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 cathedral in New York City. A cathedral is the main church for a bishop or leader of a church area. St. Ann's was also a national shrine, a special place of worship.
It served as the main church for the Eparchy of Our Lady of Nareg. An eparchy is like a diocese, which is a church district. This cathedral had two different locations in New York City over time. One was in Manhattan and the other in Brooklyn. The Armenian Catholic community of St. Ann still has a church in Brooklyn today.
Contents
History of St. Ann's Cathedral
Early Armenian Catholic Ministry in New York
The first priest to serve Armenian Catholics in New York was Father Mardiros Meguerian. He was sent by Patriarch Stephan Peter X Azarian in 1896. A patriarch is a very high-ranking bishop.
In 1911, Father Meguerian was named the General Vicar for Armenian Catholics in the United States. This meant he was a chief assistant to the bishop. Father Haroutioun Maljian took over from him in 1921. Father Maljian served the community for 50 years, until 1971.
Establishing the Cathedral in Manhattan
After Father Maljian, Father Krikor Guerguerian became the pastor. During his time, Bishop Mikail Nersès Sétian came to New York in 1982. Bishop Sétian was sent to lead a new church area. This new area was called the Apostolic Exarchate for Armenians in the United States and Canada.
Before this, Armenian Catholic services were held in Roman Catholic churches. These churches were located in Brooklyn and Queens.
Cardinal Terence Cooke of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York made an offer. He offered St. Ann's Church in Manhattan for the Armenian Catholic community to use. This church was on the Lower East Side. The Armenian Catholic leaders accepted this offer. St. Ann's Cathedral was officially established in 1983.
Moving the Cathedral to Brooklyn
In 2002, Cardinal Edward Egan asked the Armenian Catholic leaders to leave St. Ann's. They tried to keep the cathedral there, but they had to move.
Bishop Thomas Daily and later Bishop Nicholas Anthony DiMarzio helped them. These bishops were from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn. They offered St. Vincent de Paul Church in Williamsburg, Brooklyn as a new home. This church would serve as both the exarchate's main office and the cathedral. The Armenian Catholic community accepted this offer. They kept the name St. Ann's Cathedral.
Current Status of St. Ann's Parish
The use of St. Vincent de Paul Church did not last long. The Roman Catholic diocese sold the church to a developer in 2011.
After this, St. Ann's parish moved again. They moved to Holy Family Roman Catholic Church. This church was in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn. It was a parish with Slovak heritage.
However, when they moved, St. Ann's no longer held the title of a cathedral. The main cathedral for the eparchy was later moved. It is now St. Gregory the Illuminator Church in Glendale, California. The St. Ann's parish in Brooklyn continues to serve its community.
See also
In Spanish: Catedral de Santa Ana (Nueva York) para niños
