St. Athanasius Church (Bronx)

The Church of St. Athanasius
Photographed in 2010
General information
Town or city	Bronx, New York City
Country	United States
Completed	1908
Client	Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York

The church in 1914

The Church of St. Athanasius is a Roman Catholic parish church under the authority of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, located at Tiffany Street between Fox Street and Southern Boulevard, Longwood, Bronx, New York City. It is dedicated to Saint Athanasius of Alexandria, a Doctor of the Church.^[1]

History

Archbishop John Murphy Farley commissioned the parish in 1907, purchasing the entire city block for $58,000. The cornerstone was laid on May 31, 1908 by Cardinal Logue, Archbishop of Armagh, who was visiting on the occasion of the centenary of the Archdiocese of New York. The building was solemnly dedicated on February 21, 1909.^[2]

The parish has long been prominent in serving its low-income neighborhood, in partnership with St. Anthony of Padua. Of note are longtime pastor Fr. Louis R. Gigante— brother of notorious gangster Vincent "the Chin" Gigante^[3]— who founded the Simpson Street Development Association in 1967; and Sister Miriam Thomas. Thomas, a nun who came to St. Athanasius in 1962 as a teacher, and who joined with Gigante to found the South East Bronx Community Organization (SEBCO) in 1968. SEBCO collects federal Section 8 funds to convert abandoned buildings into affordable housing.^[4] Another neighborhood activist group, the Mid-Bronx Desperadoes, was co-founded by St. Athanasius priest Fr. William Smith in 1974^[5] In 1985, Thomas even organized the first Hunts Point Halloween parade, in 1985^[6]

A 105-unit affordable housing development which SEBCO built on the last parcel of city-owned land in the South Bronx was the Sister Thomas Apartments in 2008. At the dedication, the New York State Housing Finance Agency stated that "In the '60s and '70s the Hunts Point section of the South Bronx was a desolate place lined with the carcasses of buildings still smoldering from the latest fire…. The only refuge was St. Athanasius and its priests and nuns, who became beacons of hope and leaders in the tenants' rights movement…."^[7]

Nevertheless, Sister Thomas and the flea market she long organized were expelled from the parish unceremoniously in 2010, dividing the community, shortly after the arrival of a new pastor.^[7] Many parishioners participated in protests against the move, while others defended the new pastor.^[8]

School

The Sisters of Charity of New York opened St. Athanasius School on September 8, 1913. The original school was situated adjacent to the church on Fox Street, but was soon outgrown. The parish constructed the current school building at 830 Southern Boulevard in 1965.^[9]

References

↑ Remigius Lafort, S.T.D., Censor, The Catholic Church in the United States of America: Undertaken to Celebrate the Golden Jubilee of His Holiness, Pope Pius X. Volume 3: The Province of Baltimore and the Province of New York, Section 1: Comprising the Archdiocese of New York and the Diocese of Brooklyn, Buffalo and Ogdensburg Together with some Supplementary Articles on Religious Communities of Women.. (New York City: The Catholic Editing Company, 1914), p.382.
↑ Catholic Editing Company (1914), The Catholic church in the United States of America, New York, p. 382
↑ Redfearn, Jennifer (January 16, 2007), "Sins of the Father", The Village Voice
↑ Irfan, Umair (November 4, 2010), "Stars and More", The Uptown Chronicle
↑ Teltsch, Kathleen (October 30, 1987), "Once Desperate, a Bronx Housing Group Earns Praise", The New York Times
↑ Oros, John (October 26, 2010), In Hunts Point, Halloween Celebrates Rebirth
1 2 O'Shaughnessy, Patrice (August 10, 2010), "Unholy treatment: New pastor at St. Athanasius Church kicks out beloved Sister Thomas", New York Daily News
↑ Hirsch, Joe (August 23, 2010), Protesters Call for New Pastor’s Ouster
↑ St. Athanasius School: History, retrieved 2011-02-01

External links

St. Athanasius School

Archdiocese of New York

Ordinaries of the Archdiocese of New York

Bishops of New York	R. Luke Concanen John Connolly John Dubois John Joseph Hughes

Archbishops of New York	John Joseph Hughes John Cardinal McCloskey Michael Augustine Corrigan John Murphy Cardinal Farley Patrick Joseph Cardinal Hayes Francis Joseph Cardinal Spellman Terence James Cardinal Cooke John Joseph Cardinal O'Connor Edward Michael Cardinal Egan Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan

