D. Brooklyn – New Co-Cathedral

There is an interesting piece at Hell’s Bible today about the Diocese of Brooklyn’s new Co-Cathedral, “the enormous, 102-year-old Church of St. Joseph on Pacific Street in Prospect Heights”.

I have visited too few churches in Brooklyn, but the next time I head east I will make a point of it.

Read the story.  I think that the article is subtly playing on criticisms of bishops whom libs think have “lavish” residences, but that isn’t over played.  What interested me was how the Diocese solved multiple problems in a creative way.  Their cathedral is quite small.  This huge church shouldn’t be lost.  They figured out ways to pay for it.  Everyone wins.

And, now that demographics are shifting in that part of Brooklyn again, they have huge potential in the area.  Again, everyone wins.

New Evangelization, as far as I can work out, includes keeping our beautiful old structures open and, if possible, also having the older, traditional form of Holy Mass.  This is working for Holy Innocents in Manhattan in the Garment District, which is experiencing a revitalization.  Moreover, do what St. Agnes did in St. Paul and St. John Cantius did, in Chicago.  Make use of the ethnic tradition of the people in a sense of true, authentic inculturation.

Look at this place.  What a shame it would have been to lose it.

Fr. Z kudos to Bp. DiMarzio.

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

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10 Comments

  1. iPadre says:

    I have always thought that the Bishop of Fall River should do that with St. Anne’s Shrine. Their cathedral is way too small and St. Anne’s is in declining Fall River. Perfect match.

    Here is a beautiful panorama of St. Anne’s.

  2. benedetta says:

    Beautiful!!!

  3. Joseph-Mary says:

    We have no church in the whole state that approaches this sort of beauty!

  4. Thanks, Father, for some great news. This is one of the few churches within two hours of my home that I have not visited. Not that I never tried– many years ago, I went there on a Sunday morning in an attempt to attend Mass there. I found the gates locked, the building and grounds appeared not to be in particularly good shape, and I saw no evidence that a Mass would be offered there any time soon. I figured that it had been closed and my sources simply had not updated their lists. Many churches in Brooklyn have been closed over the decades, but at least they managed to save one nice one instead of just giving up. I guess I need to give it another try now!

  5. JARay says:

    This is a beautiful church/cathedral.

  6. MarylandBill says:

    Anyone who would begrudge God a beautiful church to be worshipped in has truly lost touch with what the faith is about. Should concern for the poor and the outcast be driving forces in our lives? Absolutely, but only when seen in the proper context of divine worship. Without our prayers, and without a beautiful space to offer those prayer and to receive the sacraments, out efforts in the world are in vain.

  7. benedetta says:

    I guess if people refurbish a church and then preach dissent no one blinks an eye, especially Hell’s Bible, particularly when there is a conflict of interest there. Yellow much?

  8. JBK says:

    I’m glad you covered this. I live just a couple blocks away, and usually go to an EF mass elsewhere in the area but sometimes I can’t resist the building and go local. Ite ad Joseph as they say. I’d add (to still worries) that there’s a fair amount of Latin in the service and no dissent that I can remember hearing.

  9. benedetta says:

    I’m just saying that Hell’s Bible will work the angle that this co-cathedral is far too “lavish” for folks because here people will receive the Faith as always imparted and the truth, however when their elitist pals refurbish a sanctuary in order to preach junkified whackiness, Hell’s Bible’s yellow stripes deem that a treasure worth everyone’s money…

  10. Sofia Guerra says:

    It is not a surprise to me that Bishop DeMarzio came up with a creative solution to save this beautiful and holy Church.

    Bishop DeMarzio is the one who approached Father Robert Pasley to be the rector for Mater Ecclesiae in the Diocese of Camden NJ (DeMarzio was Bishop there at the time). Mater Ecclesiae is a parish which uses ONLY the 1962 Books for the Extraordinary Form of the Mass and has all the Sacraments in the Traditional Rite there.

    The property and chapel there were a source of problems for the Bishop when he took over because it was an independent group that ran it. The story is involved but Bishop DeMarzio came up with a very creative solution for those who loved the Traditional Mass and worshipped there. Instead of just closing it down he reached out to a priest who loves the EF and the sacred music which accompanies it. He decided after much prayer and reflection to honor the faith of a faithful group of people despite the circumstances.

    I pray Bishop De Marzio sits down with Cardinal Dolan and explain why he allowed Mater Ecclesiae to exist. Just maybe Holy Innocents will be spared.

    Oh btw, look at Mater Ecclesiae now!

    Fr. Robert C Pasley, KCHS, Rector of Mater Ecclesiae Roman Catholic Church, Berlin, NJ, Diocese of Camden, invites all to Mater Ecclesiae’s 14th Annual Assumption Mass. The Solemn High Choral Mass in the Extraordinary Form will take place on Friday, August 15, at 7 p.m., at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, 18th St. and the Benjamin Franklin Pkwy in Philadelphia. There is parking in the lot next to the Cathedral and there is an underground garage at the Sheraton Hotel on 17th Street.

    The Celebrant of the Mass, who will also deliver the sermon, is Monsignor Andrew Wadsworth. Msgr. Wadsworth, originally a priest of the Diocese of Westminster, London, is now the superior of the Oratorian Community of St Philip Neri, an oratory in formation in the Archdiocese of Washington. Since 2009, he has been Executive Director of the International Commission for English in the Liturgy (ICEL), responsible for the proposal of English translations of Latin liturgical texts for use in places where the liturgy is celebrated in English. Msgr. Wadsworth has written and lectured widely on both forms of the Roman Rite and the ‘ars celebrandi’.

    Mater Ecclesiae’s High Choral Mass of the Assumption was begun fourteen years ago to thank and honor Our Lady for the establishment of Mater Ecclesiae, the first diocesan owned and staffed Traditional Latin Mass parish in the United Sates. “We wanted to feature some of the greatest works of orchestral/choral music ever written for the Sacred Liturgy,” Father Pasley said.

    The setting of the Ordinary of the Mass will be the “Missa in Angustiis” or “Lord Nelson Mass” by Franz Joseph Haydn sung with full orchestra. Other works include the motets “Salve Regina” by Antonio Salieri (1750-1825), “Salutatio D.N.I.C.” by Ludwig Senfl (1486-1543), “Beata Viscera” by Gregor Aichinger (1565-1628), the “Adagio” from Concerto for 2 Oboes in G Major, by Tomaso Albinoni (1671-1751), The “Hodie Maria Virgo” by Luca Marenzio (1553-1599), the Tantum Ergo” by W.A. Mozart (1756-1791) and a Postlude, “Concerto for 2 trumpets in D Major,” by Giuseppe Maria Jacchini (1663-1727). The traditional hymns, “O Sanctissima and Hail Holy Queen,” arranged by the Music Director Dr. Timothy McDonnell, will also be sung.

    Father Pasley said “We wish to thank His Excellency, Archbishop Chaput, as well as the rector of the Cathedral, Father Dennis Gill, for this great privilege. Please spread the word about this most grand celebration of Our Lady’s Assumption.”

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