Remembering Who We Are
For the ancients, sight was considered the most powerful sense. Visual memory was believed to assist the memory's weaker domain of concepts and words. Buildings were designed to communicate values and aspirations, and make the city as a whole memorable.
The iconic St. Patrick's Cathedral of New York City we often think of today is actually the second home of this parish. The original building, which still exists, is now referred to as Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral.
New York City was founded as a Dutch settlement (New Amsterdam), which came under English rule in seventeenth century. It oscillated between decades of violent anti-Catholic bigotry, interwoven with decades of greater religious tolerance. In 1696, there were only nine professed Catholics in the city, and Catholic priests were barred from entering the colony.
An Immigrant Church
A tiny Catholic community survived despite opposition, and in 1784 anti-priest laws were repealed and the first parish was established. This original parish of about 200 members was poor, and included at least five nationalities: Irish, French, German, Spanish, and Portuguese. In 1815, the old St. Patrick's Cathedral in lower Manhattan was the second Catholic church built in New York City. During the 1800's, the church grew exponentially through massive influxes of immigration. This carried vitality for the church but also brought much strain, ethnic rivalry, and debt upon the existing Catholic communities.
In 1842, the Irish-born John Hughes became the fourth bishop of New York City. By this time, the number of Catholics had risen to over 200,000, the majority being of Irish descent. The Catholic population would double again in the next 25 years. Hughes proposed building a new cathedral for of the largely poor but thriving immigrant community. He proposed building a grand, majestic new structure for worship where he believed the heart of the city would one day be. This vision was ridiculed by many because the Fifth Avenue location was so far from the city center at the time, but in 1858 the cornerstone was laid and in 1879 the new Cathedral was open. Through the 20th century and into the present, the Catholic population in NYC grew to about 2.5 million people. It has continued to evolve with new waves of immigration, including Italian, Polish, Latin American, African, Asian, and Carribbean.
St. Patrick's Cathedral indeed builds its immigrant heritage directly into the physical space. For instance, the cathedral's was designed by architect James Renwick, and the neo-gothic design recalls the Cologne Cathedral in Germany. The dedication of the church to St. Partick is a tribute to the patron saint of Ireland. The stained glass windows were crafted in England. Some of the side altars were designed by Roman artists. An image from the Tilma, a tapestry from Mexico, honors Our Lady of Guadalupe. And as is fitting, many elements of the church such as the marble, organ bronze fixtures, and altars were designed and installed by American companies including Tiffany & Co.
A Spiritual Haven in the Heart of the Secular World
One of the things that has changed the most since St. Patrick's Cathedral was built is the skyline and ground around it. In the captial-driven United States real estate market, neighboring skyscrapers such as the Rockefeller Center dwarf the once-tall spires and made the church building almost look miniature in comparison. The height attainable from the surrounding buildings has given us new perspective on St. Patrick's itself. Its tradtional transcept cross shape is now easily evident when viewed from above, such as from the Top of the Rock.
St. Patrick's strives to be a spiritual haven in the heart of the secular world. It's hard to imagine that the original visionaries could have imagined just how tall and how densely built the urban environment of the city would become. And yet the hope and belief that the city would prosper so much that one day St. Patrick's would be at the very center of the city, did actually come true and remains so to this day.
References:
Homberger, Eric. The Historical Atlas of New York City. New York: Henry Holt and Company, Inc., 1994. pp. 34,56. Print.
Jackson, Kenneth T. The Encyclopedia of New York City. Yale University Press, 1995. pp. 190-193. Print.
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Dobbins, Jeff. ”Saint Patrick's Cathedral in New York: A Visitor's Guide" Walks of New York. Retrieved on 25 April 2016. https://www.walksofnewyork.com/blog/saint-patricks-cathedral-new-york
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“History and Heritage.” St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Retrieved on 25 April 2016.