Catholics in New York

[Colorad007]

My wife and I are considering a move to New York City, and we’re not sure where to live. What parts of the area are the most vibrantly Catholic? I’ve read that Bay Ridge and Staten Island tend to be the most conservative (and perhaps Catholic?). We’re in our 20s, so we’re looking for a parish and community with a fair share of devout young people, and we’d also like a more conservative parish and community. I know that the the Bishop of Brooklyn is orthodox, so that may make Brooklyn a good option. Any thoughts?

And, as a tangential question, is New York becoming more religious? I know that orthodox Judaism is exploding right now, and that American jewry is becoming much more religious. I assume that that fact makes parts of Brooklyn and Queens even more religious and conservative. Is the same thing happening among New York Catholics and other Christians? Is there a real return to conservative religion in the area?

Thanks for your help

 

[A_G]

I live in northern Queens, and we are part of the Diocese of Brooklyn. My area is predominantly european descent. In my town (and neighboring towns), we have a number of Catholic Churches (and Catholic schools too) and Mass attendance is pretty high. From my house, I have two Roman Catholic Churches, each of them 5 to 10 minutes walking distance! Mass is celebrated every day, multiple times a day. Evidence of Catholicism is everywhere as well, as many houses (even places of business) have statues of Jesus, the Virgin Mary and other saints, many cars having religious stickers on them, rosary beads hanging from the mirror, etc…

 

[agw123]

My wife and I are considering a move to New York City, and we’re not sure where to live. What parts of the area are the most vibrantly Catholic? I’ve read that Bay Ridge and Staten Island tend to be the most conservative (and perhaps Catholic?). We’re in our 20s, so we’re looking for a parish and community with a fair share of devout young people, and we’d also like a more conservative parish and community. I know that the the Bishop of Brooklyn is orthodox, so that may make Brooklyn a good option. Any thoughts?

And, as a tangential question, is New York becoming more religious? I know that orthodox Judaism is exploding right now, and that American jewry is becoming much more religious. I assume that that fact makes parts of Brooklyn and Queens even more religious and conservative. Is the same thing happening among New York Catholics and other Christians? Is there a real return to conservative religion in the area?

Thanks for your help

Catholic Churches are not lacking in the NYC area. Just go to masstimes.org and put in 10001 (center of Manhattan) and see what you get.

 

[YoungTradCath]

Do you like the Extraordinary Form?

 

[malphono]

Do you like the Extraordinary Form?

That’s actually a good question. For someone interested in the Usus Antiquior, the diocese of Brooklyn is not place. There are precisely two parishes that offer it: one in Brooklyn and one in Queens. I don’t know about the one in Queens, but I do know that the one in Brooklyn is not exactly centrally located, and if one is using public transportation, it can take an hour or more to get there.

 

[Politica]

My wife and I are considering a move to New York City, and we’re not sure where to live. What parts of the area are the most vibrantly Catholic? I’ve read that Bay Ridge and Staten Island tend to be the most conservative (and perhaps Catholic?). We’re in our 20s, so we’re looking for a parish and community with a fair share of devout young people, and we’d also like a more conservative parish and community. I know that the the Bishop of Brooklyn is orthodox, so that may make Brooklyn a good option. Any thoughts?

And, as a tangential question, is New York becoming more religious? I know that orthodox Judaism is exploding right now, and that American jewry is becoming much more religious. I assume that that fact makes parts of Brooklyn and Queens even more religious and conservative. Is the same thing happening among New York Catholics and other Christians? Is there a real return to conservative religion in the area?

Thanks for your help

Astoria and Sunnyside areas of Queens. Though mixed neighborhoods, they are close to everything and are either predominantly old Italian and Irish Catholic. Within the Brooklyn Diocese.

I think there’s a return. Schools are closing though, one by one, so Catholic elementary school enrollment is down.

My favorite Church in Astoria is Immaculate Conception. Beautiful. No folk Masses – no guitars. No gospel music. No clapping. They never changed, except no TLM. For the TLM, I think you have to go to Manhattan. St. Agnes near Grand Central celebrates the TLM. There are others in Manhattan.

My parish, in Sunnyside (near Astoria) is a bit more with the guitars and Mariachi music at Mass – something I’m not used to. Astoria has many parish Churches and is convenient. Sunnyside also has St. Teresa’s Church – but the Catholic school closed there too.

St. Sebastian in Woodside – just east of Sunnyside is another possibility though a bit further from Manhattan but still close.

There are a severe lack of priests. Immaculate Conception had no less than 5 priests when we first moved here many, many years ago and about a dozen Sunday Masses – now they are down to 2 priests.

I went to school in Brooklyn, but do not attend Mass in Brooklyn, However, there’s a huge Polish and German Catholic area near Maspeth, Queens – that would be St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish.

 

[Politica]

Here’s a list of New York Churches which celebrate the TLM. Anything not listed as New York, New York, or Queens or Brooklyn would be too far away. Bronx is NYC, but I’m not familiar with the Bronx county of NYC, as it can be far, inconvenient and has some problem areas.

New York

Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Bronx, NY)
St. Margaret of Cortona (Bronx, NY)
Our Lady of Peace (Brooklyn, NY)
Guardian Angel Church (New York, NY) (Wednesdays and First Fridays)
Holy Innocents (New York, NY) (Monday through Saturday)
Our Lady of Mount Carmel (New York, NY)
Our Saviour (New York, NY)
St. Agnes (New York, NY)
St. Vincent De Paul (New York, NY)
Chapel at St. John’s Cemetery (Queens, NY)

 

[Colorad007]

Do you like the Extraordinary Form?

