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St. Patrick's Church
Perhaps the grandest of them all in Bay Ridge is the St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Its location on 5th Avenue and 96th Street places it within one of the busiest avenues in Bay Ridge. Despite it’s hectic surroundings, the St. Patrick’s Church provides an escape from this frantic reality with its astonishing wildlife and its magnificent architecture. Its construction epitomizes the modern day Roman Catholic Church; its high rising cathedral ceiling is topped off with the Christian symbol, the cross. The church also has an extraordinary rose window at the center of the front wall and a church bell tower right beside the church. Overall, the St. Patrick’s Church is a breathtaking sight for people of all religion’s to appreciate.
History
St. Patrick’s Church is one of the oldest churches in Bay Ridge; its rich history extends back to 1849 when Peter McLoughlin was appointed as the first pastor of the St. Patrick’s cathedral. This Roman Catholic Church was built on the poor man’s dollar; at the time, many people in the area were in a struggle financially but people still found the time and money to help build this beautiful cathedral. In the past, the church was known to serve the Irish population of Bay Ridge, but judging from the neighborhood’s current diversity it’s safe to assume that much has changed.
This church also served as the house of worship for many soldiers in the military at the local Fort Hamilton. Often times, soldiers sought to escape their harsh reality of war and bloodshed by attending Mass and other spiritual rituals. Aside from providing the emotional relief for soldiers, the St. Patrick’s Church played a vital role in many military struggles such as the Civil War. At the time of the Civil War, a plague broke out and created a very busy year for Rev. John Tanzer. That same year John Tanzer opened the church’s first school with three classrooms and a fourth room for the sexton.
The Church has also seen many upsides in its history including the construction of the Verrazano Bridge. Though many people disapproved of its construction at the time, it ended up helping the church in tremendous ways. Aside for providing a quicker form of transportation to the new and growing borough of Staten Island, it transformed Bay Ridge into the busy area it is today and introduced a new wave of people into the church. St. Patrick’s Church grew so large it required the expansion of both the church and the school. A new building was erected across the street from the church for the sisters of the parish; this was the last physical addition to the church till this day.
School
In 1937 the St. Patrick’s Church established a girl’s high school (which is currently a school for children grades K-8). This school set the standards for many private schools today; the St. Patrick’s School presents the same benefits offered at public schools while still enforcing their religious teachings. Like many public schools, the St. Patrick’s school exhibits a wide-ranging curriculum including theatre, music, art, math science, history, and much more. The school also has a great number of resources readily available to their students like their state of the art science lab, computer lab, library, and study center. The St. Patrick’s School serves as a fine match for the church’s consistent strive for excellence.
Pictures
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