St. Peter's Church (Manhattan) facts for kids
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Saint Peter's Church, Our Lady of the Rosary
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(2012)
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 Location in Lower Manhattan
Location in New York City
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| Location | 22 Barclay Street, Manhattan, New York City |
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| Built | 1785 (original) 1836–1840 (current structure) |
| Architect | John R. Haggerty and Thomas Thomas |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Website | St Peter's Church, Our Lady of the Rosary |
| NRHP reference No. | 80002721 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | April 23, 1980 |
Saint Peter's Church/Our Lady of the Rosary is a Catholic church in the Financial District of Manhattan, New York City. It is one of the oldest Catholic churches in New York. The current church building was built between 1836 and 1840. It was designed by John R. Haggerty and Thomas Thomas. The building has a Greek Revival style, which means it looks like ancient Greek temples. It has six large Ionic columns at the front.
This church is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York. It is the oldest Catholic parish in New York State. The building you see today replaced an earlier church built in 1785–86. The first church was used until 1834.
Saint Peter's Church is a very important historical site. It was named a New York City landmark in 1965. Later, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. This means it is recognized as important by city, state, and federal groups.
Contents
History of Saint Peter's Church
Early Days of the Church
Before and during the American Revolution, a German priest named Father Ferdinand Steinmeyer visited New York City. He held church services for the few Catholics living there. They met in different homes and buildings.
A merchant named Dominick Lynch helped raise money for a new church. He gave his own money and collected funds from his home country, Ireland. King Charles III of Spain also sent a large gift of 1,000 silver pieces. This money helped start building the church.
The first Catholics wanted to build the church on Broad Street. This was in the center of New York City. But some people in New York City did not like Catholics. So, city officials asked them to build it somewhere else. They suggested a spot at Barclay and Church Streets. This area was outside the city limits back then. The builders agreed to this new location. The first stone for the original church was placed in 1785. The first church service was held there in 1786.
In 1789, a Mexican artist named Jose Vallejo painted a special picture of the Crucifixion. The archbishop of Mexico City gave this painting to Saint Peter's Church. It hung above the main altar. Father William O'Brien was the first pastor. He worked very hard to help people in New York during the yellow fever sickness in 1795 and 1798.
In 1800, Saint Peter's Church started the first free Catholic school in New York State. On March 14, 1805, a famous person named Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton became Catholic at Saint Peter's Church. She often prayed in front of the Crucifixion painting. The Catholic Church later made her a saint. She was the first person born in the United States to become a saint.
On Christmas Eve in 1806, some people tried to stop the church service. This caused a fight, and many people were hurt. One policeman even died.
In October 1836, work began on a larger Saint Peter's Church. The building we see today was finished by February 1838. For a while, from 1899 to 1916, Saint Peter's also hosted services for Syrian and Lebanese Catholics. They did not have their own church at that time. Father Edward Frederick Sorin, who founded the University of Notre Dame, held his first Mass in America at Saint Peter's in 1842.
Saint Peter's Church and September 11, 2001
On September 10, 2001, Father Mychal Judge gave a sermon to firefighters. He was a chaplain for the New York City Fire Department. He told them to trust in God and love their work.
The next day, during the September 11 attacks, part of an airplane hit the roof of Saint Peter's Church. When Father Mychal Judge died at the World Trade Center, firefighters brought his body to Saint Peter's. They laid him before the altar.
The church also became a place where rescue workers gathered. "We were the first place they were bringing all the emergency equipment," said Father Kevin Madigan, the pastor. "Everything was in disarray." The church was filled with supplies like bandages, masks, and food. Many volunteers slept there.
The public could not enter the church for a while. Masses were held only for rescue workers. On October 28, 2001, the area was reopened. That was when the church held its first public Mass after September 11. The number of Masses was reduced because fewer people were coming. Many people who used to attend Mass at Saint Peter's worked at the World Trade Center and were no longer there.
A special cross, called the World Trade Center cross, was placed outside Saint Peter's Church for a time. It was later moved to the World Trade Center Memorial. A new cross was made for the church and put in place on August 11, 2011.
Current Status of the Church
In August 2015, Saint Peter's parish joined with another church, Our Lady of the Rosary. Saint Peter's is now the main parish church. However, services still happen at Our Lady of the Rosary too.
The Church Organ
Saint Peter's Church has a large pipe organ. It was built in 1927 by the George Kilgen & Sons company. In 1931, the organ was made even bigger. In 2011, it was restored and improved. The organ is now in the back balcony of the church. As of 2018, the Director of Music and Organist is Marcus Perry Bundy III.
Famous People Connected to Saint Peter's
- Pierre Toussaint: He was born into slavery in Haiti and came to New York in 1787. He joined Saint Peter's Church. He was known for being very religious and helping poor people. He is now being considered for sainthood.
- Elizabeth Ann Seton: She is a saint who became Catholic at Saint Peter's Church.
- Billy The Kid: Some people believe this famous outlaw was baptized "Patrick Henry McCarthy" at the church in 1859. His parents were married there in 1851.
See also
In Spanish: Iglesia de San Pedro (Nueva York) para niños
