Refurbished Old St. Patrick’s Celebrates 200th Year Since Its Completion

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Cardinal Dolan presided at Solemn Vespers in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the completion of the Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral in lower Manhattan Nov. 22, the Solemnity of Christ the King.

“How appropriate,” Cardinal Dolan said in his homily, that the celebration and restoration “would come on the feast of Christ the King, the last Sunday of the Church year.”

The afternoon liturgy also marked the unveiling of the newly restored Old Cathedral, located at the corner of Prince and Mott Streets.

The regal Old Cathedral’s myriad offerings, in addition to its stately neo-Gothic structure, are the cemetery and refurbished catacombs; restored and relocated Altagracia Chapel for daily Mass; rebuilt and restored bell tower; and new Archbishop John J. Hughes Memorial, in honor of New York’s fourth bishop and first archbishop. (During his tenure, Archbishop Hughes’ cathedra was at what is now Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral.)

On Nov. 24, 1815, Bishop John Connolly, O.P., the first resident Bishop of the Diocese of New York, arrived from Europe to take possession of the newly completed cathedral on Mott Street.

Msgr. Donald Sakano, the current pastor, describes the neighborhood at that time as markedly different than today. “The area was meadows and dirt roads and orchards,” he said. “This was an outpost here in 1815. It was a bold measure for the Catholics of that period” to build. “This was before the waves of immigration occurred in the 1840s. There were not that many and they had very few resources.”

“It took six years to build the church,” and build it they did, under the direction of Father Anthony Kohlmann, S.J. “He had the foresight as the vicar general, in the absence of a bishop, to oversee the construction of a cathedral—this one, and named it after St. Patrick. But it was a poor church, and a very thinly populated one.

“Finally, it was finished in 1815 which was coincidental with the arrival of the bishop, John Connolly.”

The statement of those who have gone before at the Old Cathedral remains the same of those present today, Cardinal Dolan suggested in his homily, “that God comes first,” that faith and the freedom to live it is of the highest value, “that Christ is our King and that His Church is our home.”

“We’re at home here, my brothers and sisters in Christ,” the cardinal continued, “as our forefathers and foremothers in faith have called this their spiritual home for two centuries.”

The Old Cathedral “is a living, thriving, flourishing parish,” he said.

The cardinal acknowledged the steadfast work and leadership of Msgr. Sakano in overseeing the restoration project. The congregation responded in kind with a standing ovation for the pastor.

The $17 million restoration project, which includes infrastructure work of wiring, plumbing, waterproofing and HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning) as well as the cleaning and re-leading of the stained glass windows and the refabrication of their wooden frames, the pastor said, is significant in that it is the first major renovation since its reconstruction after the devastating fire of 1866. Most worrisome was the poor condition of the plaster ceiling and walls.

In his remarks at the conclusion of Vespers, Msgr. Sakano said that the tabernacle throne “contains the very woodwork Bishop Connolly would have known.” The pews, although refinished and, he mused, more comfortable, “are the same pews that have graced the old cathedral since 1867.” The “glorious” rose window that soars above the altar “would have been known by the people worshiping here for 150 years.” The colors of the statues of the apostles that adorn the sanctuary are the original colors, discovered during their restoration.

“But what makes a place sacred, after all is said and done, are the people that assemble there,” Msgr. Sakano said. “The people of this neighborhood have made this place holy by their celebration of the sacraments, by their imparting the faith as was done by such heroes as Archbishop John Hughes, who founded Catholic parochial education at 32 Prince Street, just a few yards beyond that south wall.”

He credited also the “zeal of the Sisters of Charity” who staffed the now-closed school and called attention to a statue in the church that honors their foundress, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.

The ground is sacred, he said, in part because of the number of saints who worshiped at the Old Cathedral, including St. John Neumann and St. Frances Cabrini, but also because of “all the saintly others” who lived and worked in the neighborhood, “the parishioners of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral who met Christ here, walked with Him in discipleship and enjoy Him in eternity.”

As the Old Cathedral embarks on a third century and continues in collaboration with the Shrine Church of the Most Precious Blood, located at nearby 109 Mulberry St., with which it merged last year, “the best of times” the pastor said, “are yet to come.”

Throughout the restoration process, a serious attempt has been made to return the structure to its original design. Using 19th century drawings of the church’s interior, the architect and liturgical designer were able to restore the basic elements of the sanctuary. The original color of the walls was discovered under numerous layers of paint.

The intricate design of the original communion rail, which was removed in 1970, was recreated by a skilled artisan and now frames the baptistery area.

The plans included a number of modern improvements to ensure the church’s viability for future generations, such as an interior elevator for mobility impaired persons, a ramp to the front door and modern restrooms in the undercroft.

“It’s beautiful,” said Susan Martini, 71, a lifelong parishioner. “I love it. I was so happy there were so many people there” at Vespers. “People were standing,” she added of the vast congregation.

The aesthetics are pleasing, she said. “It’s brighter.”

“I’m very proud to be a member of this church. It has a lot of history. And the people are nice. Now we’re getting more young people.” The pastor, she added, is doing a lot for the parish. “He’s very nice. I’m glad he’s here.”

A reception followed in the refurbished Aula, also known as the youth center, at 268 Mulberry St. Attendees enjoyed reminiscing with one another as they viewed slideshows that chronicled the parish history.