House of Worship

The Church of the Nativity on 2nd Ave. between 2nd Street and 3rd was initially the site of a Presbyterian church built in 1832.  The Catholic Archdiocese bought that building and founded the Church of the Nativity in 1842.  The old building was demolished in 1970 and the current church was built.

In 1842 it served the growing numbers of Irish immigrants in the community, then Italians and now Hispanics from Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.  Described as having a cinder-block and brick institutional drab look it was built by the parishioners at basement prices because the neighborhood could not afford more.  The inside is plain white, with oak pews and little else but an altar.  Unfortunately, It is scheduled for closing by the Archdiocese of the City of New York.  Staffed by up to 4 Jesuits at one time, it has one priest now.  As the neighborhood has become gentrified and rents increased many parishioners moved further north.  Manhattan with 25% of the churches has only 17% percent of the church going population.  The younger more affluent community growing in the east village does not appear to be church affiliated.  Dorothy Day, who dedicated her life to the poor, worshiped here for many decades.
In related news:  the Sunday Times had an article about a monastery closing in North Dakota because of the lack of new novitiates.  It is a Benedictine Monastery as founded by St. Benedict in the 6th Century for those wishing to serve God through work and prayer.  It is  not a cloistered Abbey.  The last novitiate to be accepted into this Abbey was in 2002 and since then 9 monks have died.  One of 40 in the U.S., Assumption Abbey was founded by Swiss Benedictine Monks in 1890 and was populated by German speaking monks from Russia and Hungary, because North Dakota was 'settled' by immigrants from those countries.  The Abbey currently has 1900 acres with 155 cows, 8 bulls and 155 calves.  Usually the Monastery would just sell the calves, but this year they are selling the entire herd.
"No more cowboys taking vows", was the headline.  Brother Placid Gross, I swear by all that's holy that's his name, is the last cowboy monk at Assumption Abbey and at 76 years of age it is more than he can handle.  There are 28 monks in residence but Brother Placid says they are more interested in 'intellectual stuff'.
"Happy trails to you
until we meet again
happy trails to you
keep smiling until then."
Dale Evans Rogers