Auxiliary Bishops, current	Peter John Byrne John Joseph Jenik Dominick John Lagonegro John Joseph O'Hara Gerald Thomas Walsh

Auxiliary Bishops, emeritus	Robert Anthony Brucato Josu Iriondo James Francis McCarthy

Auxiliary Bishops, former, currently living	Henry J. Mansell Theodore Edgar McCarrick Timothy A. McDonnell Edwin Frederick O'Brien Dennis Joseph Sullivan

Auxiliary Bishops, former, deceased	Patrick Vincent Ahern Edwin Broderick Thomas Cusack Edward Vincent Dargin Joseph Patrick Donahue John Joseph Dunn John Michael Fearns Joseph Francis Flannelly Francisco Garmendia William Jerome McCormack James Griffiths George Henry Guilfoyle Edward Dennis Head Walter P. Kellenberg John Joseph Maguire James Patrick Mahoney William Jerome McCormack James Francis McIntyre Anthony Francis Mestice Emerson John Moore Joseph Thomas O'Keefe Joseph Maria Pernicone Fulton J. Sheen Patrick Joseph Thomas Sheridan Austin Bernard Vaughan

Bishops who served as priests in the Archdiocese, living	Charles Daniel Balvo Charles John Brown Joseph Thomas Dimino

Bishops who served as priests in the Archdiocese, deceased	St. John Nepomucene Neumann Patrick Aloysius O'Boyle Charles H. Colton John J. Conroy Philip Joseph Furlong Charles Edward McDonnell Francis Patrick McFarland Francis McNeirny Bernard John Joseph McQuaid Rrok Kola Mirdita John Joseph Mitty William Quarter Francis Frederick Reh Joseph Francis Rummel William Scully

Catholicism portal

Churches in the Archdiocese of New York

Archdiocese	Cathedral St. Patrick's Cathedral, Manhattan

New York City	Bronx Blessed Sacrament Church Church of the Sacred Heart Christ the King's Church Holy Cross Church Immaculate Conception Church Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church Our Lady of Mercy's Church Our Lady of Mount Carmel's Church Our Lady of the Nativity of Our Blessed Lady's Church Our Lady of Solace's Church St. Angela Merici's Church St. Anselm's Church St. Ann's Church St. Anthony's Church St. Anthony of Padua Church St. Athanasius's Church St. Augustine's Church St. Barnabas' Church St. Brendan's Church St. Clare of Assisi's Church St. Dominic's Church St. Frances de Chantal's Church St. Frances of Rome's Church St. Francis Xavier's Church St. Gabriel's Roman Catholic Church St. Helena's Church St. Jerome's Church St. Joan of Arc's Church St. John's Church St. John Chrysostom's Church St. Joseph's Church St. Lucy's Church St. Luke's Church St. Margaret Mary's Church St. Margaret of Cortona's Church St. Martin of Tours' Church St. Nicholas of Tolentine Church St. Pius V's Church St. Raymond's Church Church of St. Simon Stock St. Theresa of the Infant Jesus Church SS. Peter and Paul's Church Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church Manhattan All Saints Church Annunciation Church New York Chapel of the Resurrection Church of Notre Dame Church of Our Lady of Lourdes Church of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church of Our Lady of Sorrows Church of Our Lady of the Scapular-St. Stephen Church of Sts. Cyril & Methodius and St. Raphael Church of St. Catherine of Genoa Church of St. Ignatius Loyola Church of St. Joseph Church of St. Michael Church of St. Vincent Ferrer Church of the Ascension, Roman Catholic Church of the Blessed Sacrament Church of the Epiphany Church of the Good Shepherd Church of the Holy Agony Church of the Incarnation, Roman Catholic Church of the Most Precious Blood Church of the Nativity Chapel of the Resurrection Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church of the Transfiguration, Roman Catholic Corpus Christi Church Holy Cross Church Holy Innocents' Church Holy Name of Jesus Roman Catholic Church Holy Rosary Church Holy Trinity Church Immaculate Conception Church Our Lady of Esperanza Church Our Lady of Good Counsel Church Our Lady of Guadalupe at St. Bernard's Church Our Lady of Lourdes Church Our Lady of the Holy Rosary's Church Our Lady of Victory Church Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church Our Saviour Church San Lorenzo Ruiz Chapel St. Agnes' Church St. Aloysius Catholic Church St. Andrew's Church St. Ann's Church St. Anthony of Padua Church St. Benedict the Moor's Church St. Catherine of Siena's Church St. Cecilia's Church and Convent St. Charles Borromeo's Church St. Elizabeth's Church St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church St. Emeric's Church St. Francis of Assisi Church St. Francis Xavier Church St. Gregory the Great's Church St. Jean Baptiste Roman Catholic Church St. John the Baptist Church St. John the Evangelist's Church St. Joseph of the Holy Family Church St. Joseph's Chapel St. Jude's Church St. Lucy's Church Saint Malachy's Roman Catholic Church St. Mark the Evangelist's Church St. Mary's Church St. Monica's Church St. Patrick's Old Cathedral St. Paul's Church St. Paul the Apostle Church St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church St. Rose of Lima's Church St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr's Church St. Stephen of Hungary Church St. Teresa's Church St. Thomas More's Church St. Veronica's Church Staten Island Church of Our Lady Help of Christians Church of Our Lady of Pity Church of Our Lady Queen of Peace Church of Our Lady Star of the Sea Church of the Blessed Sacrament Church of the Holy Family Our Lady of Good Counsel's Church Sacred Heart Church St. Adalbert's Church St. Charles's Church St. Clare's Church St. Mary's Church St. Patrick's Church St. Peter's Church St. Rita's Church St. Roch's Church St. Teresa of the Infant Jesus's Church

