Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Brooklyn)

Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help from 5th Avenue

From 60th Street

The Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help is an architectural landmark in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It is located on 5th Avenue between 59th and 60th streets in the Sunset Park neighborhood and occupies about half the square block extending back to 6th Avenue, with the rectory and ancillary buildings occupying the remainder. The Basilica is visible for some distance, particularly from the Gowanus Expressway. It is popularly referred to by its initials, OLPH.

Description

The basilica, founded and still staffed by the Redemptorists, is a Roman Catholic parish church of the Diocese of Brooklyn. It is dedicated to Our Lady of Perpetual Help, and serves as a pro-cathedral. The architect was Franz Joseph Untersee of Boston. As a double church, the basilica has two floors of worship, like the Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi. The upstairs church was commonly only used to host weddings and special group services such as confirmation and communion, but has come back into more frequent use. For many years, mass in Spanish was held upstairs because of the large number of parishioners in attendance. The lower level is for smaller services. The first floor has been renovated many times in recent years. Its new modernized look is more inviting and welcoming to parishioners.

Because of its size, the Basilica hosts major diocesan services (e.g., ordinations)^[1] that would otherwise be held at Brooklyn's other, considerably smaller basilica, the Cathedral Basilica of St. James. For the same reason, it also hosts sadder events; it is a venue-of-choice for the larger funerals of those who have fallen in the line of duty while in the service of the New York City Police Department and the New York City Fire Department.

At the time of its completion, the parish was largely Irish in character (as evidenced by the inscriptions on the memorial windows). It was built on what was known as Irish Hill. Some of the family names include Collins, Brennan, Wade, Connors, Burns, McCaffrey, Healy, and Coffey. There is still an Irish presence, but today it is predominantly Hispanic and Chinese. The Basilica enjoys large attendance, particularly on holidays such as Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday and Christmas.

Surroundings

OLPH school

The parish has an elementary school down the block on 6th Avenue and 59th and 60th Street. The elementary school celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2003. From 1956 until 1999 there was an OLPH Commercial High School for girls. Students at both were taught by the Sisters of St. Joseph, whose convent is on 59th Street and 6th Avenue. A rectory for the Redemptorist priests is on 59th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues.

The Basilica is served by the New York City Subway's BMT Fourth Avenue Line at the 59th Street subway station (N R trains).

Notable people

Chuck Connors, of The Rifleman, grew up in the neighborhood and served as an altar boy at OLPH.

References

↑ Ordination of Bishops dioceseofbrooklyn.org

External links

Media related to Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Brooklyn) at Wikimedia Commons
Our Lady Of Perpetual Help Basilica

Diocese of Brooklyn

Bishops	Ordinaries John Loughlin Charles Edward McDonnell Thomas Edmund Molloy Bryan Joseph McEntegart Francis Mugavero Thomas Vose Daily Nicholas Anthony DiMarzio Auxiliary bishops Gerald Barbarito Anthony Bevilacqua John Joseph Boardman Frank Joseph Caggiano Ignatius Anthony Catanello Raymond Francis Chappetto Octavio Cisneros Joseph Peter Michael Denning Raymond Augustine Kearney Charles Richard Mulrooney George Mundelein Edmund Joseph Reilly Paul Robert Sanchez Guy Sansaricq John J. Snyder Joseph Michael Sullivan René Arnold Valero Bishops who served as priests in the diocese Vincent DePaul Breen Edward Bernard Scharfenberger

Churches	Cathedral Cathedral Basilica of St. James, Brooklyn Co-Cathedral Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph, Brooklyn Basilicas Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Brooklyn Basilica of Regina Pacis, Brooklyn Parishes Church of St. Francis of Assisi and St. Blaise, Brooklyn St. Michael's Church, Brooklyn Church of the Holy Innocents, Brooklyn Our Lady of Victory Church, Brooklyn Queen of All Saints Church, Brooklyn St. Barbara's Church, Brooklyn Saint Benedict Joseph Labre Church, Queens Saint Cecilia's Catholic Church, Brooklyn St. Sebastian Roman Catholic Church, Queens Former parishes Church of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary,Brooklyn St. Blaise's Church, Brooklyn St. Monica's Church, Queens

Education	Seminary Cathedral Preparatory School and Seminary, Queens High schools, Brooklyn (Diocese and independent) Bishop Kearney High School Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School Cristo Rey Brooklyn High School Fontbonne Hall Academy Nazareth Regional High School St. Edmund Preparatory High School St. Joseph High School Saint Saviour High School of Brooklyn Xaverian High School High schools, Queens (Diocese and independent) Archbishop Molloy High School Cathedral Preparatory School and Seminary Christ the King Regional High School Holy Cross High School Monsignor McClancy Memorial High School St. Agnes High School St. Francis Preparatory School St. John's Preparatory School The Mary Louis Academy High schools, former Bishop Ford Central Catholic High School, Brooklyn

Miscellany	Other DeMarco v. Holy Cross High School Holy Cross Cemetery, Brooklyn New Evangelization Television St. Charles Cemetery St. Vincent's Catholic Medical Center The Tablet

Catholicism Portal

Coordinates: 40°38′22″N 74°00′55″W / 40.6395°N 74.0152°W / 40.6395; -74.0152

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