Final Mass for Historic Church

The Tablet (Brooklyn, NY) ^ | January 17, 2009 | Stefanie Gutierrez

[Marc Tumin]

On the cold, clear Sunday morning, Jan. 11, a little more than 160 parishioners and school alumni came to one of the last Masses to be celebrated at St. Malachy’s, East New York. Many gave thanks for its 154-year presence in the neighborhood, by far the oldest, and many said goodbye, knowing that it would soon close and be torn down.

Built in 1854, it sits right in the center of Van Siclen Ave., next to a sturdy school building that now houses a Catholic Charities day care and early childhood center.

This Mass was a bit different than the first celebrated there, which took place on April 9, 1854. It was then that Bishop John Loughlin dedicated the church under the guidance of its patron saint, and when 500 people attended, each paying 50 cents for admission. The cost to build the church was $2,300, and most of the debt was paid off by the time that first Mass was celebrated.

At this Mass, 154 years later, Father Alexis Moronta, IVE, pastor of St. Michael-St. Malachy, announced that the final closing Mass at the church will take place in two weeks and the building will be demolished, as well as the neighboring convent.

“There are three main reasons the decision was made to close and tear it down,” said Father Moronta. “The first reason is the lack of priests, so we merged (with St. Michael’s). The second reason is that many people have moved away. And the third reason is financial. It would cost too much to bring the building up to code, just the roof and the floor alone are so costly that it couldn’t be done.”

The convent, he said, is in worse condition than the church. The school and the rectory will remain.

When he addressed the saddened congregation, Father Moronta referred to St. Francis of Assisi when he was building his church in Italy. “You received all of the graces from here – your baptism, your schooling – but the Church is not just the building or the bricks. St. Francis said, ‘You are the stones of the Church,’ and we are still the Church, wherever we are.”

Many Sisters of St. Joseph attended the farewell Mass. Their order has had a presence at St. Malachy’s since the first group of Sisters arrived in 1871. The first school was opened in 1868 under the guidance of the first resident pastor, Father Patrick Creighton, when he secured a three-story building on Atlantic Ave. and nine adjoining lots. Three years later, the Sisters arrived to teach.

Sister Rose Torma, C.S.J., came to remember St. Malachy’s this past Sunday; it was her first time back in almost 60 years.

“Years ago, your parish was your identity,” she said. “I remember so vividly the stained-glass windows; how to be in the choir once you turned nine was a rite of passage… I remember how it rained on my First Communion day. As young as I was, I remember it so vividly. You found your family in your parish.”

“We were all very happy to be here because of the people,” said Sister St. Catherine Mezzacapo, C.S.J. She taught there from 1948 to 1952, and this was her first visit back. “We didn’t have much, but we had our faith.”

Under Father Patrick McNamara, the Sisters were entrusted with St. Malachy’s Home for Orphan and Destitute Children in 1876. It sheltered 150 boys. By 1891, the number of children in their care rose to 229 boys and 117 girls. The home was eventually moved to a new building in Rockaway, and the original building became a receiving and quarantine station, sometime before 1929.

Walter O’Connor was raised by the Sisters in the orphanage, and eventually raised his two daughters in East New York. Both girls graduated from St. Malachy’s School and were there on Sunday to bid farewell to the church.

Patricia Antonelli, class of ’48, and Eileen Monacchio, ’55, recalled their father’s fond memories of the Sisters. “He used to take us to the orphanage after it moved to Rockaway,” said Patricia. “We’d have lunch with the Sisters who took care of him and to say hello… He loved them.”

Luis Cocqumer, parishioner of St. Malachy’s, takes a moment to sit with “Jesus in the Tomb,” which will be moved from St. Malachy Church and placed into St. Michael’s.

They also had their own memories of the Sisters. “Going to school here, attending church here… I feel bad that it is going. I loved the neighborhood. I wish sometimes we could go back. What a terrific place to grow up. We didn’t have much, but we had fun,” said Patricia.

“It was a working class neighborhood… Everyone was poor, but we didn’t know it. It was diverse – Irish, Italian, German – but we all were friends, and everyone knew one another,” added Eileen.

