Holy Cross Church

331 West 42nd Street | also 332 West 43rd Street | Hell's Kitchen | built 1920

Open on the map4 entries

Written with AI from the source each entry cites, then fact-checked.

1. 1852

   Archbishop Hughes's appeal leads to Holy Cross parish's founding

   Archbishop John J. Hughes called for new Catholic churches for the city's growing population, and Holy Cross was organized in response, the first of them. Rev. Joseph A. Lutz set up a temporary chapel on West 42nd Street between Eighth and Ninth Avenues, and the parish built its first permanent church there two years later.

   Source: Daytonian in Manhattan

2. 1870

   Holy Cross Church is completed, now the oldest building on 42nd Street

   The Holy Cross parish was founded in 1852, and its current church, designed by Henry Engelbert, was completed in 1870 on the site of an earlier damaged building. The red brick church has twin towers in an Italianate Gothic style, and Louis Comfort Tiffany designed mosaics and stained glass for the interior. It is the oldest building on 42nd Street.

   Source: Wikipedia

3. 1921

   Father Francis Duffy, chaplain of the Fighting 69th, takes charge of Holy Cross

   Francis P. Duffy had served as chaplain of the 69th New York Regiment, the Fighting Irish, in World War I. In 1921 he was appointed rector of Holy Cross, later becoming pastor, and he served the parish until his death in 1932. His bronze statue stands in Duffy Square at Times Square.

   Source: Wikipedia

4. 1932

   June 26

   Father Francis Duffy, chaplain of the Fighting 69th, dies at Holy Cross

   Father Francis Duffy, the famous World War I chaplain who had led Holy Cross since 1921, died on June 26, 1932, at age 61. In January 1932 he had won special permission from the Vatican to hold a 2:15 a.m. Sunday mass so parishioners working night shifts in nearby factories and theaters could attend. Rev. Joseph McCaffrey succeeded him as pastor.

   Source: Daytonian in Manhattan

Further reading

• Holy Cross Church (Manhattan)Wikipedia
• The 1888 Holy Cross School - 332-336 West 43rd StreetDaytonian in Manhattan
• The Church of the Holy Cross - 333 West 42nd StreetDaytonian in Manhattan

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All 46 buildings with stories in Hell's Kitchen