After a short hiatus, I am back on my journey of documenting the Churches of Albany. In a mid-week edition of the Wandering Churchman, I bring you the Shrine of Our Lady of the Americas, which is located on Central Avenue in the West Hill neighborhood of Albany.
BRIEF HISTORY:
This church building was dedicated in 1868 as the Church of St. Patrick in the City of Albany. In 2005, the parish was suppressed and renamed "Holy Family Parish" which was a merger of the 3 nearby parishes of Our Lady of Angels (German), St. Casimir (Polish) and St. Patrick (bet you cant guess what the ethnicity of this parish is). In 2010, Holy Family was not able to function as a parish on it's own so it was merged with Blessed Sacrament up the street and kept open as a "Shrine Church", the first one in the diocese. There is no resident pastor (he's up at Blessed Sacrament) but there is a resident chaplain.
The original St. Patrick's Church was built in 1858. A newer church was built ten years later and renovated in time for the church's centennial in 1968. While the wealthy Irish of Albany lived downtown and attended parishes like St. Joseph's, St. Patrick's was built for the working class Irish in the West Hill neighborhood. As the neighborhood changed and people moved out of the cities, the church lost a great many of their parishioners and income base. However, St. Patrick's was not going to go out without a fight. However, new life came into the parish in 1980's when the Albany Hispanic Apostolate moved from Cathedral to St. Patrick's and now makes up over half of the parish's population.
STRUCTURE:
From the outside, it seems like any old brick church. However, the structure of the church is quite amazing. With the 1968 renovation, they stripped down the plaster/stucco exterior and refinished the brick and added a copper roof. They also eliminated the spire on the steeple and really made he building look like it does today. But that's not what really strikes me.
This is a picture of the center isle. If you look to the right, and to the left, you will see an absence of something big from the churches of this era.
Figure it out yet? its pillars! There isn't a bad seat in the house and the furnishings are elaborate. The altar platform, high and side altars, statues and the altar rail are all made out of marble.
The brass doors are still on the rail, and the high pulpit is still intact on the left side of the sanctuary. While the inside is due for a paint job, the church for its age is in excellent shape.
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BVM Altar |
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Statue of St Francis helping Christ off the Cross, to show the Franciscan Heritage of Our Lady of Angels |
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St Casimir |
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Facing from the Altar to the back |
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Bl. Kateri Tekawitha, St. Patrick, St. Maximilian Kolbe, OFM Conv. |
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Christ being nailed on the cross. The windows on either side were manufactured in Austria by the Tyrol Stained Glass Company. |
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High Pulpit and St. Joseph's altar |
COMMUNITY:
The Shrine is predominantly Hispanic with some Angelo's and other ethnic groups which make this parish very multi-cultural. When you go here for mass, you are welcomed and treated like one of their own. Masses are celebrated at 930 in English, 12N in Spanish. As this is not a parish, there is no pastor but the community is lead by the pastor of Blessed Sacrament and the Shrine Chaplain, Rev. Frank O'Connor who is bi-lingual.
EDUCATION:
Each of the 3 original parishes has schools. St. Patrick's closed in 1980 (Sisters of Mercy), Our Lady of Angels in 1986 (Sisters of St. Francis), and St. Casimir's (Resurrection Sisters). St. Casimir's was made a regional school in the late 1980's and was closed back in 2009 due to lack of funds. All religious education is done through Blessed Sacrament and they have a very vibrant youth ministry and other educational programs. The Hispanic community also uses the church for their retreats and other activities during the year. In addition, Catholic Charities runs a soup kitchen, medical clinic and food pantry outreach services from this location and the former St. Casimir's convent on Sheridan Avenue.
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Church History of the Shrine of OL Americas |
OVERALL:
This parish has a lot of history, phenomenal architecture and a small, yet vibrant community. If you're in the area of Central Avenue I would stop by and take a peek. I think it's a understated gem of a church in the Diocese of Albany. Until next time: Vaya con Dios and Keep on Walking!
RECAP:
Shrine Church of Our Lady of the Americas (fmr Church of St. Patrick)
Present Church Dedication: 1867 by the Right Reverend John J. Conroy-Bishop of Albany
Architect: Unknown
Style: Mix between Gothic Revival and Art Deco
Additions: 1967 renovation
Pastor: Very Rev. John J. Bradley (Blessed Sacrament)
Chaplain: Rev. Francis A. O'Connor
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