St. Sebastian Church (New York City)
The Church of St. Sebastian is a former Roman Catholic parish church under the authority of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, located at 312 East 24th Street in Manhattan, New York City.
| The Church of St. Sebastian | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Town or city | Manhattan, New York |
| Country | United States of America |
| Client | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York |
The parish was established in 1915 by Italian immigrants that faced discrimination at Church of the Epiphany, which was located two blocks away on Second Avenue at the corner of East 22nd Street.[1][2] Masses were originally held in the basement of Church of the Epiphany and in a rented hall at First Avenue and East 23rd Street. The church opened on October 7, 1915. The parish was staffed by Franciscan Friars beginning in 1917.[1]
In February 1971, Terence Cardinal Cooke announced that the archdiocese would close the parish on March 31, 1971 because it was weakening the nearby parishes of Church of the Epiphany, Church of Our Lady of the Scapular of Mount Carmel and Church of St. Stephen the Martyr. Parishioners of St. Sebastian unsuccessfully fought to prevent the closure of their parish.[3][4][5]
References
- Inventory of the Church Archives in New York City: Roman Catholic Church, Archdiocese of New York. New York: Historical Records Survey. 1941. p. 120.
- Dugan, George (March 1, 1971). "St. Sebastian's Church Here Ordered Closed on March 31". The New York Times. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
- Garcia, Rudy (February 28, 1971). "St. Sebastian's Parishioners Fight Closing of the Church". Daily News. New York. Retrieved April 22, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- Reel, William (March 7, 1971). "Pickets Plead: Cardinal, Save Our Church". Daily News. New York. Retrieved April 22, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Cooke Firm on Closing Church". Daily News. New York. March 26, 1971. Retrieved April 22, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.