One of the oldest churches in Manhattan, Saint John the Baptist is the second Catholic Church built by German immigrants. The first, St. Nicholas Church, had been erected in 1836 to serve the Lower East Side. Those living farther north on the West Side were eager to have their own church, where Mass would be said in their native language. In 1840, a small wooden church was constructed on 30th street near Seventh Avenue and was known as the German Roman Catholic Church of St. John.
The first Mass was said on June 28, 1840. In September of that year Rev. Zacharia Kunz, OSF inscribed his name in the baptismal register as the first resident pastor of St. John’s.
During this period the nascent Catholic Church in America suffered from Trusteeism, a practice which gave lay leaders of the church full and exclusive control of all parish affairs. Because of this issue Fr. Zacharia left the parish and founded the Church of St. Francis of Assisi one block east of St. John’s in 1844. A subsequent pastor was also unsuccessful in working with the trustees and was recalled in 1846.
On January 10, 1847, the church was destroyed by fire. The strength and determination of the parishioners enabled a brick building to be erected that same year, under the direction of the builder Johann Stein, a member of the parish. The cornerstone was laid on Sunday, March 14. In July, 1847 Rev. Joseph Lutz was appointed pastor by Bishop Hughes. Further Trusteeism ensued and after 4 years Fr. Lutz left St. John’s and in 1852 erected the first chapel of The Church of the Holy Cross on 42nd Street. In 1852, Fr. Augustine Dantner, a missionary of the Capuchin Province of Hungary, became pastor, a position he held for sixteen years.
In 1870, the Swiss-born Rev. Bonaventure Frey, another Capuchin who had founded the parish of Our Lady of Sorrows on the Lower East Side, was named pastor. He also established St. John’s as a hospice for the American Capuchin Order. Because the congregation had outgrown its current church and in an effort to eradicate past tensions, Fr. Bonaventure, well-liked by the parishioners, decided to demolish the old structure and encouraged them to express their devotion and ethnic pride by building a more substantial edifice in its place.
Impressive it was. The celebrated architect Napoleon LeBrun, whose other works include The Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peters and Paul in Philadelphia, the Episcopal Church of St. Mary the Virgin on W. 46th St., and the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower on Madison Ave, Manhattan, was commissioned. On June 11, 1871 the cornerstone was laid; on June 23, 1872 the Church was dedicated by Archbishop McClosky. It would now be known as The Church of St. John the Baptist.
Modeled on the 13th century Cathedral of Rheims and done in the same French Gothic style as the Cathedral of Chartres, this new church had high vaulted ceilings, a main altar of Alabama marble, stained glass windows crafted by artists of the Munich School, Stations of the Cross sculpted in the round (1898) and a Bell Tower (1890) containing five swinging bells weighing from 1,500 to 7,000 pounds. The new church building could accommodate 1,200 people.
Other Capuchin pastors followed Fr. Bonaventure and the parish continued its service to the German Catholic community. A school, founded in 1841, grew under the guidance of the Brothers of Mary and the Sisters of Saint Dominic. St. Fidelis Monastery was built adjacent to the church in 1872 to house the Capuchin friars.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Pennsylvania Station was built on 31st Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues, directly opposite the church. To accomplish this, entire blocks of dwellings were destroyed; the character of the neighborhood and the parish changed. Families moved elsewhere, school enrollment declined, and the German language was no longer in use. St. John’s began its transformation from a resident to a business/commuter parish.
This new ministry initially served the spiritual needs of the railroad workers; however, a rapid increase in attendance ensued as commuters found in the church an opportunity for daily Mass and the sacraments, novena devotions, and private prayers. Throughout more than the first half of the century, years which included the Pandemic of 1918, World Wars, and the Great Depression, Capuchins continued to meet the needs of a busy commuter parish. Many societies and organizations flourished because of the commuters and loyal residents. The St. John’s Secular Franciscan Order Fraternity, begun in 1882, expanded to 3 separate fraternities by 1951.
The years prior to the centennial celebration in 1940 saw the closing of the parish school and its subsequent remodeling for parish use, a renovation of the church interior, including the installation of a marble retable and inspirational crucifix in the sanctuary, and improvements to the basement auditorium.
