St. John's Church (Bronx) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Church of St. John |
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Tudor Revival |
| Town or city | Kingsbridge, Bronx, New York City |
| Country | United States |
| Construction started | 1877 (for first church) 1893 (for present church basement) |
| Completed | 1877 (for first church) 1904 (for present church) |
| Demolished | 1893 (for removal of first church) |
| Cost | $21,000 (for 1893 basement) |
| Client | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | Timber-frame (for 1877 church/hall) Masonry (for 1904 church) |
The Church of St. John is a Catholic church located in the Kingsbridge area of the Bronx, New York City. It is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York. Land for the church was bought in 1870, and a wooden church was built. This was the very first Catholic church in Kingsbridge.
The church has a special, long-lasting connection with the Religious of Jesus and Mary, a group of religious sisters. In 2014, the Church of St. John joined with another local church, the Church of Visitation. They now form one combined parish community.
Contents
A Look Back: History of St. John's Parish
The community of St. John-Visitation started in the Kingsbridge neighborhood in the 1860s. Back then, Kingsbridge was part of Yonkers. Catholic people in the area were served by priests from St. Mary's Church. Later, priests from Fordham University also helped. Early church services were held in an old schoolhouse on Spuyten Duyvil Hill. Kingsbridge became part of New York City in 1874.
In 1869, St. Elizabeth Parish was founded in Fort Washington. St. John's then became a mission church, meaning it was supported by St. Elizabeth's.
Becoming Its Own Parish
In 1886, Archbishop Corigan made St. John's its own parish. Rev. Edward O’Gorman became the first full-time pastor. A Mass in Spanish began in 1971, welcoming more people to the church.
In 1994, the Order of Augustinian Recollects, a group of priests, took over running the parish. On August 1, 2015, St. John's Parish and Visitation Parish officially merged. Fr. Michael Kerrigan became the first pastor of this new, combined parish.
The Church Buildings Over Time
In 1870, Rev. Henry A. Brann was put in charge of the mission. During his 16 years, he bought land and built a small wooden church. This first church was opened in 1877.
Rev. Edward O’Gorman, the first resident pastor, stayed for 18 years. He helped the church get more land. In 1893, he took down the 1877 church. He then built half of the current church's basement. The next pastor, Rev. Daniel H. O’Dwyer, turned the old church building into a useful hall.
Rev. O’Dwyer then built the main church you see today. It was designed in the Tudor style. Inside, above the altar, there is a beautiful painting. The church's basement has a chapel, a hall, a theater, club-rooms, and a gym.
Pastors Who Led the Way
Many priests have served as pastors at St. John's Church over the years:
- Rev. Cornelius O’Callaghan (until 1870)
- Rev. Henry A. Brann (1870-1886)
- Rev. Edward O’Gorman (1886-1904)
- Rev. Daniel H. O’Dwyer (1904-1909)
- Rev. Francis Xavier Kelly (1909-1935)
- Rev. Martin A. Scanlan (1935-1963)
- Rev. Louis A. Stryker (1963-1971)
- Rev. John T. Doherty (1971-1982)
- Rev. John F. Lacey (1982-1984)
- Rev. William J. Foley (1984-1994)
- Rev. Edward Fagan, OAR (1994-2000)
- Rev. Gerry Cosgayon, OAR (2000-2003)
- Rev. Edward Fagan, OAR (2003-2009)
- Rev. Antonio 'Joy' Zabala, OAR (2009-2015)
- Rev. Michael Kerrigan (2015-present)
The Religious of Jesus and Mary in Kingsbridge
The Convent of Jesus and Mary in Kingsbridge opened in 1903. This group of sisters, called the Religious of Jesus and Mary (RJM), wanted to start a community in New York City. They began by offering a free school for Spanish immigrants. To support their work, the sisters taught French, music, and art lessons.
In August 1903, the RJM sisters bought property in Kingsbridge. This led to over a century of service in the area. On September 13, the pastor, Fr. O'Dwyer, told the church members about the RJM. He announced they would open a school the very next day.
Growing the School Community
The new school was called the Academy of Jesus and Mary. It was located at 232nd Street and Kingsbridge Avenue. More land was bought for a school building in 1922. Over the years, many school buildings and convents were built or used nearby. The Religious of Jesus and Mary helped the school grow. It eventually became known as St. John's Kingsbridge.
At its largest, the school used two buildings. These were on Godwin Terrace and Kingsbridge Avenue. The school closed at the end of the 2019-2020 school year. This was due to money problems and fewer students, made worse by the COVID-19 Pandemic. More than 200 RJM sisters taught thousands of Catholic boys and girls over the years. Many young women who went to St. John's School later joined the Religious of Jesus and Mary.
The RJM sisters are still active in the parish and neighborhood today. A group called the Family of Jesus and Mary meets monthly at the parish center. They also hold a monthly flea market at PS 207. This helps support the RJM mission in Haiti. Some RJM sisters live nearby in Yonkers. Sister Patricia Brito, an RJM sister, is currently the principal of St. Frances de Chantal School in the Bronx.
St. John’s Parish School: A Legacy of Learning
St. John's School started from the Academy of Jesus and Mary in 1903. It became known as St. John's School in 1925. Many big building projects and expansions happened at locations on Godwin Terrace and Kingsbridge Avenue.
In 1914, the parish school had 73 boys and 114 girls. Six sisters from the Convent of Jesus and Mary ran the school. In 1935, land for a new school building was bought on Godwin Terrace. This was across from the RJM convent. Another building on Kingsbridge Avenue was built in 1953.
As fewer students enrolled, the parish decided to lease a building to New York City for a public school. At first, the public school used the Kingsbridge Avenue building. St. John's School used the Godwin Terrace building. In 1992, the schools switched places. The Catholic school was at 3143 Kingsbridge Avenue when it closed in July 2020. The other building is now PS 207 at 3030 Godwin Terrace.
In 1950, a group called the Brothers of the Christian Schools took charge of the Boys' Department at St. John's School. They served the parish for over 20 years. The Religious of Jesus and Mary continued to teach in the school until 2018. Sister Patricia Brito was the last RJM sister to be principal of St. John's Kingsbridge. When it closed in 2020, St. John's School taught students from Pre-Kindergarten to 8th grade. It was one of the last Catholic schools in the area.
