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New York City: Saint Joseph’s Church in Greenwich Village (Perpetual Adoration Chapel)

About Saint Joseph’s Church in Greenwich Village:

The Catholic Church wasn’t established in New York City until the end of the Revolutionary War, since the British outlawed all Catholic services.  St. Peter’s on Barclay Street was the first Catholic Church in New York City.  Greenwich Village was just that…a village just outside of New York City.  By the early 19th century the city of New York had grown so that now Greenwich Village was actually a part of Lower Manhattan in New York City (nowadays it is referred to as “The Village” by native New Yorkers).  The Church of St. Joseph was founded in 1829 by Bishop John Dubois to serve the new neighborhood of Greenwich Village, and the church building was completed and dedicated on March 16, 1824.

In 2003 the Order of Preachers, the Dominicans, were entrusted by Edward Cardinal Egan to serve at St. Joseph’s Church. The Dominicans were already responsible for the Catholic Center at NYU, so the assignment created a connection between the parish and the nearby campus ministry. The Dominican community continues to serve St. Joseph’s and the Catholic Center to this day and the parish has grown through the connection to NYU students and alumni.

ST Josephs Church Greenwich Village, New York CityOver the past few years the church building has undergone significant restoration. From 2019-2020 the exterior of the church was restored. Besides a new roof, the entire exterior of the church was repaired. Most of the exterior wood had rotted through and the metal was in very poor condition. All these were replaced with exact reproductions of the original and the church now looks as it did when new. In addition, the exterior lighting was restored giving the church building a majestic appearance during the night.

Significant repairs also have been completed on the parish’s school building, currently being used by the Academy of St. Joseph. The original statues taken out of the sanctuary in 1972 have been repaired and returned to the sanctuary in hopes of restoring the beauty of the original sanctuary. The original baptismal font has also been repaired and returned to use. In 2021 the parish basement was renovated to form a new parish hall named after the first Dominican pastor, Fr. John McGuire OP. In 2022 the 19th century parish bell was restored to use and its beautiful sound is heard again.

 

Perpetual Adoration Chapel in St Joseph’s Church, Greenwich Village:

In 2020, the Archdiocesan Office of Young Adult Outreach reached out to the Pastor, Fr. Boniface, expressing the desire of Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, to build the first perpetual adoration chapel in New York City.

The main church is designed in a Greek revival style, and they did not want to just use some empty space in the basement:  they wanted something that would harmonize with the current building design. The plans called for a Carolingian Romanesque period look but with classical elements in the space.  In July 2023, the Parish opened the Divine Mercy Adoration Chapel, the only Perpetual Adoration Chapel in New York City.

Photos by Jeffrey Bruno

Finding St. Joseph’s Church in Greenwich Village:

Address: 371 Sixth Avenue, New York, NY 10014

Tel: (212) 741-1274  Fax: (212) 741-2147

email: secretary@stjosephgv.nyc

Click here for the official website of Saint Joseph’s Church in Greenwich Village.

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