The 1970s witnessed a series of crises nationwide, but especially in New York City. The loss of manufacturing jobs presaged an urban exodus, an increase in unemployment, homelessness, poverty, vandalism, crime, and a heroin epidemic. The city was on the verge of bankruptcy. Every sector of life was affected— St. John’s Church no exception.
Well into the next decade, the church began draining its savings and living on bequests. Economic woes caused a decline in parishioners but an increase in the need to continue this Franciscan ministry. In 1969 an All-Night Vigil was begun by Fr. Armand Dasseville, a friar on staff. Held on the Friday before the first Saturday, it would honor the request for prayer of Our Lady of Fatima. The Bread of Life Food Pantry began its mission of providing bags of food to the needy of the Midtown area — a ministry which has become a hallmark of St. John’s social outreach.
In 1991, St. John’s faced the danger of being closed permanently. The church roof was collapsing; funds to repair it were lacking. Nevertheless, the Capuchin Friars saw the potential for recovery. Under the astute leadership of the newly appointed pastor, Fr. Francis Gasparik, and with the support of loyal parishioners, a major fund-raising campaign was implemented.
With building security intensified, new organizations and societies were formed; human services programs were implemented to help the poor and homeless. The weekly novena to the Mother of Perpetual Help was begun; 12 step programs met in the parish hall. Structurally, the repair of the collapsing roof in 1993 was the first step of a major restoration: a new floor was laid, the church was repainted; heating and air-conditioning repairs made; new lighting installed. On the Feast of St, John the Baptist, June 24, 1995, Bishop Ahearn celebrated a Solemn Mass to culminate the Restoration Project.
No account of the Restoration would be complete without acknowledging Venerable Patrick Peyton, C.S.C., the priest best known for the Family Rosary Crusade. A longtime friend of St. John’s, he presided at a Holy Hour on September 8, 1991, entrusting the parish to Mary and launching his Rosaries for Russia program.
In gratitude , the marble free-standing main altar consecrated in 1995 was dedicated in his memory; within it were laid a rosary, books by Fr. Peyton, and relics of saints that were in previous altars at St. John’s Friary.
January 10, 1997: exactly 150 years to the date of the original church having been destroyed by fire, a fire of undetermined origin erupted in the southeast corner of the church in early afternoon. The quick response of NYC Firefighters saved the structure.
Ensuing damage was in excess of two million dollars. A fundraising campaign was launched by the pastor Fr. Francis Gasparik, parishioners, and friends to cover the amount not provided through insurance. On April 13, 1997 “Catch the Spirit” was inaugurated with a parade from 31st Street to the Empire State Building. At a reception
in the Sky Lobby, St. John’s thanked the Fire Department by presenting a specially-commissioned crystal flame. Throughout the year a variety of activities, both small and grand in nature, contributed to yet another restoration of the church. The Tree of Life erected in the church was but one visible manifestation of the collective spirit which engendered the rebirth.
Renewed structurally and spiritually, St. John’s entered the year 2000, the third century contained in its history. During the following years friars and parishioners demonstrated a vibrancy that extended into all areas: liturgical celebrations and seasonal prayer services were enriched by a strong music program; devotional novenas were added; social outreach intensified; attendance at and participation in parish activities increased.
The 2002 canonization of the Capuchin friar Padre Pio of Pietrelcina would open another ministerial opportunity for the parish. First class relics of St. Pio were presented to Fr. Armand Dasseville, OFM Cap. A shrine to contain these relics was subsequently erected on the east wall of the church. St. John’s Church, served by the Capuchin friars, would become a center of devotion to St. Pio. A solemn liturgy for the feast of St. Pio, a weekly Mass/novena and the presence of the shrine have brought thousands of people into this church.
The availability of daily Masses and sacraments, the strategic location near Penn Station, and the atmosphere of peace which this majestic Gothic church exudes continue to draw parishioners, commuters, and travelers into its sacred space. In 2015 an archdiocesan reorganization combined St. John’s with The Church of the Holy Cross to form The Parish of Holy Cross-Saint John the Baptist. With each church a worship site, the spiritual activity and comfort afforded by St. John’s for 180 years continue to bespeak Christ in the City.
Barbara Brandes
Parishioner and Trustee of the Parish of Holy Cross—St. John the Baptist
2020