When Father Henry Doheny became pastor in 1954, he discovered that the existing school had become inadequate through age and overcrowding. In 1957, he announced an ambitious $200,000 building fund campaign to erect a new 12-classroom school with an adjoining auditorium that seated 800. By early 1958, the campaign had raised $245,000. School enrollment was almost 600. Since families were still paying off pledges for the new building, no tuition was charged.

Dominic Esposito graduated in January, 1955, from the original school building. He recalled how the school used to creak and remembered “the condemned third floor” and how some students would mischievously sneak up to it.

The St. Malachy Church Choir sang both English and Spanish worship songs during the thanksgiving and farewell Mass held at St. Malachy Church, which will be closed on Jan. 25.

By 1964, enrollment dropped to below 500, and tuition became $30 a year. The number of children from Spanish-speaking homes was 25. By 1967, that number doubled. Many of the Irish, Italian and German families from the neighborhood moved to Queens, Nassau or Suffolk, and Spanish-speaking families took their places. In 1969, Father Herbert McElroy saw that the parish was changing quickly and instituted a Spanish Mass.

In 1973, tuition was raised to $270 a year, and by 1976, a cluster coordinating committee began talks of a consolidation. In June, 1979, St. Malachy’s School closed its doors and joined with St. Michael’s to form St. John Neumann School.

Sister Peggie Marritt, O.P., was principal of St. John Neumann and is now principal of St. Michael’s. She was there to speak to alumni at Sunday’s Mass.

“What you were given here was what John the Baptist gave to Jesus…” said Sister Peggie. “The waters of your baptism. Little St. Malachy’s fits into St. Michael’s, so please come visit,” she said.

A date has not been set for the demolition of the church. Many at Sunday’s Mass wondered what would happen to the statuary within its walls.

Joe Sciame, a ’55 graduate and member of the diocesan archives commission, said that all of it would be saved. “The stained glass, the oak pews, the statues, the Stations of the Cross… Everything will be taken and preserved,” he said.

“Right now, we are in the process of taking inventory and photos of everything for the database to know what we have… What Father Moronta doesn’t take to St. Michael’s, those will be offered to other parishes. In the time being, we have a warehouse – the Patrimonial Archives – that is located in Bushwick. They will stay there until they have a new home,” said Joe Coen, diocesan archivist.

“What’s so important about St. Malachy’s is the community,” Sciame said. “We didn’t have to worry about ethnicity. We all got along. It’s still very much alive, so it’s sad to see it go. But what Father Alexis said was helpful – the church is not just a building, it’s everywhere. We can be proud of the traditions and its rich history.”

St. Malachy’s will celebrate its final closing Mass on Sunday, Jan. 25, with an 11:15 a.m. Mass celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Frank Caggiano.

The Pastors of St. Malachy’s Parish

Father Patrick Creighton, 1862-1868

Father Martin Carroll, 1869-1872

Father John Purcell, 1872-1874

Father Patrick J. McNamara, 1874-1877

Father Andrew O’Connell, 1877-1888

Father John J. Camner, 1888-1892

Father Mortimer C. Brennan, 1892-1893

Father Michael Murray, 1893-1896

Father Hugh B. Ward, 1894-1908

Father Daniel F. Cherry, 1908-1927

Father Joseph I. O’Brien, 1927-1928

Father Sylvester J. Higgins, 1928-1938

Father Jeremiah J. Davidson, 1937-1938

Father Daniel P. Kane, 1938-1954

Father Henry Doheny, 1954-1959

Father Francis J. Kleinklaus, 1959-1965

Father Howard M. McMongle, 1965-1968

Father Luke L. Cunningham, 1968-1969

Father Herbert J. McElroy, 1969-1978

Father Raymond W. Kutner, 1978-1983

Msgr. Raymond J. Kelly, 1983-2007

Father Alexis Moronta, IVE, 2007-present

Note: The Tablet is “The Weekly Newspaper of the Diocese of Brooklyn.”

ENDS

[knarf]

[Salvation]

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