I do, but I’m perfectly content with the Novus Ordo. To be honest, I’d say that I actually prefer the latter, so finding an Extraordinary Form Mass is not necessarily a top priority, though it is certainly nice to have available.

 

[Colorad007]

Astoria and Sunnyside areas of Queens. Though mixed neighborhoods, they are close to everything and are either predominantly old Italian and Irish Catholic. Within the Brooklyn Diocese.

I think there’s a return. Schools are closing though, one by one, so Catholic elementary school enrollment is down.

My favorite Church in Astoria is Immaculate Conception. Beautiful. No folk Masses – no guitars. No gospel music. No clapping. They never changed, except no TLM. For the TLM, I think you have to go to Manhattan. St. Agnes near Grand Central celebrates the TLM. There are others in Manhattan.

My parish, in Sunnyside (near Astoria) is a bit more with the guitars and Mariachi music at Mass – something I’m not used to. Astoria has many parish Churches and is convenient. Sunnyside also has St. Teresa’s Church – but the Catholic school closed there too.

St. Sebastian in Woodside – just east of Sunnyside is another possibility though a bit further from Manhattan but still close.

There are a severe lack of priests. Immaculate Conception had no less than 5 priests when we first moved here many, many years ago and about a dozen Sunday Masses – now they are down to 2 priests.

I went to school in Brooklyn, but do not attend Mass in Brooklyn, However, there’s a huge Polish and German Catholic area near Maspeth, Queens – that would be St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish.

Excellent. I appreciate the information. As it happens, we will likely not be living in the city, so I’m not really concerned with how far something is from Manhattan. In fact, maybe the farther the better.

 

[mfrances]

Here’s a list of New York Churches which celebrate the TLM. Anything not listed as New York, New York, or Queens or Brooklyn would be too far away. Bronx is NYC, but I’m not familiar with the Bronx county of NYC, as it can be far, inconvenient and has some problem areas.

New York

Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Bronx, NY)
St. Margaret of Cortona (Bronx, NY)
Our Lady of Peace (Brooklyn, NY)
Guardian Angel Church (New York, NY) (Wednesdays and First Fridays)
Holy Innocents (New York, NY) (Monday through Saturday)
Our Lady of Mount Carmel (New York, NY)
Our Saviour (New York, NY)
St. Agnes (New York, NY)
St. Vincent De Paul (New York, NY)
Chapel at St. John’s Cemetery (Queens, NY)

Holy Innocents in NYC has TLM every day including Sunday.
Our Lady of Peace, Park Slope Brooklyn has TLM only on Sunday.

 

[Chatter163]

Excellent. I appreciate the information. As it happens, we will likely not be living in the city, so I’m not really concerned with how far something is from Manhattan. In fact, maybe the farther the better.

Then why plan on moving toi New York?

 

[Colorad007]

Then why plan on moving toi New York?

Because there is a whole lot more to the New York metro than Manhattan. It is one thing to have the ammenities of the city in relative proximity. It is quite another to have it–and the stress and expenses of it–on your front doorstep.

 

[DeniseNY]

However, there’s a huge Polish and German Catholic area near Maspeth, Queens – that would be St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish.

I was just near ST. Stanislaus today. Went to Middle Village, Queens to Our Lady of Hope for a bone marrow drive for the nephew of a colleague.

I live in Manhattan and I wouldn’t describe it as “vibrantly Catholic” by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[Politica]

Because there is a whole lot more to the New York metro than Manhattan. It is one thing to have the ammenities of the city in relative proximity. It is quite another to have it–and the stress and expenses of it–on your front doorstep.

It depends on your work. If you plan to work in the city, then it’s an easy commute the closer you are. Some work in the borough they live in - then a car is more important because though we have a somewhat excellent transit system it can take 2 or 3 times longer by train to reach work depending on where you live and where you work.

My BIL lives in Queens but works in Brooklyn. Where he is, there would be no direct subway to his job, so a car is necessary. What he can do by car in 30 minutes would take about an hour and 1/2 to get to Brooklyn from Queens. I’m in Queens and no more than 15 or 20 minutes into Manhattan and I planned it that way. My sister works like 10 minutes by car from her home in Queens – but that would be two trains if she took public transit – it’s not direct by public transportation.

They rarely go into Manhattan; I go all the time. They work in the outer boroughs; I work in Manhattan so I need easy access to the city.

 

[TimothyH]

It depends on your work. If you plan to work in the city, then it’s an easy commute the closer you are. Some work in the borough they live in - then a car is more important because though we have a somewhat excellent transit system it can take 2 or 3 times longer by train to reach work depending on where you live and where you work.

My BIL lives in Queens but works in Brooklyn. Where he is, there would be no direct subway to his job, so a car is necessary. What he can do by car in 30 minutes would take about an hour and 1/2 to get to Brooklyn from Queens. I’m in Queens and no more than 15 or 20 minutes into Manhattan and I planned it that way. My sister works like 10 minutes by car from her home in Queens – but that would be two trains if she took public transit – it’s not direct by public transportation.

They rarely go into Manhattan; I go all the time. They work in the outer boroughs; I work in Manhattan so I need easy access to the city.

And then there is the LIRR. Ah, the fond memories…

I moved out when Ranch1 closed.

-Tim-

 

[Sailor_Kenshin]

Excellent. I appreciate the information. As it happens, we will likely not be living in the city, so I’m not really concerned with how far something is from Manhattan. In fact, maybe the farther the better.

How far, and in which direction (N, S, E, W)?

I might be able to help out, depending.