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) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Davis, McGrath & Kiessling |
The Church of St. John is a historic church in the Bronx, New York City. It's located at 3021 Kingsbridge Avenue. This church is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York. Land for the church was bought in 1870. Building started on a wooden church, which was the very first Catholic church in the Kingsbridge area.
The church has a long history with the Religious of Jesus and Mary, a group of sisters. They have had their main New York City base here for many years. In November 2014, the Church of St. John joined with the Church of the Visitation. They are now one parish community.
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Church History in Kingsbridge
The St. John-Visitation church community started in the Kingsbridge neighborhood in the 1860s. Back then, Kingsbridge was part of the City of Yonkers. Catholic people in the area went to Mass at St. Mary's Church. Later, priests from Fordham University also helped. Mass was first held in an old schoolhouse on Spuyten Duyvil Hill. Kingsbridge became part of New York City in January 1874.
In 1869, St. Elizabeth Parish was founded in Fort Washington. St. John's then became a "mission" of that parish. This means it was a smaller church helped by a larger one.
In 1886, Archbishop Corrigan made St. John's its own parish. Rev. Edward O’Gorman became the first full-time pastor. A Mass in Spanish started in 1971, helping more people attend services. 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 joined together. Fr. Michael Kerrigan became the first pastor of this new combined parish.
Church Buildings and Design
In 1870, Rev. Henry A. Brann was put in charge of the mission. During his 16 years there, he bought land and built a small wooden church. This first church was dedicated in December 1877. Rev. Edward O’Gorman, the first resident pastor, stayed for 18 years. He helped the church get more land.
In 1893, Rev. O’Gorman removed the first church building. He then built half of the current church's basement. This cost $21,000. The next pastor, Rev. Daniel H. O’Dwyer, turned the old church building into a useful hall.
Rev. O’Dwyer built the current church. It was designed by the architects Davis, McGrath & Kiessling. The church is built in the Tudor style. It has a beautiful painting of the "Crucifixion" above the altar. The basement of the church has a chapel, a hall, a theater, club-rooms, and a gym.
Pastors of St. John's Church
- 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 Sisters
The Convent of Jesus and Mary in Kingsbridge was started in 1903. It is located within the parish area. Mother St. Cyril, a leader of the RJM in Canada, wanted to start a community of sisters in New York City. She got permission in 1890. When Mother St. Cyril became the head of the whole order, she asked Mother Euphemia to start the RJM mission in New York.
Several Religious of Jesus and Mary sisters came from Rome in 1902. They wanted to start their work in New York City. Their first job was a free school for Spanish immigrants. To help pay for their work, the sisters gave lessons in French, music, and art. They also took in people who needed a place to stay. This first school later became the School of Loretto. Mother Euphemia's work also led to Our Lady of Peace, a home for young women.
In August 1903, Mother Euphemia and Mother St. Ferdinand bought property in Kingsbridge. This led to over a century of service in the area. On September 13, 1903, Fr. O'Dwyer, the pastor, introduced the RJM sisters to the church members. He announced they would open a school the next day.
The new school was called the Academy of Jesus and Mary. It was at the corner of 232nd Street and Kingsbridge Avenue. Land was bought for a school building in 1922. Over the years, different school buildings and convents (where the sisters lived) were built or used in the neighborhood. 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 worked for many years. They taught thousands of Catholic boys and girls. 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. This used to be their convent. They also hold a monthly flea market at PS 207. This building used to be the Godwin Terrace building of St. John's School. The money they raise helps the RJM mission in Haiti. Some RJM sisters live nearby in Yonkers. RJM Sr. Patricia Brito is currently the principal of St. Frances de Chantal School in the Throggs Neck area of The Bronx.
St. John’s Parish School
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. The building on Kingsbridge Avenue was built in 1953.
When fewer students enrolled, the parish made an agreement with New York City. They leased a building for use as 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, the Brothers of the Christian Schools (De La Salle Brothers) took charge of the Boys' Department at St. John's School. They were invited by Monsignor Martin Scanlan. Christian Brothers served the parish for more than 20 years. They left when fewer men became brothers. The Religious of Jesus and Mary continued to work in the school until 2018. Sr. 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.
