St. Ann's Armenian Catholic Cathedral facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Ann's Cathedral |
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The façade and bell tower of the former St. Ann's Cathedral in Manhattan.
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| 40°43′55.99″N 73°59′20.81″W / 40.7322194°N 73.9891139°W | |
| Location | New York City: 110 E. 12th St., Manhattan 167 N. 6th St., Brooklyn |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Armenian Catholic Church |
| History | |
| Founded | 1983 |
| Architecture | |
| Closed | 2005 |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Eparchy of Our Lady of Nareg |
St. Ann's Cathedral was an important Armenian Catholic church in New York City, United States. It was known as a cathedral, which is the main church for a bishop. It also served as a special "national shrine."
This church was the main seat for the Armenian Catholic Eparchy of Our Lady of Nareg. An "eparchy" is like a diocese in the Armenian Catholic Church. St. Ann's Cathedral had two different locations in New York City over time. One was in Manhattan and the other in Brooklyn. Today, the Armenian Catholic community of St. Ann still has a church in Brooklyn.
Contents
History of St. Ann's Cathedral
Early Armenian Catholic Community
In 1896, Father Mardiros Meguerian became the first priest to serve Armenian Catholics in New York. He was sent by Patriarch Stephan Peter X Azarian. A patriarch is a very high-ranking leader in some Christian churches.
Father Meguerian was later named the General Vicar for Armenian Catholics in the United States in 1911. This meant he was a main leader for the community.
New Leadership and a New Home
Father Haroutioun Maljian took over from Father Meguerian in 1921. He served the New York community for 50 years, until 1971.
After him, Father Krikor Guerguerian became the pastor. During his time, Bishop Mikail Nersès Sétian came to New York in 1982. He was sent to lead a new group called the Apostolic Exarchate. This group was for Armenian Catholics in the United States and Canada. Before this, Armenian Catholic services were held in Roman Catholic churches in Brooklyn and Queens.
Becoming a Cathedral
In 1983, Cardinal Terence Cooke offered a church building to the Armenian Catholic community. This was St. Ann's Church in Manhattan. The Armenian Catholics accepted this offer. This is how St. Ann's Cathedral was officially started.
However, in 2002, Cardinal Edward Egan asked the Armenian Catholic group to leave the St. Ann's building. They tried to keep the cathedral, but they had to move.
Moving to Brooklyn
Bishop Thomas Daily and later Bishop Nicholas Anthony DiMarzio offered a new place. They were leaders of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn. They offered St. Vincent de Paul Church in Brooklyn as a new home for the Armenian Catholic group and their cathedral.
The Armenian Catholics accepted this offer. They kept the name St. Ann's Cathedral for their church in the new Brooklyn location.
A New Chapter for the Cathedral
The stay at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Brooklyn was not long. In 2011, the Roman Catholic diocese sold that church building to a developer.
So, St. Ann's parish moved again. They went to Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in the Greenpoint area of Brooklyn. This church had a history with Slovak people.
However, when they moved this time, St. Ann's no longer had the status of a cathedral. The main cathedral for the Armenian Catholic Eparchy has since moved to St. Gregory the Illuminator Church in Glendale, California.
See also
In Spanish: Catedral de Santa Ana (Nueva York) para niños