Dutchess County	Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha's Church (LaGrangeville) Church of Regina Coeli (Hyde Park) Church of St. Martin de Porres (Poughkeepsie) Church of St. Mary, Mother of the Church (Fishkill) St. Mary's Church (Poughkeepsie) St. Mary's Church (Wappingers Falls) Church of the Good Shepherd (Rhinebeck) Immaculate Conception Church (Amenia) Immaculate Conception Church (Bangall) St. Anthony's Church (Pine Plains) St. Charles Borromeo's Church (Dover Plains) St. Christopher's Church (Red Hook) St. Columba's Church (Hopewell Junction) St. Denis' Church (Hopewell Junction) St. Joachim and St. John the Evangelist's Church (Beacon) St. John the Evangelist's Church (Pawling) St. Joseph's Chapel (Rhinecliff) St. Joseph's Church (Millbrook) St. Patrick's Chapel (Millerton) St. Paul's Chapel (Staatsburg) St. Peter's Church (Hydge Park) St. Sylvia's Church (Tivoli)

Orange County

Putnam County

Rockland County

Sullivan County

Ulster County

Westchester County	Blessed Sacrament Church (New Rochelle) Church of the Holy Family (New Rochelle) Church of St. Joseph (Bronxville) Immaculate Conception Church (Tuckahoe) St. Gabriel's Church (New Rochelle) St. Vito's Church (Mamaroneck)

Eastern-Rite	St. George's Church (Manhattan)

Education in the Archdiocese of New York

Archdiocese	Seminaries Saint Joseph's Seminary Universities and Colleges College of New Rochelle Fordham University Iona College Manhattan College Manhattanville College

New York City	Bronx high schools Academy of Mount St. Ursula All Hallows High School Aquinas High School Cardinal Hayes High School Cardinal Spellman High School Fordham Preparatory School Monsignor Scanlan High School Mount Saint Michael Academy Preston High School St. Barnabas High School St. Catharine Academy St. Raymond Academy St. Raymond High School for Boys Manhattan high schools Cathedral High School Convent of the Sacred Heart Cristo Rey New York High School Dominican Academy La Salle Academy Loyola School Marymount School of New York Mother Cabrini High School Notre Dame School Regis High School St. George Academy St. Jean Baptiste High School St. Vincent Ferrer High School Xavier High School Staten Island high schools Monsignor Farrell High School Moore Catholic High School Notre Dame Academy St. John Villa Academy St. Joseph by the Sea High School St. Joseph Hill Academy St. Peter's Boys High School

Dutchess County	High schools Our Lady of Lourdes High School

Orange County	High schools John S. Burke Catholic High School

Putnam County	High schools

Rockland County	High schools Albertus Magnus High School

Sullivan County	High schools

Ulster County	High schools John A. Coleman Catholic High School

Westchester County	High schools Academy of Our Lady of Good Counsel Iona Preparatory School John F. Kennedy Catholic High School Maria Regina High School Sacred Heart High School Salesian High School School of the Holy Child Archbishop Stepinac High School The Montfort Academy The Ursuline School

Catholicism portal
New York portal

Coordinates: 40°49′8.19″N 73°53′40.25″W / 40.8189417°N 73.8945139°W / 40.8189417; -73.8945139

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/30/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.