Saints Kyril & Metodi Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocesan Cathedral facts for kids

Saints Kyril & Metodi Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocesan Cathedral
40°45′56″N 73°59′39″W / 40.765461°N 73.994182°W / 40.765461; -73.994182
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 an important church in New York City. It is the main church and office for the Bulgarian Orthodox Church in the United States, Canada, and Australia. You can find it at 552 West 50th Street in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan.

The building itself is quite large. It is 100 feet long, 28 feet wide, and 25 feet high. It has a yellow brick outside. Before it was a church, the spot where it stands was a silk-ribbon factory in 1890. By 1899, the church building was ready and even had an organ inside.

A Home for Different Communities

Over the years, this church building has been a spiritual home for several different groups of people. It has a rich history of welcoming new communities.

Early Days and Polish Catholics

In 1909, a Polish Catholic group called St. Clemens Mary was formed. They first met in a candy store! Soon after, they rented the 50th Street church building. Before them, a Lutheran church had used the building. The Polish group later built their own church nearby, which was finished in 1913. Today, that building is known as the Metro Baptist Church.

Croatian Immigrants Find a Place

On October 16, 1913, another Catholic group started using the 50th Street church. This group was made up of Croatian immigrants. They were helped by Croatian Franciscan friars. These friars are like priests who belong to a special religious order.

Helping Hands and New Beginnings

The church building needed some work. During a five-week renovation, other churches helped out. German Franciscans, a Slovak church, and a German church donated many things. They gave an altar, statues, a special cup for services (called a chalice), books, and clothes for mass. They also gave money.

By early 1914, they had collected $21,000. This money helped them buy the church building. They named it after Saints Cyril and Methodius. These two brothers were Greek saints from the 800s. They are honored by many Christian churches. At that time, about 4,000 people were part of this Croatian church community.

The Bulgarian Orthodox Church Arrives

After 60 years, the Croatian church moved to a bigger building in 1974. The 50th Street building was then empty for several years.

In 1979, the Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Church bought the building. They decided to keep the name dedicated to Saints Cyril and Methodius. They only changed the spelling slightly. Before this, their main church had been at 312 West 101st Street for 40 years.

In 1982, the new owners started a big renovation inside the church. It cost $500,000 to make it beautiful again. The newly restored church was officially blessed on May 13, 1984.

Images for kids

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  The Saints Kyril & Metodi Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocesan Cathedral in New York City.