Clemens Mary. This group first met in a candy store. Later, they rented the 50th Street church building, which had been used by a Lutheran church. The Polish community then built their own new church at 410 West 40th Street, which was finished in 1913. Today, that building is known as the Metro Baptist Church.
Croatian Catholic Community
On October 16, 1913, another Catholic community was started in Manhattan. This one was for Croatian immigrants and was led by Franciscan friars. The Franciscans also rented the 50th Street church building.
Renovations and Dedication
The church building was closed for five weeks for renovations. During this time, other churches helped out. They donated an altar, statues, a special cup called a chalice, books, and clothes for church services. They also gave money. By early 1914, enough money was collected to buy the church building.
The church was then dedicated to Saints Cyril and Methodius. These two brothers lived in the 800s and are honored as saints by the Catholic Church. At that time, about 4,000 people were part of the Croatian church community.
The Bulgarian Orthodox Church Takes Over
After 60 years, in 1974, the Croatian community moved to a larger church. This new church was called St. Raphael's Church, located at 502 West 41st Street. The two communities joined together to form the Sts. Cyril & Methodius and St. Raphael.
After the Croatian community moved out, the 50th Street building was empty for several years. Then, in 1979, the Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Church bought the building. They decided to keep the dedication to Saints Cyril and Methodius, only changing the spelling of their names slightly. Before this, the Bulgarian Orthodox Cathedral had been at 312 West 101st Street for 40 years.
In 1982, the new owners started a big renovation project inside the church, costing $500,000. The newly restored church was officially consecrated on May 13, 1984.